Monster Ecology Anthology

Flameskull "My old master sent me a request: he was having trouble dealing with worrisome occurrences in a village near his tower. Crop blights, dead livestock, villagers going missing - all signs of potential dark magic. I arrived within the fortnight, and found the door to his tower ajar. I entered and was hit by a profane stench. It was familiar at first: his old tomes, miscellaneous reagents, strange taxonomies. But it smelt burnt... I can still smell it. My master's voice called out to me, and I came running up the stairs to his study. When I entered, a bright, green, light roared in front of me. And then the laughing started." -- Dalerion the Adept, speaking to an Archmage's Tribunal Introduction The Flameskull is an undead mystical creation, the result of a profane ritual involving the head of a magically-attuned individual. It is a simplistic and rigid, yet effective, guardian that is bound to the commands it is given at its creation. It is a skull, leafed in powerful flames that stalks silently and imitates voice with frightening accuracy. It never rests and follows its orders with maniacal efficiency, taking advantage of the memories and magical prowess of its previous form. It follows its commands to the letter, often producing intended consequences for its creator. Make no mistake; however, the Flameskull is not even a shadow of its former self. It only borders on sanity, and woe be to any ill-prepared adventurer who falls in its path. The mage that once was is gone - and since the head is required, they're usually dead. Physiological Observations The Flameskull, being a mystical creation, can be quite different aesthetically but the general anatomy and function is near ubiquitous. The Flameskull is defined by its very name; it is a levitating flaming skull. The form of the skull depends upon the race, age, and sex of the mage the skull was created from but otherwise is completely bone. No flesh, muscle, or other viscera remain. The Flameskull is continually wrapped in a bright (usually green) flame that burns violently hot and can be controlled by the Flameskull. It levitates above the ground, and is animate by magical means. It has keen hearing and sight, although rumors of a sense of taste remain yet unverified. They are as intelligent as their former selves, though usually only speaking the languages of their creators. They only faintly remember personal members, but otherwise have accurate historical recollection. Flameskulls move quickly, silently, and their flames can be dulled to an infinitesimal glow (although never intentionally extinguished.) Their skulls, no matter how old, remain extremely strong; infused with the magical bindings that created it. The Flameskull does not eat, drink, sleep, or breath - it spends its existence executing it's given orders and discerning how best to do so. It is lost otherwise. The primary form of defense and combat used by Flameskulls is their ability to use the magic of their former self. They also inherently may focus rays of fire from their eye sockets, and have been known to also bite. A Flameskull may only be permanently killed by immersion in holy water, or a spell that dispels magic or curses. If otherwise killed, no matter how shattered, a Flameskull will reform in as little as an hour. Creation The ritual to create a Flameskull is an inherent act of evil. While not requiring the soul of the subject, it does require their head and magical powers. This usually means death, but in the case of a multi-headed sorcerer, or perhaps a particularly well-prepared wizard, this may not spell death for the subject. First, the creator must acquire the head of a powerful magic-user, usually by decapitation of some sort. Then, specific runes found only in long-forgotten tomes must be inscribed, in the blood of the caster, both in the flesh and on an alabaster slab four paces by four paces large. The creator must then find a flame that has burned continuously for one hundred and eleven days - no less, no more. Using the fires of this flame, the creator must melt down the hair, eyes, teeth, and brains of the subject into an inkwell. With this ink, still hot, the creator must write down their commands. Before the ink cools, the parchment it was written on must be shoved into the mouth of the head and then the head must be set alight by the same flame used to melt down the ink. After uttering profane words of binding, the flames will turn a deep color and the remaining flesh (if there is any) will melt off, and the Flameskull will begin to scream. It will not stop for four days and four nights. It then follows the commands it was given - they cannot be changed or modified in any way. There are a variety of points at which a ramshackle mad wizard may go wrong: the ink may not have a proper binding agent (gum arabic is recommended,) causing it to run and sully the commands; the head may not have had the eyes removed fully; or the runes used could be an ageold secret for the transmutation of beets. Social Observations Flameskulls, in general, do not work well or cooperate with one another. Often two or more Flameskulls will be set to the same task, and begin to bicker and beguile one another - each one perceiving that the other is compromising their goals. They inherently do not trust one another, perhaps because each understand the insanity lurking underneath them. Multiple Flameskulls set to similar but different goals are even worse, as they begin to be caught up in an internal-bureaucracy tied to usually one hastily scrawled sentence. Flameskulls whose tasks do not interact with one another whatsoever are a rare encounter, but in those cases it goes swimmingly. They revel in their tasks, complement each other's flames, and discuss the nuances of their commands. Often, those still bound by them will scheme with one another on how to deceive and rid themselves of their chains. Flameskulls of opposing goals fight to the death, with no exceptions. Flameskulls do not, otherwise, interact. They don't mate, form social structures, or otherwise propagate a future. Different Flameskulls feel differently about their tasks: some are frustrated, others eager to serve, others eager to have the opportunity to kill their creator and roam free. 151

Flameskulls often talk of "Freedom." Freedom from their commands, freedom from their creators, even freedom from sanity. Behavioral Observations Flameskulls are apt communicators because of their ability to recall historical events quite well along with near-perfect voice imitation. They usually simply use the voice of their previous self, unless attempting to deceive an intruder or mock something. However, Flameskulls do not communicate often, unless they have gone insane. The key to dealing and communicating with a Flameskull is to discern, as quickly and accurately as possible, if it is insane. Sane Flameskulls will be reasonably suspicious of all who approach it, but will be eager to offer as much information as they can about their master and how someone might kill their creator or free them from their commands. However, this conversation is usually impossible as most Flameskulls are given strict commands to kill all who come near whatever they are guarding. (Absolutes, such as "kill all" are quite dangerous terms to use for commands - as an unwary creator has often learned.) However, insane Flameskulls, those released from their bonds or having failed to guard whatever it is they were guarding, are another matter entirely. No longer bound to the very essence of their creation, insane Flameskulls lash out with the remaining fragments of their former life and tormenting contract. Their ability for voice imitation is used to their fullest as they terrorize all who come near them, without regard for life or morality. Most take sick pleasure in luring people into traps with the voices of hurt innocents before incinerating them with their gaze. Some use riddles with no right answer (unless death by fire is an acceptable one,) others simply use their former self's ability for Illusion magic to force people through twisting labyrinths with no end. There is no limit to the extent of both the malice and ingenuity of an insane Flameskull - they are utterly and wholly lost to any chains that once bound them. A sane Flameskull can be just as devious, though often more restrained. While they crave freedom, they are still absolutely evil. Inter-Species Observations All races are equal in the sight of a Flameskull, in that they usually hate them all. Sometimes especial prejudices remain from their past selves, but otherwise a Flameskull will view anyone not sanctioned in their commands to be a possible threat and never let down their guard. Due to their usually secluded nature, guarding areas or people of great and evil power, common folk do not usually interact with Flameskulls and the more dramatic nature of the Lich often causes it to overshadow the Flameskull. Many encounters with Flameskulls throughout history often simply become more exaggerated until it becomes the story of a powerful Lich. Rarely, Flameskulls are viewed as an alternative to Lichdom. Their commands are usually something akin to "Live free and well." The resulting Flameskull often has existential crises, and go insane within the first few days of activity. Flameskulls may be used as guards by secluded mages and communities of evil creatures (though they must be well-supplied and magically adept.) DM's Toolkit Flameskulls are good for a wide range of encounters - from goofy to gritty. Combat wise, they are suited for an early to mid level party but may easily have their difficulty scaled up by adding other spells to their abilities. Their talkativeness, voice imitation, and odd appearance allow a DM to capitalize on using and honing their aural and visual imagery. Their rejuvenation and spell-casting provide a variety of ways a DM may use backstory, time-constraints, and roleplay in order to make what may seem like a one-off encounter have lasting repercussions. The fact they are bound by commands and may have a semblance of their old selves can introduce interesting moral dilemmas for player characters. I've included an example ritual of creation for inspiration, utility in evil campaigns, and insight. I've also included a short example list of encounter and plot hooks based around Flameskulls. A wizard of great renown has asked the party to check up on his old colleague, whose last letter described a recent crop blight in a small holdfast near him. The familiar of an ancient Druid approaches the party, and leads them to an old and abandoned tower in the forest. Beautiful and soft singing can be heard from inside. Rumors of a voice making prisoners go insane in the castle dungeons are confirmed when the party is sent there by a corrupt and sinister new lord. The party encounters a Flameskull frustratingly knitting together a small sweater with telekinesis. It bemoans its fate to eternally "Knit for the Great Dread Lord Nercomarth." Apparently, Nercomarth wasn't the greatest speller. The party happens upon a strange altar with runes written in blood, a hastily written note on the altar says "Don't trust the voices - especially the dog." The party then hears the cries of a wounded dog further in the distance. An erratic Flameskull stands before two doors, and offers a simplistic riddle to the correct door. Both doors open to solid rock and the Flameskull has no intention of letting the party exit with their lives. 152

Flumph "In my time spent in the underdark I was constantly in fear for my life and stalked by horrors in the dark. Until I met the strange Flumph. Since then I've never met such a friendly and kind creature and I owe my life to them and happily call them friends." -- Underdark Survivor Introduction The flumph (used as both singular and plural) are creatures that few find but almost always come back to tell the tale. Flumph are known to be very kind and helpful to other creatures of good alignment and are a welcome sight to most in the underdark. They look physically weak but are highly intelligent and extremely powerful psionically. Psionics regard flumphs as powerful beings. Their origins are unknown as no other creature seems to be related in any way to a flumph, some theorizing they are of another plane. Despite this otherworldly nature they are very adapted to their lives in the underdark and seldom find their selves in a dangerous situation that can't be handled. Flumph will avoid any danger or simply just hide from any potential threats. If they need to fight they employ hit and run tactics and work as a team. Physiological Observations Flumph appear to be floating jellyfish at first sight. A dome like body with tentacles hanging down sort of drifts through the air. Where they differ is large eye stalks that sprout from the dome and a large toothless mouth between the stalks used only for breathing. They also glow soft inviting hues belaying their emotions. It has been observed that they normally are glowing soft pinks as they are content and happy working throughout the day. Other colors have been observed, Green seemed to show curiosity, Blue was an indicator of sadness, Red was anger, Yellow fear, Orange has been observed as a mix of fear and anger usually observed in battle. It was also noted the more brilliant the color the more intense the emotion. The gentle drifting in the air is controlled by several air jets attached at the bottom of the dome structure. They float using the air to varying degree. They gulp in air and expel it through the jets. There's a larger central air jet for fast sudden movement that gives them their namesake for the "Flumph" sound it makes. It's also noted that they do not appreciate being called as such. It was noted that if they happen to land eyestalks down they have trouble up righting themselves. This was especially true for younger members of the cloister. It's common practice for young to flip each other and race to upright as it was called. When in danger they prefer to hide and disguise themselves as the glowing mushrooms commonly found in their environment. A flumph will "sit" their tentacles on the ground bunching them together to appear as a stalk of a mushroom and retract the eye stalks and close their mouths. It takes practice for a flumph as younger ones who have less control of emotions may accidently attract intruders giving of brilliant yellows. When in battle they use their tentacles to club attackers close to them. They will start by spraying a target with a foul smelling liquid that is quite poisonous to other creatures. They can only do this once a day so it's used sparingly. They prefer to hit a target and disengage and let another flumph move in for an attack. Because of this many attackers simply gave up. Flumph are considered very dangerous to psionic beings as they feed off of psionic energy as a food source. Feeding was never "observed" as they seem to just constantly do so with ought any physical indication. They usually do this at a safe distance and without notice from the beings they feed off of. Illithid are the most common food source but in some cases Aboleth and other psionic beings are found. Many of the creatures they feed off of do not suffer any ill affects but when too many feed off of them or feed too much they can become weakened and even die as a result. This is dangerous for the Flumph as they could be discovered if a community becomes suspicious. It's hard for psionics to detect a flumph as they are always protected by a shroud of psionic energy. It's well known to Illithid that flumph are to be dealt with physically, most of the time by slaves. Flumph are also found outside of drow cities but in smaller cloisters as psionics are less common in the race. As a result of feeding they can see into the mind of the victim and since they usually end up feeding on evil creatures they end up seeing many evil and base acts. Being good creatures they do not enjoy seeing such things and eventually if built up enough can weigh on them heavily. They usually "vent" to members of the community to relieve the stress but those who can't vent can turn into a Dark Flumph. Flumph can feed off of non-psionic creatures thoughts as long as there is some amount of intelligence. Doing so is not considered desirable as it can be excruciating to the victim and is poor feeding. This is avoided most of the time but if desperate they can do so. Social Observations Flumph live in groups called cloisters. They are composed of usually 4 to 6 pairs of adults and there can be up to 1 child per pair. This depends heavily on the availability of a food source and can range upwards of 15 pairs. The pairs are mated individuals that stay together for life usually raising 2 to 4 children over a life time. It seems that breeding numbers were calculated as they would only replace members in lower food source regions and build up in abundance. A flumph lives around 50 to 60 years and once it finds a mate stays with them for life. If a mate dies a Flumph will only last a few hours as the profound depression can affect them so completely that they'll die as a result. In a cloister other members console the remaining mate as much as possible but ultimately know their fate. The cloister has no reverence for the dead bodies and simply moves them to a location where scavengers won't be attracted to the cloister. 153

How Flumph reproduce wasn't revealed as it was considered a private affair. It didn't seem to be a long affair as a pair would float off and be back within a few hours. It was usually reserved for the sleeping times of the cloister and didn't occur very often. Flumph are pregnant for only a few months and give birth through the large central jet. The central jet was never used during pregnancy seeming to be a result of the pregnancy. This seemed to be dangerous for the female so the mated pair was usually protected and it seemed only 1 pair would be expecting at a time. Young are very quick to learn and become fully mentally capable in a few days. Motor skills were developed over a few weeks as newborns instinctively crawl up onto the mother's dome. Newborns immediately instinctively feed on the nearby food sources. Children reach adulthood in a matter of 3 years. Once they are newly adults they usually leave the cloister to find a suitable mate which is referred to as the departure. The cloister revered this leaving with fear for the child and was very supportive. Typically children did not stay as a cloister too large would be discovered. It was observed that this was a very dangerous time for a flumph as they did not have any member to "vent" to until they find a mate. The flumph emits a psionic signal that indicates it is looking. When 2 potential mates meet up they immediately vent. They seemed to then search for a suitable food source away from their cloisters although visiting from time to time socially. Eventually pairs searching find other pairs and form their own cloisters. Cloisters can sometimes not be far apart only a half mile or so as food can be extremely abundant since a cloister can usually feed off of only 1 or 2 psionic creatures. The more powerful the creature, the better the food source. Creatures like Aboleth can by themselves support a cloister of 15 and still not feel any affects. The community usually is concerned aside from feeding with safety. All members of a cloister seem to immediately accept a role and play its part to the key. There are teachers or children watchers that guide young in groups to learn about their world and explain things. There are alert sentries for dangerous predators that are far from susceptible to psionic defenses. Then there are cleaners that simply keep the area they live in clean. There seems to be at least one individual that is concerned with relations with other beings. They will regularly communicate with other cloisters or be the spokesperson to outsiders. There are also sometimes in larger communities scouts to guide young in a safer direction during the departure. Scouts would go long distances and aside from the young themselves are most susceptible to becoming Dark. Intra-Species Observations Flumph regard intelligent outsiders with curiosity or simply avoid them. Being very intelligent and psionic they attempt to communicate psionically they are unable to do so verbally. If they can't communicate immediately they will very carefully try and probe an intruder to determine motives and react either friendly or go on alert. They will never reveal themselves purposefully without determining if an outsider is dangerous our not. If friendly they will attempt to communicate to an individual visually by showing their curiosity or green hue. They will then attempt to carefully work their way into the outsider's thoughts to communicate. Once communication is established they greet and welcome good outsiders offering safety and information or any help they can. Neutral individuals they are cautious of but if asked they are willing to help. If introduced to the cloister the Flumph will introduce themselves as individuals. They don't have a name for the species as a whole and only address individuals in naming. It's been noted that when first called Flumph they found it very rude to be named after their locomotion. They refer to cloisters by family ties or if no tie exists by a few individuals and their location. Flumph are especially eager to warn and help adventurers with either avoiding or safely confronting their food source. They are cautious to reveal locations for fear of individuals' lives. Although they hold no love for a food source as with their usual evil nature, they will not in any way help individuals kill it. They do not stop such actions and avoid violence even in this situation but they will deceive to protect a food source. It's not uncommon for them to befriend good individuals and treat them warmly as a trusted friend. They are always kind and pleasant and will provide ample hospitality for any friend. They even go as far to attempt to gather physical food and water for a friend. Venting to a friend is considered a high honor and usually only reserved for a mate as it is a done only with extremely trusted individuals. Venting has the potential to harm an intelligent creature of any non-evil alignment. This is an attack against ones will (or wisdom) that forms a bond with an individual. This bond cannot be broken to the Flumph and they will stay with that individual for life. Venting can be done to multiple creatures but causes complexities with more and more individuals as it is usually reserved for parents and mates exclusively. If an individual who has been vented to dies they Flumph regards this as a great sadness much like a trusted friend or relative dying. It seems that only the mate dying affects it so profoundly to death but that may be due to the mate being vented to the most. 154

Variant Species There are 2 variants of Flumph: Dark Flumph - These individuals have not vented long enough that evil thoughts have built up and caused them to mentally deteriorate. They gain a psionic blast that can be lethal to even lower intelligence creatures as they are trying to vent to anything it can. Typically Dark Flumphs don't live very long as they'll disregard safety for the need to vent on any creature. They are easily indicated by quickly flashing between emotions almost rainbow like flashing and always brilliantly. Aquatic Flumph - These flumphs are found underwater in the pools and lakes of the underdark or even rivers. They tend to favor Aboleth as prey but will find any source suitable for food. Instead of air jets they have water jets and breath through gills, thus the mouth is replaced with gill slits. DM's Toolbox Flumph are considered a silly creature in D&D's history but they can be used as a joke or as a believable part of any world. Many scenarios can be used with flumphs. Gather information on the surrounding or an evil city they are feeding off of Players can Help Flumph move to a new food source DM's can use Flumph cloisters as a morality issue to chose between letting a city of evil thrive so the Flumph can survive or just wipe the city and let the Flumph figure it all out. A role-play scenario of trying to communicate for the first time with a seemingly alien race A quest to help a young adult find a mate A deadly encounter with a Dark Flumph Help protect a cloister from a dangerous creature 155

Fomorian The following is an extract from the preliminary notes and works of Dr. Edmund van Richten during his study of the Underdark. Dr. Van Richten still has not returned from his last excursion and has been deemed M.I.A. by the Academy. A group has been dispatched to locate him/his remains. Introduction I have been studying the Fomorians for several weeks now, both up close and from excerpts of recorded history from the Eladrin. The findings in the physiological and sociosocietal areas are conclusive, but the historical aspects need further probing. They have proved an interesting specimen to begin with, both from a historical and biological standpoint. Let us begin shall we? Subjects are Fomorians, a race of sentient creatures that currently reside in the Underdark. They are of Giant-kin, though whether the pureblood lines were originally a product of the Othea is unknown however. The name bestowed upon them comes from the Eladrin/Elven civilizations of the olden ages. Previous name has been lost in history. The etymology of the given name is believed to have originated from an ancient dialect of Elvish that has long since died in the spoken word. The 1st part fo means 'under', 'below' or 'nether'. The 2nd is debated to either mor meaning 'big' (which is plausible given the giant-kin relationship) or from mare, which relates to infernal origins, giving the meaning under-demons. Both are perfectly plausible roots from the name. Physiological Observations The physiological characteristics of the Fomorians are difficult to pin down in writing. This is mainly due to the malformed nature of each individual Fomorian. The source of the deformities in the Fomorian race can be historically traced by the elves. They state the Fomorians were a once proud race, magically inclined and very handsome (which, given elven standards, lends some definite truth to the claim). However, they were also described as apathetic to the suffering of others and very despotic in their gathering of magical knowledge. Once they attempted to overthrow the Feywild and enslave it, they were struck with a curse that began to physically deform their very bodies. The origin of this curse is currently unknown. The physical manifestations of the curse on the body are random. Limbs can be uneven in size, shape and/or position on the body. Facial features are distorted, as if the face has literally melted. This, however, has bestowed some unintended benefits (see below). The defects have affected the race's strength levels, as an atypical Giant-kin can lift tremendous weight (Do not underestimate them, however. These beings are still much stronger than any standard humanoid creature). They do share some characteristics. Males stand at an average height of 4.10m (16-25'), depending on age and weight around 450kgs (1000lbs). Females can measure between 3.90 (13-17') and weight in at 300kgs (700lbs). They possess a grey-white skin tone, explained by the generations born below the surface. It has been observed that they possess superior senses to that of a normal inhabitant of the Underdark. It is posited that the malformation of the sense organs on the face/head is of some benefit to them. (It should be noted that the above information was gathered by a dissection of a male and female adult Fomorian, obtained by the purchased services of a party of wandering mercenaries.) Social Interactions From multiple observations of interactions, several inferences regarding Fomorian social hierarchy can be noted. One key aspect is that all Fomorians appear to possess a superiority complex in regards to other races, even after the debilitating curse they now possess. They retain slaves of what they deem to be lesser beings. The primary characteristics they deem important among themselves appear to be fear and intimidation. They seem loyal only to those that they fear. One observation showed what appeared to be an Alpha hunter and his group attack a pack of Hook Horrors. The Alpha was severely injured. Once his back was turned, what can only assumed to be the Beta, jumped it from behind and bludgeoned it to death. It seems like if you are not a member of their species and/or fearsome/intimidating in some fashion, you are considered fodder in Fomorian eyes. It also appears that they possess a hierarchal system of leadership, as an enhanced interrogation session with the hired party's wizard and a male Fomorian Alpha described. Exact details could not be gleamed at this time but the subject noted that slaves are of high interest to the Fomorians. Behavioural Traits Fomorians appear to be highly aggressive and territorial. As noted before, they possess an almost psychopathic superiority complex with a tendency towards megalomania. Fomorians are known to keep slaves of Cyclops, dwarves, Svirfneblin, drow and any other beings that run across them. Accounts by escaped slaves have detailed that once a slave has outlived its usefulness, they are slain and used either for food or used as quote decoration. The tunnels and cavern entrances that lead to the domains of these beings are littered with the desecrated corpses of their prey and former slaves. Shrines of poorly stitched body parts mocking the races they're composed of. This is how they mark their territory. Previous accounts also give the impression that, due to their abnormal shapes, Fomorians do not create clothing themselves anymore but rather drape the tattered armour and clothes of slain adventures, explorers and miners across their bodies when they even bother (again, direct quote). One slave noted that a group leader, the Queen as the tribe's hunters termed her, kept poets, singers and dancers for her own amusement. It is unknown if Fomorians have any artistic desires beyond this or if this is an outlier. This particular account was of interest as many previous observations of Fomorian behaviour towards members of the female sex tend to distain and patriarchal. 156

