History for Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesPToZ

This page covers general ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' monsters such as can be found in the ''Monster Manual'' or in setting-agnostic books such as ''Volo's Guide to Monsters'' or ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes''. The creatures on this page can be found in any world of the ''D&D'' multiverse and can be encountered in just about any campaign.

For the game's iconic dragons, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons''. For demons and devils, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiends''. For the various undead creatures, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsUndead''. For creatures found only in specific settings, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsSettingSpecificCreatures''.

[[foldercontrol]]

!!P

[[folder:Palimpset]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_palimpset_2e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:2e]]
->'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Sheets of rune-inscribed paper or parchment that have become carnivorous predators.
----
* AchillesHeel: Electricity attacks not only deal damage to palimpsets, they have a chance, increasing with the attack's severity, to make them spit out any creatures they're currently digesting.
* AnimateInanimateObject: Palimpsets are slow but ambulatory, moving as if blown about by a stray breeze.
* NoBodyLeftBehind: This is what makes it so difficult to resurrect someone who's been absorbed by a palimpset. If they're found while being digested, they can be restored using a specific sequence of spells: a ''remove curse'' to animate their illustration, ''abjure'' to lift them from the sheet as a colorless, lifeless paper doll, and then ''resurrection'' to restore them to normal. But if a palimpset has fully digested someone, then only a ''wish'' can bring them back.
* NoSell: Counterintuitively, palimpsets are immune to fire and attacks with edged weapons.
* PortalBook: A sinister variant. Prey that makes contact with a palimpset is in danger of being absorbed by the creature, appearing as a sketch or illumination upon it -- "mice screeching to get out, or a scribe screaming in terror among the fanciful scrollwork." After one day per Hit Dice, the victim is fully "digested" and vanishes from the paper. Fortunately, sometimes the absorption attempt fails and only deals a nasty paper cut (in which case the blood is quickly absorbed by the monster), and even if successful, absorption takes two rounds over which the monster is helpless and vulnerable to attack. For this reason, palimpsets prefer attacking lone victims.
* SchmuckBait: Rumors abound of entire libraries filled with palimpsets, in volumes with titles such as ''Manual of Bodily Health'', ''Libram of Gainful Conjuration'', and ''Elminster's Black Book''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pegasus]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pegasus_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Behold the pegasus. It can outrace a dragon in the open sky, and only the best among us can ever hope to ride one. A fitting emblem for our great house, don't you think?"'' -- Tyllenvane d'Orien]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Celestial (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood

Intelligent winged horses. Pegasi are greatly prized as aerial steeds, although finding one can be quite difficult and winning its trust harder still.
----
* AnimalJingoism: Pegasi normally reserve their enmity for evil beings, but bear a particularly deep-seated hatred of griffins and hippogriffs due to their fondness for equine prey.
* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: According to the 5th edition monster manual, [[HellishHorse Nightmares]] are pegasi that have had their wings amputated and been tortured into evil.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: In the 5th edition monster manual, a note contains a quote from a [[TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} House Orien scion]] who boasts that the pegasus can outrace a dragon in the open sky. True enough, the pegasus' flying speed of 90 is 10 feet faster than the fastest dragon in the book.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Pegasi are popular flying mounts for good-aligned characters.
* {{Pegasus}}: Goodly white horses with bird wings and with feathers making up their manes and fetlocks.
* WhaleEgg: In early editions, despite being primarily mammals with a few bird parts tacked on, pegasi reproduce by laying eggs. 5th changes this to them giving live birth like normal horses.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Peryton]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peryton_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Stag-headed birds of prey that feed on human hearts.
----
* MixAndMatchCritters: They resemble enormous eagles with the heads of stags -- some early art also gives them cervine legs -- and the fangs of predatory mammals.
* OurPerytonsAreDifferent:[[invoked]] They're more bird-heavy than typical deceptions, being fully avian except for their stag heads. They're ChaoticEvil as a rule, and are gluttonous eaters of hearts -- especially human ones. There's a great deal of in-universe debate about the nature of their shadows -- some believe that a peryton casts the shadow of the last creature whose heart it ate, while others say that they always cast human shadows and yet others that they only cast their own shadow after killing a victim but before devouring it. "Ecology of the Peryton", in ''Dragon'' #82, describes a colony of perytons having invaded an island-nation named Atlantis on a far-off world before it sank beneath the waves, and as being fated to some day bring about the fall of the great city of Roma.
* PickyPeopleEater: Perytons crave humanoid hearts over everything else, as female perytons need to eat them before being able to reproduce. Their first action after making a kill is to tear out the desired organ, after which they abandon the carcass and fly off. They're also fairly picky about the provenance of these hearts; they prize human ones above all others, but never eat those of elves and fairies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Phantom Fungus]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_phantom_fungus_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Mobile, carnivorous fungus monsters that are naturally invisible, and remain so even while attacking.
----
* AttackAnimal: Though only as intelligent as animals, phantom fungi are trainable, and make dangerous guards since most detection magic doesn't pick them up. Their invisibility also makes training them difficult, however, leading to handlers [[SeeTheInvisible throwing flour on them or tying ribbons around them]] to keep track of their location. Phantom fungi are often trained to click their teeth after performing a trick, a habit which can give them away.
* InvisibleMonsters: They're under a constant ''greater invisibility'' effect, which allows them to remain unseen even when taking actions like attacking. Since phantom fungi are pretty quiet while stalking prey, often the only thing that gives them away is their strange, moldy odor.
* ManEatingPlant: Fungus, but close enough. They have bizarre bodies with four stumpy legs supporting a green-brown mass, a toothy mouth, and a cluster of nodules that serve as sensory organs, but are normally only visible when slain.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Phase Wasp]]
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_phase_wasp_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Oversized wasps with a dangerous magical attack, and a tendency to make nests from paper stolen from libraries, magical and non-magical.
----
* BigCreepyCrawlies: A phase wasp is 18 inches long.
* MagicMissileStorm: They can fire a pair of ''magic missiles'' every few rounds. Since phase wasps live in swarms of up to about 20 creatures, that equals a ''lot'' of [[AlwaysAccurateAttack unavoidable,]] NonElemental damage.
* SeeTheInvisible: Phase wasps can see and attack invisible and ethereal creatures (through the planar boundary in the latter case).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Phasm]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_phasm_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral

Amorphous shapeshifters that use their ablities to devote their lives to exploration, philosophical contemplation, or pure hedonism as their whims decree.
----
* BlobMonster: In its natural form, a phasm resembles an ooze and attacks with pseudopods.
* TheHedonist: They crave new experiences, from scents or flavors to obscure trivia and juicy gossip.
* ItAmusedMe: Phasms' fundamental motivation. This means that there's no telling how they'll react to a given situation, whether they'll attack or parley with or retreat from opponents. Sometimes phasms will team up with doppelgangers just for the fun of it, other times they'll hire out their talents as spies, except they're notoriously unreliable since they don't feel any obligation to share what they learn.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Phasms can take the form of almost any other creature or object of Large size or smaller, an ability they use in combat or to aid their infiltrations.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Phoenix]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/phoenix_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 24 (3E), 19 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E)

Large, fiery birds capable of resurrecting themselves when slain.

For the 5E iteration of this creature, see the "Elder Elementals" section of the "Elementals" entry.
----
* GiantFlyer: Phoenixes are usually very large birds, with wingspans at or over the forty-foot range.
* MakeMeWannaShout: A phoenix can emit a piercing war shriek that ''slows'' opponents.
* OrganDrops: Phoenix feathers are useful additions to a ''staff of healing'' or various curative potions, while their eyes, beaks and talons can fetch up to 5000 gp apiece from buyers who aren't appalled by someone killing and butchering a firebird.
* ThePhoenix: There have been several versions and interpretations of this creature over the years. Depending on the edition, they're either NeutralGood inhabitants of the Upper Planes or destructive {{Elemental Embodiment}}s of fire. Either way, they're usually very large, with red-gold plumage, extremely powerful, and hard to keep dead.%%In-universe alignment.
** In the first edition ''Fiend Folio'', it's stated that phoenixes are based on garbled accounts of reptilian ostrich-like monsters called giant striders bathing in fire (see the "Firenewt" entry). This is immediately contradicted by the subsequent ''Monster Manual II'' introducing actual phoenixes to the game.
** 3rd Edition's ''Monster Manual II'' presents phoenixes as being powerful creatures of good and opponents of evil beings, and as being considered omens of either fortune or disasters when seen.
** The 5th Edition ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' takes the ElementalEmbodiment aspect to the extreme with an elder elemental called the phoenix. It's pretty damn intense, powerful enough to rival an ancient red dragon, and desires to see everything burn.
* PlayingWithFire: While the specifics vary between editions, phoenixes' ties to the element of fire typically allow them some control over flame in the form of spell-like abilities such as ''fire seeds'', ''incendiary cloud'' and ''pyrotechnics''.
* ResurrectiveImmortality: Famously, a dying phoenix will burn itself to ashes and then rise to new life from its own remains. In 3rd Edition, this isn't quite an AutoRevive, but a full-round action the phoenix can take when death is near.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Phoenixes use {{Telepathy}} to communicate with most creatures, but can "speak" with other avians.
* WhiteMagic: Beyond their fiery abilities, phoenixes can also wield curative magic like ''cure light wounds'', ''heal'', ''remove curse'', and even ''[[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnate]]''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pixie]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_pixie_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood

Diminutive fairies who delight in playing harmless tricks on people.
----
* CraftedFromAnimals: Pixie wings can be ground into ''dust of disappearance''. "Naturally, pixies frown on this use of their wings."
* TheDandy[=/=]TheFashionista: Pixies style themselves as the princes and princesses of the sky, and dress accordingly in sparkling silken gowns and doublets, or in outfits crafted from leaves, tree bark and small animal pelts. One of the surest ways to win a pixie over is by complimenting their fashion sense.
* FairyTrickster: They amuse themselves by leading travelers astray with ''dancing lights'', sneakily tying shoelaces together, blowing out candles, and so forth.
* HonestAxe: Pixies like to trick misers out of their treasure, accumulate it in a small hoard, and use it to taunt other greedy people. But if one of their victims takes the pixie's pranks in good humor and shows no greed when led to the treasure pile, the fey may allow the individual to choose an item from their hoard.
* OurPixiesAreDifferent: Pixies resemble diminutive elves with bright, luminous gossamer wings and an assortment of magical powers. They use their spells for harmless pranks, though their pixie dust is said to have magical properties ranging from bestowing flight to putting creatures into an enchanted slumber, leading some mages and monsters to pursue pixies to take advantage of this power.
* PaintingTheFrostOnWindows: On both the Feywild and Material Plane, pixies wake the birds for springtime, sprinkle dew on summer flowers, paint the autumn leaves, and draw frost on windows during winter.
* ShrinkingViolet: They like to spy on other creatures and can barely contain their excitement upon seeing interlopers, but their overwhelming urge to introduce themselves and strike up a friendship is only controlled by the fear of being captured or attacked. Those who wander through a pixie's glade might never see them, yet hear the occasional giggle, gasp or sigh.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Planetouched]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' Usually 1/2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Varies by heritage

"Planetoched" is a catch-all term describing those whose bloodlines have been touched by powers beyond the Material Plane. Though this effect is not as pronounced as in a half-celestial or cambion, this extraplanar heritage manifests in supernatural abilities and physical traits for many generations.\\
Several of the most common planetouched, the aasimars, tieflings and genasi, are discussed on [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races page]].
----
* ChromeChampion: Mechanatrices tend to have a metallic sheen to their skin, and are sometimes born with a [[ArtificialLimbs mechanical limb]].
* DivineParentage: Planetouched's heritages can range from Good and Evil to Law and Chaos.
** Axani and zenythri have a touch of pure Law in their blood, while mechanatrices are specifically descended from the clockwork beings of Mechanus.
** Chaonds are the descendants of someone who survived a slaad's reproduction attempt, but had their bloodline tainted with raw Chaos in the process.
** Shyfts are humanoids descended from a creature from the Ethereal Plane, and tend to look supernaturally unremarkable.
** Shadowswyfts have an ancestor from the Plane of Shadow, and are most comfortable in darkness.
* FrogMen: Chaonds are a downplayed example, but show their slaadi heritage with stocky bodies, wide feet, and gravelly voices that tend to come out as croaks when they're excited.
* {{Intangibility}}: Shyfts can use ''ethereal jaunt'' once per day.
* KaleidoscopeEyes: Chaonds crank this up a notch by having not just their eye color slowly shift over time, but so can their hair and skin tone.
* MarkOfTheSupernatural: Planetouched tend to have something that visibly sets them apart from normal Material Plane races, whether something as dramatic as a different skin tone, weird eyes, or vestigial wings or horns, or something as subtle as being a little ''too'' good-looking, or strangely nondescript.
* TheNondescript: Shyfts look remarkably unremarkable, easy to overlook and forget. As such, they get a racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks, and tend to find employment as thieves or spies.
* ShockAndAwe: Mechanatrices can use ''shocking grasp'' once per day, and [[FeedItWithFire are healed by electricity effects.]]
* UncannyValley: In-universe; zenythri are noted for their flawless features and hair that naturally falls into place, but don't get any Charisma bonus from it, and in fact their basic statline has them with lower than average Charisma, implying that other creatures find them ''too'' perfect-looking.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Shadowswyfts have superior darkvision, but are blinded by sudden exposure to bright light, and will be dazzled so long as they remain in the area.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Psurlon]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_psurlons_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:310:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (average), 8 (elder), 11 (giant) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

Malicious, worm-like creatures that use their formidable mental powers to kill or drive off any humanoids they encounter. Many live solitary lives, but others form clusters with other psurlons.
----
* LampreyMouth: The psurlon has a large, circular mouth filled with gnashing teeth.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: Between powers like ''suggestion'' and ''dominate'' and their natural skill as misleading and deceit, psurlons are adept at setting their foes against each other.
* PsychicPowers: Psurlons fight with their psionic powers, battering foes with telekinetic blasts or immobilising them with mental energy.
* StrongerWithAge: Psurlon elders are simply ordinary psurlons that have developed even more psionic powers as they aged. Other psurlons instead undertake a rapid physical growth into giant psurlons the size of ogres.
* SuperSenses: They have darkvision thanks to the sensory organs round their mouths, as well as blindsight due to being able to detect foes by scent, sound and vibration.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Purple Worm]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_purple_worm_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E), 15 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)

Enormous subterranean worms with armored bodies and insatiable appetites.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: They have a poisonous stinger at the end of their tails.
* ExactlyWhatit*aysOnTheTin: It is a wormlike monster, and it is purple.
* FastTunneling: They have a 30-foot burrow speed, and can even bore through solid rock at half that rate, leaving behind a 10-foot-wide tunnel.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: It's impossible to ride a purple worm normally, but the mind flayers have developed an odd way to use one as a mount. If an irritant is placed in the purple worm's throat, it will develop a cyst that can be drained and used as a driver's compartment. Though since purple worms are mindless, illithids have to resort to speaking Undercommon to give them commands, and the rider's cyst prevents the worm from swallowing Large creatures, while smaller ones might make an attack of opportunity at the worm's rider as they're swallowed.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: A little-known fact is that the purple worm is referred to as the purple ''dragon'' in Gary Gygax's notes: "the purple, or mottled, dragon is a rare, flightless worm with a venomous sting in its tail." This was quickly dropped in later editions.
* SandWorm: Giant, carnivorous worms that burrow underground at high speeds, and which hunt by tracking prey from below and attacking in a sudden, explosive surge through the surface.
* SwallowedWhole: With its cavernous maw, a purple worm can swallow even an ogre in one gulp.
* UndergroundMonkey: In older editions, mottled worms are an aquatic variant of purple worm that inhabits the shallow muck at the bottom of bodies of water.
[[/folder]]

!!Q

[[folder:Quaggoth]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_quaggoth_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-2E), NeutralEvil (3E), Unaligned (4E), ChaoticNeutral (5E)

Sometimes called "deep bears," these savage, 7-foot ursine humanoids eke out a primitive existence in the Underdark.
----
* GoodOldWays: The great divide in the free quaggoths' society is between those who "follow magic" by using weapons and dyeing their white fur with dung, blood and mind flayer gall to help them blend in with their surroundings, and those who "follow the beast" by fighting with their claws and eschewing camouflage.
* ImAHumanitarian: When they can't find food, quaggoths prey on each other. A thonot that fails the tribe is devoured in a cannibalistic ritual, in the hope that its power passes to another more worthy quaggoth.
* ItCanThink: Quaggoths' bestial appearance, snarling language, and penchant for fighting unarmed and unarmored have led many to assume they're bipedal cave bears, but quaggoths are in fact sapient, though not particularly intelligent. Their Intelligence score has even been going down over the game's editions, so their current stats only make them slightly smarter than ogres.
* MadeASlave: Approximately half the quaggoth population has been enslaved by races like the drow or illithids.
* TheMorlocks: At one point the quaggoths had a more advanced society on the surface, before being driven underground by the elves and falling into cannibalistic savagery. For this reason, quaggoths captured by the drow need little prompting to join raids against surface elves.
* PsychicPowers: Thonots are quaggoths which have gained psionic powers through exposure to the psychic energies which permeate the Underdark.
* TurnsRed: When a quaggoth comes close to death, it flies into a berserker rage, making its attacks more powerful and more accurate.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Quesar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_quesar_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood

Radiant, free-willed humanoid constructs native to the marshes of Belierin, third layer of the Blessed Fields of Elysium.
----
* BlindedByTheLight: At will, quesars can intensify their glows sixfold, potentially blinding nearby creatures.
* HealingFactor: They constantly recover hit points so long as they're exposed to sunlight, or magic like ''daylight''. This functions even after a quesar has been "killed," so the only way to permanently destroy one is to keep its remains in an area of darkness, forever, or to use magic like ''disintegrate'' to dispose of their bodies.
* InterserviceRivalry: Their ''AD&D'' write-up notes that Lawful Good celestials resent the quesars for their past rebellion. "On the planes of goodness, the aasimon are to be obeyed without question. Those that do not adhere to that stricture are not well liked." This lack of support can result in proactive quesars leading one-person crusades against the Lower Planes, which for all a quesar's power are still suicidal actions.
* LightEmUp: After they've had their blinding radiance active for a round, quesars can replicate a ''sunburst'' effect, dealing damage to all in 30 feet.
* PhosphorEssence: Quesars constantly shed bright light in a 20-foot radius, providing shadowy illumination 40 feet beyond that.
* ReducedToDust: A quesar's most dangerous ability is to, three times each day, unleash a burst of energy so intense that it subjects every creature and object within 15 feet to a ''disintegrate'' effect, dealing heavy damage and reducing those that succumb to ash.
* SoWhatDoWeDoNow: After becoming independent, most quesars remain on Belierin, pondering the purpose of their new lives.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: The quesars were crafted by angels as servitors, and while the intelligent constructs were initially grateful enough to follow their creators' commands, the quesars eventually expressed that they did not intend to exist as slaves. This offended the angels -- "The clockworks do not tell the clock maker what to do. The clay does not instruct the sculptor." -- and so there was a brief war in Elysium before the local deities intervened, chiding the angels that the quesars were not creatures of order, and the quesars that they should not foment chaos by rashly causing conflict with those who had treated them well. Thus the angels wordlessly departed Belierin, leaving the quesars to figure out what to do with their independence.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Quickling]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_quickling_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Tiny and malicious fey notable for their incredible speed.
----
* BlessedWithSuck: It is said that they were once a human-sized race of fey belonging to the Gloaming Court, but they were lazy and blew off their Queen's summons once too often. To quicken their pace and teach them to mind her will, she sped up their internal clocks. This gave quicklings their characteristic fast pace, but also sped up their aging process, leaving them with a lifespan of twenty years at best.
* SuperSpeed: In 5th edition they can move 120 feet per round without dashing, and their sheer speed imposes disadvantage on all attack rolls made against them.
* TheTrickster: A quickling spends most of its time perpetrating acts of mischief on slower creatures: tying a person's bootlaces together, unbuckling a saddle while no one's looking, or planting a stolen item in someone's bag. They don't commit outright murder, but quicklings can ruin lives in plenty of other ways. Quicklings enjoy causing suffering that transcends mere mischief, especially when they can create discord by blaming others for their actions.
* WeAreAsMayflies: Quicklings live incredibly short lives on account of their hyperactive metabolism. They die of old age in less than twenty years.
[[/folder]]

!!R

[[folder:Raggamoffyn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_raggamoffyn_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:From left to right, a common raggamoffyn, shrapnyl, guttersnipe and tatterdemanimal (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (tatterdemanimal), 3 (raggamoffyn), 5 (guttersnipe), 7 (shrapnyl) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Strange constructs comprised of animate scraps of cloth and metal, which can entrap and puppet an unlucky host creature.
----
* AchillesHeel: Shrapnyl are distinctly vulnerable to the ''shatter'' spell, taking damage from it.
* ActionBomb: The shrapnyl variant can live up to its name by exploding into a deadly cloud of flying steel once per day, damaging everything in a 10-foot radius centered on its host. This doesn't deal any damage to the shrapnyl or its host, but it does relinquish control over the latter, so a shrapnyl only uses this ability in emergencies.
* AnimateInanimateObject: A raggamoffyn forms when leftover magical energy interacts with inanimate objects, and appears as a crawling or clumsily-flying ragtag assortment of odds and ends. Common raggamoffyns look like a bunch of discarded hats, gloves, and robes, shrapnyls are made up of loose metal like jewelry, cookware or wargear, guttersnipes are frayed rope and belts with a core of glittering glass shards, and tatterdemanimals are just dirty rags and cloth scraps.
* BizarreAlienReproduction: Raggamoffyns reproduce by taking over a host, using it to gather and destroy enchanted clothing, then performing a rite that somehow makes the scraps into a new raggamoffyn.
* BlindedByTheLight: Guttersnipes can use the glass powder in their forms to replicate a ''glitterdust'' effect once per day, usually to make an escape.
* OneToMillionToOne: Raggamoffyns can get through tight squeezes by dispersing into their component bits, flowing under a door or through a portcullis gate, and reforming on the other side.
* PuppeteerParasite: A raggamoffyn can attempt to take control of any creature it has grappled, replicating a ''dominate monster'' effect, then uses its host to defend itself and other raggamoffyns. This means that any damage dealt to the raggamoffyn is split between the construct and its "captured one."
* SinisterSuffocation: Common raggamoffyns can shift to cover their host's nose and mouth, asphixiating them if they try to resist the construct's control.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ramfish]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_ramfish_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

10-foot-long fish that use their armored hides and fearsome horns to dominate stretches of ocean.
----
* FoodChainOfEvil: Ramfish schools prey upon anything smaller than them, but larger sea predators like dragon turtles and krakens have no problem hunting ramfish.
* HornAttack: A ramfish's bone deposits grow into wickedly spiraling horns, which it uses with its Powerful Charge feat to deal hefty damage.
* {{Imprinting}}: As dangerous as they are, ramfish take well to domestication by sea elves and locathah -- the creatures are very protective of their schools, so trainers just imprint themselves on a ramfish so it views them as part of that school.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: A ramfish has a mouth full of needlelike teeth that can be used as a weapon if it is cornered.
* OrphanedEtymology: Averted; to undersea races that have never seen a ram, these creatures are known as "hornfish" or "spiralfish."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rampager]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rampager_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Large, vicious, centaur-like creatures, called ''so-ut'' by goblinoids. They're known to kill for pleasure and destroy any metal they come across.
----
* AcidAttack: A rampager's claws are coated are coated with acid that adds extra damage to their melee attacks.
* BerserkButton: For some unexplained reason, metal drives rampagers completely mad. They'll prioritize attacking armored foes over any other, then those wielding metal weapons, and then rampagers will attack metal structures, even ignoring foes actively attacking them with non-metal weapons, at least until the rampager loses half its hit points.
* BloodKnight: Rampagers enjoy killing, and usually kill far more than they can eat. As long as prey is available, a rampager doesn't even stop killing long enough to feed.
* {{Cephalothorax}}: Their upper torsos don't have heads, just eyes and a mouth in the middle of their "chest."
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Their acidic claws can also dissolve armor and clothing in as little as one round, while their bite attacks can tear apart and ruin suits of armor and shields. Fortunately, anything that doesn't crumble immediately from their acid can be saved by washing it with water for a minute.
* TheNoseKnows: A rampager can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
* OurCentaursAreDifferent: They have a somewhat elephantine lower body supporting a headless upper body, 10 feet high in total.
* PoisonousPerson: Their saliva is simultaneously acidic and a weak poison that deals a bit of [[NonHealthDamage Strength damage.]]
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Rampagers emanate an aura of fear that can frighten anything within 30 feet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rast]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rast_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Ravenous hovering monsters whose bodies are mostly claws, capped by heads that are mostly teeth. They're native to the Elemental Plane of Fire (specifically the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Ash), but packs of them can be found across the planes.
----
* BigEater: Rasts are insatiable creatures that eat almost continuously.
* {{Flight}}: They have the supernatural ability to fly, though if this power is suppressed, rasts are nearly helpless on the ground despite their many legs. In such cases they can only make a single move or attack action each round, and move at most five feet.
* ImmuneToFire: As creatures with the Fire subtype, rasts are immune to such damage, [[AchillesHeel but take extra damage from cold.]]
* MonstrousCannibalism: Packs of rasts will never eat their own, but will happily attack and feast on rival packs.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Rasts can have up to 15 claws, but can only use up to four at once.
* TheParalyzer: A rast's mere stare can paralyze opponents for several rounds, leaving it free to focus its attacks on those who resisted its gaze.
* VampiricDraining: They can bite into grappled opponents and drain blood each round, dealing [[NonHealthDamage Constitution damage]], though the rast doesn't recover any health from the attack.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ravid]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_ravid_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Strange flying serpents native to the Positive Energy Plane, and as such brim with life energy. They consider the rest of the cosmos a comparatively desolate place, and on other planes will use their abilities to animate everything around them.
----
* AchillesHeel: According to their ''Planescape'' stats, ravids are instantly slain by an ''energy drain'' spell or the touch of a life-draining undead like a wraith or spectre, though in the latter case the result is also a MutualKill. For this reason, ravids are terrified of the undead.
* AnimateInanimateObject: Ravids can use the ''animate objects'' spell as a 20th-level caster, at will. As a result, they're usually surrounded by animated objects that will defend the ravid to the best of their ability (though the ravid isn't smart enough to use tactics when directing its minions), and a ravid's progress through an area can be tracked by the unnaturally lively environment.
* ExplosiveOverclocking: Their ''AD&D'' rules are a bit more involved about the consequences of a character getting dosed with a ravid's positive energy, ranging from having the character's hit point total ''decrease'' if the touch "overhealed" them, to a ''haste'' effect that also [[RapidAging ages the subject one or two years from the burnout]], to granting the benefits of a ''strength'' spell at the cost of permanently reducing the subject's Strength afterward, again from the physical burnout.
* HealingShiv: Ravids' tail slaps and singular claw attacks lash a target with positive energy. In the case of living creatures, this can heal whatever physical damage the ravid's attack dealt, while [[ReviveKillsZombie undead will instead take extra damage from the positive energy.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Reason Stealer]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_reason_stealer_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Ooze (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Amorphous subterranean horrors that must murder other creatures in a desperate attempt to maintain their sentience.
----
* BlobMonster: In its nonsentient, default form, a reason stealer is a 4-foot-wide puddle of grainy, brown-yellow slime.
* CannibalismSuperpower: After dealing the killing blow to a creature, a reason stealer transfers its victim's Intelligence score to itself, which both heals it and allows the ooze to use its victim's ability scores, skills, feats, prepared arcane spells, saving throws, and attack bonuses. The ooze also changes form, reshaping its body into a grotesque parody of its latest victim, allowing it to use weapons and items. If the reason stealer kills another creature after that, the mental benefits are cumulative in the case of spells or feats, or it uses the better of the two attributes in the case of ability scores, skill ranks, and so forth. But in any case, these benefits only last for 24 hours, at which point the reason stealer collapses back into a mindless blob.
* SuperSenses: Reason stealers are blind, but their entire bodies are primitive sensory organs able to track prey by vibration and scent, giving them blindsight out to 60 feet.
* TalkativeLoon: After stealing a creature's mind, the monster mumbles random words in its victim's language.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Redcap]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_redcap_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (young), 7 (elder) (3E); 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Murderous fae who must soak their signature caps in the fresh blood of their victims to survive.
----
* BizarreAlienReproduction: 3rd Edition redcaps reproduce by budding once or twice over their lifetimes, carrying around a hump for six months before it falls off and rapidly grows to full size within another year.
* BloodKnight: From the moment it awakens, a redcap desires only murder and carnage.
* FertileBlood: 5th Edition redcaps are born from blood shed in the Feywild, or places under that plane's influence. This results in the growth of tiny, blood-red mushrooms that sprout into fully-formed redcaps under the moonlight. Some redcaps seek out and kill whoever shed blood to create them, others work with a murderous creator as kindred spirits.
* OrganDrops: Redcaps vanish when they die, leaving behind a single tooth that, when worn, grants the wearer a minor bonus on Charisma checks when dealing with fey, particularly other redcaps.
* PintSizedPowerhouse: Though Small creatures that look like hunched, wizened old humanoids, redcaps are quite strong for their size, able to wield Medium-sized weapons without difficulty and grapple larger opponents on equal terms.
* SinisterScythe: Redcaps wield scythes or sickles, always larger than what beings of their stature ought to be capable of handling.
* SufferTheSlings: 3rd Edition redcaps carry slings for ranged attacks, and have the ability to imbue their stones with eldritch energy for additional damage.
* WithCatlikeTread: Redcaps wear heavy iron boots that clank noisily with every step. Accordingly, they have disadvantage on Stealth checks in 5th edition.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Remorhaz]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_remorhaz_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E); 5 (young remorhaz), 11 (remorhaz) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)