I nte r - s p e c i e s I nte rac ti o n s Fo m o r i a n s a r e k n o w n fo r t h e i r i n t e n s e l o a t h i n g o f a ny o t h e r r a c e s, p a r t i c u l a r l y e l v e s / e l a d r i n. T h i s d i s t a s t e c a n b e s u b d u e d i f t h e Fo m o r i a n i n q u e s t i o n d e s i r e s s o m e t h i n g t h ey b e l i e v e y o u c a n h e l p t h e m o b t a i n. T h i s fa c t w a s o b s e r v e d d u r i n g a m e e t i n g w i t h a p a c k o f l o c a l l y c a n t h r o p e s t h a t h a d p r e v i o u s l y a g r e e d a r r a n g e m e n t w i t h t h e Fo m o r i a n s ( e x a c t d e t a i l s u n k n o w n ). Further Information Fomorians still seem to possess some m a g i c a l a b i l i t i e s. Fo r m a ny y e a r s, i t w a s b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e m a g i c a l e s s e n c e o f t h e i r p o w e r s w a s t h e c a u s e o f t h e i r a l t e r e d s t a t e. H o w e v e r, they seem to still retain some level of power which they can inflict on other beings. This power has been termed the Evil Eye locally and seems to be some form of psychic attack. A further effect has been observed in some that have been hit with this power. The target seems to slowly deform in a similar manner to the Fomorians. This effect is temporary for a period of time, depending on the individual in question. DM's Toolkit Fomorians are an interesting case as they are Underdark creatures and high on the level listing. At a bare minimum, the adventuring party should be at level 5 before encountering just one of these vile creatures. These should be larger villains of a trip into the Underdark, and could be modified by the DM in some way to signify a boss style Fomorian, the Alpha of a hunting group or tribal leader. One should also consider other, non-intelligent creatures for Fomorians to use as hunting pets. Perhaps they are an indentured tribe of Quaggoths or taken Kuo-toa as slaves. They can also be used in an epic adventure involving an invasion of the Feywild or an uprising of the Underdark. The DM could also force a tenuous alliance with a small band of Fomorians being hunted by mindflayers or something else prowling the Underdark. Fomorians are a key part of the Underdark, and while they need not be included in every adventure to it, they can be a very useful and fearsome foe for the part to contend with. Fomorians are as useful as the DM's imagination allows them to be (yes that is corny and I know it). 1 5 7

Fungus: Violet I wonder why it's called the violet fungus. They should have named it the violent fungus instead. All of my comrades were slaughtered on our first journey into those caves because we weren't careful enough. And me? Well, I used to be an adventurer like you, but ever since my left arm has rotten off I've resorted to making my living as a scholar. And that's good for you, foolish young explorer. Let me tell you what I know... - Durson One-Arm, human scholar and ex-adventurer. Introduction Known quite well among cave-dwelling species, the violet fungus is a small to medium sized plant creature. They resemble giant mushrooms, ranging from light pink to deep purple in color. Their most distinctive, and dangerous feature is their venomous tentacles that cause the rotting of almost any tissue they come in contact with. They are known to have a symbiotic relationship with shrieker fungi. Physiological Observations The typical violet fungus is between 3 and 5 feet tall, and weighs 40 to 65 pounds. The mushroom has a surprisingly resilient outer skin, somewhat wood-like in consistency, and many adventurers have been surprised at its toughness. At first glance a violet fungus seems to be an extremely overgrown, pretty purple-colored mushroom, but closer inspection will reveal up to 6 large tentacles attached to the foot of the mushroom that it uses to kill prey. If destroyed, these large tentacles will often regrow within a couple of days. The foot itself is a large muscled organ, used for soaking up nutrients and is capable of movement. This movement, while not particularly fast, is often enough to surprise and overwhelm unsuspecting creatures or adventurers. Aside from the larger tentacles, it has a host of smaller tentacles around the foot that are most likely used for soaking up the nearby nutrients. Life Cycle Once a violet fungus has reached maturity and found a suitable feeding ground, it will try to catch some extra prey in preparation for releasing its spores. Once extra prey has been caught it will release its spores on the surrounding area. Within a couple of weeks new violet fungus mushrooms will grow from the rotting mound of sustenance. Often, this results in too many violet fungi in one particular area, and consequently many of the fungi will migrate to another area to form new colonies. It has been reported that sometimes, scavengers or hungry predators become desperate and manage to steal a fresh corpse from near a colony of violet fungi. Rarely, spores have been released just before this happens and the remains of the stolen meal sometimes manage to produce a new colony of violet fungi. Behavior Generally, violet fungi that have enough food are quite docile and content to stay where they are. However, if food is absent for a long time it may begin to wander in search for a better spot. Once it detects prey it will strike out with its venomous tentacles. These tentacles are coated with a particularly nasty venom that will cause tissue to become necrotic and rot away. Many members of the species that live or hunt in an area where these fungi make their home have scars on their body due to these vicious tentacle attacks. While scholars have not yet agreed on how the violet fungus detects its prey, most speculate that it must sense vibrations. Inter-species Observations Many sentient cave-dwelling species have tried to use the fungus to their advantage by cultivating them at key locations in their domain together with shrieker fungi for extra security. They often take care to feed the fungi enough so that they do not start wandering away from their positions. This combination has proven to be a crude but good first security measure if well-maintained, but has also proven to be a complete disaster when not maintained properly due to violet fungi wandering around. Although some have questioned the fungus' intelligence due to its ability to move around, this is all a form of instinct, and should not be seen as any sign of intelligence. Trivia The venom that coats the violet fungus' tentacles is very potent, but loses effectiveness when a tentacle is severed. The venom may be harvested (a dangerous job indeed!) and preserved by a skilled alchemist, although this does decrease the effectiveness quite a bit. Many of the species that use violet fungi as security have devised methods of obtaining and preserving the venom. 158

D M ' s To o lkit S o, h o w w o uld y o u u s e t h e viole t fu n g u s t o s u r p ris e o r p o s sible d e cim a t e y o u r clu ele s s a d v e n t u r e r s ? S o m e id e a s a r e m e n tio n e d b elo w. Be aware that their effectiveness and damage type depends on the edition you are playing. For an extremely low level party, either a pair or small colony of violet fungi would do, somewhere in a cave system. Maybe they are curious and don't know the dangers of these mushrooms yet and therefore come too close t o t h e s e h u n g r y a n d d a n g e r o u s m u s h r o o m s. Perhaps there's something shiny in the pile o f r o t t e n s t u ff o n t h e flo o r n e a r t h e fu n gi t h a t a t t r a c t s t h eir a t t e n tio n. It c o uld b e t h a t t h e y h a v e t o r e t rie v e t his s hin y t hin g fo r a q u e s t if y o u s o c h o o s e. T his is p e r fe c t fo r a c q u ain tin g t h e m wit h t h e d a n g e r s o f c a v e s a n d / o r t h e U n d e r d a r k. Y o u c o uld e v e n h a v e t h e m r e c eiv e a q u e s t fr o m a n alc h e mis t / wiz a r d w h o w a n t s a viole t fu n g u s s p e cim e n o r it s s p o r e s fo r b r e e din g o r s t u d y. For an extra kick, combine some violet fun gi with a few shrieker fungi. The shrieker fungi will attract the adventurer's attention when it senses light or movement, and depending on the subspecies/variant might even be a real nuisance in combat. If they don't want to fight with the blaring sound of the shriekers they will have to fight against the violet fungi in complete darkness, leaving those without darkvision in serious trouble. The wailing of these shrieker fungi can then call in the local security (for example, troglodytes or goblins) might be equipped with a couple of violet fungus venom vials, or wandering predators that have learned that the shrieking sounds means fresh prey (so many predators to choose from!). Random nonsensical suggestion: An awakened violet fungus requires the party's help in fleeing from its evil druid master who wants it to guard a grove of mushrooms or a mushroom forest. 1 5 9

Fungus: Shrieker “There was only one way to survive at that point. Either eat the first thing I could find or starve to death. Oh, I ate alright, don’t ye doubt! But me ears weren’t the same for a couple o’ days after that." – Thorgan Gemsniffer, dwarven miner. Introduction Often found near the deadly violet fungus, the shrieker is a type of underground mushroom that reacts strongly to light and movement. While not really deadly on their own, the sounds they make are horrible and can attract predators. Physiological Observations A dull gray to milky white mushroom. It is usually about 3 feet tall and weighs about 35 pounds once fully grown. It has a stalk rooted into the cavern floor and exploratory tissue on the surrounding detritus. The cap has small holes in its top that are covered by some kind of oily and stinky membrane. These holes contain soft tissue not unlike vocal chords, and are used to produce the shrieker's typical sounds. It also seems to be immune to the venom that coats violet fungi tentacles. Life Cycle Once the spores have found a favorable environment, a layer of nutrient-absorbing tissue is quickly formed on this suitable spot. From here, a shrieker mushroom will start growing. During growth, the stalk will secrete acids to anchor itself into the stone. Its spores are spread by either bombarding them away strongly enough and hoping that they land far away, or due to spores hitching a ride on migrating violet fungi and thereby moving somewhere else. When this violet fungus dies, the shrieker fungus spores will often have a chance to start growing. Behavior When something comes close, the mushroom starts shrieking. Depending on how close the creature is, and its disposition, it will either move away or come to investigate. In any case, nearby predators will likely kill the creature as it moves away. If the shrieker is located near a violet fungus colony those will kill the prey if it comes near. Aside from all this shrieking the shrieker fungus doesn't really do much. Inter-species Observations The shrieker and violet fungus enjoy a symbiotic relationship. Aside from that, the shrieker is cultivated alongside the violet fungus for protection. Some underground creatures like shrieker 'meat' and eat it gladly. Trivia Shrieker meat is actually edible as long as you remember to remove the spores beforehand. It's quite unpalatable for most species but it'll keep you filled. Some specialty shops sell shrieker spores held in a thick mixture of wheat paste and vermiculite in a small stone container. These can be planted in a dark and moist place to eventually grow into a shrieker colony. According to some rumors this paste also shrieks when there's light or movement, but this is absolutely not true, seeing as how the sound is only made by mushrooms and not the spores. When a shrieker fungus shrieks, talking is usually near-impossible due to the overwhelming noise. Variants The Mindstab Shrieker Fungus. It shrieks just like a normal shrieker, but is also capable of emitting a mental blast to anyone nearby. Creatures that are unable to resist are stunned. The Singing Shrieker. Instead of making a horrible noise, these shriekers sing a captivating melody. Those who fail in resisting their lure are tempted to walk towards the shrieker in the most direct manner possible. DM Tools To be honest, these aren't the most exciting of enemies. I suggest using them in conjunction with violet fungi or as outermost security for a base of some kind used for alerting the guards. Be aware that depending on preference and edition, their shriek effect may vary from being unable to hear anything else happening nearby or sonic damage to status conditions like being deafened. Random nonsensical suggestion: An awakened shrieker fungus has learned how to sing beautifully and challenges the bard to a music contest. 160

Fungus: Gas Spore "I told them we should have left it alone! But noooo, let's not listen to the only person who has common sense. And what did we get for it? A bunch of infected people!" -- Bilybar, gnome wizard. Introduction An odd floating orb with several "arms" and a patch that looks like a large eye. This fungus resembles a beholder and is known as a Gas Spore. They seek out light and are harmless as long as you stay away. They are extremely sensitive to damage, and will explode if damaged. This explosion is actually a method of reproduction, infecting living creatures to grow new gas spores. Physiological Observations A round, brown floating orb coming in at 180-200 centimeters in diameter when fully mature. It has several small tentacles (usually ten) that it uses for movement, feeding and reproduction. It also has the fungal equivalent of an eye. This eye is sensitive to light and heat and is used for navigation, feeding and reproduction. The inside contains a large amount of gas in which seeds float around. The gas spore seems to be naturally buoyant in air, although it remains unclear whether this is due to the gas on the inside or some sort of natural levitation ability. Due to its shape it has been mistaken for a beholder by many adventurers. Life Cycle & Behavioral Observations A full-grown gas spore will float around in caves or above the surface in search food and light. In caves this means that they will seek out any source of light they can find, like phosphorescent mushrooms or areas filled with magical light or even torches. Above ground they are content to stay in any spot that has enough light for their needs. Aside from needing light, they need food. Specifically, they feed on other plants of all kinds. This ranges from molds, lichens, small mushrooms and moss to small plants and leaves from trees. As such they are found in many different areas. They use their tentacles to help themselves move along all sorts of surfaces. They can be found in unexpected places due to their ability to levitate. If they cannot find food or light for a long period of time, a gas spore will hibernate and float around aimlessly, for centuries if need be, until it reacts to the presence of light. If they sense a warm-blooded creature of at least gnomish size they move towards it. If they manage to reach this creature, the gas spore will try to hit it with one of their tentacles and inject seeds into this creature and flee afterwards. Sometimes, the intended victim fights back, but this rarely improves the situation for the victim. The gas spore's hide is quite fragile, and so even a small amount of damage will pierce it. The gas inside of the creature will react to the outside air and cause a powerful explosion, shooting seeds in every direction. This suicidal trait is actually a manner of reproduction as well, since any creatures nearby will be showered in seeds and it is likely they will breathe in a few of these seeds. Infection Once a creature has been infected with seeds, either through injection or by breathing in a few seeds after a gas spore explosion, the seeds will begin growing on the inside of this unlucky victim. The process may take hours to more than a day, depending on the size and fortitude of the victim. In any case, fighting off these seeds without some outside help is nigh-impossible once infected. Most commonly magical help must be sought out to cleanse the body of this infection, although an alchemical solution may be available as well. If the victim cannot be helped in time, several new gas spores emerge from the victim, their number dependent on victim size and severity of initial infection. These gas spores are still very small, but otherwise fully formed and will go on their way to find light and plant matter to consume. Inter-species Observations Generally, gas spores don't interact with anyone or anything in any way, except for hunting down warm-blooded organisms to reproduce. They may congregate in certain spots, however. For example, a place in the caves where there's abundant light and plants may attract several gas spores. In such situations, gas spores don't interact with each other at all. Most sentient species also tend to avoid gas spores, seeing as how they can be quite dangerous. DM's Toolkit A gas spore is one of those creatures that can be deadly if you don't know it, but trivial if you know what to do about it. Once you know its trick, it's over. If none of your players have ever encountered it before, you'll have most fun with this creature. Seeing as how they eat plants and need light, they can be located nearly anywhere for a random encounter, and can be quite deadly if there's no magical healing nearby. 161

Galeb Duhr "Aye, the Talking Stone set us a task! A bloody impossible one! Only once the full Codex of the Titans was read aloud to it would it grant us access into the lost diggings. The War Chief said that would take roughly 2,300 years! Never trust a Galeb Duhr!" --Bittern Coldrock, Dwarven scout. Introduction The race of creatures known collectively as the Galeb Duhr were first discovered by dwarven miners in the Age of Mists and those early diggers called them, literally, Talking Stones. The creature can create vibrations that can mimic language as well as music and natural sounds, and have proven able to learn basic Dwarvish, but most communication is done through a pidgin called Minish, a natural result of thousands of years of friendly interaction between the species. The Galeb Duhr are guardian spirits who have chosen stones and minerals as their chosen vessel in this world. They are able to animate this body through force manipulation and can use vibration in astonishing ways. Not all of the Galeb Duhr are alike, each is unique, and each pursues their own goals, and treating with them can be unpredictable. Physiological Observations The Galeb Duhr can inhabit any chunk of stone or mineral that can move freely and roll around, none have ever been observed possessing large stony formations, like mountains or cliffsides, but much of the world is unexplored, and who can say what lies beyond our knowledge? In any case, the Galeb Duhr have been seen in boulders up to 30' long as well as small stones a mere 2' long. The average seems to be 8 to 12 feet, however. The size does not seem to matter, but most Galeb Duhr are seen in larger boulders, most likely as this allows them to fulfill their goal as guardians against very determined enemies. There have been reports of pure mineral Duhr, made of silver, gold, tin or copper, and as large as a barn door. These Duhr are vulnerable to fire and actively avoid areas of volcanic heat. The weight of the stone a Galeb Duhr inhabits varies according to size, and they are subject to the same natural forces and hazards as regular stone is, and their speed varies with size as well. Small Duhr can roll twice as fast as a man (60') and at that speed can knock down an armored man or mounted rider with ease and doing considerable damage in the process. The largest Duhr are slower (20') but their weight gives them a reason to be feared as they can crush and pin multiple enemies at once, but their real power comes from the Galeb Duhr's innate ability to Meld with Earth, and allows them to Dash at will while earthmoving. They can feel vibration and will use ambush tactics against any determined enemies, thrusting out of floors, ceilings and walls to crush and rend intruders. The Galeb Duhr as stated above understand vibration and can create, use, and manipulate it to communicate in many ways; speech, song, and mimicry are the most common, but they can produce vibrations above and below the hearing range of most humanoids and monsters, and its believed that they use these frequencies to communicate to one another and power the amazing abilities that they have been observed using. The songs of the Galeb Duhr are haunting and generally slow as a lament, and they raise sympathetic vibrations in nearby mineral and ore veins, causing the surrounding terrain to literally join in the song. Explorers have reported hearing a singing cavern from miles off before coming across the full vibrato of it and being awestruck with the eerie orchestration of the singing stone. Speaking to a Galeb Duhr is an exercise in patience. It's such a psychological trial that the dwarven clans have created a special Study of Galeb Duhr in the teachings of the explorers of the species. This Study conditions the dwarf to adopt a mindset closer to mineral than dwarf. To slow the mind and become attuned to the special perception of stone. This allows the speaker to endure the trial of communication that awaits. When you speak to a Galeb Duhr the vibration that your words create take 1 minute per word to travel through the rock's structure to the spirit within. It then takes the same number of minutes for the Duhr to process what you've said into something it can understand, and then when it speaks back to you; it does so at the rate of 1 word per minute. As you can see, this is excruciating for the quickened mind, and interrupting the Duhr with some rash impatient statement will derail the entire conversation as the Duhr are incredibly polite (mostly) and will stop what they were saying to address the social awkwardness, which can lead to further misunderstanding and there have been many reports of Galeb Duhr becoming slowly enraged and attacking the ones it perceives as mocking the sober dignity of the rock guardian. There are dwarven tales of dedicated Stonecallers who cast off their blood and culture and engaged a Galeb Duhr in conversation that lasted for centuries, the dwarven hermit becoming a Galeb Duhr himself after X amount of years spent in philosophical debate with the Talking Stones. Faerie tales also mention the folly of "speaking to stone, who obsessys over forme". Caution should precede any attempts at engaging these creatures in conversation. Social Observations The Galeb Duhr are, primarily, guardians of minerals veins and they steward the natural wonders found underground (grottos, flowstone caverns, waterfalls, etc...). They will attack and kill any who attempt to mine or destroy the natural resources that they have taken under their protection. They are extremely dangerous enemies, being able to command arcane abilities to move, animate, and shape earth and rock at will. 162

The dwarven clans have strict rituals that they undertake when seeking new areas to exploit for mineral wealth. A ritual of Greeting must be performed every day for 30 days by a sanctioned Stonecaller (and this beautifully diplomatic entreaty takes 3 hours to sing). If no Galeb Duhr gives challenge in that time, the dwarves move in to claim the area secure in the knowledge that their proscribed ritual is now permanently archived in stone, the vibrations captured in the lattice of mineral and able to be retrieved by any who know where to look and how to listen. The Mineral Duhr, the rock-and-ore creatures that shine with gold, silver, tin, copper, mithral and other valuable minerals are rare creatures. They are dedicated guardians of the type of mineral that they are created from and have been known to wage war on those to steal mineral wealth from their protected territory with a zeal that borders on unstoppable. They seem comprised entirely of rage and angry thoughts, rarely speaking and attacking any and all with no mercy. The stone Duhr regard them with awe and a little fear. They are seen as superheroes to the general Duhr population - they are fascinating and a little terrifying, and there is something about that that draws stone Duhr to the mineral Duhr in sometimes great numbers (30 or more). These groups serve the mineral Duhr without question, and there are many records in many creatures' histories of armies of vengeful Duhr come to punish those who delved too deep and grew too greedy. The Great Gold Duhr and his army of hundreds of large boulder Duhr sacked with success four of the larger trade cities in the Drow Empire some thousand years ago and their bards still whisper the terrors of trusting stone into the ears of the young ones. Some Duhr have formed friendships or at least mutual assistance agreements with surface races on numerous occasions. The Druid circles have been reported of having Galeb Duhr block passageways to sacred or secret places, where the Mysteries are close to the waking world, and their intertwined culture with dwarves is well documented - Duhr sometimes serve as Living Doors in dwarven communities, or as hidden defenders, or installed in mountaintop temples preaching wisdom to wide-eyed seekers of truth to acolyte Stonecallers. Behavioral Observations Most Galeb Duhr are peaceful. They will actively avoid confrontation if possible, by simply melding with the earth and disappearing. If attacked, they are fearsome foes, using their powerful earth abilities to aid them in anyone who seeks to cause them harm. Earthquake, Stone Shape, Wall of Stone and other earth-related spells are available for use by any Galeb Duhr, regardless of size or age. They will treat fairly and kindly with anyone who seeks to treat them the same. The Duhr are able to create one (and only one) "offspring" each. Some mechanism we don't understand allows the transference of energy to a new stone and when this happens a new Galeb Duhr is "born". The new creature is fully cognizant and has full command of its abilities. Galeb Duhr have never been observed fighting one another, nor do they seem to form pair-bonds or family units. They are loners, seeking solitude in places of natural beauty, whether above ground or below, it does not seem to matter. The only time they come together in numbers is if one or more of them are threatened, and there are nearby Duhr who can assist, or if a mineral Duhr is in the area, which will call all of the local Duhr to serve its needs. Intra-Species Observations Intra-Species Observations Galeb Duhr get along with a large number of species, most notably dwarves and Duergar, who pay them the proper respect. They have affinity with all the earth elemental species and can even communicate with Golems if the need arises. Any race of creatures who takes the time to treat with them with respect and kindness and does not fight the Galeb Duhr and steals resources will find the Talking Stones to be wise, polite and willing to help an ally in need if it is within their power to do so. Their enemies are largely the reverse - anyone who steals material wealth from the earth is an enemy. This sets them at odds with any race that digs for wealth as well as Dragons in general, whose minions like to tear up the ground looking for ore. Despoilers of the earth's treasures can often call many Duhr to the area, as vibration can travel a very long distance, and the Duhr recognize the alarms of mineral that is under attack. DM's Toolkit Obviously I have taken a lot of liberties on this creature, as per the brief when this project was announced. There is a TON of chatter and lore out there about the Galeb Duhr, so if this Ecology doesn't tickle your fancy, there are lots of alternatives out there. The Galeb Duhr don't seem like a typical D&D monster at first glance. Their first instinct is to flee any confrontation and communicating with them is an exercise in patience. However, once roused to anger, they are formidable. Since you can have any size rock be inhabited by the Galeb Duhr spirit, I have used them in small, baseball-sized stones that acted as swarming foes, all the way up to house-sized dolmens that are worshipped as a God. The Galeb Duhr is best used as an obstacle, not something to fight. Treating with them takes a long time, and some long puzzles could be keyed around interacting with them. In any case, they can be weakened or strengthened as you see fit, like any monster, and therefore can serve as a challenge for any level of party. 163

Gargoyle "Flying rocks. No! Not thrown rocks; flying rocks; big $%&# rocks that fly around and try to kill you. Look just like stone statues. Crazy? Well if you are planning on going in there, you are the crazy one. " -- Garg; "professional" tomb raider. Introduction Gargoyles are creatures of elemental earth (rocks) that take (essentially) humanoid form. They are indistinguishable from a statue until they move (usually to attack). Gargoyles need nothing to survive and no use for treasure; their only enjoyment appears to come from killing, so they are inclined towards violence as killing is the only thing that brings pleasure to their unlimited lives. Physiological Observations Technically, a gargoyle can be of any shape, but (by far) most have a humanoid form with unusual heads. Less frequent are gargoyles that look like beasts. Either because of evolution or design the vast majority are also medium sized and are thus less noticeable as statues. Many have wings, but that is a decorative feature, as their flight ability is a supernatural effect, and while those with wings will flutter them while flying, the aerodynamics of an earth elemental using wings to fly are pretty absurd. There is no inherent size restriction, and gargoyles exist from sizes of tiny all the way to gargantuan, but the vast majority are medium sized. Technically, gargoyles have no sex, but they often resemble a male or female anatomically. Gargoyles are not born or hatched. They are created by a process. Their form is carved from stone and then imbued with life. The first gargoyles to emerge from this process were created by Ogremoch, the evil Prince of Elemental Earth. But other gargoyles have been created by other evil powers. Occasionally, a gargoyle becomes a parent by carving a form and then sharing its life essence with the form. When done, the parent shows a significant downgrade in its powers. Social Observations Gargoyles only socialize with other gargoyles. And within their groups, the strongest will dominate. Their social structure is hierarchal with the alpha commanding obedience, and taking first spoils. The entire group will be ranked, and it is only through physical challenges or finding a different group that a gargoyle can change its station. Gargoyles spend the vast majority of their time motionless, usually blending into a crowd of statues, so there isn't a lot of socialization going on. The only time socialization occurs is when there are spoils of some kind to be divided. At these times the socialization is very straight forward. The stronger members of the group exert their position in the selection process, and occasionally there will be a challenge to the existing position, resulting in violence. Since gargoyles don't engage in sexual activity there are no mating rituals. Gargoyles will live until they are killed. Many are thousands of years old. And one would think that over a lifetime that long some degree of civilization would develop, but gargoyles appear to be incapable of that sort of development. Gargoyles have no culture; no architecture; no organized states. The only artistic contributions they make are the statues they carve to blend in with. Behavioral Observations Gargoyles have no physical needs to survive. And they have no use for wealth. They literally live simply to survive and occasionally punctuate their existence with the sadistic glee they take in killing. Curiously gargoyles make excellent guardians for evil masters. If a creature can convince a gargoyle that it is more powerful, and acting as an agent will give rise to opportunities to kill sentient beings, gargoyles become willing servants. Because of their unlimited lifespan, time means almost nothing to gargoyles. A gargoyle usually cannot relate if they have been serving a master for several days or several centuries. When there is no activity, the gargoyle assumes a motionless position, and is just another statue. If a gargoyle is assigned to guard a location where there are no statues present, it will carve its own statues from whatever stone is available. And over the centuries, some gargoyles incidentally become quite good sculptors. Unlike most elementals, when a gargoyle is killed outside the plane of earth, they do not return to that plane. They are killed wherever they are slain on the cosmos. In combat, gargoyles will coordinate their attacks. They almost always start in a situation where they are camouflaged among a group of statues. They are not particularly cunning, but they do recognize obvious things - like hey, that guy is healing the others and hey that guy looks like a wizard. And they have a great deal of mobility to get to vulnerable opponents. Inter-Species Observations Gargoyles often serve evil masters. And sometimes they serve them long after they are no longer alive. A fairly common situation is for a master to set a gargoyle to a task - guard this treasure chamber from intruders - and then the gargoyle will do that almost forever. They will assume statue form and just wait - there appears to be no limit to how long a gargoyle will wait without abandoning their watch. Gargoyles' interactions with other species will almost always begin with the gargoyles observing the creature while disguised as a statue to evaluate it. If the creature appears to be weak enough that the gargoyle can kill it, the gargoyle will do so. If the creature appears too powerful for the gargoyle to kill, then if it appears to be an evil creature, the gargoyle will almost always offer service; if not, the gargoyle will simple try to avoid contact with the creature. 164

DM's Toolkit Gargoyles generally are going to be a combat encounter. There is some room for PCs to deceive gargoyles into believing the PCs are powerful forces for evil, but usually gargoyles will have discerned the nature of the PCs by observing them as statues. Since they have unlimited lifespans, and infinite patience gargoyles are excellent choices to be guarding something that has been long forgotten. The single gargoyle entry in the Monster Manual is a CR2, but the gargoyle is a pretty good platform for Modifying a Monster (DMG p.273). Here are examples of gargoyles with CR0 through CR20, but a DM may choose a different advancement. 165

Genie Your wish is my command. --Ancient Djinni saying Introduction The Elemental Planes offer some of the strangest and most powerful folk in the Multiverse. A traveler of the planes may meet such outsiders as elementals, salamanders, azer, mephits, xorn, and much more. The greatest of these outsiders are the genies. Awareness of genies is widespread. Even in the most mundane places of the Prime, unread peasants have heard the tales of otherworldly spirits trapped inside foreign oil lamps or magic rings. These spirits are said to be accursedmagically bound to their unassuming prisons to serve the whims of daring thieves, great heroes, and devious wizards. Against their will, genies are said to grant three magic Wishes to the man or woman who possesses the container. This all makes for a fascinating story, but scholars of the magic and the weird, like you and I, know otherwise. In circles of extraplanar travelers, students of the cosmos will quickly discover that there's much more to know about genies than simple wish fulfillment and magic lamps. The truth... is far grander. Physiological Observations If one thing can be said about genies, it is that there is no such thing as an average genie. Genies run the gamut of appearances, and no two look alike (as they'll be sure to remind you). The shortest of genies is five feet tall (1.5 meters, for you folk from Mechanus), and the tallest is nearly twenty (roughly 6 meters). Their body structure varies similarly. Some genies are tall and slim as the feyfolk, and others are as wide and squat as the dwarves. Some are bound with the muscles of an athlete, and others allow themselves to become soft and flabby. They can be hairless as a monk, or as hairy as a yeti. On the surface, genies appear to have two distinct genders, male and female. Upon closer inspection, one will find a wide range of inbetweens. 'Both' and 'Neither' are as common as 'Male' and 'Female' in the wide spectrum of genie society. Some extraplanar researchers suggest that a genie's appearance is governed by the traits that the genie wants in itself. A djinn may have a big, round belly and a jolly chortle as a way to show to others that he's a genie of good nature. Conversely, an Efreeti may take on an fiendish visage and an intimidating size to present that he is not a genie to be taken lightly. Of all the physical traits of a genie, there is only one that they have no say in. Each genie belongs to a specific elemental subspecies. Djinni are the cerulean-skinned lords of the Plane of Air. Their hair is seemingly made of sapphire or onyx pulled into soft wires. Their eyes shine red like rubies on a bed of jasper. Naturally, Djinni command the winds at their will. They can guide the spring zephyr to fly to the east, and demand that the raging typhoon retreat to the south. As masters of the Air, djinni ride warm air currents and prove themselves as the fastest fliers of all genie. Marid are the weird denizens of the Plane of Water. Of all the genie subspecies, Marids claim the most diverse morphologies. In the shallowest shoals of the Plane of Water, the Marid appear as pools of water that have taken on a humanoid shape. With this amebic form, they can take on any surface features they so desire and change it at a whim. Contrast these shape-shifters to their cousins that make the deepest trenches into their home. These deep-sea Marid are ancient and fishlike like the timeless monsters that swim in the Far Realm. They are covered head to foot in shimmering scales, serrated fins, poisonous spines, and queer antennae with eerie glowing nodules. Like the Djinni, they are perfectly suited to their environment, and are the fastest swimmers of all the genie subspecies. The Dao are made of living clay, stone, and silt. Where the other genies look like they are made of gems, a Dao may literally have gems embedded into their earthy flesh. Their hair is comprised of soil and sand that sits exactly as the Dao desires. Despite the shape they take on, Dao are as sturdy as a marble monument, and strong as the tumbling boulder. Solid stone is to them as Air is to the Djinni. Last, but not least, are the Efreeti. Efreeti are the hotheaded rulers of the Plane of Fire. They present themselves with infernal horns, hellish crimson skin, and fierce, muscular bodies. At first glance, they may look similar to a red ogre, an extraplanar oni, or an irritable giant. That is a misconception best kept to oneself. An Efreeti's hefty musculature is never just for show. No matter their age or background, a genie is capable of great and powerful magic. With this innate magical power, even the weakest genie is a fair match for the pinnacle of human achievement. The greatest genies become lords among their people. At the time that a genie is named a lord, they innately gain the ability to grant a single wish to another creature, once per year, at no cost to themselves. When a lord is named a sultan, it can then cast three per year. Wish fulfillment is a natural and curious part of genie physiology. A genie's ability to grant wishes is directly related to their social group. Researchers have attempted to investigate the extents, limitations, and causes of genie wish granting, but their efforts have been fruitless. Furthermore, the genie people as a whole refrain from commenting on the subject. Birth and death is another rarely-spoken concept amongst genie. While genies are known to successfully bear children with other species, there are no known records of pure-genie children. From an outsider's point of view, it may seem as though new members of a genie clan appear out of thin air! The prevailing theory is that young genies spawn from lost souls that fall into the elemental chaos. Of all the wretched things that fall into the chaos, only the strongest crawl out of the roaring elements as genie. The rest are annihilated. Upon their death, a genie instantly returns to their element in the form a warm breeze; a splash of water and sea foam; a flash of fire and a puff of smoke; or pile of crystalline dust. 166

Social Observations Genie society is comprised of three 'orders of debts'. These debts are recognized in order of importance. The first supersedes the second, and the second supersedes the third. First and foremost is the debt of the Sultan. Every great city of genie is ruled by a Sultan. In their eyes, the Sultan is the king amongst kings. A Sultan is the wisest, most powerful, and most decorated of all the genie in the land. Every phrase the Sultan says is as a proverb, and every word is as law. To receive summons from the Sultan is a sign of great importance, and to receive an order or request from the Sultan is never to be taken lightly. The rewards of following through with the Sultan's request are very great. The only thing greater than the rewards are the punishments for failure. A genie is in debt to the Sultans the most because the decadence of all genie society is preserved and protected by the might and power of the Sultans. The second debt is to the Family. When a genie crawls out of the Elemental Chaos, the first sight they see is that of their adoptive family. From that moment on, the genie is showered with wealth and power. The adoptive brothers and sisters will teach them the nuances of trade, craftsmanship, and combat. It is with these skills that a genie will bring more wealth and great honor to their family. As caretakers, trainers, and benefactors, the genie owes an insurmountable debt to her family. The third and final order is the debt to oneself. When the genie is ready, it will leave its ancestral palace and have one built for itself. Independently from its family, the genie will strive to be successful. It may start a trading empire, or build a treasure hoard, start a business, or even loan its powers to wizards that beckon for their aid. For all its own hard work, a genie is entitled to live in luxury. All genies own slave workers, and are encouraged to become connoisseurs of food, drink, tobacco, love-making, and other such splendors. Be careful what you wish for Ancient Efreeti saying On Genie Birthing Traditions Genies are as much family-folk as they are entrepreneurs. From the moment the soul stands to survive the chaos of the Elemental Planes, their family is alerted to its presence by some ancient instinct. On the day of their second 'birth' into the cosmos, their family descents on to the spot where they are expected to appear, ready to robe them in the finest silks the family has and ready to feed them their first meal in what very well could be centuries. The festivities differ from subspecies to subspecies. Efreeti crawl onto the shores of the City of Brass from the burning waves of the Sea of Fire. As they break the silky smooth pahoehoe and heave themselves out of the frothy ʻaʻā, they meet their family for the first time beneath the cool shadows of the sultan's palace. There on the brimstone shores, they are handed their own scimitar before anything else. That scimitar is the Efreeti's dearest possession, the one object that they will care for until they return to the flames once more. Training begins immediately, without fanfare. Djinni spirits in the Sirocco Straits roam about the clouds listlessly, as if they were caught in the deepest of daydreams. Someday, each one of those nameless souls will be ushered along by a warm mistral. The soul will travel over the clouds until it lands on the island that it will call its home. For Djinn, this is a time of great festivity! It is a time for drinking, eating, and sharing stories with their new relative. Most of all, it is at this time that the newly awoken Djinn has its first laugh. According to Djinni tradition, the genie to give the newcomer their first laugh will have three years of good luck. Marids form in the unknown depths of the Sea of Worlds. It is said that the Marids are molded by the impossible pressures that exist at the very bottom of that great sea. From the abyssal trenches, the Marids rise and grow until they reach their desired depth-zone, circled by their clan. They are whisked away by their folk in wreaths of bubbles and taken to their coral palaces beneath the waves where festivities await. As the family eats, the newborn tells their first story, a fish-tale from one of their previous lives. A little known fact about Marids is that they retain more of their memories from their past lives than other genie subspecies, presumably for the sole purpose of hyperbolizing them. Dao emerge from the stony cliffs of the Plane of Earth. When they fall from the rock walls, they awaken to no family or likely anyone else for hundreds of miles. The Dao fashions its own weapons and clothes, and walks on foot to their home, as if driven by animal instincts. As the single Dao makes its adolescent exodus home, it will often fall in with Dao bandits, mercenaries, or trade caravans. By time they reach their destination, a Dao has often already made decent business person of itself and can join in the family business immediately without prior training. Of all subspecies of genie, Dao are the least friendly with their family, but the most connected to the greater Dao community. Behavioral Observations To mere mortals, Genie are strange and otherworldly creatures with unusual, hyperbolic personalities. While genies are all unique in their own way, each subspecies carries certain connotations or patterns in their people's personalities. Djinni, especially when compared to the hot-headed Efreeti or the cold-hearted Dao, are a jolly, welcoming sort. Of all the genie types, the Djinni is the most likely to be a good host for a tea party or a meal. They are a proud and respectable lot. Always accept an invitation to dinner or a drink with a Djinni, to do otherwise would be an insult. Djinni do not take insults well. Marid are as reclusive, solitary, haughty, and egotistical as Wizards. In fact, Marid are so full of themselves that all Marid are genie lords. Of those, five percent of the population names itself as a sultan. Marid respond very well to flattery and bribery. All it takes to get a Marid's help is chest of treasure and a slew of cheap compliments. These behaviors would be damning for the other three subspecies. If they attempted such a stunt, their entire race would surely be victimized by evil wizards, and their souls would become trapped in any piece of chinaware or clamshell off of the beach that the devious spellcaster could find! The Marid's saving grace is their obnoxious persona. If it weren't for their greater-than-thou aura and endless storytelling, they would be victimized to extinction. 167

Efreeti are egotistical and cruel. They are deceptive, cunning, ruthless backstabbers. Plane-travelling adventurers are advised: Never cross a Efreeti. Despite all of these things, Efreeti are very well connected and very honorable (in some circles). While very few Efreeti can really grant wishes, any Efreeti that is very grateful will do everything in its power to fulfill their debtor's request. Through their connections, they can have people killed, connect an adventurer to high society, and even obtain ancient artifacts. Of all the subraces, Efreeti are the only genies to have a standing army. Thanks to this military, the City of Brass is effectively impenetrable. It is said that if the Efreeti were to ever get Imperialistic, the multiverse would genuflect to the Brass Sultan in just three days. The Dao are greedy and malicious folk. They hide themselves behind sparkling gems, otherworldly silks, and gaudy gold jewelry. They are impossible to deal with, unless they see something to gain in the transaction. They are so infatuated with their wealth that they often eat it by crushing it and powdering it over their meals and drinks. Growing a fortune from nothing is considered a part of growing up for the Dao. As such, they do not care about those who experience misfortune or poverty. Charity is as foreign a concept to a Dao as being born from a cliffside is to a mortal. Inter-Species Observations First and foremost, all genies have slaves. If you are an adventurer, do not attempt to argue with them about abolishing slavery or emancipating their slaves. The best that can come from that argument is total ignoration from the genie. The worst... is unpleasant to write about. To genies, slaves are property with an expiration date. It is in their best interest to make the best use of their living assets before they shake free of the mortal coil. Each of the genie subspecies has a different view on slavery. Marids treat their slaves with indifference. They form complicated class and work structures within their palaces so that they only have to deal with one or two slaves ever. More often than not, this grand hierarchy goes to waste, as the Marid asks little work to be done around its palace. All others defer to the slave that supervises them. Dao do not just own slaves, they actively capture more. To the Dao, being a slaver is a legitimate career choice, and a popular one at that. Dao rarely leave the Plane of Earth in search of slaves. When they do, it is to search one of the other four Elemental Planes for slaves to sell to the local genie. Efreeti are wicked slavers. They punish and work their slaves harder than the other three subraces, and have a higher turnover of slaves as a result. They view any nongenie as a potential slave. Travellers to the City of Brass are often warned to be wary of their surroundings, lest they be coerced into Efreeti slavery. Djinni find that slavery is a sad matter of fate. Sympathetic to their slaves, they treat them nicely. It isn't uncommon to see a Djinn's slave treated as part of the family. Genie are waited on hand-and-foot by their slaves, and do not serve others except by order of their family or the Sultan. However, that does not make them unhelpful. Powerful wizards often consort with genies and summon them into their towers. Genies make excellent magical tutors, researchers, and guards. This great power comes at a great price, however. The bribes required to take on a genie helper are immense. To force a genie to help takes magic powers that are beyond what most wizards will ever be capable of. The alchemical reagents needed to cast such a powerful charm are often as expensive as the genie's wages, besides. A wizard that becomes friendly with a genie may find that they are given a discount for the genie's time. It is not unheard of for an Archmage to freely consort with a genie at no charge. This sort of friendship only occurs after many, many years of working together. Some dark and evil magicians avoid both of these issues by using clever spell combinations to summon a genie and capture it inside of a magic container, such as a ring or oil lamp. Genies that are bound inside these objects are forced to be loyal to their owner. This forced loyalty comes with great loathing. Enslaved genie often try to subvert their master and try to find ways to escape their prison. Beware; an escaped genie is a wrathful genie. Genie Lords and Sultans that are bound inside of these prisons can only be held until their yearly allotment of wishes are granted three times. Genie lords can grant a single wish per year. Genie sultans can grant three. When asking for wishes for such a genie, always be aware of what type of genie you are wishing upon. A Djinn will often grant the wish close to the original intent, but with a benign, mischievous twist. Marid purposely misinterpret wishes or fail to hear their master's wish entirely. The cold and malicious Dao, like the Djinn, will grant a wish close to their master's intent, but the wish will come with a malicious twist instead. Efreeti grant the wish as well, but never how it is expected. Usually, an Efreeti's wish will end with their master's demise. For an example, a person wishes upon a genie for onethousand gold pieces. A djinn might make all of the gold pieces counterfeit, which could get the master in some trouble down the road. A marid will misinterpret the wish as one-thousand cold nieces and summon all of the young women from a nearby town to the master's vicinity. A dao will transport one thousand gold pieces to the master from a nearby dragon's hoard, and leave behind clues to lead the dragon to finding the 'thieves'. The Efreeti will create the gold pieces, but send the heap to a location a thousand feet in the air above the master. By time he realizes where his treasure is, he will have been squashed by the weight of his own greed. 168

D M ' s To o lkit F o r a c a m p aig n s t a r t e r, h a v e all o f y o u r pla y e r s a s sla v e s t o a n e n t r e p r e n e u rial D jin n w h o's lo o kin g t o s t a r t a n Adve ntu re rs fo r H ire b u sin e s s. Although the genie owns the players, this c o uld t u r n o u t t o b e a v e r y h a p p y a n d t r u s tin g r ela tio n s hip b e t w e e n t h e m a s t e r a n d t h e P C's. B y tim e t h e y r e a c h le v el 1 0, t h e y mig h t h a v e alr e a d y g o t t e n t o a p oin t w h e r e t h e D jin n s e t s t h e m fr e e a n d c o n tin u e s t o a c t a s t h eir frie n d, a d vis o r, a n d q u e s t giv e r. F o r hig h e r le v el c h a r a c t e r s, o r e vil ones, a boss who's a greedy Dao or Efreeti mig h t b e m o r e a p p r o p ria t e. A g r o u p o f c a s t e r s mig h t w o r k fo r a M a rid. Genie cities ar e citie s o f a d v e n t u r e. T h e Cit y o f B r a s s, fo r in s t a n c e, is a s wid e a n d div e r s e a s Sigil, the City of Doors. An entire campaign could be set in one of these places! If not, they make for a great place to visit. Players who are new to the idea of the Great Wheel Cosmology may find a genie city as a good entryway before getting into the complex politics of the Sigil or the weirder aspects of the Outer Ring. As I said in the first part, the basic genie (in the Monster Manual) should be considered a commoner amongst genie. Genie Wizards, Fighters, and Rogues should exist in these cities with class levels. In addition, Genie Lords and Sultans should be upgraded into top-notch foes with Legendary Actions. The greatest Sultans, like the Sultan of the City of Brass, should be Challenge Rating 30 when you're done. An enslaved genie can be the source of some very interesting plot hooks! Each one of those examples that I gave for a subverted wish could be a plot hook, especially if the genie's master is an NPC. A rich man is paying for things with coins made of fool's gold! All of the young women in the land need to be led back to their towns after some strange magic teleported them in front of this one guy's house! A red dragon is sending hit men after the party, but they don't know how they could have possibly made it mad! A man locked inside his study dies from a chest of gold falling on his head! It's a murder mystery! If you're ever looking for some inspiration for your own genie, check out Disney's Aladdin (for a jolly Djinn), the Wishmaster series (for a devious Efreeti), The Arabian Nights (for examples of genies who live as normal genie-people with normal genie-lives), and the X-Files episode Je Souhaite (for great examples of wish- subversions). 1 6 9