Gigantic, arctic-dwelling centipedes whose bodies give off tremendous amounts of heat.
----
* ArchEnemy: Remorhazes and frost worms attack each other on sight, resulting in terrible battles that can devastate entire areas. The remorhazes usually win such brawls due to [[ElementalRockPaperScissors damage typing]] -- their bites and bodies inflict fire damage, which [[WeakToFire ice worms are vulnerable to]], but remorhazes don't actually have the fire subtype, meaning the ice worms don't get any damage multipliers against them.
* BeastOfBattle: Remorhazes can be trained from hatchings to obey commands and guard frost giants' citadels.
* CreepyCentipedes: They resemble monstrous centipedes, are big enough to prey upon polar bears and mammoths, and can swallow a human whole. They can give an adventuring party a serious fight as a result.
* DigAttack: Remorhazes have a respectable burrowing speed, which they use to burst out of the ice and snow and ambush prey.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Up through 3rd Edition, a remorhaz's superheated body could melt or char weapons into uselessness.
* OrganDrops: The secretions a remorhaz uses to superheat its body, known as ''thrym'', can be sold to alchemists, who may pay up to 1400 gp for what can be harvested from a single monster.
* PlayingWithFire: An enraged remorhaz generates so much heat that merely touching it will inflict severe burns, and in 5th edition, the creature's bite attacks deal aditional fire damage.
* SwallowedWhole: Fully-grown remorhazes can swallow creatures of ogre-sized or smaller after hitting them with a bite attack. In 1st and 2nd editions this was a OneHitKill due to the intense heat within a remorhaz's body, while 3rd edition merely had swallowed creatures suffer a ton of fire damage in addition to the bludgeoning damage from the thing's gizzard. In 5th edition, swallowed creatures instead take acid damage.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Retriever]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_retriever_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E, 5E), Elemental Animate (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 11 (3E), 14 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E), LawfulEvil (5E)

Sinister spider-shaped constructs that are faultless trackers and capable of subduing even mighty demons.
----
* EyeBeams: Retrievers have multiple eyes that can make different magical attacks. In 3rd Edition, they can shoot beams of fire, cold or electricity, or a ray of [[TakenForGranite petrification]], but they can only make one such attack per round, and each ray can only be used once every four rounds. 5th Edition streamlines things so that retrievers can either fire a beam that deals [[NonElemental force damage]] or another that [[TheParalyzer paralyzes the target]].
* GiantSpider: The retriever is an elephant-sized construct made in the shape of a spider.
* {{Retcon}}: Originally retrievers were constructed by demon lords to capture priority targets like runaway slaves, stolen items, or mortal enemies, but 5th Edition casts them as creations of the drow, designed to capture demons to bind to the dark elves' will. In their old lore, retrievers were built in the image of bebiliths, while in 5th Edition they are actually powered by bound bebiliths.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: They are appropriately very good at retrieving things, including living beings, and unerringly know the distance and direction to their current target.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rhek]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rhek_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Rhek chaosgrinder (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulGood

A Material Plane race of rhino-like humanoids who immigrated to the Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia shortly after it lost its third layer to Mechanus, and helped restore order in that time of crisis. Now they strive to crush evil and impose order upon an unruly cosmos.
----
* {{Acrofatic}}: Rheks are seven feet tall and weigh 350 pounds, but can still employ the monk class' acrobatics and increased movement.
* BareFistedMonk: Rhek chaosgrinders are skilled martial artists who don't require weapons to destroy their enemies.
* HealingFactor: Downplayed; they don't have fast healing or regeneration, but their redundant internal organs and rapidly-congealing blood mean that rheks automatically stabilize themselves when brought below 0 hit points.
* HolyHandGrenade: All rheks can make a ''Smite Chaos'' attack three times per day, dealing extra damage to Chaotic foes.
* HornAttack: They can make gore attacks with their horns, which does double damage during a charge.
* RhinoRampage: They're anthropomorphic rhinos, and while not bloodthirsty, are perfectly willing to enforce their vision of order through violence.
* SuperOCD: Fittingly for the more-Lawful-than-Good plane of Arcadia, rheks lean into this, striving for harmony and perfection by making sure everything is in its proper place, and having little tolerance for unpredictability.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: Rheks can ''detect chaos'' at will.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rilmani]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rilmani_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:An aurumach and cuprilach (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (ferrumach), 12 (cuprilach), 17 (aurumach) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Natives of the Concordant Domain of the Outlands, the rilmani embody pure neutrality. Rather than staying out of the great conflicts of the multiverse, they are committed to upholding the balance between the powers of good, evil, law and chaos, and subtly act whenever one side threatens to dominate the Great Wheel.
----
* AggressiveNegotiations: Aurumachs only intervene if the rilmani's covert attempts to influence a situation have failed, and will first attempt diplomacy, appearing unarmed and unarmored as they encourage a conflict's participants to seek a middle ground. If their words fail, they summon their weapons and armor in an instant and use force.
* BackStab: As assassins, cuprilachs can deal Sneak Attack damage like a rogue.
* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: Their primary goal is to uphold Balance across the multiverse, whether on an interplanar scale or on an individual Material Plane world.
* BladeSpam[=/=]RainOfArrows: Cuprilachs can make a full attack with a standard action, allowing them to move and unleash a flurry of sword strikes, or loose three arrows before the first has hit its target. What makes this even more dangerous is that in ideal circ*mstances, they'll apply Sneak Attack damage with each hit.
* ChromeChampion: Each rilmani is a humanoid whose flesh is the color of their subspecies' namesake, so ferrumachs have iron skin, aurumachs gleam golden, and so on.
* ColorCodedCastes: Like other outsiders that embody an alignment, rilmani are divided into several specialized subtypes, in their case defined by their metallic skins.
** Plumachs are lead-colored workers and traders who maintain rilmani society, and rarely venture from the Spire at the center of the Outlands.
** Ferrumachs are iron-skinned soldiers who often fight as cavalry, whether on a kuldurath or ''phantom steed''.
** Abiorachs have slight bodies with a liquid, silvery sheen and crystalline, multicolored eyes, and usually monitor the Balance on the Inner Planes.
** Cuprilachs have coppery hides and are the rilmani's primary infiltrators and assassins.
** Argenachs are silver-skinned sages who play puppetmaster on the Material Plane.
** Aurumachs are the golden leader caste of the rilmani, and in rare cases may intervene directly in a combat as diplomats, or as devastating warriors.
* EnemySummoner: Like many "embody an alignment" outsiders, rilmani can summon more of their kind as reinforcements, with a small chance of success for the low-ranking rilmani to automatic success for the aurumachs.
* InstantArmor: Aurumachs' enchanted golden armor is never truly worn, it simply appears on their bodies in time to deflect an attack and vanishes the next instant. The upside is that this lets aurumachs move without being impaired by a suit of full plate, the bad news is that in an AntiMagic field, they're effectively naked.
* NoSell:
** Rilmani as a race are immune to electricity and poison, and resistant to acid and sonic energy.
** The abiorachs can attune themselves to whatever Inner Plane they're on, becoming immune to the fires of the Elemental Plane of Fire, for example, and being treated as a native elemental creature by the plane's inhabitants.
* GoldColoredSuperiority: Aurumachs are the rilmani's leaders, the strongest of their race, and [[LargeAndInCharge the largest as well.]]
* SituationalDamageAttack: Specifically, Situational Damage ''Type'' Attack:
** Argenachs can fire rays of what look like silver light from their hands, but which deal a damage type that their target is vulnerable to. So a ray that hits a fire-immune baatezu might deal electricity damage, while a ray that hits an electricity-immune archon might deal cold damage.
** Aurumachs' "Antithesis" ability makes their touch or melee attacks deal extra damage to a target based on how far from True Neutral it is, so a Lawful Neutral target would take some chaotic damage, while a Chaotic Good target would take even more lawful and unholy damage.
* SummonToHand: Similarly to their armor, aurumachs' golden halberds can be summoned or dismissed instantly as a free action
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Ferrumachs can surround themselves with an aura replicating the ''fear'' spell.
* TreacherousAdvisor: Argenachs like to work by providing information and advice to Material Plane factions, but are just as likely to be aiding the cause of evil as they are good, and are in any case only following the rilmani's greater agenda.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: All rilmani can use ''polymorph self'' several times a day to aid in their infiltrations.

!!Kuldurath
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_khuldurath_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A kuldurath with ferrumach (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Hulking but swift warbeasts often ridden into battle by ferrumach rilmani.
----
* BeastOfBattle: They're bred for combat and often outfitted with enchanted full plate barding.
* BondCreatures: Downplayed; kulduraths have the supernatural ability to share their riders' damage reduction or energy resistances, as well as the effects of any beneficial spells.
* HornAttack: A variant; kulduraths deal double goring damage with their tusks on a charge.
* ItCanThink: Kulduraths are as smart as ogres, enough to understand Sylvan, though they cannot themselves speak.
* MixAndMatchCritters: They have a rhino's tough hide and powerful musculature, but the way their bodies are set up makes them run and leap like Large, predatory rabbits, while their heads have tusks rather than horns or long ears.
* ShockAndAwe: Three times per day, a kuldurath can surround itself with an aura of electricity that damages all within 30 feet (their riders, being rilmani, are immune).
* TrampledUnderfoot: Kulduraths are large and heavy enough to trample smaller foes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rimefire Eidolon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rimefire_eidolon_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood

The shattered, scattered remnants of the ancient goddess Hleid, a deity of winter and ice, rimefire eidolons spend their lives hiding from the dark forces that would see Hleid's demise completed.
----
* BondCreatures: Rimefire eidolons can forge magical bonds with rimefire witches, the remaining worshippers of Hleid. The eidolon will transform into an icy copy of their partner, and the eidolon becomes permanently aware of their partner's location and condition while gaining resistance to mind-affecting magic. This bond breaks only on death of one of its members, and instantly reforms if one is returned to life within a year of their death.
* ColdFlames: Rimefire eidolons burn with icy blue fire, which deals equal parts ice and fire damage and can be thrown at a distance.
* AnIcePerson: Rimefire eidolons have fairly extensive powers insofar as ice magic goes. Besides being able to thrown their ColdFlames as projectiles, they can shape and manipulate ice at will and further have access to a number of icy spell-like abilities, such as ''ice storm'', ''wall of ice'', ''cone of cold'' and ''polar ray''.
* PiecesOfGod: When the murdered goddess Hleid fell to earth, her shattered remnants took on living form as the rimefire eidolons.
* TechnicolorFire: The ColdFlames that burn around an eidolon's form are a bright blue-white in color.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Roc]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_roc_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Animal, Magical Beast (chaos roc) (3E); Natural Beast (4E); Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9, 22 (chaos roc) (3E); 11 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' True Neutral (1E-3E), ChaoticNeutral (chaos roc, 3E); Unaligned (4E-5E)

Vast, predatory birds that make even giants look tiny in comparison.
----
* EyeBeams: A chaos roc can emit a spray of prismatic light from its eyes.
* GiantFlyer: They have a wingspan of 200 feet in 5th edition and prey on otherwise massive animals like giants, elephants, and even ''whales''. Even at rest, these birds of prey rival dragons in size.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: They're often tamed by giants to serve as flying steeds.
* RocBirds:
** Rocs have appeared since the game's first edition as birds of prey large enough to carry off elephants in their claws. They are often associated with [[OurGiantsAreBigger giants]], who tame them as aerial mounts, although wild rocs will hunt giants. In fact, 5th edition lore says the giants' chief god Annam created rocs as air support in the giants' ancient war against the dragons.
** In ''TabletopGame/AlQadim'', it should come as no surprise that they are a prominent part of the setting, given the ArabianNightsDays theme. In fact, the setting has ''three'' variations. Asides from the common roc found in other settings, there are also the intelligent great rocs and the evil-aligned two-headed rocs (based on the Creator/RayHarryhausen one from ''Film/The7thVoyageOfSinbad'').
** In 4th Edition, ThePhoenix and {{Thunderbird}} (or Thunderhawk in the default setting) are considered species of rocs native to [[ElementalPlane the Elemental Chaos]] and possessing the elemental powers that come with such an origin.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Roper]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roper_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"You see, stalac-''tites'' grow down from the ceiling, while stalg-''mites'' reach -- AAHHHHHHHHH-"]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (1E-3E), Evil (4E), NeutralEvil (5E)

A monster that looks like a stalagmite.
----
* AmbushingEnemy: Ropers hunt by closing their eyes and mouths, retracting their tentacles, and disguising themselves near-perfectly as formations of inert stone. They can stay like this nearly indefinitely, only opening their eyes and maws and lashing out with their tentacles when prey stumbles across them.
* CombatTentacles: Every roper has half a dozen tentacles which it uses to ensnare potential meals and drag them toward its mouth.
* ExtremeOmnivore: A roper eats any creature, from Underdark beasts to adventurers and their gear.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Ropers are consummate ambush predators which sit perfectly still while waiting for something edible to appear. Once they are within grabbing distance, it reveals itself by lashing out with its tentacles.
* YouWillNotEvadeMe: A roper’s tentacles can snag people from up to fifty feet away and reel them into biting distance in short order. Their touch also saps the victim’s strength, making it harder for the victim to break free and escape.

!!Piercer
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/piercer_d&d.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-2E), Unaligned (5E)

The immature form of the roper, piercers disguise themselves as stalactites and employ similar hunting tactics.
----
* DeathFromAbove: A piercer clings to a cave ceiling and waits for some unwitting creature to pass underneath it. When that happens, it lets go and drops onto the unfortunate victim, skewering and crushing them to death.
* DeathOrGloryAttack: The piercer is screwed if its initial drop fails to kill its would-be victim. It has no other way to attack and moves too slowly to escape reprisals.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Clinging to the ceilings of caverns, piercers blend in perfectly with stalactites, silently dropping to impale unsuspecting foes on the ground.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: For most of the game's history, ropers and piercers were entirely unrelated monsters that simply had thematically similar gimmicks. In 5E, piercers are recast as larval ropers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rogue Eidolon]]
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rogue_eidolon_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:349:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral

Statues animated by dark deities, granting them dangerous power that has also driven the constructs mad.
----
* TheBlank: The faces of rogue eidolons are blank, except for the bleeding symbols of whatever dark god created them.
* BloodyMurder: They can spray thick gouts of blood from the symbols carved into their faces, which can cause all those hit with the stuff to [[SetAMookToKillAMook perceive their allies as enemies and spend several rounds trying to murder them.]]
* LivingStatue: A dark deity that was especially pleased with a particular cult cell sometimes sent the tiniest shred of its power infuse that cult's statue, granting it minimal sentience.
* MurderousMalfunctioningMachine: A fantastic example. Over the years, most of these constructs went insane from the dark energies within them, becoming rogue eidolons that in many cases murdered the very cults they were created to protect. Now they act at random, sometimes ignoring an adventuring party entirely, perhaps mistaking it for a group of cultists, and other times attacking the same adventurers they ignored previously.
* StupidityInducingAttack: Those hit by a rogue eidolon's slam attacks have to save or become permanently ''confused'', acting randomly until healed by magic like ''greater restoration'' or ''limited wish''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rust Monster]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rust_monster.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)

Odd bug-like creatures known and feared for their ability to turn metal arms and armor into piles of rust.
----
* AttackAnimal: Rust monsters can be domesticated, most commonly by gnomes, to serve as guard beasts, making up a first line of defense that disarms intruders for other guards to mop up. But the creatures' lust for rust overrides any training or loyalty to their masters, so their handlers shouldn't keep any metal on them during interactions.
* FoodAsBribe: They're actually easily tameable and friendly creatures if given scrap metal snacks.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Some dwarves are known to breed Large rust monsters to be ridden into battle by soldiers wielding stone weapons and wearing hide or stone armor. Such cavalry can rout an enemy army all on its own.
* MetalMuncher: Rust monsters subsist on rust, which they can create by touching any kind of metal. Their cousins, the folugubs, can liquefy crystals at a touch and feed on the result. They corrode metal extremely quickly, enough so that corroding and consuming enemy weapons mid-combat is a very viable combat tactic for them.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Rust monsters are the bane of any player who wears metal armor or carries metal weapons, as the touch of a rust monster's antennae corrodes metal in the blink of an eye.
* PaintingTheMedium: The rust monster's illustration in the first edition's ''Monster Manual'' shows its corrosive antennae eating a hole in the picture's frame.
* {{Retcon}}: ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' posits that rust monsters are the larval forms of the much more dangerous rust ''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons dragons]]'' of Acheron. This has been ignored by later entries for rust dragons.
[[/folder]]

!!S

[[folder:Sacred Watcher]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sacred_watcher_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Deathless (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' As base creature +2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Any good

These virtuous souls gave their lives while guarding someone, but linger on the mortal plane as deathless guardians until their charges no longer need their protection.
----
* GuardianEntity: Sacred watchers normally follow their charges on the Ethereal Plane, but should danger threaten, they manifest and fight to defend them. They're also constantly aware of their ward's status, and can instantly teleport to their location, even across planes.
* HealingHands: Five times per day, sacred watchers can channel positive energy through a touch to heal the living, or disrupt the undead.
* {{Intangibility}}: Sacred watchers are naturally ethereal, and have to manifest on the Material Plane to affect things there.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Sacred watchers are basically ghosts that haunt an individual rather than a location, except they're deathless creatures comprised of positive energy rather than undead animated by negative energy.
* ReviveKillsZombie: Explicitly averted; while deathless share many traits with undead, they're healed by positive energy and harmed by negative energy, the same as living creatures. This also means that many spells such as ''consecrate'' and ''desecrate'' have the opposite effects on deathless as they would on conventional undead.
* UndyingLoyalty: Quite literally, as they are the souls of bodyguards who refuse to pass on until someone else assumes responsibility over their charge. Even if "killed," they'll usually return after a few days.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sahuagin]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sahuagin_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E); 1/2 (sahuagin), 1 (coral smasher), 2 (priestess), 3 (champion, hatchling swarm), 4 (deep diver), 5 (baron, high priestess, wave shaper), 6 (blademaster) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

Piscine humanoids known as "sea devils" for their bloodthirst and savagery. They war with every other race in the ocean, and launch regular raids against coastal settlements.
----
* AbsoluteXenophobe: Sahuagin society is orderly, ritualized, and dedicated to the eradication of everything not sahuagin.
* AlluringAnglerfish: Sahuagin deep divers have anglerfish-like lures growing out of their heads. The magical light produced by these lures can put creatures into a hypnotic stupor.
* TheBeastmaster: All sahuagin can communicate telepathically with sharks. They use this power to command sharks in battle.
* TheBerserker: Like sharks, sahuagin can fly into a blood frenzy after scenting blood in the water or in response to taking damage.
* FantasticRacism: They loathe sea elves, and the two people are incapable of coexisting without hatred and violence. They loathe tritons only slightly less.
* FishPeople: Sahuagin resemble humanoid fish, with long tails, fins and webbed hands and feet. They're not fully amphibious like the kuo-toa, but unlike the locathah can survive outside the water for a couple of hours.
* HumanSacrifice: Sahuagin priestesses regularly sacrifice humanoids to their god Sekolah, drawing said sacrifices from prisoners of war, slaves, and even their own hatchlings.
* LargeAndInCharge: Sahuagin barons tower over their underlings (and most other humanoids, for that matter).
* MakingASplash: Sahuagin wave shapers, true to their name, are mages which focus on manipulating water. In combat they can whip up destructive whirlpools.
* {{Mutants}}: Most sahuagin mutants are simply born with extra arms, but if a sahuagin settlement is close to some sea elves, there is a rare chance for a sahuagin to be born that looks indistinguishable from a sea elf. These malenti are used as spies and infiltrators by their sahuagin kin, and their birth typically heralds a new wave of bloodshed between the two races, even if their existence hints at a deeper connection that neither wants to acknowledge.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Some sahuagins are born mutants, with an extra set of arms. Such individuals often rise to power as a community's barons and baronesses.
* ThreateningShark: Sahuagin are closely associated with sharks. Their god, Sekolah, is a ravenous and oversized great white shark. The sahuagin themselves can communicate telepathically with sharks and will fly into a vicious frenzy at the smell of blood.

!!Shell Shark
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Sharks which have been modified through sahuagin magic, making them tougher and more dangerous.
----
* BeastOfBattle: Shell sharks are chosen by priestesses of Sekolah to serve as protectors and messengers.
* HeavilyArmoredMook: A shell shark is covered in magically affixed plates of coral, giving it an Armor Class on par with a suit of plate.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Salamander]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/salamander_5e.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Elemental Humanoid (4E), Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (flamebrother), 6 (salamander), 10 (noble) (3E); 1 (fire snake), 5 (salamander) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (1-2E), Evil (3-4E), NeutralEvil (5E)

Serpentine beings native to the Elemental Plane of Fire, usually found in the service of stronger beings.
----
* BizarreAlienBiology: Salamanders don't need to eat, but still produce waste... [[NoConservationOfEnergy for some reason]]. This waste comes out through the salamander's spikes as a liquid that immediately combusts, creating the salamander's fiery aura.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Salamanders do not need to eat, they reproduce asexually, and they are not hurt by any natural phenomena on the elemental plane of fire. With no hunger, sex drive or need for shelter, they instead turn to religion to give life meaning, but Efreet and nobles stop them from worshipping gods. Instead, salamanders turn to fire as their god, and their entire society is built around it. Metal bends to fire but does not break, and gems reflect the beauty of fire, so salamanders prize both highly, but wood, liquid and anything else that is consumed or evaporated by fire is discarded as worthless.
* FantasticRacism: Salamanders hate ''Azer'', because they feel that if the azer had just stayed enslaved to the efreet, then salamanders wouldn't have been enslaved. They apparently haven't considered that the efreet is the root cause of this problem, which the efreet delight in.
* FierySalamander: Fiery humanoids from the plane of elemental fire, which prefer to live in sweltering temperatures and can create and control fire themselves.
* ImmuneToFire: Salamanders, as beings of elemental flame, cannot themselves be harmed by fire.
* MainliningTheMonster: As salamanders naturally generate intense heat from their bodies, some summon and bind them to forges and ovens to use as endless heat sources.
* NoSell: Inverted. Salamander nobles can cast a unique version of Dispell Magic that dispells fire immunity on creatures not native to the elemental planes.
* PlayingWithFire: Salamanders are creatures of the Elemental Plane of Fire, and by nature can create fireballs and walls of fire, heat themselves enough to burn other beings, and summon fire elementals.
* SlaveRace: The efreet enslaved the salamanders in the distant past, to make up for their failure to bind the azers in the same way. Most modern salamanders serve the efreet as slave laborers and soldiers, and the efreet despise the idea of salamanders serving any other master, including gods.
* SnakePeople: They have demonic humanoid torsos and heads mounted on long, serpentine bodies.
* StrongerWithAge: Salamander Nobles continue growing for their entire lives, and never die by natural means. This means that a truly ancient noble can be the size of a mountain, with power to match.