Ghouls Tuesday, 16th of January: We had come to a small town in the northern parts to investigate cases of cannibalism. When we found the remaining people they were all huddled in the local temple praying. The local cleric had cast detect good and evil after the first few killings and detected some sort of evil in the forest. According to the villagers some of the town guard ventured into the forest never to return. My lay partner and I decided to check the forest. About a mile from the village in a clearing we discovered the mutilated, have eaten bodies of the town guard. We were about to return to the village when we heard an ear piercing screeching. My partner and I turned just in time to see an emaciated, corpse like creature resembling an elf charging at us. We dispatched it easily and we identified it as being ghoul. Just then we heard more screeching and we both looked around. The edges of the clearing were full of these ghouls. We were surrounded. - Eddard Tallstag, inquisitor of a religious order of undead hunters. Introduction Of all the creatures of undeath, ghouls are one of the most fearful. Even necromancers are wary of them. Ghouls first walked the earth when an elven necromancer named Doresain began to eat the flesh of other elves for Orcus, the king of undeath. As a twisted reward, the undeathly king turned Doresain into the first ghoul. Doresain turned other servants of Orcus into ghouls. Orcus gave a few of them extra power, turning them into ghasts. Ghouls were a scourge upon the world until the gnoll king, jealous of Orcus, robbed Doresain of his power and slew many of them. Having been abandoned by Orcus, Doresain appealed to the elven deities. They had mercy on him and saved him. Since then all elven races have found themselves immune to the paralytic claws of the ghouls and the evil infections of the ghast. This immunity became known as Doresain's salvation in elven folklore. Ghouls still roam the world and Orcus creates new ones. Physiological Observations A ghoul resembles an emaciated elf with a notably protruding jaw. A ghoul's skin is possessed of a deathly white pallor often covered in blotches. Most people describe ghouls as being skin and bones with abnormally long arms that end in hands with long spindly fingers and claw like fingernails. These fingernails drip with a black ooze which acts as a poison that causes paralysis. Ghouls have no body hair and their teeth more closely resemble canine teeth then they do that of an elf's with massively exaggerated canines and incisors. A ghoul's skull actually has a longer mandible and a maximalla that protrudes more than normal. As a result, a ghoul's skull vaguely resembles that of a dog or wolf yet maintaining its humanoid appearance. When their skulls are cut open, ghoul's brains appear shriveled up. This is likely due to decay caused by all the necrotic energy that they are exposed to during their transformation. A ghast is very similar to a ghoul with a few exceptions. The most notable of which is that its skin varies in color. A ghast's limbs are also slightly longer than a ghouls. A ghast's brain also resembles that of an elf or human. A ghast's claws radiate necrotic energy. While a ghoul's claws are black and covered in ooze, a ghast's claws appear to be heavy, almost darker than black (this must be seen to be understood). This is not the same kind of necrotic energy like that of a wraith's life drain which causes necrosis in the victim. The necrotic energy of a ghast's claws is subtler. Similar to the poison of the ghoul's, this necrotic energy stuns the nervous system when the claws cut through a living being's tissue. This necrotic energy lingers in the victims' bodies and will sometimes cause them to become a ghoul. When someone is slashed with a ghast's claw and survives the encounter, sometimes the victim starts to become a ghoul. Victims possessed of a hearty constitution typically have more of a chance of surviving and recovering. It is important to note that due to the divine immunity granted them, elves are fully immune to this process. The first sign of the transformation is necrosis in the wound. Necrosis typically appears twelve to twenty four hours after the wound is received and will continue to grow over the next forty eight hours. Wounds from a ghast's claw never get infected as the necrotic energy kills any kind of disease that might be on the wound. About three days after infection the victim will start feeling unusually hungry. This marks when the necrotic energy has spread to the stomach. At about five days the victim will almost surely start binge eating, particularly meat and other animal products. The victim will also start looking pale, start losing hair, and will start complaining of pain in the jaw and teeth. Their hunger will grow until it becomes uncontrollable and the victim loses all sanity. This means the necrotic energy has eaten away at the brain. After another week most higher brain function and become a crazed, flesh-eating creature that only listens to ghasts. And thus a new ghoul is created. Ghouls and ghasts do not have stomach acid. Instead their stomachs are full of a necrotic soup that decays and destroys anything introduced into the stomachs. This is an extremely inefficient way of absorbing nutrients as most of the nutrients the ghoul consumes are destroyed. As a result, a ghoul constantly hungers and consumes an amount of meat on a daily basis that would make an ordinary humanoid morbidly obese yet they maintain a skin and bones appearance. However, ghouls are like most undead in the sense that they are animated and draw the energy their bodies need from necrotic energy. This means that a ghoul needn't use nutrients from eating to function. A ghoul also does not need to maintain homeostasis as it appears to matter little what its internal temperature is as long as its blood isn't freezing or boiling. Thus the majority of the nutrients a ghoul consumes are used for regeneration of wounds which is why ghouls have impressive regenerative capabilities. In fact, a ghoul or ghast can survive for decades or even centuries without eating. It is not entirely known what happens to excess nutrients as the ghoul's body does not convert nutrients into fat. Most undead experts theorize that excess nutrients are converted into more of the negative energy that fills the ghoul's stomach. 170

As a ghoul eats more and more food, the negative energy in its stomach grows. As the energy grows, it moves towards the limbs and making the ghoul stronger and faster. Once it moves to the claws causing them to glow with necrotic energy and moves towards the brain, reforming it, a ghoul is considered to have progressed into a ghast. Like ghouls, ghasts draw their animation from the necrotic energy from their stomach. Because of this, the best way to kill a ghoul or ghast is to either decapitate it (which is effective for most undead) or to disembowel it. Behavioral Observations Ghouls and ghasts are almost always looking for their next meal unless they're under the control of some necromancer. Ghouls and ghasts either hunt alone, in packs, or rarely hordes. A pack of ghouls refers to four to ten ghouls led by a ghast. Ghasts communicate orders to ghouls via a language resembling a more rudimentary version of common with moans, snarls, and grunts replacing most of the vowels. When a ghoul in a pack progresses to a ghast, the new ghast and the established leader of the pack will equally divide the pack of ghouls and go their separate ways. Sometimes the two packs will join up together to take down a large group of prey or for safety in the event that they are being targeted by an undead hunter. Sometimes several packs will join up into a horde. Ghouls and ghasts typically roam forests, old crypts, and other out of the way places. Some ghouls have been observed hunting city streets and sewers. Once they have been realized to be ghouls they are hunted down and slaughtered but the city guard almost immediately. Ghasts, being slightly more intelligent, can sometimes hunt an immense metropolis for weeks or even months by spacing out the time of their kills. Generally in cases such as these city guard attribute the cannibalistic murders to serial killers. A captain of a city guard must not discount the chance that a serial killer might actually be a ghast when cannibalism is involved. Ghoul hordes are the stuff of nightmares. A horde contains anywhere from twenty to even eighty ghoul foot soldiers and five to twenty ghasts leading them. The ghasts command their horde towards a common goal. Generally hordes wander rural areas on the edges of civilization attacking towns and razing villages. Hordes tend to disperse after only a few raids as they quickly attract the attention of local garrisons. Naturally occurring hordes are a rare thing though skilled necromancers have been able to organize them to terrifying effect. Interspecies Observations Ghouls and ghasts are very territorial. Rarely do they get along with fellow undead and generally see them as competing predators. Sometimes when ghouls and other undead are sealed in a crypt together the ghouls will often attack the other undead. Often times the ghouls will claim rooms in the crypts for themselves but there are cases of virtual wars being fought within crypts between the resident ghouls and other undead. Sometimes if the only other occupants are zombies or skeletons then the ghouls might be successful in killing or driving away the other undead. However, more often the ghouls will either be wiped out or sealed in one specific part of a crypt by more powerful undead. For necromancers, ghouls can be a very tricky thing. Many a novice necromancer has sought out ghouls for minions only to be eaten alive or be turned into a ghast themselves. As a general rule, ghouls make bad undead servants. However, for a diabolically enterprising necromancer, ghouls can be used as attack dogs. Indeed, many vampire counts have pens of ghouls in their castles that they will release into the forest to kill any vampire hunters foolish enough to make themselves known. 171

DM's Toolkit Ghouls and ghasts are very versatile in my opinion. They can be make good encounters for all levels for an ingenious DM. Granted this can be said for any monster (Tucker's kobolds anyone?), but ghouls are a favorite monster of mine. A pack of ghouls chasing low level PCs through a forest can make a good encounter for low level adventurers. Alternatively, a lone ghast can stalk them through a forest. Personally I like to have ghouls attack unexpectedly at night as a way of introducing a BBEG necromancer. I once had my players sleeping on the first floor of a house only to have a ghoul break through their window at around midnight. Ghoul hordes can make a good encounter for high level adventurers. Especially if your players are the type to set up defenses in a town and teach the villagers how to fight. Implementing the ghast claw infection rule can give ghasts an extra scary feeling when the players know that one slash can kill them days later. However, I would not recommend this for a group that likes to keep lethality low. Rules for Ghast Transformation (Feel free to alter these) Day 0: When a player is hit during an encounter, have them make two constitution saves: One for paralysis and one for infection. On a successful save your player isn't infected and can go on like nothing happened. Depending on the lethality level of your campaign, the DC level of the save could be 5, 10, or 15 (personally I like to use a DC of 10). If they fail they are infected. Days 1-2: Both days at morning have the player make a constitution save. The DC can be the same as the one you used to calculate infection. Alternatively, the DC could scale as the infection progresses (ie: Days 1-2: DC 5, Days 3- 5: DC 10, Days 5-7: DC 15). If they succeed one save they overcome the infection if you like to keep things easy. If you are a mean DM you can require the player to succeed three separate saves or become a ghoul. On a failed save on these days they notice necrosis in their wound. Days 3-5: At this point the player starts to feel unusually hungry. As they near five days the hunger will grow and grow. Their fingernails will also start growing faster and become claw like. From day 3 on the player will rapidly start to lose weight until they appear emaciated on day 7. Days 5-7: At this point your victim player will start compulsively binge eating (Day 5 - DC 5 will save not to binge eat. Day 6 - DC 10 will save not to binge eat. Day 7 - DC 15 will save not to binge eat). During this time their skin will turn pale. Their jaw will grow to look like that of a ghoul's and their ears will start to look like an elf's, causing the player much pain in the process. Hair will also start to fall out. If your player manages to fail all their saves by day seven their brains will have deteriorated and their stomachs become that of a ghouls. Effectively they become a ghoul. If you don't want to kill your player you can give the player some sort of magical artifact to make them maintain their sanity. At this point you have a human ghoul. Every once in awhile they need to make a save or feel hunger intense enough to want to eat NPCs and even party members (personally I leave off that last part). In this state the player does gain paralysis for unarmed attacks and the ability to understand ghoul communication. You can also give the player the ability to make a charisma save to command ghouls. 172

Ghost "I know what I saw! She was right there then she vanished! Oh my Valinda what happened?!" -- Marko WindStep Human Soldier Introduction Of all of my research I've not found a more tragic and sad creature as the ghost. I gathered this research at behest of a small town who regularly found a woman standing on a guard's post looking outward. Fearing a security breach many times this creature was spotted but never for long and when spotted simply vanished. I also gathered information from over 30 different cases along my travels and only now I feel I can make a concise investigation on these creatures. Ghosts are the echo or spiritual remains of a creature that has since shed its mortal frame. Any creature it seems can be a ghost aside from other undead. They must have possessed a spirit or soul. They often are benign but sometimes are just as dangerous or violent as a ghoul. If there seems to be any indicator on how a ghost comes to be it's a factor of 2 things. First is an immense will power and second is a specific goal or task left undone. It would seem that both conditions need to be met for a ghost to manifest. Physiological Observations Ghosts often look as the creature did in life, but insubstantial like a soft glowing fog taking the creature's visage. Sometimes depending on the situation the ghost can be deformed or look as they did in the moment of death instead of as life. These deformed ghosts are more often not of the friendly persuasion. Ghosts by nature are nothing more than a visible fog. Unless an item or creature is magical they will never be able to touch a ghost unless the ghost wishes it. They use this ability to their advantage often and maneuver through solid walls, doors, and floors at will. Some will even hover above the ground as if walking on an unseen floor. Ghosts always dwell in a single location and do not move from their home. Often times it is where they had lived or died. This location is often called haunted. Strange occurrences mark a haunting. Furniture or objects misplace, moved, or rearranged, eerie noises or unnatural silence, unexplained feelings of dread, sadness, fear or even anger all are markings of a haunting in an area. Often times these areas are relatively small such as a single building or part of one. In open the open air often a specific landmark like a water fall or tree or even a bed of flowers can be haunted. Ghosts have a dominating emotion that usually rules their existence. Even the most intelligent and aware ghosts are ruled by a major emotion. This doesn't mean that ghosts can't exude for feel other emotions just that as we may have a default of peace they may have one of anger or sadness. Positive emotions are virtually unheard of as usually such emotions do not come with a task undone. This emotion is determined upon their primary feelings at the time of their demise. A ghost who died of or during profound sadness will exude this very feeling from themselves. Creatures can succumb to this same feeling if not careful or prepared. Most often violent ghosts come from violent intent upon death. Weather this is outright anger or hatred, or the profound and dangerous sadness of suicide. These undead shadows live in 2 planes of existence and shift between them at will. They live on both the Material and Ethereal Planes. When in one plane they are completely gone from the other. This explains how they can simply vanish to the eyes of others. One could travel to the other plane and find them. The few ghosts that do act violently do have a few ways in which to attack others. First is that by mere touch they can wither a corporeal creature. Their touch is necrotic in nature although they seem to be able to choose upon contact to enact this ability or not. Some of these ghosts also have the ability to either change their own appearance to a horrifying visage or change how others perceive them to look. Sometimes, especially in the more violent deaths enacting the state, the mask of their own death is constant and always a frightening sight. Lastly and most dangerous is their ability to possess a creature. Often times this ability can be applied to any individual creature. Only those with a strong sense of self have deterred such attacks, even then it's not guaranteed. These abilities are present in all ghosts though only the violent ones employ them often. Possession in less violent beings often is very specific to race and gender of a host body. The possession will often show something to someone or bring something to one's attention, in accordance with the ghost's unfinished agenda. When a ghost's quest has been fulfilled they are always granted full clarity of their existence and become at peace. They then move on into the next stage of life never to be bothered again. Often times they will thank those who aided them and in some rare cases bestow gifts of material or magical means upon their allies. Most often it is simply kind words and as much insight they can give. A ghost can never be deceived that its goal is achieved. They are inexorably tied to the event by the fates or some guiding factor. Goals exist in which they need to better understand a situation and persuasion or proof is required but never does the goal remain undone. If they are killed by conventional means they will simply return to the Ethereal Plane. Although there is one way to rid an area of a ghost without their unresolved business achieved. If they are exercised by a priest, even if they are of good alignment, or exposed to a weakness tied to their existence they will dissipate. Ghosts have a truth or object which often opposes their goals greatly. They always have one even if it is small. One such ghost that by all means was helpful to a city was banished by this method. He had been a human paladin in life and sought to protect his town forever, and he did so. He was loved and cherished and often helped the townsfolk. 173

Unfortunately he was banished when during the investigation it was found that he had during his life broke the vow of celibacy of his order 1 time. The shame of his act caused him to depart there and then when he was asked about this very act. Since he's not been seen and it is assumed that he simply moved on. Social Observations A ghost is not always solitary but it is rare to find them in groups. Ghosts have no need outside of their agenda to interact with another. There are a few occasions in which ghosts are numerous but in all situations they seem to not acknowledge another's presence unless somehow they have a common or related agenda. Some ghosts who are in groups do directly interact, especially when they are fully aware and have the same goals. Often times these ghosts died together or in the same manner. They will acknowledge and even talk among themselves depending on the situation. In one such occasion I directly spoke to a group of 3 adventurers who had important information for a former companion to complete their journey. I learned that not all 3 had died at the same time but all were bound to a place of great importance in that quest they had been before. Interactions with Other Creatures Ghosts are complex in their interactions with those few that they do so with. They range from one way conversations to complex and deep conversations. This all depends on a ghost's goals, how aware they are and their demeanor or ruling emotion. The range at which a Ghost can be lucid is very wide. From unresponsive and completely aloof to as aware and lucid as any living being can be found among ghosts. The level at which they are aware is often directly tied to their resolve in life. The individuals who were weak willed but just enough to remain for some reason often are trapped in the unacceptance of death and linger. These ghosts are often called echoes and repeat an action over and over. Those who were driven and focused on a goal unerringly often are themselves completely. Ghosts always interact in the means to further the completion of their agenda. They ignore any and all interactions unrelated. Violence or hostility to them or their agenda is usually taken as a threat and can push even some benign ghosts into attacking. If spotted by creatures they are disinterested in they normally leave unless they are actively working on their agenda. They are elusive because they can simply wish not to be seen and shift to the other plane. Variations Ghosts all share common traits and act according to their agenda. There are many kinds of ghosts from many races. Listed here is but a few of the varieties of ghosts I've encountered or heard tale of. Ghost of Vengeance - These ghosts want to some creature dead, either slain by them or who slew someone dear to them. They will not rest until their quarry has died. They will attack those who resemble their target and sometimes that can be as broad as a whole gender or even humanoid or not. Lucidity is key to a ghost of vengeance because without it they may attack any and all thinking them their true foe. Ghost of Great Dishonor - These ghosts exist until some act they had caused or caused to them has been corrected. This ghost is not too uncommon with races who value a proper burial and it was not conducted. Ghost of Something Unsaid - this ghost can manifest when someone dies before they can say something important; often a personal message to someone. Lovers who never spoke the word, vital information to research, or sometimes words to right the course of a life. Ghost of Something Undone - This is a ghost who left an act of great importance undone. Often times these are tasks of great importance to the individual. They can range from a personal quest to find a missing person to a goal not achieved for the whole of a kingdom. These ghosts are friendly to allies but deadly to anything or anyone directly in their way. Often times they need proxies to achieve this goal as they can't leave the immediate area of their death. Lost Soul - These ghosts are often unaware of many individuals and their goal is often unclear to them. They can have small moments of clarity usually at a specific time during the day or sometimes more complicated a certain day of the year. When lost or unresponsive they are often seen doing something important or enjoying to them during life. Ghost of Despair - Most likely the hardest goals to achieve as the ghost themselves feel unable to do so. These ghosts are mainly ruled by sadness and in some cases took their own life. They have been heard of possessing others and continually carrying out their last acts in a futile attempt to alleviate their troubles. Ghost of Hidden Truths - These ghosts want a secret to be known and spread. These ghosts are active participants in a mystery to solve their dilemma or get someone to prove it. They are not far from something unsaid but often are not simply a message but a truth obscured. Ghost of Catastrophe - These ghosts are often unaware they are dead or will not accept the truth. They often simply need to accept death. Often times they are killed in mass by a natural event or death instantaneous and unexpected. There have been whole cities of lost ghosts milling about in their daily live as before completely unaware of their demise. They often are in large groups but do not interact. DM's Tips Ghosts are there for a variety of useful reasons. They can bring light to mystery, help with information, be a challenge or aid in a quest. Ghosts are also very useful for a great RP experience and can make for interesting interactions that players need to decipher. Try using a ghost to start a quest instead of a jail it might be fun. 174

Giant: Hill "Hill Giants? We've had no trouble with those beasts for months now." The adventurer looked up from his notebook, surprise written plainly on his face. "How'd ya manage that!? Them things are massive, they are!" The farmer smiled. "We built ourselves a scarecrow. A really big scarecrow." -- overheard from a conversation in Grabiel. Introduction There are plenty of things that can make your day miserable out in farmer country, but Hill Giants are by far the worst you can encounter. They eat anything they can get their massive hands on, livestock, buildings, people, it makes no difference to them. They have the mental acuity of a toddler, unable to hear reason and prone to throwing tantrums, destroying anything and anyone around them. Thankfully, they're also quite possibly the dumbest creatures under the sun. A far throw indeed from the legendary rulers of old you hear stories about. Physiological Observations A Hill Giant grows to be around 16 feet tall; they commonly have tan skin and immense bellies. It is rare for a Hill Giant to bother with clothing as they are rarely ever cold and have no use at all for manners. On the rare occasions they choose to adorn themselves however, the clothing usually consists of pelts, skin or bones from their most recent kills, be it human, beast or whatever else they've come across. They use small trees or large boulders as weapons, usually just picking them up whenever they need it. If no tree or boulder can be found close by when it wants one, anything heavy will suffice. They have been known to pick up horses and use them to bash humans to death. They have been seen ripping barn-doors off their hinges in order to throw it like a discus into a group of people or buildings. As long as it's heavy, a Hill Giant will likely use it to kill things with. Hill Giants are one of the few creatures who can truly claim an existence free from hardships. They suffer no lack of sustenance as they can eat just about everything, be it rotten or fresh, old or young, they simply don't care. As long as the food available is not overtly poisonous, a Hill Giant will eat it until he throws up, and will then likely try to eat whatever came out of him. Due to this incredible hardiness the Hill Giants have never needed to develop past the mental state of toddlers. They take what they need with their considerable muscle and if they ever encounter a problem that said strength cannot take care of, they throw tantrums and then give up and move on to something easier. They are the quintessential bully, only they want to eat you as well as beat you up. Social and Behavioral Observations Hill Giants are on the lowest rung of the Ordning the Giants caste system. Every type of Giant is part of this hierarchy, each individual Giant are placed in the Ordning based on type and a set of skills or attributes decided by said type. No two Giants are ever equal. The major difference between Hill Giants and their cousins is that Hill Giants are too dimwitted to actually be aware of the Ordning; they obey other Giants not because of their caste system, but because of their size. For Hill Giants size means everything, leaders are appointed not by aptitude or ability but by the volume of their bellies. If a thing is larger than the Hill Giant is, it is to be obeyed and feared with unquestioning loyalty. This has turned the Hill Giants into the black sheep of the Giants, who are usually quite respectful to one another. A Hill Giant tribe rarely reaches more than 7-8 individuals, as the chaos caused by these creatures is prone to attract adventurers and Giant hunters to the scene, effectively culling the herd. Hill Giants are commonly used by other Giants at war time as cannon fodder and front-line berserkers. A wave of raging, massive piles of wobbling flesh rushing at whatever target has been pointed out for them, they will not stop killing, eating and destroying said target until the fall dead or a Giant of higher Ordning rank than they tells them to stop. These creatures may share blood with some of the world's most impressive races, but make no mistake; they are beasts, brutes and bullies. Intra-species Observations Hill Giants have but two ways of interacting with other races. Eat it or Obey it. What the Hill Giant decides to do depends almost entirely on the creature's size. One of the first lessons a Farmer learns when they live in an area with Hill Giants is how to avoid destruction at their hands. Several methods have been invented, including massive scarecrows, painting buildings green to camouflage them and leaving trails of food leading away from close villages. DM's Toolkit The adventurers are hired to protect a village, Hill Giant tracks have been recently spotted only a few miles from the small hamlet. Give the Players a deadline of a few days to build defenses and see what they come up with! A large plume of smoke can be seen on the horizon, traveling there reveals a medium to large sized city demolished. The walls have been knocked and pushed down and there are signs everywhere point towards Hill Giants. But why would Hill Giants attack a fortified city when they can get easier food in the forests? There has been a report of a large gathering of Hill Giants, easily over 50 of the beasts. The scout spoke about how they all gathered in a circle around the fattest Hill Giant he had ever seen. The strangest thing however was what that Giant was wearing; it had a massive talisman tied around its neck. The scout swears he saw it draw battle-plans in the dirt, but obviously that's ridiculous. The adventurers, for some reason, need to assault a large castle/hold/fort etc but it's walls and position make it nearly impossible to attack. A tribe of Hill Giants have been spotted nearby; maybe they could be fooled into assisting? Note for the DM: Coercion would likely not work; Hill Giants are about as open to reason as a newborn. 175