!!Frost Salamander
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frost_salamander_35e.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 9 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (3E), Unaligned (5E)

Blue-scaled creatures native to the Plane of Ice, but also found in the colder reaches of mortal worlds.
----
* BlueMeansCold: Unlike their red-and-orange coloration of common salamanders, frost salamanders have bright blue scales.
* BreathWeapon: The frost salamander's breath exhales chill wind in a sixty-foot cone.
* FantasticRacism: True salamanders and frost salamanders hate each other, and will fight to the death when they meet. It's not especially clear why this is, although there's speculation that this is a result of their opposing elemental natures or of a really bad first meeting.
* AnIcePerson: Frost salamanders can exhale chilling wind, and produce a freezing aura around themselves.
* NonIndicativeName: In-universe. True and frost salamanders aren't actually related to one another in any meaningful sense, but share a name because early explorers named the icy kind after the fiery one based on some superficial similarities.
* VertebrateWithExtraLimbs: They resemble reptiles with six legs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Satyr]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_satyr_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E, 5E), Fey Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-2E), ChaoticNeutral (3E, 5E), Unaligned (4E)

Horned and hoofed humanoids who live in the wilderness and love to party.
----
* FaunsAndSatyrs: "Faun" and "satyr" are synonymous terms for the same type of ram-horned, goat-legged fey who live in forests and enjoy dancing, alcohol, music and revelry. They get along well with (i.e. chase) nymphs and dryads, as well as other woodland creatures like centaurs.
* TheHedonist: Their only interest is in the pleasure of fine wine, exhilarating dance, delectable spices, and passionate romance. They're known to venture into civilization to partake of its delights, and satyrs feel starved when they can't indulge themselves. Satyrs are happy to bring other people along during their revelries, but are oblivious to the consequences of their hedonism.
* MagicMusic: Satyrs can play various magical tunes on their pipes, which they can use to [[SupernaturalFearInducer frighten away intruders]], [[ForcedSleep put people to sleep]] (usually so the satyr can rob them), or [[CharmPerson charm their pants off]] (sometimes literally).
* OneGenderRace: Their ''AD&D'' entry notes that satyrs are all male, speculated to be the male counterpart to dryads, with whom they reproduce. Later editions don't specify that satyrs are all male, but tend to depict them as such.
* UnusableEnemyEquipment: In the hands of others, their panpipes have no special powers.
* UseYourHead: When pressed into combat, satyrs can deliver a powerful headbutt.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scarecrow]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_scarecrow_5e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (5E), Fey Animate (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (2E), Unaligned (4E), ChaoticEvil (5E)

Distinctly spooky constructs created to serve spellcasters such as hags or witches.
----
* PumpkinPerson: Early scarecrows were noted to have carved gourds for heads, which [[ExorcistHead revolve unsettlingly]] as the construct lurches after enemies.
* ScaryScarecrows: Scarecrows are evil constructs that obey their master's command, eager to terrify prey with their sackcloth face and rend victims with razor-sharp claws.
* SoulPoweredEngine: A scarecrow is controlled by the bound spirit of a dead evil creature. Sometimes this results in [[AmnesiacResonance aspects of the spirit's personality resurfacing]], but the scarecrow remains focused on serving its creator.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: A scarecrow's mere gaze can paralyze other creatures with fear.
* WeakToFire: As creations of wood and straw, scarecrows are pretty flammable.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sea Lion]]
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sea_cat_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:2e]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sea_lion_d&d.png[[/labelnote]] ]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (3E), Unaligned (5E)

Also known as sea cats, these aquatic predators blend the forms of felines and cetaceans, and aggressively hunt anything that enters their pride's territory.
----
* ArtEvolution: In 1st and 2nd edition, they're depicted as very chimeric beings with a fully fishlike tails and fully leonine front, meeting at a sharp line. In and after 3rd, their body parts' designs are more smoothly integrated into each other, they're green, and their feline parts lack and a mane and are less specifically leonine.
* AttackAttackAttack: They attack other creatures on sight, either considering them prey or a rival to be driven off, and simply won't back down even against creatures that outsize them, fighting to the death.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Sea cats have the head and forelimbs of a lion, and the body of a small cetacean.
* PunBasedCreature: Their original incarnations were quite literally sea-lions, with maned, furred feline fronts and the back ends of fish, mermaid-style.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sea Spawn]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sea_spawn_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Humanoids who were lost at sea, only to be claimed by sea hags, storm giants, dragon turtles, morkoths, or some other aquatic power. Whether offered a terrible bargain or cursed by their creators, these sea spawn are transformed both physically and mentally into amphibious minions.
----
* CombatTentacles: Some sea spawn have tentacles which they can use to bludgeon and grapple their foes.
* FishPeople: They have one or more traits from undersea creatures -- a shark's jaws, sea urchin's spines, octopus tentacles -- which can have applications in combat. They're faster in the water than on land, and though amphibious, need to spend at least one minute each day submerged in seawater to avoid suffocation.
* HappinessInSlavery: Elminster implies as such.
-->'''Elminster:''' They are transformed by the sea and enslaved by powers of the deeps. And the transformation is more than mere fins and tentacles, they come to love their slavery. Poor souls.
* PoisonousPerson: Some sea spawn have venomous quills like a pufferfish, and can use them to prick nearby creatures.
* WasOnceAMan: They're the product of a magical ritual widely known by evil sea creatures.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shadar-Kai]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shadar_kai_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E); 7 (shadow dancer), 9 (gloom weaver), 11 (soul monger) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (3E), TrueNeutral (5E)

A race of humanoids innately bound to the Shadowfell. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shadow Mastiff]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shadow_mastiff_5e.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Great hounds from the Plane of Shadow, making them most dangerous in darkness.
----
* {{Invisibility}}: Shadow mastiffs can blend in with patches of shadow, giving them the effect of total concealment (in 3rd Edition) or proper invisibility (in 5th Edition).
* SeeTheInvisible: Their keen senses allow them to see normally-invisible things on the Ethereal Plane.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: The howling of their pack alphas can frighten other creatures, and is often the signal for the rest of the pack to attack. In 3rd Edition, all shadow mastiffs could use this ability, but their baying only affected non-evil creatures.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Being creatures of the Shadowfell, shadow mastiffs can tolerate bright light, but not sunlight.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shaedling]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shaedling_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Wicked winged fey whose spinnerets exude shapeable shadow-stuff.
----
* CastingAShadow: A shaedling holds command over shadow, in the same way as spiders weave webs. Once per day they can generate a wall of darkness up to 30 feet long, which only creatures with darkvision can see through.
* EvilCounterpart: Shaedlings are such to pixies, as their ancestors followed the drow into the Underdark following the elven schism. Through unlike drow and surface elves, shaedlings cannot breed with normal pixies.
* ExplosiveBreeder: They're quite prolific, coupling "wantonly" to produce eggs that hatch within a month, and newborns grow to adulthood in a year. As a trade-off, shaedlings only live about 20 years or so.
* ForcedSleep: Shaedlings can use a javelin made of shadow gossamer to put a creature to sleep, as well as potentially all who touch that creature.
* SpontaneousWeaponCreation: They can swiftly create weapons or shields out of shadow gossamer, most commonly javelins and spiked chains. The catch is that such items dissipate one round after leaving a shaedling's hands.
* WingedHumanoid: Shaedlings resemble drow of short stature with solid black eyes and dark dragonfly wings.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shambling Mound]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shambling_mound_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Vaguely anthropomorphic plants which wander constantly in search of food.
----
* FeedItWithFire: Shambling mounds are in fact spawned when lightning or fey magic invigorates a swamp plant. As such, electricity attacks heal them.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Shambling mounds are slow, and thus rely on ambushing prey, lying still and trying to appear as just another pile of rotting vegetation.
* ManEatingPlant: They devour any organic matter in their path, whether it's plants or animals. Humans are very much on the menu if they don't get out of the way.
* PlayingPossum: Shambling mounds are smart enough to feign death in the face of overwhelming opposition. So long as the root-stem that animates them survives an encounter, the creature can slowly regrow its body and go back to the hunt.
* SwallowedWhole: They can simply engulf grappled enemies, dealing bludgeoning damage each round and [[SinisterSuffocation preventing their victim from breathing.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shield Guardian]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shield_guardian_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E), 7 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Magical constructs that protect and serve whoever bears a specified amulet.
----
* HealingFactor: They recover a fixed number of hit points on each of their turns.
* TheKidWithTheRemoteControl: A shield guardian obeys and protects whoever currently possesses its corresponding amulet. As such, people have been known to attack a shield guardian's ward specifically to steal that amulet and gain possession of the guardian itself.
* PowersAsPrograms: A shield guardian can "store" a spell of up to 4th level, which it can then expend on command or if a certain condition is met.
* {{Synchronization}}: Shield guardians are magically linked to their owners, and if the owner is within 60 feet of their guardian, any damage that the owner takes will be split between the two of them.
* TakingTheBullet: If an attack threatens to injure its owner, a shield guardian can magically absorb the blow into its own body, even at a distance.
* {{Telepathy}}: Whoever bears a shield guardian's amulet can communicate telepathically with it no matter the distance, so long as they're on the same plane of existence. The shield guardian in turn always knows the direction to its master.

!!Runic Guardian
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_runic_guardian_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Rune-inscribed constructs that share many abilities with shield guardians, but can be considered a direct upgrade over them, albeit more expensive and difficult to construct.
----
* CycleOfHurting: Their fists are filled with lead and hit like a truck, so anyone struck by the runic guardian's slam attacks has to succeed at a high Fortitude save or be stunned for a round. In a one-on-one fight, this can lead to a fatal case of stunlocking.
* MagicKnight: Rather than storing one particular spell, a runic guardian has six spells built into its arms, legs, torso and head during the creation process. It can use each of these spells once per day, either on command or when a certain condition is met, and the spells' level is determined by which part of the body they're inscribed upon.
* MurderousMalfunctioningMachine: Runic guardians have a ''slight'' downside compared to shield guardians in that they can't be "reset" to serve another master. A runic guardian knows the instant its master dies no matter the distance, and will immediately go berserk, attacking everything in sight until destroyed. Retrieving its amulet does nothing to prevent this.
* ObviousRulePatch: While runic guardians are keyed to a magic amulet like shield guardians, all the item does is allow the construct to ''teleport without error'' to the amulet when called, once per day. A runic guardian is bound to a specific individual as its master upon creation, and if some thief steals the amulet and summons the construct, the runic guardian's first act is going to be to try to kill the pretender.
* RunicMagic: As indicated by their name, runic guardians' bodies are covered in runes crafted from precious metals, which glow when they use their inscribed spell-like abilities. This makes the constructs especially popular with dwarves and giants.
* SuperiorSuccessor: Anything a shield guardian can do, a runic guardian can do better. Their Fast Healing is better and comes with sturdy DamageReduction (which offsets their slightly lower health), their armor is better and their physical attacks hit harder, their "guard" ability imparts a better armor bonus to their master, their ''shield other'' ability works at a greater range and absorbs 75% of an attack's damage instead of splitting it 50-50, and so forth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shocker Lizard]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shocker_lizard_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Little blue reptiles that can blast would-be predators with electricity.
----
* AttackAnimal: Some of the fashionably rich host colonies of shocker lizards in their gardens or courtyards as a deterrent against thieves, though the creatures may require special training not to attack servants or playing children.
* CoolPet: Other wealthy individuals walk shocker lizards on leashes, or wear them on their shoulders.
* RoarBeforeBeating: A realistic take on the trope; when a potential threat approachs, a shocker lizard tries to warn them away with a low-powered electrical discharge, audible as a series of rapid clicks, and just strong enough for the other creature to feel on their skin and scalp. If the interloper persists, they get a stronger zap.
* ShockAndAwe: The body of shocker lizards can generate intense electrical shocks. An individual creature can only deal nonlethal damage to a single foe within five feet, but two or more shocker lizards can [[CombinationAttack combine their voltage]] in a 20-foot-radius burst of lethal electricity, centered on one lizard, that grows more powerful the more shocker lizards contribute to it. If six shocker lizards act in concert, the combined damage outperforms a ''fireball'' spell.
* SuperSenses: Due to their affinity for electricity, shocker lizards can detect any electrical discharges within 100 feet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Silthilar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_silthilar_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood

The remnants of a race of fleshcrafters that escaped a magical plague by transforming themselves into countless motes of flesh, which can freely recombine into their original shapes.
----
* BalefulPolymorph: They can spend a full-round action by swarming a creature and subjecting it to a ''polymorph any object'' effect, transforming it into another living creature.
* {{Biomanipulation}}: When they aren't flat-out changing creatures' shapes entirely, silthilar are adept at applying specialized grafts to subjects -- flexible spines, improved muscles or bones, chitinous plating, regenerative blood, and so forth.
* DarkIsNotEvil: The silthilar have utterly alien bodies (when they even ''have'' solid bodies) and can effortlessly reshape other creatures as they see fit, but apart from the odd rogue swarms, the silthilar's skill at reshaping life is balanced by their respect for it, and they'll only work on voluntary test subjects or paying customers.
* HiveMind: Each mote of flesh that constitutes a silthilar is the physical embodiment of a piece of their race's lore, so a swarm of them creates a hive mind that can function as a single entity.
* KukrisAreKool: They favor kukris as melee weapons, and store them in dimensional pockets when in their swarm form.
* OneToMillionToOne: Silthilar can freely switch between their "swarm" form, a cloud of fleshy motes, and their "coalesced" forms, which are approximations of their original bodies.
* StarfishAliens: An individual silthilar mote is a half-inch mass of fleshy tendrils and bony hooks, but a cloud of such motes can coalesce into a human-sized shape with four arms and hands around its lower body, four hooked limbs around its upper body, and a mass of little tendrils for a "head" at the top.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Skiurid]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_skiurid_3e.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Malicious creatures from the Plane of Shadow that can conjure pools of unnatural darkness to drain the life from their victims... okay, they're basically shadow squirrels.
----
* CastingAShadow: Skiurids can cast a variant of the ''darkness'' spell that also deals damage and potentially lowers the Strength of any non-shadow creatures caught in it.
* EyeOfNewt: If their "Chill Darkness" attack deals damage, it creates a nugget of coalesced shadow, which the skiurids use for food (and hoard like acorns). Spellcasters can use those shadow-nuggets as optional material components that have a 50% chance of improving a necromancy spell's effective caster level by two, so the things can sell for 1,000 gp apiece.
* HitAndRunTactics: These critters prefer to blanket their victims with damaging darkness, snatch the resulting nuggets of shadow, and then do a short-ranged teleport to make their escape.
* KillerRabbit: Yes, they're Shadowfell squirrels, but they tend to work in colonies, they're evasive little buggers, and there's no saving throw against the damage of that "Chill Darkness" attack. If they're run right, they can threaten even mid-level characters.
-->'''Gruthark:''' Go ahead. Laugh. I did, once. Once.
* ShadowWalker: They can teleport up to 30 feet per day so long as their entry and exit points are in shadowy places, and their "Chill Darkness" attack counts in this regard.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Skulk]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_skulk_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (2E, 3E), ChaoticNeutral (5E)

Extremely stealthy humanoids who use their talents for murder.
----
* AntiTrueSight: 3rd Edition skulks are under a constant ''nondetection'' effect.
* AxeCrazy: Regardless of edition, skulks revel in bloodshed. Their 2nd Edition write-up mentions that they enjoy framing groups for their murders to sow violent discord in a society, in 3rd Edition they take particular pleasure in gruesomely slaying wealthy elites, and in 5th Edition they carry out the orders of their summoners in the most violent ways possible.
* BackStab: Their 2nd Edition write-up gives them the backstab ability of 5th-level thieves.
* ChameleonCamouflage: Traditionally, skulks can alter their skin tone to blend in with their surroundings. They can also adopt a "natural" skin color to try to pass for a human, but can be given away by their blue, pupil-less eyes.
* InvisibleMonsters: 5th Edition skulks are so devoid of identity that they're naturally invisible. Besides magic, there are [[SeeTheInvisible a few ways to spot them]]: skulks are visible in the reflections of mirrors or polished surfaces, they're revealed by the light of a candle made from the fat of an annonymous corpse... and humanoid children of ten years or under can see them just fine.
-->'''Mordenkainen:''' Some children have imaginary friends that their parents can't see. [[NotSoImaginaryFriend Sometimes these invisible friends aren't imaginary.]]
* {{Retcon}}: Their 3rd Edition lore was that skulks were the descendents of an ancient society's "untouchable" caste, who went through a ritual to make them trully beyond notice, allowing them to get their bloody revenge on their oppressors. In 5th Edition, skulks are instead the shells of those who became lost in the Shadowfell, to be summoned as invisible servants by a ritual.
* StealthExpert: Skulks leave no tracks, blend in with their surroundings, have natural bonuses to stealth rolls, can be hard to detect magically, and in 5th Edition are just plain invisible.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Slaad]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Elemental Humanoid (4E), Aberration (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/8 (slaad tadpole) to 10 (death slaad) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral (2E, 3E, 5E), ChaoticEvil (4E); LawfulNeutral (gormeel, 3E)

Toad-like humanoids native to the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, who live to spread anarchy.
----
* BizarreAlienReproduction: Slaad reproduction centers on the activity of red and blue slaadi. Red slaadi implant small eggs into creatures when attacking with their claws, which after a week or so hatch into infant blue slaadi that eat their way out. Blue slaadi instead spread a disease called slaad fever through their bites, which causes victims to turn into red slaadi. If either method infects an arcane spellcaster, it instead produces a green slaad. Green slaadi can then transform into progressively stronger types of slaad.
* FrogMen: They are living embodiments of elemental chaos that just so happen to look like anthropomorphic frogs.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: The 5th Edition ''Monster Manual'' recounts that Primus, lord of the modrons, attempted to tame the chaos of Limbo by throwing a gigantic stone infused with the power of law into the rival plane's heart. While this did stabilize Limbo enough for modrons (and later githzerai) to shape some of its chaos into sustainable enclaves, the interaction between law and chaos spawned the slaadi, which proceeded to wipe out every modron in Limbo, while what came to be known as the Spawning Stone continued to create new slaadi to menace the power of law. For his part, Primus stands by his actions and chooses to ignore the slaadi.
* KidWithTheLeash: Slaadi that emerge from the Spawning Stone or come into contact with it develop a gem-like fragment of the thing in their brain. Should someone manage to extract this control gem from an incapacitated slaad, it is compelled to obey their commands, and cannot be charmed by anyone else.
* {{Metamorphosis}}: With the exception of the eternally low-ranked reds and blue, slaadi progress through a series of successive metamorphoses as they age, transforming into the next strongest type of slaad every hundred years -- green slaadi become grey slaadi, then death slaadi, then white slaadi, and finally black slaadi.
* OxymoronicBeing: An extremely rare variant of slaadi, the gormeel, embody one of the most paradoxical traits of chaos -- total randomness' ability to spontaneously create order and structure. As such, unlike other slaadi, gormeel are strictly LawfulNeutral.%%In-universe alignment.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Green, grey and death slaadi can change into humanoid shape. They typically take on the form of whatever person they were spawned from, and they use this power to infiltrate humanoid societies and sow chaos.

!!Mud Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mud_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)

The weakest of all slaad variants, mud slaadi exist outside of their kind's normal reproductive cycle and are viewed with derision and contempt by stronger slaadi.
----
* CowerPower: They can cringe in combat, a supernatural mind-affecting ability that can make opponents who fail a Will save balk at attacking the mud slaad.
* HealingFactor: Mud slaadi regenerate three hit points of health per round, although this doesn't allow them to recover health lost through privation, such as starvation, thirst or suffocation, or to regrow severed appendages.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Mud slaadi can emit a loud screech that can deal sonic damage to creatures within thirty feet of them.
* PlayingPossum: If critically injured, a mud slaad can collapse and feign death during their opponent's turn. It takes a high-level Sense Motive or Heal check to detect that the slaad is still alive.
* ViralTransformation: When a mud slaad bites someone, it transmits a magical disease that, over the course of a week, transforms the victim into a new mud slaad.

!!Red Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/red_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 5 (5E)

Red slaadi are simple, violent brutes, mostly used by their stronger kin as thugs.
----
* DumbMuscle: Red slaadi are very strong and aggressive, but also fairly stupid. Greater slaadi mostly use them as guards, bruisers and frontline brawlers; they aren't really good for much else.
* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: A red slaad's claws are ovipositors. They can inject their eggs into the wounds of any humanoid creature they slash, and if the egg is not removed within three months, it will hatch into a slaad tadpole that tears its way out of the host in a messy and fatal fashion.
* FantasticRacism: They loathe blue slaadi, despite depending on the chaos phage they spread to reproduce.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Red slaadi can emit loud, resounding croaks that leave non-slaad creatures stunned.
* WasOnceAMan: Red slaadi all began life as humanoids infected by the chaos phage that blue slaadi transmit, which over time cause them to mentally and physically transform into a new slaad.

!!Blue Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blue_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E), 7 (5E)

Blue slaadi are big, strong, stupid bruisers only marginally smarter than red slaadi, with whom they share their foul tempers.
----
* ChestBurster: Blue slaadi are born when a red slaad's claw attack plants an egg pellet into another creature. About a week later, this hatches into an infant blue slaad that eats its way out of its host, killing it.
* DumbMuscle: Blue slaadi are technically smarter than reds, but only marginally so; their brute strength remains far and away their greatest asset.
* FantasticRacism: They detest red slaadi, but depend on them to infect humanoids with blue slaad tadpoles.
* ViralTransformation: When a blue slaad claws someone, it transmits a magical disease called chaos phage. If the victim is not able to fight off the phage and succumbs to it, they immediately transform into a slaad.

!!Green Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/green_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E), 8 (5E)

When a spellcaster is infected by chaos phage or a red slaad's egg pellets, it becomes or produces a green slaad instead, who inherits greater intelligence, an even temper and magical abilities from its former self. Unlike their blue and red kin, who are perpetually confined to their low ranks and talents, green slaadi eventually mature into stronger slaad variants.
----
* EvilGloating: Green slaadi are very arrogant and haughty, and tend to waste time boasting, gloating and blustering during combat when they should be paying more attention to what their foes are doing.
* PlayingWithFire: Beyond being able to cast ''fireball'' once per day, in 5th Edition, green slaadi can hurl flames as a ranged attack at will.
* WasOnceAMan: Green slaadi often begin life as humanoid spellacasters who became infected by the chaos phage that blue slaadi transmit, which over time cause them to mentally and physically transform into a new slaad.

!!Gray Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_gray_slaad_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E), 9 (5E)

A green slaad who reaches its first century retreats into isolation, returning as a smaller but more potent gray slaad. They serve the death slaadi, and may be dispatched by their masters to the Material Plane on dark errands.
----
* {{BFS}}: They master the greatsword at some point during their transformation, imbued with their magic.
* CannibalismSuperpower: What's one of the quickest ways for a gray slaad to promote itself? Eat a death slaad.
* ImmortalitySeeker: Their loyalty to the death slaadi is explained by the gray slaadi being fascinated with their superiors' power and near-immortality.

!!Death Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_death_slaad_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 13 (3E), 10 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral (2E), ChaoticEvil (3E, 5E)

Gray slaadi who undergo a mysterious ritual transform themselves into death slaadi. While physically they are little different from their previous form, their outlook is corrupted by evil, driving them to conscript lesser slaadi into campaigns to invade other planes.
----
* DeadlyGas: Death slaadi pick up the ability to cast ''cloudkill'' once per day.
* IndustrializedEvil: It is the death slaadi that most aggressively propagate new slaadi, by leading their kin to overrun small villages on other planes and turning them into prison/breeding camps, where the entire population is implanted with slaad tadpoles or chaos phage. Once the locals are dead and the next generation of slaadi is born, the death slaadi lead their army on to repeat the process.
* MakeThemRot: Their natural and greatsword attacks are infused with negative energy, dealing necrotic damage.

!!White Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/white_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 21 (3E)

If a death slaad survives for more than a century, it retreats into solitude to transform into a white slaad, a process that refocuses its mind away from evil and back to their purity of chaos.
----
* DoppelgangerAttack: White slaadi can summon up to six instances of themselves from their immediate past and future to attack a foe all at once.
* PowerGlows: White slaadi, the second most powerful variety of their kind, are marked by a soft white glow that emanates from every part of their bodies.
* SuperSpit: White slaadi can spit globs of chaos-stuff at foes up to sixty feet from them, which damages them over several rounds as the chaos attempts to break their bodies down.

!!Black Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 25 (3E)

Black slaadi are the final stage in the slaad life cycle, maturing from white slaadi whose light is exchanged for impenetrable shadows. Black slaadi are beings of chaos incarnate and immensely dangerous creatures, eclipsing even the might of most ancient dragons.
----
* LivingShadow: Black slaadi appear as masses of pure darkness, toad-shaped voids in creation broken only by a wide fanged grin and two eyes that gleam like stars.
* ShadowedFaceGlowingEyes: A black slaad's face, like the rest of its body, is a featureless mass of shadow from which two points of light peer out.
* SuperSpit: Like white slaadi, black slaadi can spit globs of raw chaos at foes, but their attack does twice as much damage.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Slithering Tracker]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_slithering_tracker_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Ooze (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Neutral (2E), ChaoticEvil (3E)

Watery slime monsters that can flow under doors and up walls after their quarry, then drain the life from them.
----
* AndIMustScream: While a 5th Edition slithering tracker maintains their intelligence and sentience after their transformation, most end up going mad from being trapped in a mute, bloodthirsty blob form, and after killing their original target go on a murderous rampage.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: When motionless, a slithering tracker is very hard to distinguish from a pool of non-murderous water.
* TheParalyzer: 2nd Edition slithering trackers can paralyze their victims for 12 hours, while it only takes them one hour to drain the plasma from a man-sized victim.
* RevengeBeforeReason: 5th Edition casts slithering trackers as the result of a ritual in which someone, whose thirst for revenge matters more than their own life, voluntarily transforms themselves into an ooze by magically draining their body of moisture. The subject's mind lives on in the new ooze, which goes off to murder the target of their ire.
* VampiricDraining: Once a slithering tracker grapples an enemy, it leaches plasma from their body (in 2nd Edition) or [[SinisterSuffocation starts to drown them]] while dealing [[MakeThemRot necrotic damage]] each turn (in 5th Edition).
* WallCrawl: These oozes can run up walls and even across ceilings without difficulty.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Soarwhale]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_soarwhale_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 15 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Creatures resembling colossal baleen whales that drift through the skies rather than the ocean. They're docile enough to be domesticated and used for transporting passengers and cargo.
----
* LivingGasbag: They're basically organic blimps 40 feet wide and 80 feet long, and can be outfitted with gondolas or howdahs to carry over 130,000 pounds.
* TheParalyzer: When threatened, a soarwhale can empty its air bladders as a defense mechanism. This causes the soarwhale to plummet a hundred feet before stabilizing, but leaves a cloud of gas in its prior position that can paralyze anything around it, which is very much a ''bad'' thing to have happen a mile above the ground.
* SpaceWhale: Of the "Air Whale" variant. Sages agree that the odds of such a thing occuring naturally are slim to none, but if some mage had a hand in soarwhales' creation, there are no records of it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sorrowsworn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_the_angry_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Angry (5e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (the Wretched), 7 (the Lost), 9 (the Lonely), 11 (the Hungry), 13 (the Angry) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Creatures native to the Shadowfell, formed of congealed negative emotions felt by people who travel there.
----
* AnthropomorphicPersonification: Each sorrowsworn personifies a different aspect of despair or distress.
* ExtremeOmnivore: These Hungry consume all life and energy they encounter, eating flesh and drinking screams.
* MultipleHeadCase: Each of the Angry has two heads, which constantly bicker with one another until they find something else to vent their wrath on.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: The Lost try to embrace any creatures they can reach, attempting to find solace in the contact. Aside from the horror of being embraced by such a thing, the victim experiences a flood of fear and panic.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Sorrowsworn are ''dangerous'' monsters, each being a powerful mid-game boss or late-game EliteMook. But they are also so utterly miserable that you have to feel sorry for them.
* YouWillNotEvadeMe: The Lonely launch their harpoon-like arms to drag their victims close.
* ZergRush: The Wretched are individually very weak, but gather in large packs to scour the Shadowfell for prey. When they find a creature, they surge forward to sink their fangs into their victims.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Spawn of Juiblex]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spawn_of_jubilex_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (lesser), 10 (greater), 14 (elder) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Revolting masses of infernal slime spawned from the Demon Lord of Ooze.
----
* CombatTentacles: A spawn of Juiblex can cover foes with a thick coat of slime and subsequently animate it, causing the slime to sprout tentacles and attack nearby creatures.
* ExtraEyes: About the only features these fetid oozes have are lots of red eyes dotting their surface, glaring hatefully and hungrily at any creatures around them.
* GiantWallOfWateryDoom: Elder spawns of Juiblex are Gargantuan slime monsters, so they're capable of doing this on their own. Stories speak of them blotting out the sun like a tidal wave before crashing over a town, leaving only ruins and bones behind.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: These monsters were created when Zuggtmoy, Demon Queen of Fungi, attempted to banish her rival demon lord to another plane. Instead she succeeded in sending part of Juiblex's essence to the Elemental Plane of Water, where it polluted the elemental matter around it until the natives evicted the source of corruption. This inadvertantly created a "Demiplane of Filth" inhabited by the rogue shard of Juiblex's essence, while scattering the spawn of Juiblex across the Material Plane at the same time.
* MuckMonster: A spawn of Juiblex is a nauseating mass of toxic sludge, capable of flowing over even difficult terrain faster than a man can run. Anything engulfed by it takes damage and may be sickened, or even suffer [[NonHealthDamage Constitution damage]] from the larger specimens.
* NonElemental: The damage dealt by this demonic sludge's corrupting touch is undefined, so there are few defenses against it.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Spawn of Juiblex are so horrific in appearance that other creatures have to save or be forced to retreat from the monsters.
* TrulySingleParent: Once it has consumed enough food, a spawn of any size splits off a new lesser spawn.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Spawn of Tiamat]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spawn_of_tiamat_3e.jpg]]

Tiamat, Goddess of Evil Dragonkind, has struggled against her brother Bahamut in an eons-long conflict known as the Dragonfall War. In an effort to tip the balance decisively in her favor, Tiamat has exerted her influence on the eggs of chromatic dragons, causing them to hatch into a wide variety of dragonblooded creatures that have since bred true. Individually, each of these dragonspawn is a dangerous predator or soldier, but together they form a terrible army meant to conquer the world for the the Chromatic Dragon Queen. Dragonspawn usually congregate in packs with their own kind, but willingly work with chromatic dragons, or even other evil creatures such as hobgoblins -- but those allies should remember that the spawn of Tiamat are ultimately loyal only to their creator.
----
* BeastOfBattle: All of the non-humanoid spawn of Tiamat can serve effectively as war-beasts or mounts.
* DraconicHumanoid: Some spawn of Tiamat are bipedal, and classified as Monstrous Humanoids in 3rd Edition.
* ElementalPowers: All spawn of Tiamat are immune to the energy type associated with their "parent" dragon breed, and many have attacks that deal the same energy damage as well.
* FriendlyFireproof: Conferred by the "Tiamat's Blessing" ability certain dragonspawn share. For example, bluespawn stormlizards will grant any other spawn within 5 feet (this includes their riders) immunity to electricity, even if they have a non-blue dragon heritage.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: All dragonspawn have an obvious draconic heritage, but they fall short of being classified as true Dragons, and instead have the (Dragonblood) subtype. This means that they are classified as either Magical Beasts or Monstrous Humanoids, but certain spells and magic items affect them as if they were true Dragons.