Giant: Stone "On that day, we dug deeper than we ever had before. We were so sure we'd hit the jackpot, after all those years we felt it in our bones. We broke ourselves upon the stone until it gave way. We broke through, but what greeted us was neither gold nor diamonds. What we saw was so, so much greater than anything we could have dreamt of. Carvings. Carvings in the stone. Carvings telling stories that would make each and every one of you weep. Carvings of such beauty, such grace... on that day our purses were left empty, but our hearts grew richer than I could have ever imagined possible." --Joseph Valeran, recounting his mining efforts in the Darkmist Mountains. Introduction Deep below the mountains live the Stone Giants. They care not for the world above, that fickle world below the sky. Underground channels make their waterways, huge caverns their settlements and long, winding tunnels their highways. Stone Giants are tranquil beings; they keep to themselves at all times. They are artists, beauty and grace their sole purpose in life. This is not what a common tale of Stone Giants will reveal however. No, tales of Stone Giants are tales of rage, of bone crunching beneath stone, of blood and gore and death. The few who have survived meeting a Stone Giant will tell you about the mountain that suddenly started moving, how it shouted in a language older than the rocks themselves and how it came down upon them like a grey avalanche of fury. Physiological Observations The body of a Stone Giant is a marvel to behold. 18 feet of finely sculpted muscle, every inch of it crafted for a purpose. It's face usually carry gaunt features and sunken, dark eyes. It's skin ranges in colour from the lightest of Granite to the darkest of Basalt but usually take after the tone of the mountain they dwell in. Their hair is unanimously dark grey. A Stone Giant will rarely be clothed while in their subterranean dwelling. On the rare occasion they travel to the outside they will wear treated animal pelts (usually of cave bears or mountain goats) to keep warm. Their weapon of choice is the mountain itself. They will throw boulders, create rockslides, break the stone upon which their enemies stand and knock them off of their mountain ledges into the darkness of the deepest ravine available. Be warned, the mountains is the domain of the Stone Giant, engaging one in combat on its own terms is equal to suicide. Some Stone Giants have been known to carry exquisitely carved stone cudgels, the size of small trees, though the Giants carrying these rarely seem happy about using them for such dirty work. When it comes to sustenance a Stone Giant can live for eons on nothing but the minerals provided by the mountain and the water from underground channels. They can and will however eat plants and even meat if they have recently been engaged in extended periods of physical stress. Talking about a Stone Giant's physical attributes without focusing on their purpose is a fool's errand. Stone Giants value beauty and grace above else, not like the Cloud Giants who wear diamonds and pearls to be the object of jealousy, not like the Dragons who simply wish to wallow in their own splendor. No, the beauty a Stone Giant seeks goes far beyond such things. The beauty of a Stone Giants work is a gateway to the gods themselves. Social and Behavioral Observations Like all Giants, Stone Giants are part of the Ordning. A caste system that ranks all Giants based on type and special attributes and skills, no two Giants are ever equal. Stone Giants stand on the second lowest rung of the Ordning, just above the Hill Giants. Even the lowest ranked Stone Giant stand above a Hill Giant chieftain. Each type of Giant has ways of appointing their leaders; the Stone Giants decide the most worthy among them by skill in Stone Carving. They believe that when a skilled Stone Carver works, their god speaks to them through the artist's hands. When you look at the carving such a Giant can produce, it is easy to see why. They are true masterpieces. The massive chambers used for such carving are their cathedrals, their temples. They are considered holy by all Stone Giants. Stone Carving is not the only way of gaining a high standing in Stone Giant society however. They also value skill in throwing and catching large boulders with poise. That's a recurring theme in Stone Giants, everything is to be done gracefully, and every movement is an art. The only thing that would make a Stone Giant willingly leave their homes is the order of a Giant higher than it in the Ordning. They will travel far and wide to follow their superiors command, be it to do battle, to do observe an important event or to carve them a masterpiece to hang upon their walls. Cloud Giants in particular are prone to ask Stone Giants to construct their mansions for them. In a war waged by Giants, the Stone Giants would make up the ranged covering squad. Their prowess at throwing boulders is hard to match even for most other Giants. Intra-species Observations Giants that don't show adequate skill in carving, throwing or other art forms, are appointed to be gatherers and protectors. They live on the outskirts of Stone Giant settlements and they carry out their jobs with extreme prejudice, for there is nothing that Stone Giants hate more than being disturbed. They do not trust anyone or anything coming from the world outside. The world they call 'The dreaming world under the sky'. A Stone Giant treat the outside world like a dream in more than just name, they're not entirely sure that place is even real. A promise made there need not be kept, no responsibility applies to actions taken there, and no creature living there can be trusted. Because of this Stone Giants are very careful about letting anyone not of their own kind close to them. They would rather let death rain down upon travelers than risk one of them setting foot on an entrance to Stone Giant tunnels. This is where the stories come from; this is why the Stone Giants carry such foul reputations. 176

G i a n t s a n d D r a g o n s h av e a s p e c i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p; t h e D r a g o n s w e r e b u t wy r m l i n g s w h e n t h e fi r s t s t e p s o f a G i a n t s h o o k t h e w o r l d b e n e a t h t h e i r fe e t. T h e h i s t o r y o f w a r b e t w e e n t h e t w o s p e c i e s i s a s l o n g a s i t i s b r u t a l. W h i l e S t o n e G i a n t s c e r t a i n l y h av e fo u g h t a n d w o n b a t t l e s a g a i n s t D r a g o n s b e fo r e; i t i s r a r e t o s e e i t h a p p e n n o w a d ay s. Dragons have much easier targets to prey upon in th e m o r t a l r a c e s. N o t t o m e n t i o n t h a t t h e a r t o f a S t o n e G i a n t i s n o t o ft e n t h e t y p e o f t r e a s u r e a D r a g o n s e e k s. T h a t s a i d t h e r e h av e b e e n a l t e r c a t i o n s w h e r e a D r a g o n h a s fo u n d o n e o f t h e S t o n e G i a n t s fi n e l y c a r v e d c av e s a n e x c e l l e n t p l a c e fo r a l a i r. A s s t a t e d a b o v e, t h e S t o n e G i a n t s a r e a t t h e i r m o s t d a n g e r o u s w h e n a b l e t o u s e t h e m o u n t a i n i t s e l f a s a w e a p o n, m o s t D r a g o n s w i l l k n o w b e t t e r t h a n t o t a ke o n e o f t h e G i a n t s h o l y p l a c e s fo r l a i r. DM's Toolkit While Stone Giants are fe r o cio u s w a r rio r s a n d h a t e b ein g dis t u r b e d, t h e y a r e n o t s t u pid lik e t h eir Hill Gia n t c o u sin s. N o r a r e t h e y in h e r e n tly e vil. A v e r y cle v e r p a r t y m a y fin d w a y s o f a p p e a sin g a S t o n e Gia n t t o le t t h e m u s e it s t u n n els a s a s h o r t c u t. Stone Giants make e x c elle n t plo t d e vic e s fo r L o s t Civiliz a tio n s t o rie s. A d w a r v e n a r c h e olo gic al team has gone missing after their last reports of We've found something amazing down here. Stone Giants can be used as an environmental hazard. A party who knows that Stone Giants dwell in this mountain may lead its pursuers straight into the belly of the beast. Just hope they have a plan in place to spare themselves the hell that is about come upon their enemies. A clever villain has led the party down a cave system leading to Stone Giant territory, and blocked the way out. The party comes across a town working on hard on seemingly preparing themselves for battle. Their survival depends on their mining efforts in the nearby mountain but a Stone Giant has been making it impossible for them. They're gearing up to fight it, not realizing that where one Stone Giant is, there is an entire settlement of them. A Cloud Giant wants a new piece of art for its wall, but simply asking for it is far too simplistic. It hires the party to brave a Stone Giant dwelling to steal the piece. The Cloud Giant has of course placed bets on whether party will survive or not. 1 7 7

Gibbering Mouther "HEY! Hey meatbag! HEY FILTH! Filth! Yeah, YOU! C'mere you delicious crunchy bag of meat! FILTH! WHERE YOU GOING? Hey! HEY! YOU DIRTY FUCKER! YEAH YOU BETTER RUN! Hey FILTH! Come BACK!" --A gibbering mouther on a good day. Introduction Madness personified. Nightmare-made-flesh. A creature of amorphous flesh, eyes, and mouths, the Gibbering Mouther is a an aberration unlike any other known monster. Many theories have been put forth about the Mouther's place-oforigin, striving to find some sort of framework to explain its nature. Most believe that Limbo is the only place that could spawn such a horror, but many others argue that the Void is infinite, and there are multitudes of Planes that we cannot even imagine where perhaps these types of lifeforms are normal. Others will say that they have no Plane, and spring forth from the minds of sleeping Elder Gods, and some even claim that they arise from the energies arising from the trauma of many conscious minds, much like Feyr do. Physiological Observations Whatever its beginnings, there can be no doubt that the Mouther is a terrifying predator. It moves with an alien grace, almost flowing like liquid. It is a huge amorphous blob covered in eyes and fanged mouths that it stretches out with pseudopods in any direction to grab and devour prey. Some have been reported being slightly larger than mansized, and one asylum patient claimed she observed a Mouther that was the size of a house (her claims that it destroyed her entire village was later proved true). The creature propels itself in two main ways; by oozing along the ground, in a peristaltic wave, (and it is decidedly faster when traveling over mud, snow, or water), or pulling itself over walls and ceilings by means of extended pseudopods - the mouths of the Mouther actually bite and grip the surface of whatever its climbing across. If still, they resemble a wet pile of earth or stone. There is a miasma of stink around them that cannot be ignored. Ammonia and feces seems to be the two that are reported the most, but Mouthers smelling of sulfur, formaldehyde and even turpentine have been observed. The eyes and mouths covering a Mouther are said to come from the prey it devours, however many new research papers have postulated that new eyes and mouths appear at random, and the multitudinous babble that pours from it are not the memories of its prey, but more often just a muddle of nonsense. Heated retorts have been declared in public and the debate continues. What it does illustrate is how little we really know of these aberrations. Because they are covered in living eyes, Mouthers can see in all directions simultaneously, and can never be surprised. Mouthers have never been observed at sleep and most agree they do not need sleep, but can relax and close its eyes and mouths when in ambush. Some have speculated that Mouthers can breathe through anaerobic respiration and are unable to be suffocated. This has never been tested. The prevalent theory is that the Mouther's nervous system is decentralized, meaning no brain tissue as we would recognize it, but there is a vocal minority who claims to hold evidence that the Mouther's brain is found in one central location, much like humanoids. Mouthers have been observed "giving birth" - when enough victims have been devoured, the Mouther splits itself into two smaller creatures, much like Oozes and Puddings. The two new creatures each have around half of the size of parent form, and immediately seek to distance themselves from one another. Nothing is known about lifecycles, or even if the Mouthers have one. Perhaps their size is merely a reflection of how much prey it has consumed? Social Observations Mouthers are not naturally friendly. They do not socialize. If you aren't a Mouther, you are food. If you are, you are to be avoided. Mouthers do not wage war on one another. When two meet, they determine who should leave on some level that we cannot comprehend, and age or size does not seem to make a difference. There is some speculation that if two Mouthers were forced into the same area and could not leave, that they would merge into a larger version rather than fight, and this could explain the observations of witnesses, but does seem less practical on a biological level. Behavioral Observations The creature appears to have no real intelligence, most agree it only rates a 1 on the Moldvay Scale. It exists only to devour, and while it can survive on vegetable and mineral resources, it's real hunger is for flesh. Animals, humanoids, monsters, whatever it can catch. The Mouther appears to be completely insane. It howls and gibbers in dozens, sometimes hundreds of voices, depending on size, and any creature who hears this cacophony is usually driven from the area in sheer terror. Only the very stoic can face a Mouther in battle. Mouthers have two incredible abilities. One appears to be biological, the other, some force of the Unknown. The biological ability is a spitting of ammonium iodide from any one of its mouths. When this spittle strikes a hard surface, it causes a bright, dazzling flash, and is often used to blind prey. Some arcane force little understood also gives the Mouther the ability to soften rock and stone to the consistency of loose quicksand in an area around the Mouther beyond its physical body. This gives the Mouther an indisputable advantage when hunting and Mouthers are actually faster in watery terrain. That being said, their almost non-existent intelligence usually results in a Mouther's own death by simple greed. Most Mouthers die of starvation, not battle. If they become trapped in an area for only a few days without any source of food, they die and their corpses aspirate away through some planar transfer we do not understand yet. In short, we have never been able to dissect or study a dead Mouther. They do not seem to hoard treasure, and have not been observed using magic items. 178

Inter-Species Observations These insane abominations are incapable of understanding what cooperation means, so they are unable to form attachments for mutual benefit, but they are capable of being dominated by creatures with formidable will and power. Mouthers have been used as shock troops in wars across the Planes, and they are most often found in the company of Demons, who find them hilarious. Agents of Chaos will often have dominated Mouthers that serve as assassins and "biological weapons". Powerful sorcerers often keep them as "pets". Mouthers can be found serving nearly any powerful, intelligent creature. DM's Toolkit These things are really scary. They are fast, multiattackers with terrain-modifying powers and a nifty flash (without the bang). Oh and the Fear from the gibbering, always handy. They lay in wait, just a pile of dirt, some prey happens by, they shift the ground to a nice sloppy mire, and then turn on the Gibbering Machine. If they had any intelligence they'd probably think that was hilarious. The jump scare followed by a dunk and a crunchy ending. Mouthers as ambushers is my preferred method. Their physiology practically demands it. But having one roll up on you in a dark alley, glad as hell to see you? They are just plain scary all around. I like to give Mouthers the same origins as Feyr. That they appear in areas where fear and stress and trauma in the local populace is high. They sort of coalesce from the bad air and roll around, scaring and eating folk until the sun comes up and they vanish like mist, only to return the following night for more shenanigans. This might go on for weeks or until a bunch of adventurers show up to deal with the problem. On the flip side, I like to have one of these act the same way around the PCs. The Mouthers appears out of nowhere, taunts them with craziness and follows them until dawn, where it vanishes and comes back again, and again, and again, and...Until they find a way to deal with it, through combat or magic, or some other method that doesn't include trying to negotiate with the gorram thing. They are great minions and can really change the tide of a battle if dropped in from the ceiling or waiting in ambush near its master. They make great Solo challenges if increased in size and given the right terrain and features to work with. Mouther Variants Undead Mouther - Give those bites some necrotic gravy. Make them unturnable, too, for funzies. Ghost Mouther. Phasing in and out of the Prime Material Plane should make this version even more pants-wettingly awesome. Masonry Mouther. These are stationary and cannot move. Walls, floors, ceilings - now with more Mouther. Or entirely Mouther. Dungeons will thank you for it. Aquatic Mouther. Sure the regular ones can swim. But are they see-through, bioluminous, and paralytic? With shark mouths? Singing Mouther. Only hungry for song. 40 at a time. Will Gregorian Chant for food. Lawful Good (if such things exist for you). A real aberration. 179

Gith "Me, sister, mother, father; not-human, just mind-bended. Mother, father; killed by Voor. Me, Sister; Slaves, but more. So much more. She Gith. She speaks and minds come straight. We think. We think free. She speaks truth, we are one. We are Gith, we are strong. So we win. Long, brutal; memories of Pharagos and visions of dead gods haunt my dreams. Gith say we have not won. Must kill all mindbenders; all creation. Is this Gith, or Illithid? I say no. More follow. Sister, Brother. No longer slaves. Only war. Sister, Brother. Gith, no more. I know this, I know her pain. She sells her soul for war. Sister, Brother. Foul Baator. She was Gith, but I am Zerthimon." --Zerthimon, Hero of the Githzerai. Introduction The gith are a race of semi-Astral beings, whose forerunners were shaped by Illithid experimentation and long exposure to the Ethereal, Astral, and Outer Planes. Vaguely human, they are sentient race with strong temperaments and affinity for planar travel. The two subspecies, Githyanki and Githzerai despise one another due to a bitter civil war between the gith race that occurred after they were liberated. The gith are so named for their liberator, Gith, a slave like them who arose to topple their Illithid masters. The name of the original species, the forerunners, remains lost in time. The divide among the gith occurred after the successful toppling of their Mind-Flayer masters. Their leader, Gith, instituted a strict military hierarchy and set forward to ravage the planes in search of all Illithids in an attempt to exterminate them. A war hero, Zerthimon, objected and formed a strong following of gith seeking to retreat into meditation and martial training - to prepare for an Illithid counterattack. Zerthimon also objected to the rigid military hierarchy of Gith, which he argued was no better than being an Illithid slave. As tensions boiled over, civil war ravaged the home planet of the gith and thrust them into extraplanar battlegrounds. The races divided in creed and lifestyle until the two races, Githyanki following Gith and Githzerai following Zerthimon emerged. The whole lot are savages, plain and simple - if you'll excuse the pun. Illithids did all this, really. Broke them and put them back together - the ultimate slaves, save for the fact they were exceptionally good at rebellion. What they were before? Oh, don't bother asking. They already did. Eq'Torst, Arcanaloth Physiology Gith are the results of extraplanar exposure and Illithid experimentation, optimized for burden and martial prowess. They are bipedal and stand at just over six-feet, with tawny brown skin and thick russet hair. Their limbs are elongated, and their heads more ellipsoidal and narrow. They posses piercing eyes the color of a nebula, and their skin is commonly covered with either scars in Githyanki or martial tattoos among the Githzerai. The Githyanki reproduce by laying eggs that hatch and fertilize in secret clutches on the Prime Material plane, while the Githzerai are even more secretive - leading some to believe they give either live birth or some other form of reproduction. Both the races live about two times as long as the typical human, producing on average two to three offspring in their life time. Both reproduce on the Prime Material plane as aging does not happen regularly or standard enough in the Astral plane. After years of Illithid control, the gith have developed strong psionic ability - mostly defensive. Githyanki have adapted to extraplanar travel in the form of resistances to planar-splicing and other various malfunctions. Common accidents like a mid-transition portal failure often are more humorous then deadly, with Githyanki walking around without an upper torso and severed heads cracking jokes while the raiding party's artificer and doctor reassembles them. They have also slowly adapted to long-periods of dragon-riding, coming from a deal struck long ago by their ruler Vlaakith with Tiamat. Most Red Dragons are at the very least respectful of the Githyanki, a great many are ridden by them as war mounts - not necessarily as companions. Githzerai, meanwhile, have thoroughly trained their minds to further develop their psionic capabilities and this allow them to control their native habitat of the plane of Limbo. By mentally enforcing stable structures, Githzerai develop small free-floating habitats of stability in the infinite chaos. Slavemasters. They are hypocrites, devious raiders who want nothing but their own bloodlust satiated. I would find it almost admirable if I wasn't enslaved to them for many centuries. Many foolish riders. Some killed in... accidents. Some I outright incinerated. They were shocked when I killed the lot of them, but you don't bind a dragon, you don't chain a god. Harrelhorn the Scarred, Ancient Red Dragon Social Observations Imperious and free-willed in both cases, the gith have fragmented over time from their ideological empires. They still despise their counterparts, but Githyanki and Githzerai no longer form planar empires, instead consigning themselves to raiding parties and small monastic groups mostly. The Gith language is shared between the two, and the written script is unique to the gith. Written in circular runes, words and idea-phrases are written clockwise in arcs and circles. Verb structures arc between noun-circles with objects tangentially relating in a mass of intertwining patterns indecipherable to the untrained eye. The last bastions of strong civilization for the Githyanki reside on the floating astral husks of dead gods - the capital city residing on a long-lost one from the eons of creation. Here, Vlaakith CLVII the immortal Lich-Queen rules with an iron fist and subjugates most all Githyanki. While many do not report directly to her or her command, she wields mighty power as she is the bearer of their contract with the Red Dragons. It is also here young Githyanki who have grown in the Prime Material plane come to pass the ritual of adolescence, hunting and killing an Illithid, and train in Dragon-riding. 180

Githyanki raiding parties usually have small crews of fighters, a Sword Stalker, an artificer/healer, and a pilot. A Sword Stalker is usually captain of the astral ship and representative of the larger Githyanki hierarchy. Sword Stalkers are part of the solemn Silvered Order, which protects the mighty Silver Swords created by the Githyanki in order to slay their foes. Formed from ancestor worship, the firestone of a Red Dragon, a masterful smith, and the guidance of Gith these blades wreck havoc upon foes, able to sever the astral connections of travelers to the plane. Some raiding parties act as either Gith-alatto or Rrakkma raiders, Githzerai and Illithid hunters respectively. Githzerai monasteries are secluded and interspersed throughout the planes, but the primary capital, the Floating City, resides in Limbo. Limbo is the central location for most Githzerai, allowing them free control over their settlements, save for the occasional slaadi intrusion. Their deeply meditative and rigorous hierarchy is mostly based on merit and ancestor worship. The most skilled among the monks are given the title of Zerth, and are able to shift between planes nearly at-will. Both of the gith have strong traditions of rejecting deities, a pursuit of freedom, and astral navigation. Some gith feel at home only on their Astral-ships, flitting between the planes either raiding or spreading the word of Zerthimon. As a rule, the gith primarily avoid the personal realms of major deities; respecting their distance. Githyanki have specifically been forbidden by Vlaakith to enter Baator, who says the contract of the Red Dragons will be compromised otherwise. However, past that, the gith have been known to profit off the curiosity of the more sedentary and exchange passage for information about their rivals and Illithids, or payment. Githyanki specifically also have a tradition of dragon-riding, and are more likely to use their mounts instead of Astral ships when conducting large scale warfare where the unstable guerrilla abilities of astral ships become compromised. I know evil. I am evil. We were made evil, and entered into a deal with evil. Our slave-brothers are not evil. They not know evil. They focus. On pity. Mercy. Weakness. When mind-bender comes, they will not know. They will die. When evil comes, kills all, only evil will remain. Only evil will be free. We are evil, we are not slaves. Rosstiun qa'Vlaakith, honorable Silver Sword of the Ever-Rrakkma, Githyanki. Behavioral and Inter-Species Observations The gith are not bound necessarily by honor, but rather a strong tradition of freedom, that is paradoxically tempered by Githyanki military and Githzerai monasticism. This, in part, is the leading cause of the gith's planar diaspora. It is the opinion of this researcher that there may come a time when, motivated by a universal struggle, the gith will reunite and abandon the hierarchies of their predecessors as the original gith did the bonds of slavery. Gith otherwise may have chaotic and impure, or highly restrained temperaments - with the same variations any other sentient race. A common theme, however, is a certain arrogant xenophobia. Partially because of an imprinted fear of racial subjugation and partly because of their history of struggle, most sentient races are looked down upon by the gith. While the occasional raiding party may have a human mercenary, or a half-elf may study under a Githzerai monastery, the vast planar differences often led the gith to associating only with elemental and planar beings. Slaadi are a tense acquaintance of the Githzerai, often being given Githyanki prisoners for spawning in exchange for peace. Conversely, Githyanki despise slaadi. Above anything, the gith despise the Illithids - they are to be killed on sight, no matter the circumstance, by any member of the race. The race after the Illithids are the opposing subspecies, although rarely tense alliance or peaces may exist for a short time if motivated by a combined threat. Some enterprising gith scoff at the traditions of their brethren, co-mingling as Githzerai and Githyanki in the ultimate pursuit - duplicitous capitalism and free enterprise. Gith trading companies are known for their speed, skill, and relative safety of cargo. However, dealing with extraplanar travel always has potential drawbacks, which are usually pushed onto the traders and not the gith middlemen. A shipment of fine china may come back as animated objects if the caravan stops too long in Mechanus, for example. Other companies, offering planar travel to nobles and royalty make a fortune off of rushed trips through the elemental and upper planes. Their services have also been contracted by adventurers, fiends seeking advantages in the Blood Wars, and minor spirits and celestials looking for safe passage. 181

DM's Toolkit Planar pirates, planar travel agents, planar monks, planar freedom-fighters, planar Lich-Queen worshipping red-dragon riding plane-shifting martial silver-sworded Astral badasses - yes please, the gith are any Spelljammer / Planescape aficionado's bread and butter. They've got a rich, very interesting history with Liches, Dragons, Fiends, Illithids, and Humans all intertwined. Here's a basic interpretation/rundown. Here you go here we go, adventure/encounter hooks: The party finds the freshly blasted ruins of a Githzerai monastery, on a successful Arcana check or Planes check the players find a planar rift leading onto a Githyanki raiding ship. After clearing an Illithid dungeon, the party finds in the darkest depths a secret timeexperiment. Apparently the Illithids were experimenting with reversing the Gith rebellion, the party must go back in time, witness the rebellion, and undo their experiments to avoid the creation of a devastating time-warp. The party is approached in a buzzing metropolis by gith traders looking for guards. They're pretty secretive about where they're traveling to. Just after the point of no-return they admit the destination is the Abyss, in search of [insert swaggin' treasure here.] A Githyanki challenges the party's biggest jackass to a duel, and if successful a larger force will come and impress the entire party into service in their raiding ship - War of 1812 style. The party must get from Plot-Device-Town #34B to the Lost Island of McGuffins. A wizened Githzerai approaches the party with an offer; if they will help him get revenge on raiders who killed his family, he will planeshift them to the Lost Island. The party is faced with a red dragon far beyond their capability. Prepared to meet their fate (or caught up in moronic loot-lust savagely trying to beat the dragon's insane AC with a wooden sword,) the fight is interrupted by a Githyanki ship blasting through the magma blaring [insert favorite rock song.] They quickly begin wrapping metal bonds around the Red Dragon, who violently fights back. From here you've got a few options, either The ship is smashed by the dragon into the side of a large outcropping of rock and the surviving Githyanki enlist the party's help in killing, or hopefully subduing, the dragon. The dragon is violently plane-shifted away, leaving behind an exposed cave that reveals a scared dragon wyrmling. Githzerai come, noticing the disturbance in the force Astral plane and everything just becomes a clusterfuck. The party is trying to interrogate a hermit Illithid for information when a gith Rrakkma bursts through the doors (or anywhere, really) demanding the Mind-Flayer's head. They are not likely to interpret the situation well. The party uncovers a Githyanki clutch of eggs that their Kenku guide was secretly searching for. As he begins looting the eggs, a brood matron arrives. 182

Gnoll Introduction: It is technically incorrect to say that Gnolls are inherently cruel creatures. This suggests that they take delight in causing pain. They are predators and no more naturally cruel than a wolf among sheep. That being said, the majority of gnolls are worshipers of Yeenoghu and do engage in deliberate acts of cruelty in his name. Physiological Observations: The predominant species of Gnoll is the Striped Gnoll. There is nearly no sexual dimorphism among them, giving rise to the common belief that gnolls can swap genders. Short of them being pregnant, nursing, or naked, there is no reliable way of telling which striped gnolls are female. They are bipedal with a generally humanoid form. Their arms are longer than their legs and they are short in the torso. Their grey and brown fur tapers lengthens into a mane that goes from their brow to nearly their tails. The high sagittal crest of the skull, in addition to making them look dull-witted and thuggish, gives them jaws strong enough to splinter a horse's leg. Striped Gnolls stand about seven feet high and weigh 300 pounds on average. They are almost completely nocturnal. Gnolls of any species can digest meat, bone, hide, and hooves. They can and will eat scavenged and decomposing corpses if that is what they find. However, when they hunt they will not always wait until the creature is completely dead before they start feeding. This is often misattributed to their having a cruel nature. They have an aversion to vulture and Aarakocra flesh, but won't starve if that's the only option. Although they are primarily carnivores, Striped Gnolls will eat just about anything that isn't poisonous. All species of Gnolls will eat anything they can kill, whether humanoid or not - this is unrelated to the deity they worship. Striped Gnoll cubs are born toothless and with their eyes closed. There are, on average, two pups per litter. Both parents dote on the children, keeping them safe in a den dug into the earth. The young grow quickly, becoming half their fully grown size within a year and capable of hunting with the adults. Striped Gnolls may give birth at any point during the year. Sociological Observations: Striped Gnolls mate for life and are monogamous. A mated pair is the primary social unit. A territory is occupied by a close-knit extended family of Gnolls. They will join together for raids, hunting, defense, and worship. They are very hostile towards groups that are outside the family. Families are traced through matrilineal lines and they are matrilocal (a mated pair will stay within the territory of the female and her family). A pack will have at least ten members, but there will be no more than 100 in a territory. As the family ties become more tenuous it is more likely that the pack will split in two with each going to a separate territory. They are unlikely to remain on friendly terms. Gnolls do not make inquiries, they make demands. They are very abrupt and do not have a concept of diplomacy. Striped Gnolls do not have a firm hierarchy. Leadership is ad hoc, chosen every time two or more pairs comes together in cooperation. The display of trophies taken in previous raids and hunts is very important in determining who will lead. Females and males are equally as likely to lead the family pack. If displaying of trophies and bragging stories is not enough to determine a clear leader then a fight may break out. These fights tend to be over quickly and with few injuries - the family remains close and it is a bad idea to weaken the pack. Gnolls grow quickly. A two-year old Gnoll is fully grown and deadly. The average lifespan of a Gnoll is thirty years, and they will remain in the prime of health until the final few weeks before their death. As soon as a Gnoll begins to feel the effects of age or disease they will become the most deadly warriors, seeking out dangerous enemies of the pack. Gnolls believe that death in battle or on the hunt is the only appropriate way to die and the more dangerous the foe, the better. Dying of disease is deeply shameful. A Striped Gnoll who has lost their mate and has no pups to care for may similarly become a berserker in their grief. All Gnolls will ritually consume their dead. Behavioral Observations: Taking trophies is an important part of gnollish culture. They do very little crafting of their own so trophy taking is how they acquire most weapons, clothing, and armor. Such items will be patched and torn as necessary to fit a Gnoll. Other trophies are mementos of great hunts and battles. These tokens are used as personal decorations and also used to display the might of the Gnoll who took them. The trophies are not necessarily valuable in the monetary sense. Gnolls consider natural tunnels and caverns to be sacred spaces. Early theories associated this with the worship of Yeenoghu - that the Gnolls were trying to emulate his infernal realm. However this behavior also shows up in packs that do not worship Yeenoghu. It may be an instinctual behavior stemming from the warrens the pups live in. 85% of Striped Gnoll packs worship Yeenoghu. Those that do take pride in inducing and maintaining a state of terror in their victims. The most depraved are the Slavers. Slavers are Gnolls who specialize in physical and psychological torture, completely breaking the will of their victims so they will serve and fight for the Gnoll pack. The victims of Slavers are broken to the point that they will happily participate in the torture of further victims. The pinnacle of the most skilled Slavers' art is getting a paladin to renounce their deity and deconsecrate themselves. Any pack of more than 20 adults will have a Slaver. The Slaver will have 1d4 slaves with at least one of them being a fighter. Only slightly less repellent are the Priests of Yeenoghu. Priests are in charge of the act of sacrificing creatures to Yeenoghu deep in the sacred caverns. The altars of Yeenoghu are unworked stones, with chains for securing the sacrificial victims. Sacrifices can take days to die if the Priests are in mind to make it last that long. Priests also gather the sacred, hallucinogenic herbs that are mixed with the blood that in consumed by the worshippers. 183

Gnolls whipped into a religious frenzy and under the influence of the sacred herb will berserk and attack with suicidal furor anything that they can reach in the night. The Priest wears robes that have never been cleaned and wields a dagger that has likewise never been cleaned. There is a chance that a creature struck with the dagger will be poisoned and suffer from sepsis as a result. If the sepsis is left untreated it will turn into gangrene in 1d4 days. Flinds are stockier, shorter, and smarter than the average Gnoll. In the past they have been considered a sub-species of Gnoll, perhaps runts. A newly emerging theory is that a Flind may be a hybridization of humans and Gnolls. It is not uncommon to find them in packs of twenty or more. They will almost always have a leadership position either as a fighter or a cleric. Intra-Species Observations: A lone Gnoll seeks a pack and is fairly egalitarian when it comes to what species they will consider part of that pack. It is not an easy thing to earn the friendship of a Gnoll but once it is given, not even a dwarf is a more loyal companion. A Gnoll pack does not take kindly to any trespasser into the territory. Bringing gifts and food is one way to keep a pack appeased enough to bargain with, but there's no guarantee of a positive outcome. If the Gnoll pack approves of the bargain they will provide gifts of their own (that they perceive as valuable), but they also may demand further gifts of the adventurers gear. Although they are not terribly intelligent, Gnolls are canny killers and patient hunters who make efficient use of their ability to imitate voices and noises. Even a small pack can take out a human settlement if they are sufficiently motivated. One captured Gnoll had this to say: Start with the young and it is easy. Lure them into the woods and make them die. Eat the first few so that nothing is left. Young go missing from houses and it is tragedy that happens all the time. After the first three or so the people in houses start getting suspicious. Then you leave some gnawed bones. They blame wolves and send out the hunters. You use the voices of the children to call the hunters and make them disappear. After the hunters disappear they send the fighters. Use the children's voices, the hunters' voices. Separate them and kill them and eat them. Not all of them. Leave the remains where they will be found. Drive those in the houses into a frenzy so they send all their weapons and shields and armor out on the backs of fighters. Fighters are dumb and cowardly and will not stay where they can protect the houses. Then we have the weapons and the armor and the shields. And all that is left in the town is the soft parts. Like the belly of a fawn. The old and the young and the sick. The perfect prey. Call to them with the voices of the dead and many will come out, wanting to believe that their mates have returned. But it is the pack, and we are hungry, and we will feed until there is nothing left to gorge on. It is all joy. Some have found ways to control Gnolls. The easiest way to gain control of a small group of Gnolls is to threaten a member of the family. This is holding a rakshasa by the tail though because the instant the threat is no longer enforceable it will bring the full wrath of the family down. To control a larger group of Gnolls it is best to promise them good hunting and the opportunity to kill in the name of Yeenoghu (if applicable). Variant Species: Variant Species: Much rarer than the Striped Gnoll is the Spotted Gnoll. They are generally similar unless otherwise listed. Spotted Gnolls are bigger than Striped Gnolls. An average Spotted Gnoll is about 7'6* and 350 pounds. Females are about fifteen percent larger than the males, but it is even hard to be assured of gender than with Striped Gnolls. Females have a pseudo-penis and pseudo-scrotum, making it difficult to determine gender even if the Gnoll is nude. Spotted Gnolls have some very distinct sociological differences. They are intensely matriarchal and hierarchal. The highest ranked male is still lower than the lowest ranked female (although an exceptionally fierce and strong male may be considered female if he proves himself worthy). There are about twice as many females as males. They eat from a kill in order of rank, with the Matriarch and her youngest pups getting first pick. To take food out of order is seen as a challenge to rank. Most politics among Spotted Gnolls are worked out over communal meals. They are not monogamous and do not pair for life. A female will mate with any male who is not related to her that catches her nose while she is in heat. Only females of a certain rank are permitted to bear pups. The Matriarch will kill any pups from mothers of too low rank. Spotted Gnolls are born in litters of four, too many for the mother to nourish. They are born with their eyes open and a full set of teeth. Spotted Gnoll pups dig their own warrens out instinctively, only emerging to eat. In the pup warrens they fight and the weakest will die. After about three months they are generally too big for the pup tunnels. It is only after they finally emerge from the tunnels the last time that a pup is considered to be alive. Spotted Gnolls are guaranteed not to worship Yeenoghu. The idea of being ruled over by a male, even a deity, is both abhorrent and hysterical. Despite this, it is possible that Spotted Gnolls were among the final worshipers of Gorelick before his death. They value strength of arms and will above all other virtues. Spotted Gnolls do not have any Priests or Clerics among them, but there may be a Shaman who will help them commune with spirits and ancestors for guidance. They are very in tune with natural surroundings, and will defend their territory from anything that would upset the ecosystem. Spotted Gnolls are hostile towards those outside the pack, but a Matriarch may be interested in making a deal if a suitable number of gifts are provided. She will distribute these gifts among her followers. The alignment of Spotted Gnolls will follow that of their leader and they are not inherently given towards Evil (they are most inclined to a Chaotic Neutral alignment). Remember, however, that these creatures are still primarily predators and regard most humanoids as part of the spectrum of prey creatures. 184

T h ey a r e m o r e n o m a d i c t h a n t h e S t r i p e d G n o l l s a n d c a n b e c o nv i n c e d t o m o v e o n t o w h e r e h u n t i n g i s b e t t e r. Spotted Gnolls revile their Striped Cousins be c a u s e o f t h e i r w o r s h i p o f Ye e n o g h u. T h ey s e e i t a s b o r r o w e d s t r e n g t h a n d t h a t i s c o n t e m p t i b l e. T h ey d o n o t t a ke s l av e s a n d t h ey d o n o t t o r t u r e o r m a ke s a c r i fi c e s. I t i s v e r y i m p o r t a n t t o S p o t t e d G n o l l s t h a t t h ey d i e i n b a t t l e. T h ey b e l i e v e t h a t i t i s n e c e s s a r y i n o r d e r t o t a ke t h e i r s t r e n g t h w i t h t h e m i n t o t h e a ft e r l i fe. I n q u i r i e s i n t o t h e n a t u r e o f t h e a ft e r l i fe i s u s u a l l y m e t w i t h a w av e o f t h e h a n d a n d t h e s t a t e m e n t th a t i s t o m o rro w's s ta g. L e t u s h u n t t o day's. DM's Toolkit: TL;DR Striped Gnolls have a family life that would be familiar to most adventurers, almost downright endearing. However they indulge in unspeakable cruelty to appease their evil god. Spotted Gnolls have a social life that many would consider abhorrently cruel, but they are most amenable to dealing with outsiders and are not likely to be evil. Here are some ideas beyond the group ambush tactics that Gnolls are so justifiably known for: A Striped Gnoll comes to the adventurers at dawn - he returned home to find his mate murdered and his pups missing. If they can find his missing pups before nightfall, when Yeenoghu can look upon the land, then the Gnoll will convince his tribe to not attack a nearby village. He may even be telling the truth. A lone Spotted Gnoll Matriarch has been blocking the bridge to a nearby village, slaughtering any who approach. When the party approaches she demands they face her in combat. This Gnoll is ghostly with the power of Frightful Moan in place of Butcher's Lure. She can be hurt with mundane weapons. The Gnoll cannot be bloodied. When reduced to zero hit points she will thank the party for finally providing a worthy challenge. She will tell them where to find a treasure. Under the bridge is Gnoll corpse with a broken neck (she fell off the bridge and broke her neck). The body will have her weapons and armor, some jewelry, and a map to a treasure. What a Gnoll considers treasure may be surprising. A desperate Spotted Gnoll ambushes the party and shoves three squalling, biting pups into their arms. Seconds later a pack of Gnolls strikes from hiding and kills the desperate Gnoll. The most battle-scarred individual - the Matriarch - demands the pups and makes it very clear she will kill them in the name of maintaining the natural balance of the ecosystem. She is amenable to diplomacy (and gifts) if the party has a solution, otherwise she will attempt to kill them to get to the pups. 1 8 5

Gnomes: Deep (Svirfneblin) "We ran into the labyrinth, knowing that on our tails were the most fearsome creatures the Underdark had ever seen. I felt hopeless as we wandered for days and days, until finally we found them. The Svirfneblin of Blingdenstone." --Journal of Aoth Uuthrakt Introduction The Deep Gnomes, or Svirfnelbin, are the Underdark equivalent of their surface gnome cousins. The Svirfnelbin are guarded and suspicious of others, but when they find a trustworthy companion, they are as kind-hearted and loyal as their surface kin. Physiological Observations Svirfnelbin seem to be creatures of stone rather than flesh. Their skin is leathery and is colored in gray, brown, or other earthy hue's that act as a natural camouflage with the rocks around them. Their bodies are incredibly dense, often weighing close to 120 pounds but only standing 3 feet tall. This density makes the Svirfnelbin bodies hard from muscle are gnarled with fat. Male and female Svirfnelbin are easy to distinguish. Males are typically bald from childhood while females have long stringy hair. Since male Svirfnelbin don't grow hair on the tops of their heads, some have taken it upon themselves to grow stiff beards or elaborate mustaches. Female Svirfnelbin usually tie up their long stringy hair so that it doesn't get in the way as they work. Deep Gnomes also have an innate ability to cast magic. Much like the Drow, Svirfnelbin have been born to be natural spell casters. Spells that focus on defense aid the Svirfnelbin while in the extremely hostile environment of the Underdark. Social Observations Being that most Svirfnelbin are slow to trust, there are very little interactions between them and other races, especially those from the surface. However, sometimes Svirfnelbin see the need to establish relationships with other races and will venture outside of their enclave. Such individuals tend to become merchants that deal with the other Underdark races or scouts and spies that go out for a certain mission. Svirfnelbin have established gender roles within their society. Males will work the mines and patrol the perimeter, while females will run the enclave and see to the day to day operations within the city. Mining for gemstones is a top priority to the Svirfnelbin enclave, especially when it comes to rubies. Behavioral Observations Deep Gnomes tend to be sullen and hard working, using their intense focus to perfectly achieve the task at hand. It is this stoicism that led to the Svirfnelbin to be highly successful in the dangerous environment of the Underdark. Learning how to survive, the Deep Gnomes found that any sound at all can attract attention and lead to the deaths of thousands, thus it is typical that Svirfnelbin cities are deep within caverns with only one entrance and plenty of sound dampening along the way. Stark stoicism and the intense survival instinct melts away when faced with the precious gems of the earth, particularly rubies. Svirfnelbin are fascinated with gems and jewels that come from the earth, and most males dedicate their lives to becoming master craftsmen of different ores and gems. Inter-Species Observations Svirfnelbin are highly distrustful of others, even other Svirfnelbin. When dealing with others it is common that the Deep Gnomes keep the other party at arm's length and under a suspicious eye. However, if one is persistent in their attempts to befriend a Svirfnelbin they can find that they are the most loyal and dedicated friend one can have. Deep Gnomes have a high distrust and hatred for the Drow. They are highly outmatched when it comes to battle but they will hide and make sure the demon-worshippingpointy-ears will never find their settlements. Some Svirfnelbin will have transactions with the Drow, but always in a safe environment and in the Deep Gnomes favor. Creatures of Elemental Earth are quite commonly found in the company of Svirfnelbin. Elemental Earth creatures such as the Xorn have a high reliability to the Deep Gnomes and will from fast friendships with them. Xorn are often tasked with guarding a Svirfnelbin enclave with the promise that they will be fed the precious jewels that are mined from the earth. 186

DM's Toolkit Deep Gnomes are a fairly niche creature, seeing as how they are mostly found in the Underdark. However, once in the Underdark the Svirfnelbin can be used in a variety of different ways. A Deep Gnome illusionist wizard that has made a great home for itself in the Underdark. Using flavorful illusion spells for a Svirfnelbin would make a great encounter for any party. Another encounter with Svirfnelbin would be a classic merchant. Distrustful with incredible wares that the party would want. This merchant could also promise more exotic items in exchange for different materials and gems found in different places in the Underdark. Or one of my favorites, war. The Deep Gnomes have been entangled in a war with the Drow and the Svirfnelbin enclave has sent out scouts to find help defeating their enemies. This would be a great way to show off the Underdark as well as its many inhabitants. The most important thing to remember about the Svirfnelbin is their ability to hide in the rocks of the Underdark. So always make sure the Deep Gnomes are sneaky and come out of nowhere. 187