!!Blackspawn Raider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_blackspawn_raider_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenger Rating:''' 4 (standard) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Cunning and vicious hunters that only put aside their competition for kills when faced with the prospect of slaying a metallic dragon.
----
* BreathWeapon: They can breathe a line of acid.
* GlorySeeker: Blackspawn raiders constantly compete for the glory of killing the biggest and most dangerous targets.
* {{Matriarchy}}: Their leaders are "spawnmothers" who have at least five living adult children. Since blackspawn raiders are Chaotic Evil, this leads to vicious politics where spawnmothers try to get each others' children killed in dangerous assignments, or steal eggs from fertile mothers to increase their own standing.
* {{Ninja}}: Their best ambushers train to become "exterminators," taking ranks in the ninja class.
* ReligiousBruiser: They're vicious killers, but blackspawn raiders take their role as "the Children of Tiamat" seriously, and when they slay and ritualistically devour metallic dragons, they consider it an act of worship.

!!Blackspawn Stalker
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_blackspawn_stalker_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Horrible combinations of dragon and spider, and expert hunters and trappers.
----
* BreedingCult: Blackspawn stalkers believe that the best way to serve Tiamat is by breeding her the ultimate servant. As such, they try to reproduce as much as possible, forming mated pairs and distributing their eggs among a half-dozen nests each year.
* GiantSpider: They're Large-sized, spider-like creatures with a 10-foot legspan and weigh 5,000 pounds.
* ProjectileWebbing: They can throw webs like nets to entangle creatures.
* SuperSpit: Rather than an official breath weapon, blackspawn stalkers can spit globs of acid at a single target up to 60 feet away.

!!Bluespawn Ambusher
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bluespawn_ambusher_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

These pack hunters bury themselves underground before bursting out to attack prey with their claws, horns and electricity bursts.
----
* DigAttack: Bluespawn ambushers can burrow through earth and stone as fast as they can walk, and will either lie in wait beneath the surface until prey approaches, or burrow towards prey before erupting to the attack.
* HornAttack: They can make gore attacks with their facial horns, unlike proper blue dragons with which they share a skull structure.
* ShockAndAwe: They can periodically blast anything within 10 feet with electrcity, and in protracted combats usually duck back underground while this ability recharges.

!!Bluespawn Burrower
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bluespawn_burrower_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

Other dragonspawn use these creatures to erect earthworks or glass monuments to their queen, but they're just as capable in combat thanks to their massive claws and electrified tails.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: Their tails are not just spiked like the heads of maces, they also constantly crackle with electricity for additional damage.
* ElementalBarrier: Bluespawn burrowers carry a potent electrical charge that lashes out at anything that grapples or makes a melee attack aginst them, and enemies wearing metal armor take a penalty on the resulting saving throw.
* ShockAndAwe: They can make a conical "lightning sweep" attack three times per day.

!!Bluespawn Godslayer
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bluespawn_godslayer_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E), 22 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil (3E), Evil (4E)\\
''Yes. I am blessed. I have borne Tiamat's child in Her stead. Holy be Her plans, and may those that use this godslayer come to fruition... swiftly.''
-->--'''Kazeranthamus, blue dragon'''

Giant draconic humanoids that excel at killing dragons and extraplanar creatures.
----
* CraftedFromAnimals: Their huge, heavy shields are crafted from dragon skulls.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Between their arrogance and [[HunterOfHisOwnKind talent at killing fellow dragonblooded creatures]], other spawn of Tiamat, and even dragons who aren't wholly devoted to Tiamat, tend to hate and fear godslayers.
* HunterOfMonsters: Godslayers get damage bonuses when fighting dragons or outsiders.
* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: They make liberal use of their Awesome Blow feat to send enemies flying, while keeping close enough to hit them again when their victim tries to get off the ground.
* ShockAndAwe: Their enormous swords don't have enchantments on them to deal lightning damage, all the electricity crackling around them is coming from their wielders.
* SterilityPlague: Unlike most spawn of Tiamat, bluespawn godslayers are sterile and can only be born to blue dragon parents who have earned Tiamat's favor, or are lairing near an enemy the Dragon Queen wants dead. This just makes bluespawn godslayers consider themselves Tiamat's favorites.

!!Bluespawn Stormlizard
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bluespawn_stormlizard_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

These draconic quadrupeds serve ably as war mounts, crashing into the enemy like rhinos and electrifying foes caught between them.
----
* AngstySurvivingTwin: Any bluespawn stormlizard that survives the loss of its sibling will fly into a berserk rage until it too is slain. Even simple separation can be dangerous, with the stormlizard refusing to eat until its sibling returns.
* CombinationAttack: Bluespawn stormlizards don't just generate electricity, it arcs between them and others of their kind. As a swift action they can cause a line of electricity to fire from their horn to another stormlizard within 100 feet, dealing damage to anything in a line between the two spawn.
* HereditaryTwinhood: All bluespawn stormlizards are born same-sex twins hatched from the same eggs. They spend their lives together, take another pair of twins as mates, and use the same lair for egg laying. Once the resulting sets of twins are born, the pairs break up, taking the twins of the same sex with them to raise them.
* HornAttack: They can make devastating gore attacks with their horn on a charge.
* ShockAndAwe: Aside from arcing electricity between their horns, bluespawn stormlizards can fire a 100-foot line of electricity every few rounds.

!!Greenspawn Leaper
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_greenspawn_leaper_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

These agile creatures are swift climbers, allowing them to serve as arboreal predators or mounts for smaller spawn of Tiamat.
----
* CombatPragmatist: Greenspawn leapers compete by challenging each other to races through the forest canopy, with the loser being the first to slip up and fall or balk at attempting a jump or risky climb. They're cunning enough creatures to deliberately fall behind in an attempt to bait an opponent into being the first to reach what they know is a dangerously weak tree branch.
* CompeteForTheMaidensHand: During their triannual mating season, male greenspawn leapers invade a female's territory, racing against each other for the right to breed with her. This means that the lucky winner faces a long trip home once the female tires of him, and they may cross several rival males' territory only to find that their home stretch of forest has been claimed by a neighbor.
* PoisonousPerson: Once per day, a greenspawn leaper can release a cloud of poison that affects everything within 5 feet of them. The poison is absorbed through the skin, at which point it converts to acid and damages victims.
* WallCrawl: They have an impressive climb speed, which is usually employed to scramble through the forest canopy of their preferred territory, but can be applied elsewhere if the leapers join an army of other spawn of Tiamat.

!!Greenspawn Razorfiend
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_greenspawn_razorfiend.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

These voracious predators use their modified wings as weapons, and are equally dangerous in forests and swamps.
----
* BreathWeapon: They can spray a cone of acid every few rounds (since 3rd Edition's green dragons dealt acid damage with their breath weapons rather than poison damage).
* DragonHoard: Unlike most spawn of Tiamat, greenspawn razorfiends have inherited a proper draconic instinct for hoarding treature, and will collect coins and other shiny valuables in their lairs.
* InASingleBound: Greenspawn razorfiends can't quite fly with their wings, but they can use them to assist with jumping, resulting in a whopping +22 bonus on such skill checks.
* RazorWings: Their claw-tipped wings hit as hard as greatswords and have the Augmented Critical trait, so they're more likely to deal a CriticalHit.

!!Greenspawn Sneak
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_greenspawn_sneak_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

These small draconic humanoids serve the armies of Tiamat as scouts and skulkers.
----
* BackStab: They can deal Sneak Attack damage like Rogues against flanked or flat-footed foes.
* InHarmonyWithNature: Greenspawn sneaks are an interesting variant. Their outposts, positioned in woods or marshland bordering what they consider to be enemy territory, have a surprisingly small impact on the local ecosystem, since the sneaks have slow metabolisms and don't need to hunt much, and supplement their diets with wild plants they tend. But this isn't out of any love or respect for nature so much as a desire to evade detection by their victims.
* StealthExpert: Greenspawn sneaks have respectable bonuses on Hide and Move Silently checks, and are wholly dedicated to their roles as the reconnaissance arm of Tiamat's forces.

!!Greenspawn Zealot
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_greenspawn_zealot_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

Draconic humanoids who serve as the religious leaders of Tiamat's forces, and support other dragonspawn on the field of battle.
----
* LifeDrain: Their "Touch of Tiamat" ability deals damage to enemies they touch and simultaneously heals a dragon or dragonblooded creature (potentially the greenspawn zealot making the attack), up to a certain number of points of damage per day.
* ThePoliticalOfficer: Greenspawn zealots are essentially commissars, ensuring that other spawn of Tiamat are properly decidated to the Dragon Queen's cause. While this earns them the resentment of the more chaotic dragonspawn, few dare oppose Tiamat's faithful. This trait may make the greenspawn zealots the most dangerous spawn of Tiamat, as while they aren't the most powerful of her children, they are often the motivational force that marshalls their fellow dragonspawn into effective armies.
* WarriorMonk: They live in monasteries and temples dedicated to Tiamat, where they train in warcraft and commune with their goddess.

!!Redspawn Arcaniss
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_redspawn_arcaniss_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

These draconic sorcerers provide magical support to Tiamat's armies, with a predictable affinity for destructive fire magic.
----
* BornAsAnAdult: While most spawn of Tiamat age rapidly, redspawn arcanisses are hatched fully-grown and adult-sized, with an instinctive grasp of their spells. After a week of instruction on the lay of the land and their place in the world, they're ready to go off and form a new warband.
* FeedItWithFire: They're not just immune to fire effects, they're healed by them. This includes their own fire spells, so redspawn arcanisses will happilly drop a ''fireball'' on themselves to recover health and damage foes in the same stirke.
* MageSpecies: All Redspawn Arcaniss are natural sorcerers.
* PlayingWithFire: Redspawn arcanisses cast fire spells at a boosted level. That said, they're not so obsessed with fire [[PoorPredictableRock that they use it exclusively]], so they also know spells like ''Melf's acid arrow'' or ''magic missile'' to bring against fire-resistant targets.
* ReligiousBruiser: They consider themselves "the Burning Ones of Tiamat," her favored children who will purge the world of nondragons and rule over what remains, and study a holy text called the ''Scrolls of Fire'' that was purportedly written by Tiamat herself.

!!Redspawn Berserker
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_redspawn_berserker_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Ogre-sized draconic humanoids that fight as brutal shock infantry.
----
* TheBerserker: Subverted; despite their name, redspawn berserkers never go out of control during combat, and their entry notes that while they are innately chaotic creatures, they're unfailingly obedient to Tiamat or her representatives.
* CounterAttack: Redspawn berserkers prioritize attacking opponents who injured them with a melee strike in the previous round of combat, and gain a damage bonus against such foes.
* CraftedFromAnimals: They're depicted with dragon-skull shields and boney morningstars, suggesting they've converted their conquests into wargear.

!!Redspawn Firebelcher
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_redspawn_firebelcher_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E), 12 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (3E), Unaligned (4E)

These lumbering creatures can serve other dragonspawn as mounts, or as living artillery pieces.
----
* DumbMuscle: Redspawn firebelchers are rock stupid, with an Intelligence score of 1, dumber than some mundane animals. But they're just smart enough to be trained to work with other dragonspawn, after eating only a few of their kin.
* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: They're compared to crocodiles in general appearance and behavior, only they lounge around lava pools rather than in water.
* SuperSpit: They can "belch" fire up to 60 feet away, dealing heavy damage to targets directly hit by the attack, and lesser damage to those adjacent to that target.

!!Whitespawn Hordeling
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_whitespawn_hordelings_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

The weakest dragonspawn, these small draconic humanoids are nomadic predators barely more intelligent than animals.
----
* BreathWeapon: They can breathe a 30-foot cone of ice every few rounds for a bit of cold damage.
* TheHorde: Their only "organization," until other spawn of Tiamat rope them into a proper army, is as wandering bands of up to 150 hordelings.
* ZergRush: Their sole strategy in combat.

!!Whitespawn Hunter
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_whitespawn_hunter_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Brutish but crafty, these draconic humanoids are adept stalkers.
----
* TheBerserker: They derive status from strength and displays of aggression, so any who can fly into a battle rage become the tribe's leaders.
* ChainPain: Their berserkers carry spiked chains into battle.
* MadeASlave: Whitespawn hunters aren't smart, but can see the value of slave labor, whether captive humanoids or the smaller, weaker whitespawn hordelings. Such slaves tend not to last long, and are unceremoniously eaten once they succumb to their poor conditions.
* TheSocialDarwinist: Whitespawn hunter society, such as it is, is all about the strong persevering over the weak. Their eggs are abandoned with the expectation that the hatchlings will fight and devour their weaker siblings, their coming-of-age ritual involves two hunters bringing down prey but only one returning to the tribe with it, and they'll even turn on white dragons in desperate times. As a result, they view other whitespawn hunter tribes as rivals to be driven off, enslaved or eaten.

!!Whitespawn Iceskidder
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_whitespawn_iceskidder_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

These draconic creatures are uniquely adapted for rapid movement across ice.
----
* BreathWeapon: They cna breate a 30-foot cone of ice that deals damage and can partially freeze victims in place, with effects similar to that of a ''tanglefoot bag''.
* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: Their clawed feet are apparently organic ice skates, allowing whitespawn iceskidders to ignore all terrain penalties related to snow or icy ground, and succeed on Balance checks caused by ice or cold magic.
* WingsDoNothing: They're depicted with wings, but have no flight speed or wing attacks.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sphinx]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_gynosphinx_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Gynosphinx (5e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (hieracosphinx), 7 (criosphinx), 8 (gynosphinx), 9 (androsphinx) (3E); 11 (gynosphinx), 17 (androsphinx) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood (androsphinx), TrueNeutral (criosphinx, gynosphinx) (3E), ChaoticEvil (hieracosphinx); LawfulNeutral (androsphinx, gynosphinx) (5E)

Winged, leonine beasts with the heads of various other creatures and rather peculiar reproductive behavior.
----
* BizarreSexualDimorphism: Up until 5th Edition, sphinxes were infamous for this and their mating habits. The only female sphinxes are gynosphinxes, who want to breed with androsphinxes, but the males have no interest in sex and need to be bribed or coerced into it, to the point that gynosphinxes will pay adventurers handsomely for leads on an androsphinx. Such couplings produce fraternal twins, an andro- and gynosphinx. The ram-headed criosphinxes lust after gynosphinxes, but the latter find them repulsive, resulting in the criosphinxes trying to entrap the females in their lairs and competing viciously with one another for their "prize," who often escapes out a back passage in the ensuing chaos. If a criosphinx does mate with a gynosphinx, the result is another male criosphinx. And then there are the evil, brutish, falcon-headed hieracosphinxes, who simply hunt down and rape gynosphinxes, producing more hieracosphinxes. The good news for gynosphinxes is that they're smarter than all the males of their odd species, which helps them avoid the ones they dislike and track down androsphinxes. The bad news for gynosphinxes is that they're also ''slower'' than all the males of their species, and hieracosphinxes and criosphinxes aren't known for giving up once they catch sight of a female.
* FeatheredFiend: Hieracosphinxes have the heads of falcons, and are evil at heart.
* HornAttack: Due to possessing the heads of rams, criosphinxes can attack with their horns.
* MightyRoar: An androsphinx can let out a magical roar up to three times a day. The first roar frightens its enemies, the second roar deafens them, and the third roar knocks them flat on their asses.
* OurSphinxesAreDifferent:
** Sphinxes have been present in the game for most of its history. They're immortal, magical and extremely intelligent beings who resemble winged lions with the heads of various other creatures, and a fondness for riddles. The four most common variants are the androsphinx (male, with the head of a human man), the gynosphinx (female, with the head of a human woman), the criosphinx (male, with the head of a ram) and the hieracosphinx (male, with the head of a hawk or falcon). In practice, their art tends to depict human-headed sphinxes as still having very leonine faces.
** A number of other sphinx types have been described over the game's history, including loquasphinxes (human-headed and come in both genders, known for their interest in arcane knowledge and [[IKnowYourTrueName truename magic]]), astrosphinxes (mad, evil, wingless sphinxes with goat skulls for heads, who pose answer-less riddles to everything they meet and kill them when they can't answer), threskisphinxes (ibis-headed sages and artisans), and a variety of evil sphinxes with the heads of various predatory animals.
* PsychicBlockDefense: In 5th edition, it is impossible to read a sphinx's mind. They are immune to any magical effect that would read their thoughts or sense their emotions, and divination spells only affect them if they allow it.
* RiddlingSphinx: Sphinxes, especially gynopshinxes, are fascinated by riddles and games of wit and enjoy testing themselves against others in this manner.
* TimeMaster: 5th edition sphinxes can control the flow of time within their lairs. They can inflict Rapid Aging on their enemies or make them younger, can shunt the entire lair ten years into the past or future, or force everyone to reroll their initiative.
* UnreliableIllustrator: Androsphinxes and gynosphinxes are described as resembling winged lions with the heads of humanoids, but their artwork from 3rd Edition onwards invariably depicts them with fully leonine heads.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Spider]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spider.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Vermin (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Beast (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' Varies\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)

Eight-legged arachnids, usually either web-spinners who wait for prey to come to them, or active pursuit hunters. While mundane spiders are barely more than annoyances in worlds with ''neutralize poison'' spells, there is a worrying number of oversized arachnids to threaten adventurers, including some with magical powers of their own.
----
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Sword spiders have legs that end in sharp, chitinous blades that resemble metallic weapons.
* BrainFood: The aptly-named brain spider uses PsychicPowers to subdue prey, then injects a venom that allows the spider to slurp up their liquified brains and nerves.
* GiantSpider: Giant versions of common spiders are an old and recurring enemy type, and can range from the size of a dog to the size of a house.
* UndergroundMonkey: Numerous variant spider types have appeared, such as woolly snow spiders found in frozen lands.
* WallCrawl: Most spiders can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, as if they were flat.

!!Bloodsilk Spider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bloodsilk_spider_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:33]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Wolf-sized, bloated red spiders that use their webs to drain the blood of their prey.
----
* LifeDrain: A bloodsilk spider can make its webbing drill into entrapped victims, siphoning out blood to damage the target and give the spider some temporary hit points. The spiders will take advantage of this, bolstering itself by feeding on weaker prey before going after something tougher.
* ProjectileWebbing: Like other monstrous spiders, bloodsilk spiders can throw their sticky blood-red webbing similarly to nets, in order to entangle victims that evade what they string up as traps.
* YouHaveToBurnTheWeb: Averted; their dripping, bloody nets are immune to fire damage, unlike conventional spider webbing.

!!Inferno Spider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_inferno_spider_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Spider-shaped elementals of magma and flame, standing eight feet across and weighing as much as 600 pounds.
----
* DeathByChildbirth: At the end of their mating ritual, two inferno spiders charge one another, collide and explode, giving birth to hundreds of young.
* LivingLava: Inferno spiders' bodies are covered in transparent plating revealing their molten cores, and randomly break out in flames that dance along their legs and abdomen.
* PlayingWithFire: Their [[ProjectileWebbing thrown web]] attacks are naturally on fire, dealing damage each round a creature is entangled in them. Fortunately, a moderate amount of cold damage extinguishes their webs' flames and makes them brittle and easier to break.
* PoisonousPerson: The bite of an inferno spider delivers a caustic poison that burns a victim from within, dealing additional fire damage.
* WreathedInFlames: Their flaming, superheated bodies [[TheSpiny damage any creature that grapples or attacks them with non-reach melee weapons.]]

!!Phase Spider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_phase_spider_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Large arachnids which can slip in and out of the Ethereal Plane at will.
----
* ArtEvolution: Phase spiders have actually gotten ''more'' spidery over the editions, as they originally had humanoid faces that made them easy to confuse for neogi or driders. 3rd Edition scaled things back by simply giving them a pair of large eyes to set them apart from other giant spiders, while their 5th Edition art has them looking mostly normal apart from their size and coloration.
* {{Intangibility}}: Thanks to its ability to shift between the Ethereal and Material Planes, a phase spider can use HitAndRunTactics against its unsuspecting victims largely without fear of reprisal.
* ItCanThink: Phase spiders are far more intelligent than any normal spider. The average phase spider is at least as smart as the average ogre or hill giant.

!!Tomb Spider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tomb_spider_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (broodswarm), 4 (web mummy), 6 (tomb spider) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Withered, horse-sized spiders suffused with negative energy, and which seek out humanoid corpses to infest with their young.
----
* AnimateDead: Any human-shaped corpse wrapped in a tomb spider's webbing becomes animated as a web mummy, which shambles along to serve as its creator's minion even as a brood of tiny tomb spiders grow within it.
* GraveRobbing: As per their name, tomb spiders seek out crypts and burial grounds to provide corpses for their young. Only after they have a good number of web mummies on their side do tomb spiders begin hunting on the surface.
* MonstrousCannibalism: If nothing destroys a web mummy, the young spiders within it feed upon the decaying internal organs of their host, then hunt and eat each other until the single survivor emerges as a fully-grown tomb spider several weeks later.
* ProjectileWebbing: Like other monstrous spiders, tomb spiders can throw their webbing like nets.
* ReviveKillsZombie: Their tomb-tainted souls render tomb spiders vulnerable to positive energy and makes negative energy heal them, as if they were undead. Their poisonous bites cause their victims to be the same for a minute.
* SpiderSwarm: If a tomb mummy is destroyed, a tomb spider broodswarm boils out of the corpse, ready to attack.
* StickySituation: Weapons that strike at a web mummy are in danger of getting stuck, while creatures using natural weapons run the risk of being grappled by it.
* TurnsRed: Should the tomb spider that made it be slain, a tomb mummy flies into a rage, gaining a bonus on attack rolls.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Spider Eater]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spider_eater_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Giant flying insects that mostly feed on other oversized arthropods.
----
* ChestBurster: Spider eaters reproduce by paralyzing Large-sized or larger creatures and laying eggs in their bodies, which after six weeks hatch into young that proceed to eat their way out of their host.
* FoodChainOfEvil: As the name implies, these things mostly eat giant spiders.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Provided sufficient training, spider eaters can serve as exotic flying mounts.
* NoSell: They're under a constant ''freedom of movement'' effect, which allows them to ignore the webs of their favored prey.
* TheParalyzer: Their stings inject a poison that can leave a victim paralyzed and helpless for six to thirteen ''weeks'', more than enough time for a spider eater's young to hatch from a host.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Spirit of the Land]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spirit_of_the_land_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Earth manifestation (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 23 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

A mighty nature spirit that defends a specific geographic region from despoilers.
----
* ElementalPowers: They can use powerful magic like ''chain lightning'', ''incendiary cloud'', ''earthquake'', and ''create water'' at will, which is usually sufficient to deal with threats to their domains. When it wishes, a spirit of the land can physically manifest in the shape of a Huge [[ElementalEmbodiment elemental]] composed of one particular element, gaining the ability to control this element.
* FightingAShadow: The destruction of a spirit of the land's elemental manifestation at most renders the fey dormant for a day.
* GeniusLoci: They embody either a specific, bounded landform - a valley, a desert, a lake - or one aspect of such terrain, in which case multiple spirits of the land can coexist in the same region. They're aware of everything that happens in their domain, and while usually dormant, will awaken and punish anyone that would ravage the land under their protection.
* {{Intangibility}}[=/=]InvisibleMonsters: In its natural form, a spirit of the land is an invisible, shapeless mist.
* MouthOfSauron: Their ''AD&D'' write-up mentions that spirits of the land prefer to work through a druid living in their region.
* WeatherManipulation: Much of their spell-like abilities pertain to changing the weather -- ''control water'', ''control winds'', ''sleet storm'', ''fog cloud'', and of course ''control weather''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sprite]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sprite_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood

Tiny winged fey who militantly defend their sylvan glades and groves.
----
* TheEmpath: Sprites can put their hands upon another creature and sense their emotional state by the beating of their heart, or even [[DetectEvil discern the creature's alignment]] or [[MySensorsIndicateYouWantToTapThat know if they're in love.]]
* GoodIsNotNice: Though good defenders of the forest and sworn enemies of evil fey and goblinoids, sprites are noted to lack warmth or compassion, and are much more serious about their duties than the flighty pixies.
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: "Sprite" traditionally has encapsulated an entire subgroup of little winged fey folk, including "standard" sprites, pixies, nixies, sea sprites, grigs, and atomies. They all have insect features, usually just dragonfly or moth wings, but the grigs look to be half-cricket. They're generally inoffensive, if prone to mischief, but dislike other creatures intruding on their homes.
* ForcedSleep: Their arrows deal little damage, but are coated in a poison that puts targets to sleep.
* {{Invisibility}}: They can turn invisible at will.
* TreetopTown: Sprites build little villages high in trees, or even in willing treants.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Squamous Spewer]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_squamous_spewer_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Ravening blobs of eyes, teeth and scales from both chromatic and metallic dragons.
----
* BlobMonster: They're amorphous masses of scales, ExtraEyes and TooManyMouths, leading to speculation that they're related to gibbering beasts. In practical terms, squamous spewers' fluid anatomy means they can't be flanked and aren't subject to {{Critical Hit}}s.
* DragonAncestry: They have some draconic qualities, such as superior vision and an immunity to paralysis and magical sleep effects, but squamous spewers display no loyalty to true dragons, and the two generally despise each other.
* ItCanThink: Despite their freakish appearance, and in contrast to gibbering mouthers, they're fully intelligent and capable of speaking Draconic.
* RandomEffectSpell: The shape and effect of their BreathWeapon (which can come from three of a spewer's mouths at the same time) is randomized, either a cone or line of acid, cold, electricity or fire damage.
* SuperSenses: Their keen sense of smell and echolocation give them the benefit of blindsight out to 60 feet.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Three times per day they can let loose a MightyRoar that can cause those within 60 feet to become panicked or shaken.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Star Spawn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_foulspawn_4e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:4e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberrant Humanoid (4E), Aberration (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (Grue), 5 (Mangler), 10 (Hulk), 13 (Seer), 16 (Larva Mage) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (Grue, Seer), ChaoticEvil (Hulk, Larva Mage, Mangler)