Goblin "It's no small wonder the whole of the world hasn't been destroyed, consumed, and shat out of a goblin's wretched ass." "Every once in a while when they aren't getting incinerated in lava, crushed under rock slides, or devoured by dragons, goblins experience moments of unmitigated glory in battle." "Finding themselves in a new and unexplored world, they immediately set it on fire." "Don't let them lead the soldiers, but by all means let them lead the way." "I like goblins. They make funny popping sounds when they die." There are few things you could do that are worse than creating goblins. Goblins are dumb, excitable, cowardly, and dangerous beings with very little instinct for self preservation and no regard for any creature other than themselves. Not even other goblins. They are a gross overmeasure that is at best aimed at an enemy and at worse immediately brings ruin upon you in a myriad of painful and horrific ways. What you can do with the leftovers is limited only by your imagination and their predisposition for escaping and propagating uncontrollably. Few blights upon the world have as many teeth, knives, and explosives. The Ritual and Purpose The first to summon a batch of goblins up from...wherever they come from REALLY didn't do the world any favors. And the ones that have performed the ritual since are idiots. I mean, really. Who looks at a world now teeming with these little shits and thinks, "Naw, I want a fresh litter"? Anyways, if you're looking to create your own special brand of terrorizing, cruel, lunatic saboteurs then have at it. You can find the dark knowledge needed to summon these elemental spirits of destruction to your location in any evil library or sunken temple to a black god of chaos. It'll usually be written in blood and the reagents and materials are quite cheap. Except that elven baby. That'll cost you for sure. Once you finalize the casting with the initial demand (no guarantees, broh) your little monsters will be clawing their way out of that primeval soup carrying various fel implements of torture and murder. If you performed that extra step in the ritual they'll each hop out with a very sensitive grenade hung around their necks and clutched in their grimy claws. I recommend the upgrade, honestly. Those that don't blow themselves up will do a hells of a lot more damage to your target. Within an hour they'll be full sized and ready to destroy your enemies. Or you. Or the world. Physiological Observations How one desires a goblin to look upon creation is not always how they come together during the ritual. Nevertheless they often resemble best what they're designed to do: Cause mayhem and kill things. Such as it is they more often than not are small gnarled humanoids in form with comically large heads, long arms, short legs, sharp claws on all appendages, and blotchy skin in a wide range of hues between black and pale blue-white. Their teeth are tiny and pin-like and number in the hundreds. They are not especially muscular although some are created or come by a larger physique, but usually only alpha goblins known by a wide range of names which include such clever ones as "Big", "Fat", and "Boss". Their large eyes are alive with avarice and curiosity and their ears are very sensitive and range from tiny holes in the side of their noggins to large batlike attene on top (mostly) of their heads. Second generation and newer true-bred goblins have muted colors that eventually fall somewhere between charcoal and pale green. They also might be larger or more lithe depending on what wretches made such fruitful pairings and what environment they now terrorize and quickly spoil. Social Observations Society isn't a concept many goblins can grasp, and those who can choose not to. Goblins are herd animals monsters and follow the pack in all things. A lone goblin is either a problem, or a bigger problem, an alpha goblin. Both are rushed to be killed or beaten and if this assault fails then you know which kind of goblin you've got on your hands. Alphas are smarter (relative) and possess a modicum of the focus it takes to keep a pack of raving lunatics from blowing everyone up. And if all else fails, or really it doesn't matter, they have the muscle and the will to cave in every last skull that doesn't get with the program. Male and female sexes are both created in the batches of little horrors that crawl out of the soup they're magically imbued with life in. It is unknown why both reproductive requirements would be created in a creature brought to life by magic. I can only guess that the cruel dark god or fiend that first shared the secret of this doom with a mortal mage purposefully lied about the "perfect soldiers" it would create and instead unleashed a chaotic nuisance upon the multiverse. Regardless, soon after the completion (maybe) of the initial mission of their purposeful summoning to life the goblins will begin to procreate and fill whatever holes or ruins they can escape to with a horde of slathering craven duplicates. They will multiply and the land that hosts them will quickly deteriorate as they draw an ever growing intake of resources while polluting what's left with excrement and carrion. Eventually females will be regulated to breeders and matrons deep in protected warrens churning out an endless supply of little green monsters. The gestation for a goblin is quick, at around a month. And they can be natural born in litters of 2 to 20 depending on the age and strength of the foul mother. These "slugs" lack any ability to care for themselves so are looked over in large groups by a matron, a haggard beast of a goblin who has outlived her reproductive organs. 188

They care for these goblins until they are a few months old and can move and hunt for bugs on their own at which point they are thrown into what are little more than large holding pens to grow strong and "play" such games as "kill the weakling" and "What's this do?". Young goblin mortality is VERY high but this weeds out the inferior specimens. Behavioral Observations After a year or so a goblin reaches adulthood and is a fully fledged terror in its own right. It will steal, kill, or starve. It will amass a degree of avarice that rivals a dragon and a hatred of anything that isn't itself. It will exert dominance over anything weaker than it and kill anything it doesn't find useful or entertaining. Speaking of entertaining, nothing captures the gnat strength of their attention spans like fire and explosions. Any first generation goblins still alive will have been making explosives for some time now and these will be cherished armaments by all goblins that go out into the world. They will happily detonate these or themselves on any enemies they come across. Sometimes they will accidentally blow themselves up at inopportune times. Goblins are clumsy and stupid things and are prone to all manner of accidents. Now add in a crude and faulty grenade... Intra-Species Observations Goblins make ideal lackeys and even better cannon fodder. Their nature also makes them easy to lure into alliances or slavery. "Here's an old boot. You like old boots, don't you? Now you're mine. Sweep this floor. Don't steal anything and I'll give you more boots! Idiot." This being the case most evil humanoids are eager to have a den of goblins on their side. They are mad, suicidal combatants and prone to accidents so there's never a large number of them to feed or try to corral for too long once the war is on. And with those dens packed with broodbearing factories your ranks will be replenished swiftly. This makes goblins highly sought after if your plans involve a high death rate, a nigh impossible attack vector, you need a prolonged distraction, general mayhem, or you literally want to fire them out of cannons of varying reliability. Hobgoblins and bugbears, though of no actual direct relation to goblins are most often in control (they like to think) of some good number of these goblins and use them as scouts and slaves. Like a small dog there to wake the big dangerous dog in case of danger. Though in this example the chihuahua has a knife and a handful of other anklebiters. Other humanoid races that can find the goblins useful and have the stomach to maintain a modicum of control are gnolls, orcs, and ogres. But a goblin will align itself when the going gets tough to ANY creature it views as dangerous or powerful enough. Goblins for their part can actually prove competent and loyal servants. If you're a dragon, or some other mind numbingly powerful entity who is a god in their minds. Anyone else who is boss boss probably has a timer running before some brighter than most goblin alpha thinks stabbin 'n grabbin is a better plan for the den. Smart overseers will immediately identify alpha goblins and either elevate them to king gob and spend resources training and controlling them, or killing them outright. In the end you sacrifice a little order and coordination for a little bit more time to sow destruction. Though goblins are very much nature over nurture, and their nurture just reinforces their nature mostly, sometimes you can come across a goblin that passes for something likeable and well-meaning. These are never the first generation of primordial chaos, but their spawn. If taken from birth and raised in a temple of well mannered and disciplined monks or what have you, the worst you'll get is a green kid who sometimes eats a bird or breaks some clay pottery for fun. At best you'll have a green kid who sometimes eats birds, breaks pottery, but does his chores. Goblins that survive and mature inside a warren of their own design rarely display any decent behaviour but some craven individuals develop quirks that allow them to live. DM's Toolkit Goblins are a staple of any D&D game as they are a low CR creature that can adapt and stay a threat probably up until mid range levels. They can be deployed alone or in groups of a handful to a hordeful with jobs varying from scouts, workers, and thieves to marauders, assassins, and shamans. I especially like goblins because I can flood a combat with them, give each a single hit point, and roll attacks in groups so the PCs are drowning in teeth and knives but there is often very little danger of a death to my adventurers and it doesn't slow combat down as much because I treat them as swarms. Goblins make great information droppers, trickster guides, and lying cheating assholes due to their nature to survive seemingly impossible situations and to screw over anyone they can. One moment the party's prisoner goblin is leading them to an ancient underground temple that borders the goblin den, and the next the PCs find themselves IN the goblin warren in very grave danger. These goblins can also be tragic NPCs because even though your dwarf probably hates them with a passion, the human PLAYING the dwarf wants to believe there's something within worth saving. And you can play that for and against the party pretty much whenever you want. These are flawed beings, meant for a single purpose and getting them to do anything else is a hassle. In closing, They're cheap. They're easy. They remain dangerous. Happy hunting. And stealing. And maiming. And overpopulating. And devouring. And... 189

Golem As they peered down the chamber, towards the ancient vault, they saw what appeared to be a giant statue in their way. But as they approached, it seemed to move. It was too late to back down. Introduction Golems are the spirit of beings from the Elemental Plane of Earth bound into a constructed body that is usually made of clay, flesh and bones, iron or stone that serve as protectors or guardians, and to serve their creators. Golems are also sometimes created with items that allow those who are not the creator to control them. Physiological Observations Barring flesh golems, whose size usually compares to that of humanoids, as it is made from their remains; golems tend to be hulking in both size and strength in addition to resilience. Additionally, being constructed, they do not have any needs and also don't have problems with staying active for very long times, even eternity. As such, they make great guardians for places like vaults and fortresses, so much so that even long after the death of their creators, such places are still protected. Social Observations Golems are usually only friendly towards their creator. They don't tend to gather up unless many are created for a single task. Even if observed or argued with, golems will simply try to execute their task. As such, trying to persuade a golem is impossible. Behavioral Observations Golems have little intelligence, and have problems with understanding. However, they are also able to understand a command or instruction from their creator. But, if it cannot finish its task, it might do nothing, become violent, or something else might happen, due to their inability to think about what to do. Golems, in fact, cannot think for themselves, or act for themselves. Even if their creator told them to jump off a bridge, they would be bound to do so. Despite all this, golems are great for performing assigned tasks. Because they can understand commands, they can be used to guard areas by commanding them to do such, allowing the protection of areas by the golem. This is perfect and meets the skill set of a golem, with their knack for resilience and strength, allowing them to prevent unwanted creatures from entering an area. Golems are rarely killed, but when they are, it is usually by very powerful opponents, far more powerful than a commoner or a plain old soldier. However, if a golem is damaged, its elemental spirit contained within it might try to escape, wrecking havoc rather than following orders, unless something is done to repair or destroy it. Inter-Species Observations Golems being bound by their creator's orders tend to be very good at following the instructions of their masters. However, golems are incapable of comprehending or interacting beyond those facilitated as part of a command from their master, and as such, almost never interact with others except as part of their duties. DM's Toolkit Golems are a good foe for all sorts of characters, as different kinds of golems have different challenge ratings from 5 all the way to 16. It should be noted that golems have resistances to magical effects, so they are a bigger challenge to magic focuses groups. Additionally, they can be used and constructed by players with a Manual of Golems, which can help make a fun side quest and boost the power of a party. They are very good to use as guards for ancient dungeons, as their doesn't need to be much work put into explaining why it's their other than to guard it. As such, I hope you enjoy golems and use them in your games, as they add a good amount of content to games. Bonus Fact: The golems of Dungeons and Dragons are inspired by stories like "The Golem of Prague", from Jewish Folklore, a mass of clay brought to life by a Rabbi by rituals and incantations, which can be used as a great excuse to allow divine spellcasters to use golems too. According to such folklore, The Golem of Prague, who was named "Josef", could turn itself invisible and summon spirits of the dead. Modifying golems by giving them names or giving them powers such as the ability to summon spirits or turn invisible, like "The Golem of Prague" can add flavor or make them extra challenging enemies. 190

Gorgon "Long have I quested to prepare for this day. I came armed with a golden sword, a magical helm of darkness, flying sandals lent by a god, and a shield mirror-polished. To fulfill an oath have I come, yet now I see that I shall fail. Not a vile snake-haired woman, but a herd of bizarre metallic bovines live in this isolated valley. It would seem that something was lost in the translation with the wood elves. It appears that one of the creatures approaches, perhaps they are...." --from the lost journal of Perceus of Ellada Introduction The Gorgon, as it is known to the Wood Elves of Ellada, is called Khalkotauroi by the wary dwarves that live in the mountains above the creatures' breeding ground. The beast is oft confused in conversation with the humanoid Medusa, and mistaken for a construct by ignorant travelers. Yet the proud and mighty Gorgon has its own story to tell, told largely by verdant pasture land dotted with beautifully accurate stone sculptures. Physiological Observations Once the naturalist or zoological hobbyist has overcome the immediate danger of petrification, the details of close observation wash away the misconceptions generated from distant viewing. Overall, the Gorgon does indeed resemble cattle in overall proportions and composure. While males and females both have horns, males tend to have larger horns and broader shoulders. The Gorgon's distinctive visual characteristic is their metallic, shining scales. These lead to myths about the creatures being mechanical constructs or being dragonkin. Neither of these could be further from the truth. These Magical Beasts are certainly made of flesh and blood, and show absolutely no other physiological or behavioural signs of dragon blood. In fact, the scales appear to be keratinized fur that hardens into the Gorgon's armor. Due to the striation of the hair fibers and the oiliness of the beasts' skin, a bright white metallic or yellow metallic sheen develops in the adults. Newborns are born quite fuzzy, and calves have dull, developing scales. It is believed that this is an adaptation to protect against the claws of undead creatures, the Gorgon's only 'natural' predators that are not affected by the Gorgon's petrifying breath. It is still not understood how the Gorgon's petrifying breath works, as the gas is not stored in the body and so not retrievable via autopsy of a Gorgon corpse. While a few Gnommish alchemists are certain that the Gorgon creates the gas from materials it consumes, all attempts to synthesize it have failed. And this is why the High Wizard Subcommittee for the Classification of Magical Beasts includes the Gorgon among their count of Magical Beasts. Rumors that the petrifying gas can be nullified with antimagic zones have not been confirmed. There are magical items that protect the user from turning to stone, tested extensively during the investigations that provide the facts for this treatise. Social Observations Gorgons behave much like other large herbivorous fourlegged beasts, in that they graze on prairie or valley grasses, slowly migrate from well-grazed to fresh growth pastures, and raise and protect young, all as part of a herd. Gorgon herds are protected and guided by strong, powerful bulls and occasionally cows without a calf. Most cows are in some state of raising offspring: pregnant, birthing, or nursing one to two calves. While each mother provides primary care of their own calf, the whole herd shows concern over the calves and help protect them. Bull Gorgons have been observed sparring with their horns, but this seems to be more about learning and developing defensive skills, rather than the displays of dominance that bovine and ovine males are known for. They rarely harm one another, and unlike cattle no clear winner is determined. Behaviourial Observations Aside from relatively familiar herd-like behaviour in grazing and protecting their young, Gorgons have a few bizarre behaviours that are not easily explained. As mentioned earlier, it is posited that the shining scales developed to protect against undead predators. This is critical since Gorgons seem strongly attracted to graveyards, battlegrounds and other areas teeming with death magic. Thus they encounter greater quantities of skeletons, wights, ghouls and ghasts than most beasts. One wizard suggested that without the elusive Gorgon herds, our world might be overrun by hoards of undead. Rarely, but often enough to have been recorded numerous times, a single Gorgon bull will wander into a large village or city. With seeming clear intent on confronting everyone and everything near its path, the bull will run and charge into the midst of crowds, storm into china shops or smithies. These events are obviously very dangerous as even people not turned to stone by the Gorgon's petrifying breath end up gored or trampled. Inevitably, the Gorgon dies from the sheer number of arrows and swords brought to bear against the intruder. Gorgons loath blackbirds. Aside from the thousands of blackbird stone statues found in their grazing pastures, observers noted that Gorgons of all ages will charge, gore, petrify and even bite any blackbird within reach. This is particularly odd since songbirds and birds of prey are left alone. There is even a StirgeEater that is often found perching on the backs of the southern Gorgon herds, keeping the beasts safe from the flying parasites. Due to this strange behaviour, getting a high quality blackbird statue from your local stone mason is fairly inexpensive. 191

Inter-Species Observations Gorgons are not beasts of even moderate intelligence, and so they do not interact with other species (aside from the blackbird) unless the herd or young are threatened. After the first week of observation, our scientists were able to relax their vigil somewhat, as the beasts became accustomed to our presence and did not immediately charge and breathe their petrifying breath upon us. Indeed one brave half-elf druid of the company went out among the grazing herd with nothing more than a makeshift set of twig horns for protection. DM's Toolkit Due to the petrification ability and lack of significant treasure, players and DMs alike are not easily drawn to the Gorgon. I certainly have never used one before. However, after this Ecology write-up, I see that they can provide several interesting opportunities for the DM. The first I allude to in the quote and that is the opportunity to pull a bait-and-switch on the players. While being turned to stone is still the result of a failed encounter, players that spend much time preparing for encounter with a gazeattacking Medusa will find their mirrors useless against the noxious breath of bos petris. The next use for these creatures is a nongeological barrier. A simple two day trek through prairie land becomes a deadly game of sneak and hide if the grasses are occupied by a large herd of Gorgons. This forces players to think creatively stop and observe, and exhaust spells of protection and/or flying. With the addition of the irrational city-raid, I've given our DMs an opportunity to let the players come to a town's desperate rescue by stopping the stampeding statue-maker. Whether it is used to redeem the PCs of their murderhobo habits, bring them to the attention of the city government, or as a hook as to what is out in the wilds that would drive even a Gorgon into town; it utilizes a nearly-forgotten mythical beast to keep the PCs on their toes, and out of range of the green cloud. (On that note, the ONLY reference to the breath being green I found was describing the 3rd edition illustrations and later. Be very careful forcing your players into directly interacting with even a small herd of Gorgons. Petrification is a fate almost worse than death, since the corpse now weighs 3-5 times as much as normal, and finding a reversal could turn a minor side adventure into the beginning of an entire campaign that includes at least one player incapable of doing anything until they are returned to normal. The DM providing a description of intricate statues in places they do not belong will give smart players a warning that something dangerous is in the area. After using this trick once with a real Gorgon (or Medusa, basilisk, cockatrice, etc.) then use it again as a tension builder and a security ploy by a reclusive stone mason/wizard who can't afford a real guard Gorgon. 192

Grell "Th-they c-ame" "they came out of, out of nowhere. We were strung out, you know? Strung out down the tunnel, when, when they came. Gods, I can still hear Mayeesha screaming. I can hear all of them screaming. Whatever took...whatever ate them, they weren't anything natural. Can we, um, can we stop now? I don't feel like talking anymore." --Ex mercenary during a session at Rafanar Asylum. Introduction Grell are terrifying predators. A huge brain with raptor's beak and a mass of dangling, barbed tentacles, these psionic creatures gather in colonies and rely on ambush and numbers to overwhelm their prey. Physiological Observations Grell are the result of a mutation of a psionic disease common to the Illithid race. A virus-like metamorphosis occurs that creates a new identity in the diseased Illithid brain. This new identity has only two drives - to feed and to procreate. In a shocking transformation, the final stage of the disease causes the Illithid brain to swell to 20 times its size, obliterating the skull (and killing the Illithid). The brain, through some psionic mechanism, is able to levitate, and rips itself free of the body. Over the next hour the brain manifests a large, cruel beak on its "underside" and 10 suckered tentacles, each over 2 feet long. The Grell is now fully adult and able to feed and reproduce immediately. Their beaks are sharp and tough, able to tear through thick hide and strong armor with ease. Their tentacles are sticky and strong, 4 can grapple an armored man with ease. Their levitation ability does not have any recorded limit in regards to the weight they can lift. Grell have been seen carrying off large cattle and deer, and they are limited by the ability to grab prey, so many Grell often work together to carry back food. They are wholly psionic creatures - able to detect psions and be detected by them. They have crude attacks and defenses, almost primitive in nature, but the sheer number of them often overwhelm much stronger prey. Feeding appears to be chaotic. Oftentimes Grell colonies will relentlessly strip an area of all living things, while other times they will only occasionally take a few large creatures, seemingly content with the bounty until they need to hunt again. Social Observations Grell gather in colonies, like many social animals. They do not appear to have the traditional alpha/beta/loner structure like wolves or other pack animals have, nor do they seem to have a single leader, such as bees and ants. Grell do not seem to have any leadership structure at all, and as such, researchers have postulated the idea that they must function in the same way that flocks of birds do, or schools of fish (these groups do have leaders, but its more valuable to model our observations with the premise that the mythological "hive mind" controls the Grell, as we cannot predict with any reasonable certainty how an abberative species self-organizes. Indulge us, with our thanks). There do not appear to be male/female gender roles, with every member of the swarm appearing to participate in every activity required for survival (hunting, defense, procreation). Behavioral Observations Grell know only hunger and the drive to create more Grell. They have a sixth sense that appears to let them sense living prey (and they especially love humanoids) and objects up to 60' away. Grell need humanoids to reproduce, much like their Illthid progenitors, but do not require the victim to be alive. Once slain, the Grell will extrude a thin tentacle and enter the skull of the incubator through the ear. We are not sure what process takes place at this time. Some have postulated that the tentacle is an ovipositor, but most agree this claim has little evidence to support it. The overriding theory is that the tentacle transfers some sort of seed-virus into the host, allowing the Grell mutation to transform the incubator's brain, but there is much dissent, stating that this would not account for the newly-born Grell's psionic abilities. The rebuttal has been that perhaps the virus is the source of the psionic attributes to being with? Debate continues. Either way, a new Grell is born from the host in just 24 hours. Grell do not fight one another for resources, each individual contributing and taking from the collective equally. When hunting the Grell attack from ambush. They are able to compress their bodies into surprisingly small and shadowy places, drawing their beak and tentacles in tight to their sponge-like bodies. Grell are never found alone unless some disaster has befallen the colony. Grell have no fear, and have been observed attacking every type of living creature, from human to dragon. If they detect Illithid they frenzy and will focus solely on destroying them. Intra-Species Observations Grell have never been seen to treat with non-Grell in any way but as prey. Much like any mindless predator, they are not real good at making friends. Their sworn mortal enemies are, of course, the Illithid, who will oftentimes become obsessed to madness in eradicating Grell nests when they find them, to the point of killing every living thing in the area, just to deprive the swarm of food sources and incubators. The Grell, not surprisingly, feel the same, and will abandon all other activities to pursue the eradication of any nearby Illithid (and any incidental Flumphs in the area as well). 193

DM's Toolkit Obviously this is a large departure from the canon. I don't like just rehashing the same old thing - for me, these Ecologies are about looking at monsters in a fresh way while keeping the basic understandings alive. I've modified these for my own game by removing their lightning abilities and adding a basic Psionic Blast - treat as a cantrip, does 1d6 force/psychic damage. Truthfully, Grell scare the shit out of me as a player. They are like psionic piranha to me - they hide, they swarm, they kill everything and take it with them to create more Grell. As a DM, what's not to love? 194

Grick Coiled beneath the stones and brush, it waits. It hears voices approaching - high-pitched, playful voices. Voices it recognizes as younglings from the community down the river. It opens its beak, pointed tongue running along the edge of its sharp lips. It knows it is in a bad position to strike, but cannot risk moving now, as the voices are close now, and would hear the stones above it shifting. It feels excitement welling - it hasn't eaten in a week, since eating the meat off the bones of a deer, and fresh man-meat is always preferable to deer. The voices are only a few feet away now, voices filled with joy and glee, unaware of what lies beneath the stones they play atop... Introduction Gricks are large, serpentine monsters that prey on animals and humanoids that are weaker than they. Most grow so large that they become the dominant predator in their small range, easily attacking, killing, and consuming the smaller animals around. Though they mostly live underground, a few live and prey in areas of dense foliage or other areas that provide adequate cover for their preferred hunting method, which is hiding in wait until the perfect moment to strike. Physiology "There's slime everywhere," came Dane's squeaky voice. Sal entered the small cave - barely more than a depression in the hillside. It was dark inside, but he wasn't scared. He'd been in darker places. He worked his way down the slight descent, kicking some loose pebbles ahead of him. The ceiling was very low, so low he had to crouch. After about ten feet, it opened up into a larger space, and Sal ran into Dane. His friend was crouched over a pile of animal bones on the ground, which had a slick, slightly gooey look to them. He looked around - the cave was not very large. Just a pile of rocks within arms' reach to his left, and a depression to his right with a bunch of leaves - almost like a nest. "What kind of animal do you think this was?" Dane asked, dragging a stick through the clutter of bones, scattering them slightly. The light from the opening showed Sal that some of the goo was now on Dane's stick. "Think it was a deer?" Dane asked. "I don't know," Sal responded, then turned to his left. He thought he had heard the stones shift, just a low clicking sound, like a rock bounding off another. He peered at the pile of stone, looking concernedly at the dark spaces between the larger rocks. Was something moving there? "I don't know," he repeated. "Let's just get out of here." He turned to climb back up the path. He heard Dane shift behind him. Then he heard rocks begin to fall... It's not hard to figure out why people think that gricks are some sort of snake or worm. Their serpentine bodies, seen from either afar, very much resemble a thick, coiled constrictor or large worm. However, as it turns out, and you will see, they are actually much more related to mollusks - in particular, cephalopods - than either reptiles or anything we understand as a "worm." The general (visible) shape of a grick is known for three distinct features - the tentacles, the beak, and the "tail." Let's start at the top. A grick has four tentacles, spaced evenly around its beak. The tentacles have sharp, serrated hooks at the tip, and are covered on the underside by two rows of sucker. While in a state of rest, the four tentacles fold together neatly, completely hiding the beak within. In this position, the grick looks like one, long form, thus giving way to people believing they are worms. In the center of the tentacles is a sharp, powerful beak. Similar to a squid, the beak is hooked and downwardpointing, and can make gaping wounds in flesh. Though the beak and tentacles area are often pointed forward, and are used in the grick's consumption of food, the creature does not have a head - there is no skull and there are no eyes. Instead, we have the "tail." However, what most people refer to as a tail, is actually nothing more than an over-developed fifth tentacle, which houses the grick's digestive and reproductive system. This tail is much thicker than the other four tentacles, and instead of being covered on the bottom side by suckers, instead is covered by a fine, almost invisible lair of cilia. These cilia both aid the grick in movement (allowing it to climb walls and ceilings), and are also the primary sensory organs for the creature. The grick uses these cilia to smell the air around it, informing it of prey or predators in the immediate area. They also sense temperature, allowing the grick to move safely through its environment. The cilia have tiny pores on them that secrete a benign slime to aid in the grick's movement along the ground. The base of the tail has two important features. The first is a clump of very small, serrated blades, which the grick may use as a weapon (though it is typically much too slow to be very effective). The second is a small slit, running parallel with the length of its body, which houses the grick's waste excretion parts, as well as its reproductive organs. Grick males and females have distinctive reproductive differences, but to the outside observer, it is impossible to tell them apart. Overall, gricks tend toward earth tones in colorization - browns, grays, and greens being the most common. This helps them blend in to their favored hiding spots for ambush. The underside of all five tentacles tends to be a paler shade of whatever color the grick's body is. The beak is typically brighter, sometimes orange or red, or at least a reddish-brown. At birth, from the egg, gricklings are very small. Coiled within the egg and for the first several days of the grick's life, it is only three to five inches long. At early stages, all five of the tentacles are an equal size and length, though the fifth "tail" outgrows the other four very quickly. Within a year, the grick is two feet long, and within three years, is fully grown at five to seven feet long. Behavior and Social Interactions It heard the obvious sounds of animals and man-creatures retreating. It knew it was time to strike, or it would miss its opportunity. It shifted its massive bulk, uncoiling, flexing its powerful muscles. Stones rolled off the top of it, clattering to the hard ground, and it lifted its front end, spreading its tentacles wide, revealing its sharp beak. 195

One of the man-things was very close, stupidly frozen in fear. It lifted itself up to be level with the head of the child, feeling the warm temperature, sensing the stinky, fearful sweat that it craved. It opened its mouth, stretching wide, and surged forward - not swiftly, but fast enough. The child was just starting to scream when it felt its sharp tentacles sink into tender flesh... Gricks are solitary creatures for most of their life. After birth, the brood will be fed by the mother grick a diet of worms, bugs, small rodents and birds. These animals will already be dead, as the grick is too small at first to kill its own prey. Out of the four to six gricklings born usually only two at most will survive. These two will eventually feed on the rest of the gricklings that did not make it. At around six months, gricks will leave their mother and find their own territory. Usually, for the first year or so on their own, they are no more than a few miles from the mother grick. In fact, they will often scavenge the mother's prey if they are having a hard time finding their own. However, by the time they are full-grown, they are often the apex predator in their region, and have to find larger hunting grounds away from other gricks. Most of a grick's life is spent coiled beneath branches or rocks, awaiting prey. They are ambush predators most of the time, but will willingly scavenge for food if hunting is not going well. For example, some gricks have been known to set up their lairs close to quicker predators, but those which do not consume flesh. For instance, it would not be uncommon at all for a grick to set up a site beneath a siphoning of stirges, knowing the stirges will simply drain the blood from their victims, but will leave the flesh intact for the grick to consume. To capture their prey, gricks will rise up like a cobra, distinctly "S"-shaped, and lurch forward. They will first strike with their tentacles, using the sharp ends to flay and pierce the skin. If close enough, it will attempt to wrap the tentacles around the prey and draw it within range of its powerful beak. Gricks are not particularly fast though, so this is usually just how it attacks if it must be seen. They much prefer to hide beneath rocks, or on ceilings, and grab, stab, slice, and bite their potential prey from concealment. The grick's tail blade may be used as a weapon in certain circumstances, but it is slow and sluggish, and mostly used only as a last resort. Because the grick is not particularly smart or fast, it will often form symbiotic (or sometimes parasitic) relationships with other creatures around, particularly creatures who do not consume bodies quickly. Variants Sal led the five town guardsmen and his father back to the cave. The guardsmen went in first, brandishing torches and swords. His dad put his hand on Sal's shoulder and squeezed. After a few minutes, Rane, the leader of the guards, came back up, casting his eyes downward. He took a deep breath then looked up at Sal's dad, and gave a slight nod. Sal felt his lip trembling, and his father held him as he sobbed. Their procession back into town was solem - five guardsmen on horses, Sal riding with his father, and a seventh horse laden with a covered shape. There had been no sign of the monster. It must have moved on. In very rare instances, gricks will have more than the four front-facing tentacles. Some adventurers have reported up to ten tentacles, though this is likely an exaggeration. The highest number of tentacles documented by scientists and specialists is six. Less rare, but much more terrifying, are the monstrous grick alphas, which can easily grow to fifteen feet long. These monsters are almost always the apex predator in their area, destroying any competition with ease. Many a campaigner has met his match fending off a grick alpha's five-foot long tentacles. DM's Toolkit Gricks make great low-level encounters, and can fit into just about any type of wilderness or dungeon setting. Because they will often form symbiotic relationships with other, speedier (and/or more intelligent) creatures, they are suitable to be used for several types of encounters. Here are a few examples: A grick lays low in a small hillside cave, beneath a copse of trees where a half dozen stirges live. The grick eats the remains after the stirges drain the blood of victims. A small tribe of grimlocks, knowing the existence of a local grick, have set up several traps to lure adventurers away from their lair and to the grick. An ogre mage keeps a grick in a pit inside his lair - he feeds disobedient minions, as well as prisoners, to the grick to show who's boss. Make use of the gricks' ability to hang off walls and ceilings. There is little more terrifying to a group of already-frightened adventurers, deep in a dark cave, than something attacking them unseen from above. 196

Griffon Introduction In civilized lands, free from the tyranny of Dragons, the noble Griffon often holds the position of apex predator. The common or mountain Griffon is a large, social creature with the grace of a soaring eagle and the ferocious power of the largest jungle cat. It is fortunate indeed that they favour herd animals as prey, a shepherd can loose some sheep to appease a pride of Griffons and a marching army can afford the loss of a few horses if it will distract from the ones between their legs. Physiological Observations The Common or Mountain Griffon is a noble beast, standing six feet at the shoulder, up to ten feet long and with a wingspan of eighteen feet. The fore features resemble those of a gigantic bird of prey, somewhere between an eagle and a vulture and ranging in colouration from black to white including browns and greys. The rear of a Common Griffon resembles that of a huge cat; they are often the same or a similar colour to the avian features but can be mottled, spotted or even striped. Hidden in rocky shorelines, coastal caves and on the pack ice of colder seas live the elusive Sea Griffons or Seagriffs. These flightless Griffons may at first seem comical dragging themselves bodily like a massive Sealion crossed with a Penguin or Auk, however any good sailor will tell you of their awesome power once they are in the water. Indeed in many places communities have made a tradition of scouring the shorelines to collect all the Seagriff eggs they can in an attempt to control the population. The Royal Griffon is in all ways a superior creature to other Griffons twice the size of a Common Griffon and intelligent enough to be capable of speech if taught from hatching. Royal Griffons exhibit a luxurious and vibrant range of colours and patterns. Tiger stripes, peacock fans, ruffs, plooms and quills are all common. As such the pelt of a Royal Griffon would be a fine prize indeed. Social Observations Common Griffons like in small family groups called prides. A pride consists of a dominant male, a handful of females with which the male breeds and a few hangers on such as the males mother and perhaps some young males soon to depart in search of their own mates. Seagriffs live in colonies which can range in size from just a few animals to thousands, they will each year form a partnership and raise one or two cubs after which the partnership will end as the seasons turn and the colony breaks apart for the summer. Royal Griffons are solitary creatures and very territorial only coming together to breed or to fight out territory disputes. A mother will raise her cubs until their first hunt then as they enjoy their first kill she will abandon them. Behavioral Observations A Griffons nest is clean and discreet, often hidden from view either high upon a cliff face, deep in a cave or simply in some remote location with a little cover. Their hunts are organized and graceful, all hunters could learn from watching a Griffon hunt even if all they learnt was to avoid provoking the beasts. Inter-Species Observations Common Griffons are known to favour horse meat or that of cattle and sheep in fact the only time a humanoid should be fearful of wild Griffons is during a famine or if they approach the nest itself. Seagriffs on the other hand are far more unpredictable, their diet consists largely of fish but they may attack anything that gets too close. In the water they have even been known to hunt for sport. A Royal Griffon hunts at will and is utterly indiscriminate though they mostly have the common sense to avoid populated areas they will think nothing of stalking a band of adventurers or merchants caravan. DM's Toolkit So common Griffons are the rules as written, monster manual Griffons, great if you want to add some danger to a mountain pass, and something impressive and scary without being invested it killing the PC's. Have the Griffons attack the party but focus on the horses and pack animals, once they make a kill they will try to escape (assuming the PC's have the sense to let them go!) Seagriffs are a flightless variant of the standard Griffon, great for those long sea voyages when you are all bored of sharks they are also nice set decoration for a smugglers cove. Royal Griffons need a stat and size boost, maybe give them a language. Could be a great plot hook for a local man-eating Griffon that needs to be hunted down but, twist, she's just as clever as the hunters (Predator meets the Jungle Book) As Mounts Everybody loves to ride a Griffon right? Well that's gotta be earned. Depending how harsh you want your world to be perhaps a mercenary band have raised their own Griffon mounts but removed their wings, making them easier to control? There's also totally room for Royal Griffons acting as mounts as a onetime favour, if you can convince one that is. 197

Grimlock "Blind, even more so than others of the Underdark, they shuffle their way around to the surface where they pick clean entire settlements in a single afternoon before vanishing as quickly as they arrived. Showing no mercy, inducing only fear in whatever pitiable souls happen to survive their onslaught. They swarm, they feast, they are no better than locusts." --Excerpt from: Creatures of the Underdark and you. Surviving in a hostile world. Only sold in Ratgrowth's Tomes and Magic's located in scenic down-town Ravenloft Introduction Have you ever wondered who the creatures of the underdark focus their hatred towards when they are not attacking the surface world? It is the Grimlock. As intelligent as your average human the Grimlock have fashioned a very simple society in their caves of the Underdark. Full of homes for their young and protections for them, even farmland where they cultivate mushrooms and other edible plants native to the underground network. However things are not all well and good for these creatures, after eons in the dark they no longer have eyes and must rely on their other senses. Even worse the Illithid and the Drow have taken to using them as slave labour, or food in some cases, and sometimes just destroying their homes and land for fun. After spending a year among the Grimlock, not an easy task with their echolocation and sense of smell akin to that of a dog, I learned much of these feared creatures and decided to share my knowledge with the surface world. Physiological Observations Interestingly enough they look vaguely like the humans of the surface world, they have a comparable height and weight as I learned examining their dead. Their skin in a very dark pallid grey, as mine has quickly become in my time away from the suns warm glow, theirs however is a much darker grey, not unlike that of a simple stone. The most notable thing about their appearance is their distinct lack of eyes. Many claim it is a blank place where their face should have eyes but I have seen several notable distinctions in this aspect. I believe that those that survive, hence those we hear the stories from, are the ones that have only encountered the more timid Grimlock who each share a physical distinction I will discuss momentarily. Physical Distinction Interestingly enough the Grimlock do not have a single physical deformity that explains their lack of sight. Some have no eye sockets at all, merely skin stretched across their face lacking even so much as eyebrows, I have heard that many people are most disturbed by this variant, though I myself find the evolution that caused it quite fascinating. There are others yet who still have eyes, though they take the appearance of milky or clouded over as some humans who have lost their sight appear. There is yet a third variant however, and these ones truly terrify me. They are the most violent, and most intelligent. They lack eyes but the sockets where their eyes used to be are still present, they are merely empty holes. Sometimes it seems as though they are looking right at you, and I am unsure if they are the next stage the Grimlock will take as they continue to adapt to the underdark. However the most interesting, perhaps the most troubling, thing about them is that despite being entirely blind they have forged a hierarchy in their society that correlates directly to the state of their eyes. Social Observations They have a simple society, not unlike our records from the Dwarves and Elves of early human society interestingly enough, consisting mostly of warriors and women and the young. There are a few who contend for the leader but the caste system will be talked about shortly. They form family units as well, and each is granted their own home, with the usually seen male female and then eventually children set up, though they don't seem to do the usual courting ahead of time. Family units like this seem to be contracts of a sort, I was lucky enough to witness the event, a young male went to an older male and traded some spoils from a recent hunt (several humans) and then the young female joined with the young male in his home. This was early in the year so I was also lucky enough to witness some of their mating habits as well as some of the life cycle, truly an interesting prospect. Caste System As mentioned above the caste system is directly tied to the physical appearance of the Grimlock in question. I am not certain if their behaviour is tied to what kind of eyes they have or if the caste system merely forces that behaviour on them in order to best survive in their designated role within the community. The most timid of Grimlock (relatively speaking), the ones with flesh instead of any eye sockets, are usually the crafters and farmers and lowest level warriors. They tend to the mushroom fields, they craft the stone tools the Grimlock use and they are the ones tasked with carving out new dwellings in the rocks for new Grimlock who have earned their place, and they also carry any spoils and loot from another raid on the surface meant for the entire community back to the Underdark. To earn ones place one must merely perform admirably in their designated job, and sooner or later the leader will have a cave carved out, alternatively should a family die for whatever reason that hole may be taken up by any Grimlock who can defend it from the others doing the same. 198

The milky eyed Grimlocks are more aggressive than their flesh faced counterparts, and they are the medium level warriors, they carry the best tools and in some cases even rudimentary armour, be it looted from a town or made of bones from other beasts of the underdark. Some of them may help with the farm tasks when it is required of them but for the most part they merely guard and scout nearby tunnels, attempting to keep a look out (pardon my usage of the term) for predators and nearby threats from those that wish them harm. As mentioned before the ones with the empty eye sockets are by far the most aggressive, though they also appear to be the most intelligent. In my time among the Grimlock they have by far almost spotted me the most and that was with my trick to hide my scent from them. They are the leaders of the group, either the chief or the generals or even leaders of the other individual castes. They offer direct instructions to others, they otherwise live in luxury. With several women and many children of their own they only venture out on raids on the surface or when a battle is being fought in their encampment. There are power struggles occasionally where others with empty eye sockets attempt to take the top spot but in my time here one has remained in power for the entire year. They seem to refer to him as Grok Noll and he has a very distinctive scar across his abdomen. The women, children, elderly or otherwise infirm all face the same stature in the society. They are treated mostly as property or as burdens, either killed (if they are elderly or inform for a certain amount of time) and eaten or taken care of but otherwise restricted from doing much of anything. Some of this may be out of necessity however as were the women to be put in danger the entire society may fall. Their very high mortality rate means that women are worth more than gold. Life Cycle I will not discuss mating in great detail here as it is much the same as it is with most humanoids and thus would be pointless to go into great detail about. However their life cycle is very interesting and so I feel I should discuss that. Once the female is pregnant, which seems to be incredibly quick as the one I observed was showing growth within weeks, they are born within two months. Following this it takes approximately six for them to fully grow, interestingly enough though both parents were the flesh covered face types of Grimlock the child was one empty eye sockets and this leads me to believe that their biology is one that is in constant flux. Perhaps there is some magic about that is causing them to be this changeable. At any rate within six months the young child I took to calling Nareth was fully grown and already seeking conquests of his own, he battled with the captain of the guard and upon killing him took everything he had as spoils. He became the leader of the town's guards; he gained that Grimlocks possessions, home, and even his females. Nareth immediately killed any children the former guard had, as well as any females he had that were currently with child, and set about creating a family of his own. It seems when a shift in power takes place the homeless of the Grimlock feast well. Behavioral Observations They are intelligent, it is easy to tell that, their use of tools and a hierarchy proves that without a doubt. But they are also very aggressive, more so to outsiders than to others in their group but they will not hesitate to attack others if they need to. To each other they seem to get along well enough so long as no one steps out of line. Grok Noll sees to that well enough. However they lack compassion of any kind, their elderly are not taken care of and must scavenge to survive. They care not for the lives of others or each other however they will protect each other well enough when it benefits them all. Such as protecting the females. In my year here I also have yet to see a single instance of a male attempting to mate with a female belonging to another male, it seems they respect those boundaries, or otherwise fear the result of breaking those boundaries. However the other species of the Underdark cause the Grimlock much fear and for good reason. Intra-Species Observations The Grimlock are often attacked or mistreated by others in the Underdark and so are incredibly wary of any other species, this is one reason they band together. I was only able to hide amongst them by using the guts of a dead Grimlock to hide my scent so they could not trace me as a different being but rather leave me in peace. This also means however that Grimlock most often do not speak Undercommon, a language I have studied for many years in anticipation of this research. It left me entirely unaware of what they were saying, instead they seem to have their own language, and while I have picked up on terms here and there I have yet to learn the majority of their language. To the Grimlock settlements on the surface, those of Humans most commonly but also Elves where they find them, are little more than a pantry. When they are desperate for food it causes them little worry to lead a raid on a nearby village and take most if not all of their people home for consumption. I have witnessed the end result of many of these raids and they are always fatal to all brought back. They take all humans and all of the food said humans had in order to prevent starvation of their own. It seems they do this only out of a strict need to eat however there are some that enjoy consuming humans more than others do. The Drow Elves raid the Grimlock camps as well; they tend to destroy crops and water cisterns and then take as many as they can hostage to use as slaves. I was unable to find out exactly what they need the slave Grimlock for however as I needed to finish my research. Hard labour seems most likely, and I suspect given their natural strength they would be well suited to such work, perhaps this would explain why the Drow seem to have such opulent palaces carved out of solid rock, but that is a research subject for another day. To the Illithids, also known as Mind Flayers, the Grimlock are seen as two things, food or slave labour. When the Illithid attack the relatively simple minded Grimlock people they attack with their Psionic abilities to disrupt the Grimlock's natural echolocation and then capture as many as they feel they need, though sometimes they eat their minds right on the spot, and other times they eat them on the way back to their homes in other parts of the Underdark. 199

Aboleths are less utilitarian about how they treat the Grimlock, seeing as the Grimlock people cannot breathe underwater and thus would be useless as slaves to the Aboleth they seem most often just to torment them for fun. As alien as the Aboleth society and culture are to us from the surface it seems they take joy in some of the same activities, namely hurting others or watching them hurt each other. I am certain an Aboleth would love to visit a Colosseum if it ever got the chance. In cases where a Grimlock has stopped to take a drink near an Aboleth the Aboleth will almost always torture the Grimlock to death or near death. In the Medusa we see early formations of a Grimlock religion. As the Grimlock cannot see they believe the Medusa's ability to turn flesh into stone to be some sort of divine magic and many will worship any medusa that finds its way into their encampments. Some Medusa take advantage of this in order to gain a loyal following of servants and will indeed like the Drow or Illithid before them effectively enslave the Grimlock. In many cases forcing raids on the surface once more in order to feed the hunger of the Medusa. However some, notably the Grimlock Grok Noll, rejected a Medusa that came to the camp I was observing, it expected followers and instead it became food. It seems that Grok Noll is, based on symbols I found in his cave compared to texts after I returned to the surface, a follower of Shar the mistress of the night and goddess of the darkness. I am unsure of how he came to be aware of the goddess, their xenophobia would prevent a priest of Shar from coming into the town to spread her message, perhaps she found another way to speak to the Grimlock people. DM's Toolkit There are several ways to use these guys effectively, our own Hippo suggested using them as a sort of swarm, piranha style, who descend onto a town and pick the area clean before disappearing back to the Underdark. This is quite the effective way to use them on the surface, to attack a town players are in and force an encounter (or force the party to flee if you prefer that way) They are low level monsters best used in large quantities or when the players are similarly weak with the 5e rating them only at a CR of 1/4. As mentioned they can be used as guardians of a medusa they see as a god, fodder for Drow that use them as slaves or similar from Illithid, they can even be used to warn of nearby Aboleths just by placing their corpses near some water or having some behave very erratically. If you wish to stat them up they can even use tools and armour and a scavenged battle axe from a blacksmith they destroyed would be especially useful to make them a bit stronger. Maybe they were even smart enough to kidnap a blacksmith to make better weapons and gear for them making them an even bigger threat, that's not out of the realm of possibility when dealing with Grimlock. They have blind sight via echolocation and an extremely good sense of smell and so can be rendered entirely useless by spells that cause sound (to trick them) or other methods of making them deaf and strong smells thrown directly at them to confuse their nose. If they lose their sense of hearing their blind sight becomes much shorter, being only 10ft. Editions vary but their INT is usually around 10, 5e lists it at 9, and they speak Undercommon in 5e but in previous editions had their own language, so they can be reasoned with should the party wish to try but due to their constant mistreatment by literally everything they encounter their distrustful nature will make any negotiations difficult, they are far more likely to react violently to any party that sets foot anywhere near them than listen to what the party mouth has to say. So they are a good option if your party enjoys negotiating and you want to throw some combat at them. 200