Twisted monsters with a connection to the eldritch forces lurking beyond the boundaries of the known world, whether those forces be the stars themselves or the Elder Evils.
----
* BrownNote: Hulks, manglers, and seers can all inflict psychic damage with their melee attacks, while the grue's bite can confound its victim in a way that leaves them more vulnerable to attack.
* {{Cult}}: A star spawn seer is most often encountered as the leader of an Elder Evil cult. Usually, no one else in the cult knows the full extent of the horror the cult is venerating.
* DumbMuscle: The hulk is the largest of the known star spawn, and appears to have little will of its own, other than to protect its master.
* EvilIsVisceral: Star spawn hulks have transparent skin which leaves their muscles fully visible.
* HumanoidAbomination: A larva mage is a wholly alien being that takes the form of a humanoid, created when a powerful cultist of a wormlike entity contacts the comet-borne emissary of an Elder Evil, allowing the emissary to merge with a mortal consciousness.
* IntangibleMan: Star spawn seers are out-of-phase with the rest of the universe, allowing them to move through creatures and objects like they aren't there. This incorporeal movement does unpleasant things to the mind of any creature the seer passes through.
* LastChanceHitPoint: When a larva mage falls to 0 hit points, it doesn't die. Instead, it collapses into a swarm of worms with none of the larva mage's intellect or power. It's practically helpless in this state, but if the swarm can escape and go a full day without being destroyed, it will reform into the larva mage once more.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: A mangler most often has six arms, but one can have any number from four to eight.
* PrimalStance: Manglers appear smaller than their true size, due to their hunched posture and emaciated frame.
* PsychicPowers: A grue's constant chittering and shrieking produces discordant psychic energy that disrupts other creatures' thought patterns.
* {{Retcon}}:
** Most of the monsters presented as Star Spawn in ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' were classified as "Foulspawn" in older editions of the game, and the Star Spawn of 4th edition were a completely different but equally evil group of entities.
** The larva mage was known as the Worm That Walks prior to 4th edition. It was also not included amongst that edition's version of the star spawn ''or'' the Foulspawn of earlier editions.
* SwapTeleportation: A star spawn seer can avoid incoming attacks with its Bend Space reaction, which lets it trade places with another star spawn within 60 feet (and forces the second star spawn to take the hit in the seer's stead).
* TheWormThatWalks: A larva mage is a mass of worms assembled into a vaguely humanoid shape and controlled by a single intelligence. The whole swarm needs to be killed to ensure the mage's destruction, or else it will come back.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Steel Predator]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steel_predator_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Construct (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 13 (3E), 16 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (3E), LawfulEvil (5E)

Metallic feline hunters that would be formidable in battle even without their sonic roars.
----
* AdaptationalVillainy: In 3rd Edition, steel predators were simply animalistic beings that killed only to feed themselves, but 5th Edition cast them as assassins that occasionally go rogue and begin to kill indiscriminately.
* DeadlyLunge: Like other "big cat"-type creatures, 3rd Edition steel predators can make a pounce and rake attack on a charge.
* KillerRobot: A 5th Edition steel predator is a merciless machine with one purpose: kill its target regardless of distance and obstacles.
* MakeMeWannaShout: One feature that has remained constant is the steel predator's devastating roar, which deals heavy sonic/thunder damage as well as extra damage to brittle or crystalline items (in 3rd Edition), or may [[TheParalyzer stun victims for a minute]] (in 5th Edition).
* MetalMuncher: In 3E, steel predators feed on metal, and especially prize metallic magical items. Their natural home, the Outer Plane of Acheron, is littered with endless weapons-strewn battlefields and broken heaps of war machines, giving them a rich supply of food.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Acheron-native steel predators are adept at sundering enemies' weapons, shields or other held items with their bites.
* {{Retcon}}: In 3rd Edition, steel predators are outsiders native to the Infinite Battlefield of Acheron, prowling its warzones for fresh metal morsels. In 5th Edition, they're artificial killers created by a rogue modron to hunt down and slay targets across the planes.
* SuperSenses: They enjoy blindsight out to 30 feet, which is especially significant for the deaf 3E steel predators.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: 3rd Edition steel predators can sense the presence of any metallic magic item from up to 120 feet away.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stirge]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_stirge_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:4e]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_stirge_4e.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Beast (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E); 1, 7 (dire strige), 12 (swarm) (4E) ; 1/8 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E, 3E) Unaligned (2E, 4E-5E)

Bat-winged, needle-mouthed creatures that feed on larger animals' blood.
----
* AmbushingEnemy: Desert stirges are flightless, and hunt by burying themselves in the desert sand to ambush creatures passing by. Jungle stirges are also poor flyers, and instead rely on hiding in thick canopies and falling prey passing beneath them.
* ArtEvolution: Depictions of stirges are somewhat inconstant. The gained a second pair of wings between 2nd and 3rd Edition, and in addition some depictions give them greater proportions of birdlike traits or depict their probosces as rigid beaks or hooked noses.
* FantasticFaunaCounterpart: In most regards, they act as a fantastical counterpart to mosquitoes and vampire bats.
* MixAndMatchCritters: While their specific appearance and proportions change between editions, stirges usually resemble mixes of vultures, bats and mosquitoes.
* TheSwarm: Individual stirges are fairly weak and pose little threat to all but the weakest humanoids, so they usually attack in large swarms.
* VampiricDraining: Stirges feed on the blood of living creatures, attaching and draining them slowly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stone Cursed]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_stone_cursed_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

With a bit of basilisk blood and the ashes of a co*ckatrice feather, a petrified humanoid can be animated as a stony servitor, murderous but obedient to its creators.
----
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Stone cursed are predictably good at disguising themselves as ordinary statues.
* LivingStatue: The stone cursed are spawned through a foul alchemical ritual performed on a petrified humanoid. A dim echo of the victim's spirit is awakened, animating the statue and turning it into a useful guardian.
* OrganDrops: A side effect of their creation ritual is the formation of an obsidian skull-shaped stone within the stone cursed. If extracted from a slain stone cursed, a skilled arcanist can use the skull to try and extract a memory from the stone cursed's mortal life. Whether the attempt is successful or not, it can only be made once.
* TakenForGranite: Not only was the stone cursed a victim of such an attack, their claws drip with a transformative sludge that can in turn petrify their enemies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sylph]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sylph_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood (2E), TrueNeutral (3E), Unaligned (4E)

These beautiful winged women are air elemental-kin, rumored to be a crossbreed between nymphs and air spirits. They have a liking for the scenery of the Material Plane, and make their homes on mountaintops, but can be found almost anywhere due to their love of travel.
----
* AlchemicElementals: They're the sylphs representing air, obviously.
* CuriosityIsACrapshoot: Their response to strangers is to turn invisible and observe from hiding, but even if they detect a potential threat, sylphs' curiosity can lead them to linger in dangerous situations just to watch what happens.
* EnemySummoner: Once per day, a sylph can summon a Large elemental of any variety.
* {{Invisibility}}: They can use ''improved invisibility'' at will.
* OneGenderRace: Sylphs are all-female and, according to their ''AD&D'' write-up, [[MarsNeedsWomen reproduce with male humanoids]], most commonly elves but sometimes humans or halflings. This results in an egg three months later, which hatches into an infant sylph in another six months.
* {{Retcon}}: Their size varies by edition, starting Medium-sized, getting downgraded to Small in 3rd Edition, then becoming Medium again for 4th.
* SquishyWizard: Sylphs are natural sorcerers, but are ''very'' squishy in direct combat -- their 3rd Edition stats only give them 10 hit points despite being CR 5.
* WingedHumanoid: Their 2nd Edition write-up states that sylphs can naturally levitate, and their wings simply provide thrust.
[[/folder]]

!!T

[[folder:Tarrasque]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tarrasque_5e.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 20 (3E), 30 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3.5E), Unaligned (4E-5E)

An ancient and practically immortal monster, the tarrasque spends centuries at a time in hibernation before rousing itself to lay waste to everything in its path.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: The folkloric tarasque was a fairly standard medieval dragon who was easily defeated, cowed and tamed by Saint Martha. The ''D&D'' tarrasque is an unkillable, almost unstoppable juggernaut capable of leveling cities and often the most powerful and dangerous thing a party of adventurers can expect to meet.
* AntiStructure: The 5th edition tarrasque's Siege Monster trait makes its attacks inflict double damage to objects and structures.
* ArmorPiercingAttack: The 4th edition tarrasque has a passive trait which lets its attacks ignore damage resistance and thus always inflict full damage.
* AttackReflector: The tarrasque's carapace can reflect magic spells back at their casters.
* TheDreaded: Ordinary people are terrified of the tarrasque, and for good reason, as it can destroy entire towns and cities singlehandedly. When people hear that the beast has awakened and is headed their way, they get the hell out of dodge.
* HealingFactor: The tarrasque has freakishly strong regeneration, which will heal it of any and all damage it takes and which outright prevents it from taking lethal damage or incurable wounds from any source. It can instantly recover a severed limb by holding it to its stump, and even if it can't access the lost appendage a new one will grow back in six minutes at the longest anyway.
* NighInvulnerability: While the specifics vary by edition, the tarrasque is usually highly resistant if not outright immune to multiple damage types, highly resistant to magic, and immune to multiple status effects. Its tough hide is extremely difficult to injure, translating to a sky-high AC, and it usually has a very powerful HealingFactor which quickly undoes any damage it ''does'' take. In older editions, the only way to kill it was to bring it down to negative hit points and then use a ''wish'' spell to make it ''stay'' dead. In 4th edition, it simply cannot be killed: bring it down to 0 hit points and it just [[VillainExitStageLeft buggers off to the Earth's core to recuperate for a few decades]].
* NoSell: The Tarrasque's armored carapace is impervious to most forms of magic, and has a 1-in-6 chance of [[AttackReflector reflecting any spell cast on it back at the caster]].
* SingleSpecimenSpecies: The tarrasque is generally treated as a unique creature in most settings. The one exception is ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'', which has a planet inhabited by ''hundreds'' of the creatures.
* VillainExitStageLeft: In 4th edition, the tarrasque will escape from combat by burrowing into the ground the instant it falls to 0 hit points. It then returns to the planet's core to rest and recuperate.
* YouWillNotEvadeMe: In 4th edition the tarrasque projects a magical aura which prevents other creatures from flying higher than 20 feet, keeping them well within reach of its teeth and claws. Said aura also neuters the speed of flying creatures so that they cannot outrun the tarrasque.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tempest]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tempest_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 16 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral

These composite elementals are more or less living storms, and generally attack any creatures they encounter.
----
* BizarreAlienReproduction: Their ''AD&D'' entry assures us that yes, tempests do have genders, and if a "male" and "female" living storm meet, the result is about a week's worth of calamitous weather, followed by the two going their separate ways, leaving behind one to four infant tempests sometimes called "tantrums."
* BlowYouAway: Beyond being able to use ''gust of wind'' and ''wind wall'' at will, a tempest can take the form of a whirlwind (or vortex if underwater) that can mow over enemies, dealing heavy damage and potentially sucking them up in the cyclone.
* {{Cumulonemesis}}: A tempest is an elemental spirit in the form of a living storm cloud about fifty feet wide. A surly and aggressive being, it attacks with lightning, pouring rain and whirlwinds, and feeds by killing living creatures and consuming their moisture.
* ElementalPowers: A tempest is an elemental where all four elements coexist: air in the wind, earth in the whirling sand and dirt, fire in the heat of the lightning, and water in the rain. In 3rd Edition, it simultaneously has the air, earth, fire and water subtypes.
* AnIcePerson: Tempests can use ''chill touch'' as an at-will spell-like ability.
* OrganDrops: According to their ''AD&D'' entry, the element of earth is represented in both the dust that swirls around a tempest, and in their "circulatory system" of silver. When a tempest is slain, a silvery residue rains from its form, which can be collected as the equivalent of a handful of silver pieces, but is most valuable as a crafting component for a ''wand of lightning'' or similar lightning- or weather-related magic items.
* ShockAndAwe: They can cast ''lightning bolt'' at will.
* UndergroundMonkey: Tempests have both arctic and desert equivalents. The latter are skriaxits, also known as blackstorms or living sandstorms, and are just as aggressive but much more sad*stic than ordinary tempests, making them NeutralEvil rather than ChaoticNeutral. %%In-universe alignments.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tendriculos]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tendriculos_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Huge, carnivorous plants known for their rapid regenerative ability.
----
* BigEater: Tendriculoses consume large amounts of meat to fuel their regeneration ability.
* HealingFactor: The tendriculos can regrow its vegetable body extremely rapidly, unless hurt by acid or bludgeoning weapons.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: The process is quite involved, but it's possible to ride a tendriculos, in a way. First, one of their seeds has to be grown in a special alchemical mixture that negates its paralytic, acidic digestive juices. This makes the tendriculos wholly dependent on its master to feed it pulped meat, or else it will starve. Once the monster is fully-grown, a device resembling a bear trap is used to hold its jaws open, at which point its owner can crawl inside its stomach cavity, steering the creature by reins attached to the steel contraption in its mouth. For this to work, the tendriculos needs special training to suppress its urge to swallow enemies, but this isn't foolproof, which can result in an enemy being dropped into the creature's stomach right next to its "rider."
* ManEatingPlant: They look like a 15-foot-tall mound of vegetation supported by vines and branches, and have a mouth full of thorny teeth.
* SwallowedWhole: Anything Large or smaller hit by a tendriculos' bite attack is in danger of being swallowed, at which point it will take regular acid damage and have to save against [[TheParalyzer paralysis]] from the same digestive juices.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thoqqua]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thoqqua_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Also known as rockworms or fireworms, these creatures use their superheated bodies to burrow through solid rock in search of minerals. They're often found on the Elemental Planes of Fire and Earth, but are native to the Paraelemental Plane of Magma.
----
* DigAttack: Their first instinct when disturbed is to attack, often by bursting out of a rocky surface at interlopers.
* DungeonBypass: 3rd Edition druids can summon thoqquas with ''summon nature's ally'' at 5th level, and can then direct the creatures to tunnel their way through dungeon walls and other obstacles well before a party normally gets access to spells like ''teleport''.
* FastTunnelling: They have a 20 foot burrow speed, and can bore through solid rock without difficulty. This leaves behind a narrow but usable tunnel, though it takes a couple of minutes for its walls to cool enough to be safe to use.
* FeedItWithFire: Their 2nd Edition rules let thoqquas heal from fire damage, and notes that when two or more thoqquas are encountered together, they'll abuse this trait to give each other additional hit points.
* MagmaMan: They're hybrid creatures of elemental earth and fire, which unfortunately contributes to thoqquas' foul tempers, and makes them vulnerable to cold attacks. On the upside, they deal extra fire damage with every attack, or to anyone stupid enough to touch them.
* MetalMuncher: They feed on rocks and minerals, which can cause problems if thoqquas end up on the Material Plane next to a dwarf or kobold settlement.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thought Eater]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thought_eater_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:2e]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thought_eater_2e.jpg[[/labelnote]] ]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (thought eater), 13 (thought slayer) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (thought eater), ChaoticNeutral (thought slayer) (3E)

Predators from the Ethereal Plane whose skeletal forms are wrapped in protomatter, and which feed upon the mental energy of Material Plane creatures.
----
* ArtEvolution: Early thought eaters were explicitly skeletal platypi, but their 3rd Edition art made them much more intimidating, something like hawk-headed skeletal lions draped in ectoplasm.
* DeadlyGaze: A thought slayer's mind-consuming gaze can instantly kill creatures that fail their saves, or daze those who saw it through something like a mirror or reflection in water. The good news is that it has to manifest on the Material Plane to affect Material creatures with it, so prey at least has a chance to fight back.
* EvolutionaryLevels: The ''Expanded Pisonics Handbook'' describes thought slayers, a larger and stronger variant of the thought eater, as having "fared far better on the evolutionary ladder" than their common kin.
* GiantMook: Thought slayers are a far more dangerous breed of thought eater, being Huge rather than Medium-sized, wielding much more dangerous psionic powers, and capable of bringing down prey with a mere stare.
* HitAndRunTactics: If they face resistance, a thought eater will make an attack or two, then return to the Ethereal Plane to digest their meal. Though if they sense weak prey, they'll stop to gorge themselves.
* {{Intangibility}}: As Ethereal Plane predators, they can shift to the Material Plane as part of a move action, and return to the Ethereal as a free action. The catch is that if they spend more than 10 continuous rounds on the Material Plane, their wispy bodies will fall apart, killing them.
* ManaDrain: A thought eater's only attack is a touch that drains six power points from a psionic opponent, or deals [[NonHealthDamage Intelligence damage]] to non-psions; either way, these attacks provide nourishment to a thought eater. Thought slayers work similarly, but have an actual bite attack, and need only look at their victims to consume their minds.
* PsychicPowers: Basic thought eaters can use powers like ''psionic daze'' or ''precognition'' to assist in hunts, while thought slayers can break out bigger guns like ''brain lock'' or ''mind trap''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thri-Kreen]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/88268_620_121.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E, 5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral

Mantis-like humanoids with multiple limbs and a penchant for psionic powers. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thunderbird]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thunderbird_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood

Immense birds of prey with great power over the sky's fury, thunderbirds are often seen as objects of worship by humanoids who share their ranges.
----
* GiantAnimalWorship: Thunderbirds are often worshipped as nature spirits and embodiments of the elements by desert-dwelling peoples.
* GiantFlyer: Thunderbirds are immense, capable of reaching thirty feet from head to tail and to have fifty-foot wingspans, and can easily carry animals as large as an orca away into the sky.
* ShockAndAwe: Thunderbirds have innate control over electricity, and can magically call down thunderbolts and create lightning storms.
* {{Thunderbird}}: Thunderbirds are immense raptors with power over storms and lightning, which tribal communities ofter worship as avatar of nature's fury and abundance.
* WeatherManipulation: Thunderbirds can create fog banks, lightning storms and sandstorms as innate magical powers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tlincalli]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tlincalli_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Nomadic scorpion people who live in the desert.
----
* ArtEvolution: The tlincalli have had a consistent design over the years, a human upper body attached at the front of a giant scorpion. Through 3rd edition said body was red-skinned, hairless, but otherwise pretty human, even handsomely so. 5th edition tweaked this design to make them look more monstrous: the upper body is humanoid but clearly inhuman, with a chitinous exoskeleton and an insectoid head.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: The tlincalli of Faerûn have an odd practice of divination, in which they spread out among tunnels just beneath the surface, tracking the movements of other creatures through their tremorsense as they move through some mystical grid. After days of this, the tlincalli reach some conclusion, and will either erupt from their tunnels to attack surface settlements, or adopt completely random attitudes towards strangers they may have encountered before, all the while convinced that they are doing what destiny demands of them.
* BewareMyStingerTail: At the end of a tlincalli's long scorpion tail is a stinger.
* DesertBandits: They scavenge most of the things they want or need from other creatures. If you're passing through their territory and have something they want, they're liable to attack you and take it.
* EatenAlive: They take prisoners with the use of their paralytic poison, but only to bring back to their nests so their newly-hatched young have a fresh meal.
* PoisonousPerson: A tlincalli's stinger carries a powerful paralytic poison. Their eggshells are coated in a similar poison, ensuring that any would-be predator who tries to consume the eggs ends up as a helpless meal for the hatchlings. Elminster notes that even tlincalli shells have a poisonous coating, [[OrganDrops which alchemists can boil out while preserving its paralytic power.]]
* ScorpionPeople: Tlincallis, also called scorpion folk or stingers, have the upper body of a human and the lower body of an enormous scorpion.
* {{Teleportation}}: In 3rd Edition, stingers can use an ability called ''bolthole magic'', allowing them to instantly move up to 20 feet straight up or down in a flash of red light, so long as they pass through at least a foot of earth during the move. Though the ability deals a bit of damage to the stinger, it's a useful way to move between tunnels overlapping one another, or launch surprise attacks against surface enemies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tojanida]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tojanida_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (juvenile), 5 (adult), 9 (elder) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Turtle-like omnivores from the Elemental Plane of Water, who can reconfigure how their limbs emerge from their shells.
----
* ItCanThink: They look like bizarre animals, but tojanidas have human-level intelligence, speak Aquan, and can be pretty loquacious on the subject of food.
* OurMonstersAreWeird: They're turtles with shells of hexagonal plates, which completely surround their bodies save for eight openings, four on each end. They have four flippers, two claws and a toothy mouth all on stalks, which they can stick out of their shell's openings however they see fit.
* RemovableShell: Played with; a tojanida cannot take its shell off, but they are certainly less attached to it than normal turtles, as they can move around within it and rearrange how their limbs protrude from it.
* SmokeOut: They can emit an ink cloud that replicates the effect of ''fog cloud'' underwater.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tomb Tapper]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tomb_tapper_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 14 (3E), 10 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral

Strange giant-sized constructs, properly named thaalud, that covet magic items and have an obsession with shaping stone.
----
* AbsurdlyDedicatedWorker: The original thaalud were created during a war between human wizards and nonhuman spellcasters, but in the centuries since that conflict, the tomb tappers have continued to obsessively hoard any magic items they come across. Rumors abound that all of their loot is taken to a single vault deep underground, which would be one of the richest treasure hoards in the multiverse.
* BellyMouth: Perhaps their distinguishing feature, which they can use to make bite attacks, or chew on an enemy spellcaster.
* TheBlank: Their heads are just featureless lumps, which incidentally makes them immune to illusions or gaze attacks.
* DishingOutDirt: They can use ''spike stones'' during combat, or ''stone shape'' simply to amuse themselves by creating random doorways, walls or twisty corridors.
* DropTheHammer: They commonly wield stone hammers scaled up for their size.
* EatDirtCheap: Tomb tappers crush rock with their jaws to extract mineral sustenance.
* StarfishLanguage: They can communicate with other creatures through {{Telepathy}} (usually to demand that they hand over all their magic items and run away), but tomb tappers speak among themselves by generating humming vibrations with their skin.
* SuperSenses: They navigate through something like sonar, giving them blindsight out to 120 feet but making them effectively blinded if under a ''silence'' effect. Tomb tappers also have tremorsense out to half that distance.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: They can ''detect magic'' at will.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tortle]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tortle.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulGood

Turtle-like humanoids that wander the world to partake in its wonders, well-protected by their sturdy natural armor. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Trapper]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_trapper_5e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Manta-like creatures that cling to ceilings or walls, or spread out over floors, and try to blend in with their surroundings. Once prey comes near, the trapper peels away and wraps around their victim, smothering and crushing them before digestion.
----
* AcidAttack: Beyond the bludgeoning damage of their crush attack, a trapper's victims take acid damage each round they're being smothered by the thing.
* ChameleonCamouflage: A trapper can change the appearance of its outer side to blend in with any surface made of stone, earth or wood. They can't properly mimic snow or vegetation, but know how to conceal themselves under a thin layer of the stuff.
* CraftedFromAnimals: Their hides can be harvested and fashioned into enchanted leather armor.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: It takes a high Intelligence check to distinguish a trapper from an ordinary section of wall, ceiling or floor.
* ItCanThink: Downplayed; trappers have animalistic intelligence, but have caught on that the leftover bones, items and treasure from their meals also draws other creatures to investigate.
-->'''Volo:''' Trappers know when prey draws near, so explore ruins and dungeons with equal wariness. For dumb beasts, they know very well what treasure is, what treasure chests are, and how these lure the likes of us.
* {{Retcon}}: The original trapper debuted on the same page as the lurker (above), a similar manta-shaped creature known for disguising itself as a ceiling, while trappers were relegated to dungeon floors. Their most recent lore mentions trappers clinging to any surface they please, suggesting the trappers and lurkers are the same type of monster.
* SinisterSuffocation: Anything grappled by a trapper is in danger of suffocation.
* UndergroundMonkey: Forest trappers, also known as miners, hunt by burrowing just under the surface of paths or dirt roads and extending twig-like barbs to the surface that carry a paralytic poison. Once prey blunders onto them and is incapacitated, the miner surfaces and engulfs its victims.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Treant]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/treant_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E), Fey Magical Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8, 25 (elder) (3E); 16 (4E); 9 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood (3E), Unaligned (4E), ChaoticGood (5E)

Large humanoid trees who inhabit and guard ancient forests.
----
* ForestRanger: Most treants live as protectors of their forest homes, guarding them against the intrusions of evil creatures and of outsiders who take more natural resources than the environment can spare.
* NonHumanUndead: Blackroot treants are undead tree-people who rule over blighted forests roamed by restless spirits and the walking dead.
* GreenThumb: They can animate and control regular trees.
* StealthyColossus: When a treant stays still, its legs join together to resemble a single trunk and its facial features become indistinguishable from normal whorls and lines of tree bark. As long as it doesn't move, even people walking right across its feet will find it impossible to tell it apart from a normal tree.
* TheSymbiote: The treats of [[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms the forest of Cormanthor]] live in symbiosis with other forest creatures that live in and on the treant itself, gaining food and shelter in exchange for performing some service. These are grubs that feed on a kind of mold that infests treants, toxic fungi that grow around their legs and ward off gnawing rodents, and bats that nest in their branches and eat parasitic insects.
* {{Treants}}: Treants have been present as Good-aligned plant creatures since the early days of the game. They were openly named [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Ents]] in the first editions of the game, but the name was later changed to treants for copyright reasons. They begin life as regular trees that sometimes possess a spark of magical potential, which can be slowly nurtured by druids or other treants to cause the tree to gradually develop humanoid features and mature into an adult treant.
** While treants are normally benevolent, those living in [[TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}} the Demiplane of Dread]] are vicious and aggressive -- there's something in the Demiplane that turns all plant-creatures that grow there into homicidal killers, even if they'd otherwise be good guys, and the treants are no exception.
** The 1986 bestiary ''Creature Catalogue'' includes the gakarak, a much more hostile relative of the treant. Gakaraks resemble regular treants draped in moss and lichens, inhabit deep, ancient forests, are incredibly hostile to humanoids and consider them all to be vicious tree-slayers, and are some of the most long-lived creatures in existence. They possess a typical set of GreenThumb powers -- specially, they can animate trees, make plants grow and teleport through vegetation -- and rarely speak more of the local languages than they need to to shout "get away from my trees!" before attacking intruders.
* UndergroundMonkey: They have some regional variants as well. Wizened elders are stunted (Medium-sized), gnarled treant variants found on cold plains or subalpine mountains, right on the edge of the tree line. They're ChaoticNeutral rather than NeutralGood, harsh and sometimes cruel, and bitter toward their "overly-soft" treant kin for "abandoning" them to less-hospitable climates. %%In-universe alignment.

!!Saguaro Sentinel
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_saguaro_sentinel_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Desert-dwelling relatives of treants, saguaro sentinels view themselves as protectors of wasteland plant life.
----
* CactusPerson: Saguaro sentinels are huge, humanoid saguaros who watch over cactus forests and can use their covering of thorns to defend themselves in battle.
* SpikeShooter: They can shoot out their thorns in painful volleys, but at the cost of losing the melee defense they gain from them until the thorns grow back.
* TheSpiny: Anyone attempting to battle a saguaro sentinel risks exposure to the long, wicked thorns that grow from their bodies. In game terms, this causes anyone who tries to fight one with natural attacks or unarmed strikes, or who is pushed into the plant, to suffer 1d6 points of piercing damage. This issue can be circumvented by using melee weapons.
* UndergroundMonkey: Saguaro sentinels are a desert-themed variant of treants that resemble [[CactusPerson huge, humanoid saguaros]], are TrueNeutral rather than NeutralGood, and guard and protect cactus forests.%%In-universe alignment.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tressym]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tressym.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (3E), 0 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral or ChaoticGood (2E, 3E), ChaoticNeutral (5E)

Intelligent creatures resembling winged housecats.
----
* CatsAreMagic: They're the product of magical experimentation, and have several supernatural abilities beyond flight.
* CoolPet: Tressym are intelligent flying cats known to form strong friendships with humanoids, particularly rangers and wizards.
* IntellectualAnimal: Their ''AD&D'' stats put their Intelligence at higher than the average human's, when serving as familiars they're bright enough to understand and carry out complex orders (at least those that don't require opposable thumbs), and they can defy their instincts to concentrate on a task or leave bird eggs and hatchlings alone so they'll have something to hunt later. They just lack a natural ability to communicate with other creatures.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Tressym are cats with membranous wings covered in avian feathers.
* NoSell: Tressym are immune to any poison.
* SuperSenses: They have good-ranged darkvision, can detect invisible entities, and even detect poisons.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Triton]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/triton_5e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood

Amphibious humanoids with finned legs, who generally keep to themselves, battling the evil forces of the ocean. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Troglodyte]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/troglodyte_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E), 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Degenerate lizardfolk from the Underdark infamous for their stench.
----
* BizarreSexualDimorphism: In at least some settings and editions, only the males are humanoid, while the females are squat, non-sentient, toad-like giant lizards.
* ChameleonCamouflage: Their pebbly-scaled hides can change color to match whatever type of stone their cavern homes are made of.
* DumbMuscle: Trens are much bigger and stronger than common troglodyters, but also much less intelligent.
* EitherOrOffspring: When trens and troglodytes interbreed, the resulting eggs will hatch into either full trens or full troglodytes, with an equal chance of each.
* EvilSmellsBad: They smell revolting -- their natural musk is strongly offensive to the noses of every other living thing, and non-troglodytes who fail their fortitude checks will be sickened from simply being close to them.
* LizardFolk: Primitive, pale-scaled humanoid reptiles found living underground.
* TheMorlocks: They're sometimes depicted as the LizardFolk equivalent, being descendants of conventional ''D&D'' lizardfolk that got trapped in, and adapted to, the Underdark.
* ServantRace: In ''Forgotten Realms'', the troglodytes were created by the sarrukh to serve as guardians of their underground holdings and as subterranean explorers. The trens were later bred by the yuan-ti to serv as SlaveMooks.
* TrueBreedingHybrid: Trens were created through the selective cross-breeding of troglodytes and lizardfolk. In the modern day, long after the original experiments, they have established themselves as a widespread and self-sustaining species in their own right.
* WeaponizedStench: In various editions of the game, troglodytes emit a nauseating stench as a special attack. The exact game effects of this stench vary from edition to edition.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Troll]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/troll_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Giant (3-5E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E, 5E), 9 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Ugly green monsters with a powerful regenerative factor, which can only be negated by fire or acid damage.
----
* AlienBlood: Fire trolls have mauve blood that corrodes metal.
* AllTrollsAreDifferent: The trolls in ''D&D'' are actually pretty consistent in their large size, low intelligence, savage demeanor, regenerative powers and distinctive pronounced noses. But they also come in an array of subtypes defined by habitat or unique biology, while the 5th Edition ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' also introduces a number of troll mutates based on their healing factor's response to certain types of damage.
* AquaticMook: Scrags, amphibious trolls who only regenerate when immersed in water.
* CannibalismSuperpower: Trolls who [[MonstrousCannibalism feed on their conspecifics]] can become powerful dire trolls. While this makes them larger and stronger, it also leads to BodyHorror like additional heads and limbs, which at least can be useful in combat.
* ClingyCostume: Bladerager trolls are characterized by having been flayed alive so armor plating can be applied directly into their flesh. The constant pain from these enhancements makes them even more savage than normal trolls, and [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead deals Wisdom damage to anything making psychic contact with them.]]
* CrystallineCreature: The skin of crystalline trolls is made entirely out of crystal, giving them good natural armor but also a vulnerability to sonic attacks that can shatter their crystalline shells.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: Death undoes the magic that binds the implanted weapons to a bladerager troll's flesh, causing its body to explode in a burst of jagged shrapnel.
* EliteMook: Fell trolls, a breed that grows to be much larger and stronger than common trolls.
* FeedItWithFire: Fire trolls take no damage from fire-based attacks, but will instead regain ten hit points of health for every round during which such an attack covers at least half their bodies.
* FromASingleCell: In 1st Edition, trollish healing is so strong that every sliver of flesh cut from a troll will eventually regrow into a new individual unless it's burned.
* GemTissue: Crystalline trolls have bodies seemingly covered in rock crystal, which grants them an immunity to acid damage, but also a new AchillesHeel in the form of sonic attacks.
* GiantMook: Mountain trolls' main characteristic is that they're Huge instead of Large, with a corresponding increase in their melee ability. Dire trolls are also Huge, but defined more by their bodily mutations.
* HealingFactor: Just shy from FromASingleCell, in fact. Unless it is damage from fire or acid, they ''will'' heal from it, and fast. Chopped off limbs will continue to move on their own, or will instantly merge with the troll if it holds the severed member to its stump. You can hack a troll into itty bitty pieces, and it will heal back together. They are almost fearless as a result, savagely throwing themselves into combat while safe in the knowledge that nothing the enemy can do can permanently hurt them.
* KillItWithFire: Fire damage is one of the few things trolls can't regenerate, and thus one of the more efficient ways to kill them.
* LiterallyShatteredLives: If a fire troll is brought to zero hit points by cold-based damage, it will stiffen and fall over to the ground. Normally it will simply thaw in a few rounds and start regenerating, but dealing sufficient damage to it while it's frozen stiff will cause it to shatter and kill it for good.
* MakeThemRot: Rot trolls are so saturated with negative energy that they cause any creature within five or so feet of them to suffer necrotic damage.
* {{Mutants}}:
** Trolls' regeneration can interact in peculiar ways with outside stimuli, and trolls exposed to great quantities of certain substances or energies can undergo dramatic mutations as their flesh takes on the qualities of these things, leading to rot, spirit and venom trolls.
** Troll mutates have been exposed to the corrupting influence of the Far Realm, granting them physical deformities like extra limbs and externalized organs. Worse, they will mutate further mid-combat, growing extra claws or heads, or sprouting tentacles or wings, as they heal damage from enemies. Sometimes these growths are vestigial and useless, other times they're fully-functional.
* PoisonousPerson:
** Venom trolls literally drip with poison, which slicks their skin, coats their claws and drips from their every wound.
** Filth-eater trolls live in the squalid refuse pits on the periphery of drow settlements, and as such their claw attacks carry filth fever. On the upside, [[AcquiredPoisonImmunity they're immune to normal diseases themselves.]]
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: War trolls were carefully bred and magically-augmented by a cabal of mages to make them exceptional soldiers. They're smarter and more disciplined than normal trolls, capable of deftly wielding weapons and wearing armor, and live only for battle, serving their creators or hiring themselves out as mercenaries.
* RockMonster: Stone trolls (''Dragon'' magazine #199) have rocky skin that they get from [[EatDirtCheap eating rocks, stones and gems]].
* ShorterMeansSmarter: Forest trolls are smaller than normal trolls (making them Medium-sized Giants), but just as smart as an ordinary human, making them capable of using sophisticated tactics during their hunts.
* SmashMook: The brutish, bestial trolls lack the technological prowess to create complex weapons or the skill and wit to use them effectively. Instead, their favored approach to battle is to simply wade into melee and begin hitting the closest enemy, relying on their potent regeneration to keep them alive.
* SuperSpit: Ice trolls can spit globs of ice-cold saliva that will both freeze their targets and nauseate them.
* TrueBreedingHybrid: The first mur-zhaguls arose from the intermingling of trolls and demons, but in the present day they're a self-sustaining species in their own right.
* UndergroundMonkey: Some of the simpler troll subtypes are marked by their favored terrain -- wasteland trolls, cave trolls, mountain trolls, etc.
* WalkingWasteland: Rot trolls are so suffused with negative energy that they cause all living things in their vicinity to undergo necrosis.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Gray trolls (''Dragon'' magazine #199) are badly burned by sunlight, which steadily chips away at their health without allowing regeneration and, if they cannot find shelter in time, burns them to ash.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tsochar]]
[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tsochar.png]]
[[caption-width-right:305:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (individual strand), 4 (tangle) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Alien masses of tendrils from a cold, distant world, feared for their ability to worm into other creatures' bodies to wear their flesh.
----
* TheAgeless: Tsochari are functionally immortal, since individual strands from their tangles regularly die and are replaced by new ones, without impacting the gestalt being.
* ChestBurster: When a tsochar decides to leave a host, or is evicted by a spell like ''remove disease'' or ''dispel evil'', it bursts out of the body, dealing damage to it.
* ExtraParentConception: Tsochari are hermaphrodites that reproduce every five to ten years, laying a clutch of eggs that results in hundreds of new tsochar strands. Since it takes about 40 of such strands to make a "full" tsochar, and they don't take any pains to segregate egg clutches from each other, it's not uncommon for a tsochar to have dozens of parents.
* FantasticRacism: Tsochari recognize the power of other aberrations like neogi and illithids, but view ordinary humanoids as little better than animals to be ridden or sacrificed to their god.
* FusionDance: A fully-grown tsochar is actually a tangle of tsochari strands that have fused together to form a single organism.
* TheParalyzer: Their strands' barbs inflict a poison that deals Dexterity damage, allowing tsochari to render a victim helpless so they can wear their flesh. However, an individual strand's poison is too weak to do this, so only combined tangles can inject dangerous amounts of venom with their constriction attacks.
* PossessionBurnout: While inside a living host, a tsochar deals daily Constitution damage as they feed on its blood and tissues, while a slain-and-replaced body will slowly be devoured, taking Constitution drain each month.
* PuppeteerParasite: Tsochari can worm their way wholly inside other creatures over the course of a minute, and can then choose to either simply inhabit their host, hiding their tendrils in the spaces between its organs and muscles, or they can bore out their victim's nervous system, killing them (painfully) and effectively taking control of the body. While inhabiting a host, a tsochar can damage it from the inside and inflict nauseating pain, usually to punish a defiant victim. In any case, a humanoid body inhabited by a tsochar will display signs like a slightly distended abdomen, long cords beneath their skin, and the glint of alien flesh in their throat, ear canal or navel.
* ReligionOfEvil: The tsochari are faithful devotees of Mak Thuum Ngatha, the Nine-Tongued Worm, an alien god they honor through sacrifices of other intelligent beings.
* StarfishAliens: A tsochar in its base form is a thin blue-black strand of flesh 3 to 8 feet long, with an eye and mouth on one end and a barbed stinger on the other. Individually a tsochar strand is a mindless predator, but when they form a tangle, their nervous, digestive, circulatory, etc. systems fuse as well, creating a sentient creature.
* {{Telepathy}}: A useful way for a tsochar to give orders to a host it's inhabiting.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Twilight Guardian]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_twilight_guardian_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

These dragon-shaped masses of earth, stone and plant matter arise where a dying dragon has fused with the landscape to become its sentinel.
----
* TheAgeless: They don't have much of a concept for mortality and time, and twilight guardians rebuild their bodies each time they use their ''teleport via plants'' ability.
* DragonAncestry: An odd case, since they aren't born in a natural sense, but twilight guardians have the (dragonblood) subtype.
* GuardianEntity: Twilight guardians are the physical manifestations of a departed dragon's spirit, and are typically found in a dragon breed's hatching grounds, attacking any creatures not native to the area. They only have a rudimentary sense of their creator's spirit, however, and are near-mindless creatures.
* PoisonousPerson: Their tails carry a Constitution-damaging poison.
* {{Teleportation}}: They can ''transport via plants'' at will, popping around the battlefield by merging with the ground in one place and reforming some distance away.
* WhenTreesAttack: Downplayed in that twilight guardians are just as much creatures of earth and stone as they are branch and grass, though they still have the Plant type. They also vary by terrain and climate, so twilight guardians in desert environments will be made from scrubs or cacti.
[[/folder]]

!!U

[[folder:Umber Hulk]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/umber_hulk.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Natural Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (1E-3.5E, 5E), Unaligned (4E)

Bipedal insect-like creatures native to the Underdark, umber hulks are ambush predators who incapacitate victims with a magical gaze before devouring them.
----
* BigCreepyCrawlies: An umber hulk is an eight-foot-tall insect-like creature.
* ExactlyWhatit*aysOnTheTin: They're umber-coloured, and they tower over most humanoids with their hulking stature.
* HypnoticEyes: An umber hulk's four-eyed gaze puts its victims into a state of confusion, forcing them to act randomly and leaving them easy prey.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Many survivors of an umber hulk attack forget about the incident, because their memory is scrambled by the umber hulk's confusing gaze.
* SlaveRace: The neogi make extensive use of umber hulk slaves, leading to generations of the brutes being raised in captivity, to the point that they accept their servitude as part of the natural order. This means the neogi don't need to use their supernatural ability to control umber hulks, who will obey a neogi's orders without question, even meekly submitting to corporeal punishment from masters they could easily crush in their hands.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Umbral Blot]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_blackball_2e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:2e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 32 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Also called "blackballs" or "deadly spheres," these roaming 5-foot globes of utter darkness disintegrate everything they touch.
----
* BlowYouAway: Umbral blots naturally insulate themselves against the surrounding air, [[RequiredSecondaryPowers otherwise they'd be constantly surrounded by a vacuum.]] But if a particularly speedy foe manages to evade them, they can suppress that effect, creating a 30-foot vortex that draws in all nearby creatures, with the saving throw against the effect being much higher for airborne foes.
* DimensionalTraveler: 3E umbral blots can use ''etheral jaunt'' or ''plane shift'' as a standard action.
* DungeonBypass: They're fully capable of boring their way through terrain, and can surprise adventurers by coming up through the floor or dropping from the ceiling.
* MistakenIdentity: It's mentioned that some spellcasters who encounter these creatures confuse them for a ''sphere of annihilation'' and attempt to command them with a ''talisman of the sphere''. The umbral blots might choose to play along for a time, only to betray their "master" for their presumption.
* OneHitKill: Anything an umbral blot makes contact with has to save or die, disintegrating so completely that not even [[ReducedToDust dust]] remains.
* PowerOfTheVoid: They're essentially free-roaming black holes, and incredibly dangerous entites.
* SuperSenses: 3E umbral blots have blindsense out to 200 feet.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: 2E blackballs can instead sense any intelligent creatures within 60 feet of them.
* {{Teleportation}}: As if their flight speed wasn't enough, 3rd Edition umbral blots can use ''dimension door'' or ''teleport without error'' at will.
* TookALevelInBadass: With a movement of only 3, 2nd Edition blackballs moved at a quarter the speed of a baseline human, giving other creatures a chance to escape and elude it. The umbral blot of the 3E ''Epic Level Handbook'', on the other hand, flies at a rate of 90 feet per round, more than enough to run down someone mounted on a horse.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: Umbral blots are believed by some sages to be creations of "[[TheOldGods the Old Ones]]," who used them as messengers or assassins, until they rebelled and destroyed them, so perhaps now the umbral blots are roving the cosmos, looking for any Old Ones they missed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Unicorn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unicorn_35e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Fey Magical Beast (4E), Celestial (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood (1-3.5E), Unaligned (4E), LawfulGood (5E)

One-horned, equine beings who live in the forest. They're generally benevolent if skittish, and are often hunted for their horns.
----
* AnIcePerson: Palomino unicorns or criocorns, described in ''Dragon Magazine'' #190, live in arctic environments and can create blizzards, chill metal and shoot freezing rays.
* ImmortalProcreationClause: ''The Ecology of the Unicorn'' states that unicorns are so long-lived that they seem to be nearly immortal, but remain rare because they almost never breed.
* TheMedic: Unicorns can heal wounds and poisoning with a touch of their horns.
* MixAndMatchCritters: While it's not often brought up, and not mentioned at all in 5th edition, unicorns are this. They have the bodies of horses, obviously, but also the tail of a lion or boar, the beard of a goat, cloven hooves, and trots like a deer rather than gallop.
* TheParalyzer: Black unicorns, describes in ''Dragon Magazine'' #190, can paralyze other beings with a touch of their horns. If this paralysis isn't cured within three days, the victim dies of heart failure.
* PlayingWithFire: Bay unicorns or pyrocorns, described in ''Dragon Magazine'' #190, live in spent volcanic caverns and can naturally cast spells that allow them to wreathe their horns in fire, create flames or throw fireballs.
* UndergroundMonkey: 2nd edition ''D&D'' introduces a great variety of unicorn breeds -- depending on which sources one uses, up to ''fifteen kinds''.
** The base game has three; the ChaoticGood, conventional or "sylvan" unicorn, the demon-blooded, ChaoticEvil and meat-eating black unicorn of the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', and the NeutralEvil shadow unicorn -- evil hybrids of unicorns and [[HellishHorse nightmares]] -- from ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}''.%%In-universe alignment.
** ''Magazine/DragonMagazine'' #190 introduces the alicorn (gnarly-horned unicorns that can cast CharmPerson), pyrocorn (NeutralEvil bay-colored unicorns who can cast [[KillItWithFire a number of fire spells]]), black unicorn (different for the Faerunian kind in that their powers focus on [[CastingAShadow magically manipulating darkness]]), roanicorn (desert-dwelling brown unicorns with telepathy and ESP), cunnequine (LawfulGood counterparts to the traditionally ChaoticGood unicorn), faerie unicorn (small, green-tinted chameleonic unicorns), graycorn (TrueNeutral gray colored unicorns that reflect damage back at their attackers), criocorn (palomino-colored LawfulEvil unicorns with [[AnIcePerson ice-related magic]]), chromacorn (pinto-colored NeutralGood unicorns that can cast illusions and Prismatic Sprays), sea unicorn (aquatic unicorns that can shapeshift into narwhals), unisus (a WingedUnicorn born from crossbreeding a unicorn and a {{pegasus}}), and zebracorn (zebra-striped unicorns with VoluntaryShapeshifting powers).%%In-universe alignments.
** Basic/Expert/etc ''D&D'' has actual unicorns with healing powers, and also attributes similar powers to ''narwhals'', making them the unicorn's marine counterpart rather than just a funny-looking whale.
* {{Unicorn}}: Intelligent white horses with spiraling horns, goatlike beards, lion-like tails, cloven hooves and magical powers (including the trademark ability to teleport once per day anywhere within their forest home), and the males have a goat-like beard and a very long mane; some material describes them as being more deer-like than equine. They're often sought out by paladins and other goodly beings as allies, steeds and companions and by more evil or amoral sorts for their horns, which can be used in various healing potions. Celestial chargers are unicorns from the Celestial Realms that have the power of clerics.
* UnicornsPreferVirgins: Unicorns sometimes allow themselves to be ridden, but only accept human or elven maidens of pure heart and good alignment.
** ''Magazine/DragonMagazine'' #190 describes a number of unicorn variants, several with their own spins on this theme: alicorns and cunnequines have the same requirements as common sylvan unicorns, the NeutralEvil pyrocorns accept evil female riders with affinities for fire magic, the ChaoticEvil black unicorns accept evil fighters or thieves of either sex, fairy unicorns accept any halfling, gnome, elf or fairy of good heart, gray unicorns accept only female druids of strictly neutral alignment, the LawfulEvil criocorns bear only exceptionally evil women with a talent for icy magic or who worship an evil god of cold or winter, pinto unicorns accept any rider of pure heart, narwhals bear only sea elven women of pure heart, and unisi may be ridden by any humanoid maiden with a good heart.%%In-universe alignments.
** The Vow of Chastity Feat in the ''Book of Exalted Deeds'' suppliment gives a character many benefits for maintaining virginity, one of which involves acquiring a unicorn as your companion.
* WingedUnicorn: Unisi, described in ''Dragon Magazine'' #190, are winged and horned equines created from the crossbreeding of unicorns and pegasi. They have the same habitat preferences and societies as pegasi, but share the unicorns' horn attack and preference for female riders of pure heart. Their horns can be used to brew potions that allow their drinkers to fly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Uvuudaum]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_uvuudaum_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 27 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Aberrant horrors from the Far Realm, who delight in spreading madness to more structured realities.
----
* BrownNoteBeing: Just coming close to an uvuudaum can cause creatures to succumb to a ''confusion'' effect.
* HumanoidAbomination: Uvuudaums are clearly based upon, or were originally, humanoids, but they've been assembled wrong -- they have three sets of spidery limbs or humanoid arms in place of legs, and a mostly-normal torso with a tail-like spiked appendage in place of a head and neck.
* MagicKnight: They're extremely dangerous in direct combat, and also capable of using spells like ''confusion'' and ''polymorph self'' at will, more dangerous magic like ''chain lightning'' or ''disintegrate'' a few times per day, and they can even cast epic spells like ''nailed to the sky'', ''time duplicate'' and ''contingent resurrection.''
* MindRape: Their head-spike attack both deals terrible physical damage and blasts victims with incomprehensible images from the Far Realm, inflicting [[NonHealthDamage Wisdom drain.]]
* SuperSenses: Despite their lack of recognizable sensory organs, uvuudaums have blindsight out to 500 feet.
* {{Telepathy}}: Uvuudaum can communcate telepathically with any creature that speaks a language.
* UseYourHead[=/=]BewareMyStingerTail: Instead of a normal neck, an uvuudaum has something like a 15-foot tail with an iron-hard spike.
[[/folder]]

!!V

[[folder:Vegepygmy]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_vegepygmy_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (vegepygmy), 1 (vegepygmy chief), 2 (thorny) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Should a creature succumb to a russet mold's poisonous spores, its corpse will sprout fungoid monsters -- beasts will give rise to thorn-covered quadrupeds called thornies, while humanoids or giants will spawn bipedal creatures alternatively known as vegepygmies, moldmen or moldies. The moldmen have enough intelligence to form a simple tribal society, and get along well with other fungus or plant creatures, but vegepygmies exist solely to perpetuate themselves by infecting others with their spores.
----
* AttackAnimal: Thornies serve this role in vegepygmy society.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Both vegepygmies and thornies are adept at blending in with foliage, especially since their coloration tends to match their surroundings.
* HealingFactor: Both vegepygmies and thornies will regenerate some health each turn unless they take cold, fire or necrotic damage.
* MushroomMan: Vegepygmies are a decidedly non-cute example, being fungus creatures that arise from the remains of a humanoid or a giant killed by russet mold. It's noted that myconids consider vegepygmies to be something like rustic cousins.
* PoisonousPerson: Vegepygmy "chiefs" are simply old enough to produce spores, which they can release in a burst once per day to infect nearby creatures. Those that succumb will give rise to new moldmen.
* TheSpiny: Thornies are... thorny, and deal a bit of piercing damage to anything that grapples it.
* StarfishLanguage: Moldies can only hiss instead of speaking verbally, but communicate with each other through gestures and rhythmically tapping their bodies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Verbeeg]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_verbeeg_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Giant (1E-3E, 5E) Fey (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (marauder), 5 (longstrider) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (marauder), TrueNeutral (longstrider)

Also called "human behemoths," these gangly giant-kin often end up using their superior intellects to boss around ogres and hill giants.
----
* BastardBastard: Verbeegs (along with firbolgs, fomorians and voadkyn) are the bastard children of the demigod Ulutiu and Othea, wife of Annam the All-Father. They were initially welcomed in the ancient giant kingdom of Ostoria, but when Annam discovered their true parentage, they were made outcasts and despised as ''maug'' by the rest of giantkind. While the verbeegs intended to [[StartMyOwn start their own]] great kingdom, the other giants didn't give them any space to do so, and gradually the verbeegs descended into barbarism and banditry.
* TheBeastmaster: Verbeegs tend to get along with animals, taking on wolves, worgs or bears as companions and letting them lair with them in caves.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: It's mentioned the verbeegs have no notion of ownership, believing that everything is owned by everybody, and thus take whatever they want without pausing to think about it.
* {{Gonk}}: Downplayed compared to the likes of fomorians, but verbeegs tend to have minor but notable deformities such as a club foot, hare lip, uneven eyes, and so forth.
* IGaveMyWord: 4th Edition's Feywild verbeegs live by the adages "Never give a sucker an even break" and "Always keep your word." As such, they'll prey upon other creatures' sense of justice and honor, but will always uphold a promise... [[ExactWords with the caveat that they'll phrase their pledges in a way that gives them an out.]]
* KlingonPromotion: The fastest way for a verbeeg to advance in their social hierarchy is to discredit or defeat a superior, by violence or other underhanded means.
* TheNapoleon: They're shorter than any true giant, which probably contributes to the chip on their shoulders regarding their kin.
* TheNeidermeyer: In combat, verbeegs drive their underlings into the fray first, "accompanied by many curses, oaths, and highly descriptive accounts of the giants' and ogres' parentage."
* OurGiantsAreDifferent: They're technically Giants, but are Large creatures at most ten feet tall, and aren't considered part of the Ordning.
* PunnyName: They are indeed very big compared to humans, especially if you have a French-Canadian accent. Gary Gygax has admitted verbeegs are an homage to or parody of Myth/PaulBunyan.
* {{Retcon}}: 4th Edition portrayed verbeegs as giants native to the Feywild, more greedy, manipulative tricksters than bossy browbeaters.
* ShorterMeansSmarter: They're smaller but more driven and intelligent than the likes of hill giants, allowing verbeegs to employ those larger true giants as minions. Unfortunately, hill giants' stupidity means they're prone to botching the verbeegs' strategies, leading to the sight of an irate verbeeg hopping from foot to foot, screaming insults at the befuddled hill giants towering over them.
* ToServeMan: Verbeeg marauders rob people they come across in the wild, and eat them if food is scarce.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Verdant Prince]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_verdant_prince_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 11 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Imperious fey tyrants who delight in striking bargains with mortals that always end badly for the other party.
----
* BalefulPolymorph: They can cast the spell once per day.
* DealWithTheDevil: Verdant princes appear before those in need and the greedy, and offer them aid in exchange for a service or gift. They take care to fulfil their end of the bargain, while asking for something that seems innocuous, but will in truth bring ruin.
* FaerieCourt: As per their name, verdant princes like to set themselves up as leaders among the fey, attracting evil dryads, nymphs and satyrs to lord over in sylvan courts. While cruel towards mortals, verdant princes make an effort to appear as magnanimous rulers toward their own kind.
* LieToTheBeholder: They can use ''disguise self'' at will in case their normal appearance would scare off a potential schmuck.
* MagicallyBindingContract: When a verdant prince strikes an oath bond with a creature, it creates a magical binding that, should a party not hold up its end of the bargain, inflicts a hefty penalty to their ability scores and sickens them until the bargain is fulfilled. Only death or powerful magic like ''wish'' or ''miracle'' can end an oath bond before the bargain is fulfilled, or negate the penalties from reneging on it.
* OurNymphsAreDifferent: Verdant princes are born to dryads or nymphs who mate with other verdant princes, and have some plant-like features like [[HornedHumanoid horns of gnarled wood]] and [[PlantHair a mane of leaves]] that may change color with the seasons, or even fall off in the winter.
* ShockAndAwe: They can use ''call lightning storm'' once per day.
* {{Teleportation}}: They can use ''dimension door'' at will, [[VillainExitStageLeft especially if they expend all their combat spell-like abilities but are still losing a fight.]]
* TrackingSpell: When a bargain with a verdant prince is broken, the wronged party becomes immediately aware of it and is always aware of the other party's distance and direction.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vermiurge]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_vermiurge_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 24 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral

Immense insectoid aberrations that lead lonely lives in desolate wastes, vermiurges rule over the great ranks of stinging, crawling things as silent gods.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: Vermiurges have scorpion-like tails tipped with venomous stingers.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: Vermiurges resemble flying scorpions in the same size range as giants.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Vermiurges resemble four-clawed scorpions with dragonfly wings.
* PestController: A vermiurge is constantly surrounded by a swarming cloud of venomous insects under its control.
* PunnyName: "Vermiurge" is a portmanteau pun on "vermin" and "demiurge".
[[/folder]]

!!W

[[folder:Water Weird]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_water_weird_5e.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Like their water elemental kin, these creatures of living water are often summoned to the Material Plane, in their case to guard a location with a pool or fountain to which they are bound. Not to be confused with a water elemental weird (see "Elemental Weird" in the "Elemental" folder).
----
* AchillesHeel: 2nd Edition water weirds are instantly slain by a ''purify water'' spell, with NoSavingThrow. In 5th Edition, meanwhile, they die if they ever leave the water to which they're bound, or if that water is somehow destroyed.
* GrandTheftMe: In their ''AD&D'' rules, a water weird that comes into physical contact with a normal water elemental can attempt to take control of it.
* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: In 5th Edition, water weirds are naturally Neutral, but if their pool is befouled by dark magic, they'll change alignment to NeutralEvil and kill for pleasure, perhaps turning against their summoner. Conversely, if their pool is blessed and made into holy water, water weirds will become NeutralGood and attempt to scare off intruders instead of attacking. In either case, casting ''purify food and drink'' on the water weird's pool will purify its alignment as well. %%In-universe alignments
* MurderWater: They're invisible when immersed in a pool of normal water, and fully capable of crushing or drowning those that intrude on the location they're guarding.
* SinisterSuffocation: Anything grappled and pulled into a water weird is in danger of drowning.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wemic]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_wemic_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Tauric lionfolk who live in prides that roam warm and temperate plains.
----
* BarbarianTribe: A non-Evil example. Wemics live in a Stone Age, nomadic society, don't have a written language, and are fairly superstitious, but they generally keep to themselves rather than raid their neighbors. Some find work as guides or mercenaries, preferring to be paid in magical weapons, while other prides may charge tolls for safe passage through their territory.
* CatFolk: Their upper bodies are humanoid, with a strong feline influence -- fur, leonine facial features and eyes, and a mane of hair on males.
* DependingOnTheArtist: Even in the same game edition, artwork can vary on just how catlike their faces are, ranging from "mostly human" to "basically a lion's head."
* NatureHero: Wemics take care not to over-hunt within their ranges, and are enraged if an outsider intrudes and kills an animal simply to take a trophy from it.
* OurCentaursAreDifferent: Their lower bodies are those of lions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wood Woad]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_wood_woad_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral

Roughly-humanoid wooden protectors who zealously guard a chosen location or person.
----
* TheAgeless: Wood woads don't die of old age, which can lead some to outlive whatever person or place they were originally guarding, in which case the wood woad will usually roam until it finds something else to watch over.
* GreenThumb: 3rd Edition wood woads can use ''warp wood'' at will, ruining (or repairing) wooden weapons, items or structures.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Yes, these creatures of living wood are good at blending in with other plant life.
* HealingFactor: 5th Edition lets them regenerate health each turn, so long as they haven't taken fire damage.
* HeroicSacrifice: A wood woad is invested with the soul of someone who gave up life, free will and sentiments to become an eternal guardian, through a ritual that involves having their heart cut out and placed in a tree, which then grows into a wood woad.
* PlantPerson: They're more bark than leaf, but wood woads are still mobile plants, and can root themselves in the ground to take in sustenance.
* PrimitiveClubs: They wield simple wooden clubs in combat, appropriate for their crude forms, though in 5th Edition said clubs are enchanted to deal a lot of bonus damage.
* {{Teleportation}}: Wood woads have the ''tree stride'' ability of dryads, allowing them to step into one living tree and step out another.
* WeakToFire: Like most plant entities, they take extra damage from fire.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Worg]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_worg_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E), 9 (4E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (1E-3E, 5E), ChaoticEvil (4E)

Wolf-like monsters who often ally with goblin tribes.
----
* ArtEvolution: Worgs have become progressively more monstrous over time. In and before 3E, they're essentially just big, evil wolves. In 4E, they're depicted with scaly and demonic hindquarters. 5E worgs are fully hairy and mammalian, but have humped backs, longer forelimbs, and elongated, hairless faces.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Worgs allied to goblin tribes often serve as mounts for their partners, bringing with them a level of intelligence, power and combat prowess that horses cannot match. However, as worgs are intelligent beings, this is first and foremost a partnership of equals, a detail that goblins are served well to remember.
* ItCanThink: Mistake worgs for normal wolves at your peril. They're not only smart enough to speak Goblin, they even have their own language, easily confused for the howling of ordinary wolves, which they can use to convey information over great distances, or coordinate an attack.
* SavageWolves: Worgs are intelligent, evil creatures resembling large, powerfully built wolves. They live as savage predators in the wilderness and eagerly attack travelers and isolated settlements, and often ally with goblinoids.

!!Guulvorg
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/guulvorg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 13 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Immense, mace-tailed worgs created by goblinoid shamans as superior war beasts.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: Guulvorgs have long tails ending in bony maces.
* BioweaponBeast: Guulvorgs are unnatural beings created by the magical alteration of common worgs by goblinoid shamans seeking to create stronger and deadlier war mounts. They're still mostly found as war beasts for hobgoblin forces, although some have escaped into the wild. They also suffer from drawbacks from their artificial and imperfect creation, as the accelerated metabolism that fuels their speed and power also makes it difficult for them to keep themselves properly fed.
* BloodyMurder: Striking a guulvorg with a piercing or slashing attack will send its boiling-hot blood gushing out, badly scalding its attacker.
* MoralityPet: Guulvorgs are violent, spiteful creatures, cruel hunters, foul-tempered loners, and provided with little empathy for other living beings -- but they are also very loyal to their mates and, when they manage to breed, become doting and self-sacrificing parents to their pups.
* NecessaryDrawback: Guulvorgs have incredibly high metabolisms, giving them boiling-hot blood that harms anyone who tries to wound them, and fueling their swift reflexes and constant growth. However, maintaining such a metabolism requires an immense amount of energy, forcing guulvorgs to eat voraciously and leaving them constantly hungry, and most die young from either starvation or literally burning themselves out.

!!Winter Wolf
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/winter_wolf_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 14 (4E), 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (1E-3E, 5E), Evil (4E)

Stronger kin to common worgs with ties to elemental cold, who haunt frozen northern climates.
----
* BreathWeapon: Winter wolves can breathe out a cone of freezing air.
* ElementalShapeshifting: In 4th Edition, winter wolf snowfangs can turn into whirlwinds of ice and snow.
* AnIcePerson: They deal cold damage with their bites and can exhale blasts of frigid air.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wyvern]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wyvern_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Dragon (3E, 5E), Natural Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E, 5E), 10 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (1E-2E), TrueNeutral (3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)

Winged dragonkin known for their stingers and animalistic savagery. See the [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons Dragons subpage]] for more information.
[[/folder]]

!!X

[[folder:Xill]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_xill_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

Four-armred, red-scaled reptilian raiders from the Ethereal Plane, feared for their reproductive method.
----
* {{Expy}}: Of the ixtl from ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheSpaceBeagle''.
* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: Xill can take a standard action to implant their eggs inside a paralyzed victim. [[ChestBurster The young emerge 90 days later, devouring their host from the inside out,]] unless they're removed with a Heal check or a spell like ''remove disease''.
* {{Intangibility}}: Xill live on the Ethereal Plane, and can shift from it to the Material Plane as a move action. Returning is slower, however, a process that takes two full rounds, over which the xill is motionless, but attacks against it have an increasing chance to miss. Notably, they can use their planewalking ability while carrying a willing or helpless creature.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: They make good use of their four limbs to grapple and restrain victims to be bitten and implanted with eggs, then hauled off to the Ethereal Plane until those eggs hatch.
* TheParalyzer: Their bites can inject a paralytic into their victims.
* PeopleFarms: Xill society is divided between the Lower Clans, who forgo weapons and remorselessly attack other creatures to propogate themselves (and don't call themselves "Lower Clans," or acknowlege other xill), and the High Clans, more "civilized" xill who dwell in cities within the Deep Ethereal, craft goods, and will trade with visitors, while rarely if ever leaving the Ethereal Plane themselves. The xill of the High Clans can't use their paralysis poison more than once per day because those glands have atrophied from disuse, but they still need intelligent creatures as hosts for their young, leading to a longstanding rumor that they maintain a hatchery/nursery in the Deep Ethereal where humanoids are bred as nothing more as incubators for xill young.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Xorn]]
[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xorn.png]]
[[caption-width-right:290:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Elemental Magical Beast (4E), Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (minor), 6 (average), 8 (elder) (3E); 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3.5E, 5E), Unaligned (4E)

Trilaterally symmetrical stone-eaters from the Elemental Plane of Earth.
----
* DungeonBypass: Xorns' ''earth glide'' ability lets them move through solid stone as easily as a fish swims through water, passing without leaving a tunnel behind them. They use this ability to seek out food, but since it lets them bypass living and nonliving obstacles, xorns can be valuable sources of information about a dungeon's layout.
* EatDirtCheap: Xorns feed primarily on gemstones and minerals, although they also enjoy {{metal|Muncher}}. They are in fact unable to digest meat at all, and consequently tend to ignore fleshly beings unless these threaten their food supply -- or unless they're wearing a significant amount of jewelry or armor.
* MetalMuncher: In addition to gemstones, xorns feed on metal and can smell it up to twenty feet away. If a xorn encounters {{Player Character}}s who are carrying metal (copper, silver, gold and so on), it will do whatever it can to make them hand it over, first offering information its learned from its travels in an exchange, then resorting to threats or even force.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: A xorn variant known as xarren are slightly smaller and shinier. They specifically eat enchanted metal, and can crush metallic magic weapons in combat.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Xvart]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_xvarts_5e.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E) Fey (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/3 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (3E, 5E), Evil (4E)

Small blue humanoids who survive by stealing from other creatures, but occasionally take prisoners to ransom, torture or sacrifice.
----
* BodyDouble: In 5th Edition, xvarts were created by Raxivort, a demon-turned-demigod who stole a treasure from Graz'zt's hoard and became a planar fugitive. Xvarts look like smaller versions of their creator, and screw with magical tracking, as any attempt to track their creator will result in the spell pointing to the nearest xvart. Raxivort continually spawns xvarts to keep his enemies off his tail.
* HumanSacrifice: When things aren't going well for them, xvarts naturally assume that Raxivort is angry and kidnap enemies, which are dragged back to the lair and sacrificed on a makeshift altar. If the ritual is successful, Raxivort may appear in person, put all the tribe's valuables into a sack, and leave.
* OneGenderRace: As of 5th Edition, xvarts are all male and lack the ability and desire to reproduce, and are instead created by Raxivort whenever he needs a fresh set of decoys.
* {{Retcon}}: Xvarts were originally introduced as another breed of small, nasty humanoids alongside goblins and kobolds. 4th Edition cast them as gnomes who were captured by fomorians and then further twisted by the Shadowfell. 5th Edition has the most elaborate backstory yet, explaining that xvarts are the creations of a paranoid demigod meant to throw his enemies off his trail.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: One constant across the editions is that xvarts can communicate with bats and rats (and their giant variants), which they domesticate, as well as wererats, who end up the dominant party in alliances.

[[/folder]]

!!Y

[[folder:Yakfolk]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yak_folk_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E); 3 (warrior), 4 (priest) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Ogre-sized, yak-headed humanoids who call themselves Yikaria, "the lucky chosen." Despite their air of culture and sophistication and their seemingly-idyllic mountain cities, they are ruthless slavers.
----
* EnemySummoner: Any yakfolk can summon a dao (in 2nd Edition) or evil janni (in 3rd Edition) once per day, who is bound to serve the yakfolk until the second sunrise after the summoning. The genies are resentful servants, but are unable to directly harm their masters, and instead vent their frustrations upon the yakfolks' enemies, or attempt to subtly undermine their masters, perhaps by giving information to their foes.
* GrandTheftMe: Beyond merely capturing other creatures as slaves, yakfolk can take over other beings' bodies by physically merging with them, during a 20-minute ritual that is a unique variant of the ''magic jar'' spell. This grants the yakfolk access to their victim's memories, so that only someone who knows the victim closely has even a chance of realizing something's wrong. Yakfolk use this ability to infiltrate other races' societies, and once a mission is complete, they're liable to amuse themselves by causing the hijacked body to run amok, then abandon control and escape, leaving the bewildered victim to face the consequences.
* MadeASlave: They are notorious slavers, so that even the poorest yakfolk owns a servant or two, while their cities contain five to six times as many enslaved minions as yakfolk.
* MageSpecies: Yakfolk dabble in magic, so that while they cannot innately spells on their own, every one of them can use any sort of MagicStaff, and their leaders are all spellcasters.
* OurMinotaursAreDifferent: They're pretty much a yak-themed variant of minotaurs.
* TheShangriLa: Their mountain strongholds [[CrapsaccharineWorld appear]] as such, with impressive defenses surrounding libraries, temples and green gardens. "Outsiders stumbling into an enclave of yak folk are usually surprised and pleased to find what appears to be a utopia hidden in the mountaintops, and the yak folk do all in their power to foster that image until the strangers can be disarmed and enslaved."
* TheTheocracy: All yakfolk are fanatic in their worship of a deity outsiders know only as the Forgotten God, who appears as a yakfolk wearing a smooth, featureless mask. Said deity is responsible for subjugating the genies, forcing them to serve the yakfolk for "a thousand years and a year." He also demands constant sacrifices of slaves, who are ritualistically slain in "the matter elemental" -- thrown off a cliff, immolated, drowned, or buried alive.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yellow Musk Creeper]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yellow_musk_creeper_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A yellow musk creeper and zombified orcs (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Climbing plants known for their beautiful yellow flowers, enticing aroma, and their propensity for consuming the brains of other creatures and turning them into mind-controlled puppets.
----
* AlluringFlowers: Their numerous yellow flowers produce a heady, entrancing musk that lures those who smell it into the heart of the plant, whereupon the creeper's sharp vines quickly skewer the unfortunate and consume their brain. In-game, this is treated as a mind-affecting compulsion place on anyone who gets a good whiff of the plant's pollen.
* BrainFood: Yellow musk creepers feed by stabbing their vines into the heads of their victims and sucking out their brains.
* CombatTentacles: A creeper's main melee weapons are its fast, strong and razor-edged vines.
* ManEatingPlant: Yellow musk creepers are aggressively carnivorous plants whose diet consists exclusively of the brains of others -- they don't even photosynthesize, and in fact avoid bright light. They don't limit themselves to human prey specifically, however, and will happily go after anything with a developed central nervous system.
* MindControl: When a creature comes within 30 feet of the creeper, it blasts them with a spray of potent-smelling dust that can cause the creature to fall into a trance, desiring only to walk right into the creeper's reach and not react even as it feeds on them.
* PuppeteerParasite: The creeper's main mechanical claim to fame is its ability to plant seedlings into the heads of other creatures, which turns the victim into a yellow musk zombie that thereafter lives only to protect the creeper. After a few months of this thralldom, the zombies leave their creeper, wandering randomly for a few days before dropping dead and allowing their seedling to take root and grow into a new yellow musk creeper.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yeth Hound]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yeth_hound_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Fey (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Evil canines with uncannily human faces, who take cruel delight in hunting intelligent prey.
----
* BeastWithAHumanFace: Yeth hounds resemble large dogs with the faces of ugly, distorted humanoids.
* {{Flight}}: They can run across the ground or glide through the sky.
* RightHandAttackDog: 5th Edition yeth hounds are created by powerful fey as rewards for a servant, who becomes the pack's master, able to telepathically communicate with them. Should their master be slain, yeth hounds seek out a new evil individual to serve, like a hag, necromancer or vampire.
* {{sad*st}} Yeth hounds delight in terrorizing their prey, and will draw out their hunts for as long as possible, until the threat of dawn brings an evening's entertainment to an end.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Yeth hounds' horrible baying can cause other creatures to flee in a panic.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Yeth hounds can't stand sunlight and never willingly prolong a hunt beyond dawn, no matter the amount of coercion by a pack's master. In 5th Edition, if a yeth hound is exposed to natural sunlight, it fades away, vanishing into the Ethereal Plane, and can only be retrieved after the sun has set.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yeti]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yeti_d&d_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E); 1/8 (yeti tyke), 3 (yeti), 9 (abominable yeti) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1-3E), Unaligned (45), ChaoticEvil (5E)

Apelike predators found in high, cold mountains.
----
* BigfootSasquatchAndYeti: As typical for yeti depictions in fiction, they are white, hairy monsters living in snowy areas but, unusually, they also have horns. There are also abominable yetis, a larger and stronger variant found in isolated areas.
* BreathWeapon: Abominable yetis can exhale cones of frigid air.
* EliteMook: Abominable yetis, a rare variant which grows to be three times larger and much stronger than common yetis.
* HornedHumanoid: Beginning in fourth edition, yetis have goat-like horns despite resembling ape- or bear-like humanoids otherwise.
* UnwittingPawn: Yetis tend to rampage into humanoid settlements when food grows scarce, and mountain warlords are known to deliberately overhunt game in order to lure them into enemy towns and camps, using the unwitting beasts' instincts to weaken opposition and rid themselves of a dangerous monster in one swoop.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yrthak]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yrthak_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Giant, eyeless, winged reptiles that hunt using sonic attacks.
----
* GiantFlyer: They're Huge winged creatures with 40-foot wingspans, and as such officially giant-sized.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Yrthaks attack using focused beams of sound from the conical protrusion on their heads. They can emit a lance of solid energy against a single target, or fire at the ground or a stony surface to create an explosion of shattered stone to deal less damage to all within a 10-foot-radius of the impact site.
* SuperSenses: Though blind (and immune to gaze attacks and illusions), yrthaks can perceive their surroundings thanks to a special organ on the tip of their tongue that senses sound and movement. This grants them blindsight out to 120 feet, but renders them effectively blind if affected by a ''silence'' spell.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yuan-ti]]
[[quoteright:350:[[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuan_ti.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A yuan-ti pureblood and abomination. (3e)]]
->'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (3E), NeutralEvil (5E)

The descendents of humans who performed dark rituals to take on the traits and shapes of serpents. Though their ancient empire was overthrown, the yuan-ti survived, and plot to control and enslave other nations.
----
* ChameleonCamouflage: In many editions, yuan-ti halfbloods and abominations can psionically change the coloration of their scales to blend in with their environment.
* CharmPerson: In 5th edition, all yuan-ti can innately cast the ''suggestion'' spell.
* {{Cult}}: They often set up serpent cults in other races' cities, offering hedonistic pleasures or cures for physical and emotional ailments, to expand their influence and gain leverage over those in power.
* FantasticCasteSystem: A yuan-ti's standing in society is determined by how reptilian they are -- the less serpentine they look, the less power they wield, and [[WeHaveReserves the earlier they're sent into battle ahead of their superiors.]]
* FantasticRacism: Yuan-ti look down upon humanoids as inferior, and most think it beneath themselves to converse with [[ToServeMan "meat."]] Purebloods, owing to their vocation as spies or spokesmen, do the best job of disguising their disdain towards lesser humanoids, but their training involves learning how to suppress their annoyance about having to treat lesser beings as equals.
* GodhoodSeeker: Yuan-ti rarely worship deities out of any true sense of reverence -- their extremely dispassionate and emotionless natures aren't very conducive to this -- but rather seeks to emulate their deity, learn the secrets of their ascension or divine nature, and use this knowledge to become deities themselves and supplant their former patron.
* HappinessInSlavery: In ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', the yuan-ti were originally the most successful and loyal of the sarrukh's {{Servant Race}}s, and were typically trusted with the most important assignments and the greatest degree of independence. The yuan-ti in turn genuinely embraced and accepted this position, as they viewed the sarrukh as their natural superiors and their subservience to them as their ideal and natural place. Even in the modern day, they still respect the remaining sarrukh despite also viewing their creators' civilization has having become decadent and past its prime. This was bred into them at a fundamental level, and contemporary yuan-ti are profoundly unsettled by the eagerness to serve that arises upon personally meeting sarrukh.
* LackOfEmpathy: The cold and emotionless yuan-ti view all other creatures as either threats to be avoided or hunks of meat to be used and discarded as they see fit, and they view the emotions of other beings as an exploitable weakness. They don't even feel empathy for their own kind: while the yuan-ti place a higher intrinsic value on fellow yuan-ti than they do on everything else, a starving yuan-ti would still kill and eat one of its fellows without hesitation or remorse.
* {{Mayincatec}}: They live in cities deep within the jungle, their temples are step-sided pyramids adorned with fancy snake artwork, and they practice human sacrifice to please their serpentine gods. If that wasn't enough of a clue, ''Volo's Guide to Monsters'' has a list of sample yuan-ti names drawn from Nahuatl names and nouns.
* {{Metamorphosis}}: It's possible for yuan-ti to undergo rituals to transform their bodies and thus rise in rank, but the cost in time, rare ingredients, and sacrificial victims means that most yuan-ti never get the opportunity to "promote" themselves.
* MonstrousCannibalism: The yuan-ti's ancestors debased themselves through cannibalistic rituals to gain their powers, and their descendents have no taboo regarding eating each other for lack of other options.
* PoisonedWeapons: They tip their arrows with their own venom for added lethality.
* PoisonousPerson: Their malisons and abominations have poisonous fangs, while the purebloods can innately cast the ''poison spray'' cantrip.
* PsychicPowers: Traditionally, yuan-ti have been psionicists as well as arcanists and priests, so that some of their supernatural abilities such as the shapechanging have been explicitly psionic abilities. 3rd Edition also offered variant rules exchanging their spell-like abilities with innate psionic powers.
* SnakePeople: They vary in form, but are typically some combination of snake and humans. Most are either primarily to fully humanoid and scaled or have humanoid torsos on a snake body, while others are fully snakelike or made out of multiple smaller snakes.
* SnakesAreSinister: They're tainted by snake blood, and are coldly, thoroughly evil.
* TheSociopath: Yuan-ti are natural manipulators, completely devoid of emotion, and believe themselves to be the pinnacle of creation, destined to rule over the lesser races.
-->'''Elminster:''' Ye cannot goad one of the serpent folk into hatred or fear, or evoke in it love or friendship. They make fake such things to cozen ye, but within they are always cold, calmly calculating.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Yuan-ti can take the form of vipers, their size varying based on how the yuan-ti's ranking.
* WasOnceAMan: The first yuan-ti were humans who, after developing a cold-bloodedly logical philosophy, resorted to sinister and increasingly-extreme rituals to transform themselves into hybrids of human and snake, in emulation of their inhuman gods. In the present, they sometimes reward loyal human cultists with transformation into a pureblood.

!!Yuan-ti Pureblood
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuan_ti_pureblood.png]]
[[caption-width-right:270:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 1 (5E)

The most human-looking of the yuan-ti, and therefore the lowest caste. They serve as minions or expendable soldiers in their temple-cities, but their appearance makes them valuable infiltrators and go-betweens for their more serpentine superiors.
----
* LittleBitBeastly: Purebloods are almost completely human in outward appearance, with only minor traits such as a few patches of scales, ophidian eyes or a forked tongue betraying their nature as yuan-ti.
* MouthOfSauron: Yuan-ti leaders typically rely on purebloods to interact directly with humanoids, both because the purebloods are the best at it, and also because it's beneath higher-ranked yuan-ti.
* ReptilianConspiracy: Due to their ability to pass off as humans, purebloods are often sent to infiltrate human societies to serve as spies, agents and assassins, in order to weaken a city or nation for an eventual takeover or, more commonly, to subtly manipulate it into playing along with the yuan-ti's goals.

!!Yuan-ti Malison
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_malison_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E); 3 (standard), 4 (mind whisperer, nightmare speaker), 5 (pit master) (5E)

Also known as halfbloods, malisons are the most varied of the yuan-ti in terms of appearance. They make up the middle class of yuan-ti society, overseeing the purebloods and fulfilling the orders of the abominations.
----
* CharmPerson: Mind whisperers can compel other creatures to do their bidding with spells like ''friends'', ''charm person'', and ''crown of madness''.
* ChurchMilitant: Many malisions become disciples of the yuan-ti's serpent deities.
** Mind whisperers are warlocks in service to Sseth the Sibilant Death, schemers and manipulators who seek to expand yuan-ti influence through subterfuge.
** Nightmare speakers are cruel and sad*stic torturers who prolong the suffering of their victims to nourish their dreadful goddess, Dendar the Night Serpent.
** Pit masters are priests of the chief yuan-ti god Merrshaulk, and mastermind plots to infiltrate the governments of nearby humanoid civilizations, while keeping their own cities hidden.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Halfbloods are a roughly even mix of snake and human, but the nature of that mixture varies tremendously. Some malisons appear human other than their snakelike heads, others have serpentine tails in addition to legs, or have a serpent's lower body replacing their legs, and some have functional humanoid arms while others have masses of snakes hanging from their shoulders.
* MasterOfIllusion: Mind whisperers can cast a number of illusion spells like ''minor illusion'', ''hypnotic pattern'', and ''illusory script''.
* ForcedSleep: A pit master can invoke the power of Merrshaulk to put nearby creatures to sleep once per day.
* PoisonousPerson: Pit masters are even more poisonous than the typical yuan-ti, and can invoke Merrshaulk's power to inflict extra poison damage with their melee attacks.
* SpellBlade: Twice per day, a mind whisperer can imbue one of its melee attacks with psychic energy to increase that attack's damage, while a nightmare speaker can do the same with necrotic energy.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: By invoking Dendar's power, a nightmare speaker can torment a nearby creature with an illusion of its worst fear. The terror inspired by this illusion is so great that the victim can actually die of fright. They can also cast the ''fear'' spell through their pact magic.

!!Yuan-ti Abomination
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuan_ti_abomination.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E, 5E)

Abominations are the most snakelike of all yuan-ti, and typically a pair of arms is the only sign of their human heritage. They are the masterminds, temple leaders and warlords, leading fights from the rear as they observe and evaluate opponents and provide magic support, only entering melee combat as a last resort.
----
* LargeAndInCharge: Abominations are Large creatures, whereas their malison and pureblood underlings are Medium.
* PersonalSpaceInvader: They can use their tails to grapple and constrict foes.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: In 5th edition, an abomination can innately cast the ''fear'' spell once per day.

!!Yuan-ti Anathema
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuan_ti_anathema.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:4e]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_anathema_4e.png[[/labelnote]] ]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 18 (3E), 12 (5E)

Anathemas are the rarest, mightiest, and most monstrous of all yuan-ti, venerated as something like demigods by their kin. Their presence shifts a temple-city's priorities to small-scale wars of conquest and expansion.
----
* AcidAttack: 3rd Edition anathemas could make a dissolving touch attack for heavy acid damage, which dealt even higher damage when used against a victim [[PersonalSpaceInvader the anathema was constricting.]]
* AppropriatedAppellation: These monsters represent such a perversion of their human origins that human deities, even evil ones, declared that their very existence is heresy, but these "anathema" bear their label with pride.
* ArtEvolution: 3rd and 5th edition depicted the anathema as a giant yuan-ti abomination with a nest of vipers for a head. 4th edition turned this on its head (heh) by making it a nest of vipers with a giant snake head.
* BioAugmentation: In 3rd Edition, anathemas know the secrets of transforming humanoids with yuan-ti grafts such as snake tails, serpent arms, scales and poisonous fangs. They can also create broodguards and tainted ones, described below.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Their 3rd Edition write-up notes that while yuan-ti venerate anathemas, they're also seen as a destabilizing force in the temple-cities, as the aberrations are interested only in obliterating every other civilization around them. As such, anathemas normally live as outcasts in the wilderness, ruling over cults of other yuan-ti attracted to their auras of unspeakable evil.
* LargeAndInCharge: An anathema towers over all other yuan-ti, even the abominations, and has the power and charisma to seize control of multiple yuan-ti cities.
* MultipleHeadCase: 3rd and 5th edition anathemas have six heads, allowing them to savage their enemies with a flurry of bites.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Anathemas project a magical aura which fills their enemies with a crippling fear of snakes and snakelike creatures. They can innately cast the ''fear'' spell as well.
* TheWormThatWalks: 4th edition anathemas are basically a mass of snakes assembled into a vaguely humanoid form.

!Yuan-ti Servitors

!!Yuan-ti Broodguard
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_broodguard_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E), 2 (5E)

Former humanoids transformed, physically and mentally, into monstrous slaves of the yuan-ti. As their name suggests, they are often entrusted with guarding their masters' brooding chambers.
----
* TheBerserker: Broodguards can fly into a reckless rage in combat, gaining a bonus on attack rolls at the cost of defense.
* DumbMuscle: This is part of the trade-off of converting a slave into a broodguard -- the transformed creature may be more capable in combat, but it's not good for much else but guard duty.
* NoSell: In 3rd Edition, broodguards are immune to ''hold'' and ''charm'' spells, while in 5th they have advantage on saving throws against such magic.
* WasOnceAMan: Most broodguards are made from human prisoners forced to consume a magical brew that renders them helpless. A broodguard loses all semblance of who it once was, and even its human origin is barely discernible. 3rd Edition notes that it takes a very specific sequence of spells to save someone mid-transformation into a broodguard, but once that transformation is complete, only a ''wish'' or ''miracle'' can turn them back to normal.

!!Yuan-ti Tainted One
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' As base creature +1 (3E)

These creatures appear to be normal humans, but are loyal to their yuan-ti creators, making them capable of infiltrating areas that would give purebloods pause. They are actually created from the same concoction that can transform humans into broodguards, though tainted ones are considered the more successful outcome.
----
* MyInstinctsAreShowing: While tainted ones ''look'' perfectly human, they can display some qualities that might give away their true allegience, such as a tendency to frequently lick their lips, [[SssssnakeTalk drawing out sibilants]], or keep serpents as pets.
* PoisonousPerson: Tainted ones have poisonous saliva, but no natural bite attack, so they can only use this poison in combat by grappling someone with exposed skin. Alternatively, they can deliver the poison [[KissOfDeath with a kiss]], though the save DC is lower.
* PsychicPowers: As part of their transformation, tainted ones unlock some of a true yuan-ti's psionic potential, and can ''poison'' foes as well as ''[[VoluntaryShapeshifting polymorph]]'' into a serpent form.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yugoloth]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yugoloths_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A canoloth and ultroloth (3e)]]
Mercenary fiends from the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, embodying the NeutralEvil alignment. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiends the Fiends subpage]] for more information about them. %%In-universe alignment.
[[/folder]]

!!Z

[[folder:Zaratan]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zaratan_2e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:2e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 20 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Colossal sea turtles that can be easily mistaken for islands as they float along warm ocean currents, lazily feeding on whatever washes into their open mouths.\\
For their 5th Edition incarnation, see the "Elder Elementals" section of the "Elementals" entry.
----
* AwakeningTheSleepingGiant: Often literally! Zaratans are normally content to just drift, feed and sleep, and their usual response to an attack is simply to retract into their NighInvulnerable shells and take a nap. But if a foe persists, zaratans are devastating opponents with a fearsome bite, or they can simultaneously sweep their flippers to bludgeon everything in a 40-foot-radius around them.
* HeavySleeper: Zaratans spend most of their lives asleep, reflexively swallowing whatever ends up in their mouths, and sleep longer the older they get. After a battle, they'll immediately fall back asleep for up to a century.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: It's possible to steer a zaratan, but it takes a group effort to overcome its natural lethargy. A primary rider needs to stand near the creature's head and shout or sing loudly to convey instructions, while at least three others stand on the shell's circumference and stamp or pound it to encourage the zaratan to move. Even so, it takes a very high Diplomacy, Perform or Intimidate check to convince the zaratan to obey its riders' wishes.
* ItCanThink: Zaratans aren't brilliant, but they understand simple commands in most languages, speak Aquan, and are nice enough to resist the urge to dive if they know they have riders on their shells, unless the zaratan's life is in danger.
* NoSell: ''AD&D'' zaratans are immune to poison due to their extremely slow metabolisms, and their shells are invulnerable to anything short of magical weapons.
* TurtleIsland: Their shells can be several hundred feet in diameter, more than enough space to support a small ecosystem. Sometimes shipwreck survivors who wash up on a zaratan never realize they're on a turtle, while in other cases small tribes will dwell upon the zaratan and [[GiantAnimalWorship worship it as a local god.]] And if someone knows that they're on a zaratan, they won't take kindly to anyone who bothers it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zeitgeist]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zeitgeist_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 23 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Varies

Strange, rare fey generated by the people living in a large city, and able to physically manifest using portions of old buildings, urban smoke, or even humanoid figures.
----
* GeniusLoci: The zeitgeist appears to be created by the lives and emotions of a city's residents. They are incapable of leaving their city, and die if it is destroyed.
* GuardianEntity: They can be considered one for an entire settled population, but are pretty unreliable. A zeitgeist's "natural" alignment matches that of their home city's predominant outlook, but since they manifest in times of crisis, they tend to act ChaoticNeutral, and their behavior can be altered by the fear and anger that a city's populace is experiencing. They are committed to protecting their city, but don't have as much regard for the individual people and structures within it. All that to say, a zeitgeist may manifest when its city is under siege, only to kill everyone within reach after the fighting breaches the outer walls, or spawn during a riot and mindlessly attack anything around it, or appear during a flood and rescue some citizens while slaying others. %%In-universe alignment.
* InvisibleMonsters: Zeitgeists are invisible even when attacking, unless they choose to suppress this ability, or when they choose to take a manifested form.
* PlayingWithFire: Downplayed; a zeitgeist's smoke manifestation deals a little bit of fire damage with its slam attacks, but it's not enough to set things on fire.
* PoisonousPerson: A zeitgeist's smoke manifestation can simply surround smaller creatures with choking city smog, potentially sickening them.
* RockMonster: A zeitgeit's stone manifestation takes the form of a giant humanoid composed of stone and detritus.
* TheSwarm: They can also manifest as a Huge mob of humanoids.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zeugalak]]
[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zeugalak_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:325:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral

Mountain-dwelling aberrations that rejoice in the wild power of lightning storms.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: A zeugalak's snakelike tail ends in a venomous stinger.
* FeedItWithFire: Striking a zeugalak with electricity-based attacks doesn't harm it, and instead limbers it up by granting temporary points to its Dexterity. As such, they cavort during mountain thunderstorms, giving bellows of excitement that can be heard for miles.
* ShockAndAwe: Zeugalaks are closely tied to electricity; in addition to taking no damage from it, they're constantly surrounded by a crackling electrical aura and can exhale a line of electricity as a BreathWeapon.
* TheSpiny: An aura of electrical energy surrounds a zeugalak at all times, electrocuting anyone who tries to damage it in melee.
* {{Teleportation}}: If a zeugalak is struck by an electric effect, whether natural or magical, it can instantly teleport to its source. In the case of natural lightning, they use this ability to teleport up into the clouds, then ''slow fall'' their way through the storm.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zodar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zodar_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 16 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral

Powerful and mysterious constructs resembling six-foot figures in obsidian armor, who travel the planes in pursuit of their inscrutable objectives.
----
* AnimatedArmor: They look like humanoids in all-encompassing dark plate, except it's actually a ceramic exoskeleton surrounding a core of pure muscle fibers.
* BareFistedMonk: The overwhelming majority of zodar eschew weapons when fighting, and when pressed into combat usually [[KillerBearHug grab and crush opponents.]]
* NighInvulnerable: They're flat-out immune to damage from anything but bludgeoning weapons, and even then, such weapons' magical enhancement bonuses are ignored when resolving attacks against zodar.
* NoSell: 2nd Edition zodar are immune to magic, even beneficial spells.
* TheQuietOne: Zodar are habitually silent, and a given specimen might say only a single sentence fragment over a typical human's lifetime. When they ''do'' speak, [[{{Omniglot}} every being around them can understand them perfectly.]]
* RealityWarper: They can use the ''wish'' spell once per year, but typically do so no more than once per century, and the effect is always so subtle that it's difficult to recognize as the work of a zodar.
* SuperStrength: Zodar are immensely strong (Strength 25), and can effectively double that score three times per day in bursts of strength. They've been observed performing feats that would give even titans trouble, such as picking up a ship's broken mast and [[TelephonePolearm hurling it like a javelin at an enemy.]]
* UnusableEnemyEquipment: It's theorized that a zodar's outer shell would make for exceptional armor, but anything capable of killing a zodar reduces its "armor" to a bunch of useless fragments.
* TheWatcher: A zodar might attach itself to a group of adventurers in their travels, but they typically follow at the back of the party in silence without actively participating -- at most they'll defend themselves when attacked, but more than one zodar has watched a TotalPartyKill unfold in front of it without doing anything to help. On very rare occasions, a zodar might suddenly burst into action, such as bounding into a melee to grab and crush a specific victim, then go back to its passive role.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zorbo]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zorbo_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:2e]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zorbo_2e.jpg]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Small, bear-like carnivores that use their deceptively cuddly appearance, as well as their ability to harden their hides based on their surroundings, to bring down prey.
----
* ArchEnemy: Bears attack zorbos on sight, whether because of the creatures' appearance, or the fact that their roar sounds like the crying of a bear cub.
* ArtEvolution: Their 5th Edition art does a much better job of hiding the fact that these things are basically carnivorous koalas.
* CraftedFromAnimals: Zorbo hide, when properly treated, carries enchantments well, and items made from it receive a bonus on saving throws to avoid destruction or other harmful effects.
* FieldPowerEffect: A variant; zorbos can rub up against their surroundings (which looks like a bear scratching its back on a tree) and improve their Armor Class based on what they're in contact with, getting increasingly sturdier defensive bonuses from wood, metal and stone.
* KillerRabbit: In their old art they look like slightly toothier koalas, but zorbos are aggressive, like the taste of humanoid flesh, and can ruin an adventuring party's magic items. They can also form colonies of up to 60 of the things.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Zorbos' most dangerous ability is to drain the effectiveness of magic items like a ''ring of protecton'' or ''bracers of defense'' with its claw attacks, which adds their defensive bonuses to the zorbo's own Armor Class while turning the item to dust with NoSavingThrow.
* YowiesAndBunyipsAndDropBearsOhMy: They're more or less a ''D&D'' spin on the drop bear, being a dangerous animal that looks like a koala.
[[/folder]]

[[WMG:[[center: [- ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' '''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragons Main Characters Index]]'''\\
''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClasses Character Classes by Edition]]:'' 1st to 3rd ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesFirstToThirdEditionCoreClasses Core]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesOtherPreThirdEditionClasses Pre-3rd]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesOtherThirdEditionClasses 3rd Other]]) | 3rd & 3.5 ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesThirdEditionPrestigeClasses Prestige Classes]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesThreePointFiveEditionNPCClasses NPC Classes]]) | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesFourthEditionClasses 4th]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesFifthEditionClasses 5th]]\\
''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreatures Creatures]]'': General ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesAToE A to E]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesFToI F to I]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesJToO J to O]] | '''P to Z''') | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons Dragons]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiends Fiends]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsUndead Undead]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsSettingSpecificCreatures Setting-Specific Creatures]]\\
''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDeities Deities]]'': Non-human Pantheons ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDemihumanDeities Demihuman Deities]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsGiantDeities Giant Deities]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsGoblinoidDeities Goblinoid Deities]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsScalykindDeities Scalykind Deities]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsUnderdarkDeities Underdark Deities]]) | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsElderEvils Elder Evils]]\\
''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces Playable Races]]''\\
''Campaign Settings:'' Characters/{{Dragonlance}} | Characters/{{Eberron}} | Characters/ForgottenRealms ([[Characters/ForgottenRealmsGods Gods]] | ''Characters/TheLegendOfDrizzt'') | Characters/{{Greyhawk}} ([[Characters/GreyhawkDeities Deities]]) | Characters/{{Planescape}} ([[Characters/PlanescapeFactions Factions]] | [[Characters/PlanescapeRaces Races]]) | Characters/{{Ravenloft}} ([[Characters/RavenloftDarklords Darklords]] | [[Characters/RavenloftTheCarnival The Carnival]] | [[Characters/RavenloftTheKargataneOfVallaki The Kargatane of Vallaki]] | [[Characters/RavenloftTheFraternityOfShadows Fraternity of Shadows]] | [[Characters/RavenloftTheGreatFamilies Great Families of the Core]] | [[Characters/RavenloftGods Faiths]]) ]] -]]]
This page covers general ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' monsters such as can be found in the ''Monster Manual'' or in setting-agnostic books such as ''Volo's Guide to Monsters'' or ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes''. The creatures on this page can be found in any world of the ''D&D'' multiverse and can be encountered in just about any campaign.
For the game's iconic dragons, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons''. For demons and devils, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiends''. For the various undead creatures, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsUndead''. For creatures found only in specific settings, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsSettingSpecificCreatures''.
[[foldercontrol]]
!!P
[[folder:Palimpset]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_palimpset_2e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:2e]]
->'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Sheets of rune-inscribed paper or parchment that have become carnivorous predators.
----
* AchillesHeel: Electricity attacks not only deal damage to palimpsets, they have a chance, increasing with the attack's severity, to make them spit out any creatures they're currently digesting.
* AnimateInanimateObject: Palimpsets are slow but ambulatory, moving as if blown about by a stray breeze.
* NoBodyLeftBehind: This is what makes it so difficult to resurrect someone who's been absorbed by a palimpset. If they're found while being digested, they can be restored using a specific sequence of spells: a ''remove curse'' to animate their illustration, ''abjure'' to lift them from the sheet as a colorless, lifeless paper doll, and then ''resurrection'' to restore them to normal. But if a palimpset has fully digested someone, then only a ''wish'' can bring them back.
* NoSell: Counterintuitively, palimpsets are immune to fire and attacks with edged weapons.
* PortalBook: A sinister variant. Prey that makes contact with a palimpset is in danger of being absorbed by the creature, appearing as a sketch or illumination upon it -- "mice screeching to get out, or a scribe screaming in terror among the fanciful scrollwork." After one day per Hit Dice, the victim is fully "digested" and vanishes from the paper. Fortunately, sometimes the absorption attempt fails and only deals a nasty paper cut (in which case the blood is quickly absorbed by the monster), and even if successful, absorption takes two rounds over which the monster is helpless and vulnerable to attack. For this reason, palimpsets prefer attacking lone victims.
* SchmuckBait: Rumors abound of entire libraries filled with palimpsets, in volumes with titles such as ''Manual of Bodily Health'', ''Libram of Gainful Conjuration'', and ''Elminster's Black Book''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Pegasus]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pegasus_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Behold the pegasus. It can outrace a dragon in the open sky, and only the best among us can ever hope to ride one. A fitting emblem for our great house, don't you think?"'' -- Tyllenvane d'Orien]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Celestial (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood
Intelligent winged horses. Pegasi are greatly prized as aerial steeds, although finding one can be quite difficult and winning its trust harder still.
----
* AnimalJingoism: Pegasi normally reserve their enmity for evil beings, but bear a particularly deep-seated hatred of griffins and hippogriffs due to their fondness for equine prey.
* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: According to the 5th edition monster manual, [[HellishHorse Nightmares]] are pegasi that have had their wings amputated and been tortured into evil.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: In the 5th edition monster manual, a note contains a quote from a [[TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} House Orien scion]] who boasts that the pegasus can outrace a dragon in the open sky. True enough, the pegasus' flying speed of 90 is 10 feet faster than the fastest dragon in the book.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Pegasi are popular flying mounts for good-aligned characters.
* {{Pegasus}}: Goodly white horses with bird wings and with feathers making up their manes and fetlocks.
* WhaleEgg: In early editions, despite being primarily mammals with a few bird parts tacked on, pegasi reproduce by laying eggs. 5th changes this to them giving live birth like normal horses.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Peryton]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peryton_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Stag-headed birds of prey that feed on human hearts.
----
* MixAndMatchCritters: They resemble enormous eagles with the heads of stags -- some early art also gives them cervine legs -- and the fangs of predatory mammals.
* OurPerytonsAreDifferent:[[invoked]] They're more bird-heavy than typical deceptions, being fully avian except for their stag heads. They're ChaoticEvil as a rule, and are gluttonous eaters of hearts -- especially human ones. There's a great deal of in-universe debate about the nature of their shadows -- some believe that a peryton casts the shadow of the last creature whose heart it ate, while others say that they always cast human shadows and yet others that they only cast their own shadow after killing a victim but before devouring it. "Ecology of the Peryton", in ''Dragon'' #82, describes a colony of perytons having invaded an island-nation named Atlantis on a far-off world before it sank beneath the waves, and as being fated to some day bring about the fall of the great city of Roma.
* PickyPeopleEater: Perytons crave humanoid hearts over everything else, as female perytons need to eat them before being able to reproduce. Their first action after making a kill is to tear out the desired organ, after which they abandon the carcass and fly off. They're also fairly picky about the provenance of these hearts; they prize human ones above all others, but never eat those of elves and fairies.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Phantom Fungus]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_phantom_fungus_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Mobile, carnivorous fungus monsters that are naturally invisible, and remain so even while attacking.
----
* AttackAnimal: Though only as intelligent as animals, phantom fungi are trainable, and make dangerous guards since most detection magic doesn't pick them up. Their invisibility also makes training them difficult, however, leading to handlers [[SeeTheInvisible throwing flour on them or tying ribbons around them]] to keep track of their location. Phantom fungi are often trained to click their teeth after performing a trick, a habit which can give them away.
* InvisibleMonsters: They're under a constant ''greater invisibility'' effect, which allows them to remain unseen even when taking actions like attacking. Since phantom fungi are pretty quiet while stalking prey, often the only thing that gives them away is their strange, moldy odor.
* ManEatingPlant: Fungus, but close enough. They have bizarre bodies with four stumpy legs supporting a green-brown mass, a toothy mouth, and a cluster of nodules that serve as sensory organs, but are normally only visible when slain.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Phase Wasp]]
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_phase_wasp_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned
Oversized wasps with a dangerous magical attack, and a tendency to make nests from paper stolen from libraries, magical and non-magical.
----
* BigCreepyCrawlies: A phase wasp is 18 inches long.
* MagicMissileStorm: They can fire a pair of ''magic missiles'' every few rounds. Since phase wasps live in swarms of up to about 20 creatures, that equals a ''lot'' of [[AlwaysAccurateAttack unavoidable,]] NonElemental damage.
* SeeTheInvisible: Phase wasps can see and attack invisible and ethereal creatures (through the planar boundary in the latter case).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Phasm]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_phasm_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral
Amorphous shapeshifters that use their ablities to devote their lives to exploration, philosophical contemplation, or pure hedonism as their whims decree.
----
* BlobMonster: In its natural form, a phasm resembles an ooze and attacks with pseudopods.
* TheHedonist: They crave new experiences, from scents or flavors to obscure trivia and juicy gossip.
* ItAmusedMe: Phasms' fundamental motivation. This means that there's no telling how they'll react to a given situation, whether they'll attack or parley with or retreat from opponents. Sometimes phasms will team up with doppelgangers just for the fun of it, other times they'll hire out their talents as spies, except they're notoriously unreliable since they don't feel any obligation to share what they learn.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Phasms can take the form of almost any other creature or object of Large size or smaller, an ability they use in combat or to aid their infiltrations.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Phoenix]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/phoenix_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 24 (3E), 19 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E)
Large, fiery birds capable of resurrecting themselves when slain.
For the 5E iteration of this creature, see the "Elder Elementals" section of the "Elementals" entry.
----
* GiantFlyer: Phoenixes are usually very large birds, with wingspans at or over the forty-foot range.
* MakeMeWannaShout: A phoenix can emit a piercing war shriek that ''slows'' opponents.
* OrganDrops: Phoenix feathers are useful additions to a ''staff of healing'' or various curative potions, while their eyes, beaks and talons can fetch up to 5000 gp apiece from buyers who aren't appalled by someone killing and butchering a firebird.
* ThePhoenix: There have been several versions and interpretations of this creature over the years. Depending on the edition, they're either NeutralGood inhabitants of the Upper Planes or destructive {{Elemental Embodiment}}s of fire. Either way, they're usually very large, with red-gold plumage, extremely powerful, and hard to keep dead.%%In-universe alignment.
** In the first edition ''Fiend Folio'', it's stated that phoenixes are based on garbled accounts of reptilian ostrich-like monsters called giant striders bathing in fire (see the "Firenewt" entry). This is immediately contradicted by the subsequent ''Monster Manual II'' introducing actual phoenixes to the game.
** 3rd Edition's ''Monster Manual II'' presents phoenixes as being powerful creatures of good and opponents of evil beings, and as being considered omens of either fortune or disasters when seen.
** The 5th Edition ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' takes the ElementalEmbodiment aspect to the extreme with an elder elemental called the phoenix. It's pretty damn intense, powerful enough to rival an ancient red dragon, and desires to see everything burn.
* PlayingWithFire: While the specifics vary between editions, phoenixes' ties to the element of fire typically allow them some control over flame in the form of spell-like abilities such as ''fire seeds'', ''incendiary cloud'' and ''pyrotechnics''.
* ResurrectiveImmortality: Famously, a dying phoenix will burn itself to ashes and then rise to new life from its own remains. In 3rd Edition, this isn't quite an AutoRevive, but a full-round action the phoenix can take when death is near.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Phoenixes use {{Telepathy}} to communicate with most creatures, but can "speak" with other avians.
* WhiteMagic: Beyond their fiery abilities, phoenixes can also wield curative magic like ''cure light wounds'', ''heal'', ''remove curse'', and even ''[[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnate]]''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Pixie]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_pixie_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood
Diminutive fairies who delight in playing harmless tricks on people.
----
* CraftedFromAnimals: Pixie wings can be ground into ''dust of disappearance''. "Naturally, pixies frown on this use of their wings."
* TheDandy[=/=]TheFashionista: Pixies style themselves as the princes and princesses of the sky, and dress accordingly in sparkling silken gowns and doublets, or in outfits crafted from leaves, tree bark and small animal pelts. One of the surest ways to win a pixie over is by complimenting their fashion sense.
* FairyTrickster: They amuse themselves by leading travelers astray with ''dancing lights'', sneakily tying shoelaces together, blowing out candles, and so forth.
* HonestAxe: Pixies like to trick misers out of their treasure, accumulate it in a small hoard, and use it to taunt other greedy people. But if one of their victims takes the pixie's pranks in good humor and shows no greed when led to the treasure pile, the fey may allow the individual to choose an item from their hoard.
* OurPixiesAreDifferent: Pixies resemble diminutive elves with bright, luminous gossamer wings and an assortment of magical powers. They use their spells for harmless pranks, though their pixie dust is said to have magical properties ranging from bestowing flight to putting creatures into an enchanted slumber, leading some mages and monsters to pursue pixies to take advantage of this power.
* PaintingTheFrostOnWindows: On both the Feywild and Material Plane, pixies wake the birds for springtime, sprinkle dew on summer flowers, paint the autumn leaves, and draw frost on windows during winter.
* ShrinkingViolet: They like to spy on other creatures and can barely contain their excitement upon seeing interlopers, but their overwhelming urge to introduce themselves and strike up a friendship is only controlled by the fear of being captured or attacked. Those who wander through a pixie's glade might never see them, yet hear the occasional giggle, gasp or sigh.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Planetouched]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' Usually 1/2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Varies by heritage
"Planetoched" is a catch-all term describing those whose bloodlines have been touched by powers beyond the Material Plane. Though this effect is not as pronounced as in a half-celestial or cambion, this extraplanar heritage manifests in supernatural abilities and physical traits for many generations.\\
Several of the most common planetouched, the aasimars, tieflings and genasi, are discussed on [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races page]].
----
* ChromeChampion: Mechanatrices tend to have a metallic sheen to their skin, and are sometimes born with a [[ArtificialLimbs mechanical limb]].
* DivineParentage: Planetouched's heritages can range from Good and Evil to Law and Chaos.
** Axani and zenythri have a touch of pure Law in their blood, while mechanatrices are specifically descended from the clockwork beings of Mechanus.
** Chaonds are the descendants of someone who survived a slaad's reproduction attempt, but had their bloodline tainted with raw Chaos in the process.
** Shyfts are humanoids descended from a creature from the Ethereal Plane, and tend to look supernaturally unremarkable.
** Shadowswyfts have an ancestor from the Plane of Shadow, and are most comfortable in darkness.
* FrogMen: Chaonds are a downplayed example, but show their slaadi heritage with stocky bodies, wide feet, and gravelly voices that tend to come out as croaks when they're excited.
* {{Intangibility}}: Shyfts can use ''ethereal jaunt'' once per day.
* KaleidoscopeEyes: Chaonds crank this up a notch by having not just their eye color slowly shift over time, but so can their hair and skin tone.
* MarkOfTheSupernatural: Planetouched tend to have something that visibly sets them apart from normal Material Plane races, whether something as dramatic as a different skin tone, weird eyes, or vestigial wings or horns, or something as subtle as being a little ''too'' good-looking, or strangely nondescript.
* TheNondescript: Shyfts look remarkably unremarkable, easy to overlook and forget. As such, they get a racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks, and tend to find employment as thieves or spies.
* ShockAndAwe: Mechanatrices can use ''shocking grasp'' once per day, and [[FeedItWithFire are healed by electricity effects.]]
* UncannyValley: In-universe; zenythri are noted for their flawless features and hair that naturally falls into place, but don't get any Charisma bonus from it, and in fact their basic statline has them with lower than average Charisma, implying that other creatures find them ''too'' perfect-looking.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Shadowswyfts have superior darkvision, but are blinded by sudden exposure to bright light, and will be dazzled so long as they remain in the area.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Psurlon]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_psurlons_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:310:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (average), 8 (elder), 11 (giant) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
Malicious, worm-like creatures that use their formidable mental powers to kill or drive off any humanoids they encounter. Many live solitary lives, but others form clusters with other psurlons.
----
* LampreyMouth: The psurlon has a large, circular mouth filled with gnashing teeth.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: Between powers like ''suggestion'' and ''dominate'' and their natural skill as misleading and deceit, psurlons are adept at setting their foes against each other.
* PsychicPowers: Psurlons fight with their psionic powers, battering foes with telekinetic blasts or immobilising them with mental energy.
* StrongerWithAge: Psurlon elders are simply ordinary psurlons that have developed even more psionic powers as they aged. Other psurlons instead undertake a rapid physical growth into giant psurlons the size of ogres.
* SuperSenses: They have darkvision thanks to the sensory organs round their mouths, as well as blindsight due to being able to detect foes by scent, sound and vibration.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Purple Worm]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_purple_worm_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E), 15 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)
Enormous subterranean worms with armored bodies and insatiable appetites.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: They have a poisonous stinger at the end of their tails.
* ExactlyWhatit*aysOnTheTin: It is a wormlike monster, and it is purple.
* FastTunneling: They have a 30-foot burrow speed, and can even bore through solid rock at half that rate, leaving behind a 10-foot-wide tunnel.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: It's impossible to ride a purple worm normally, but the mind flayers have developed an odd way to use one as a mount. If an irritant is placed in the purple worm's throat, it will develop a cyst that can be drained and used as a driver's compartment. Though since purple worms are mindless, illithids have to resort to speaking Undercommon to give them commands, and the rider's cyst prevents the worm from swallowing Large creatures, while smaller ones might make an attack of opportunity at the worm's rider as they're swallowed.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: A little-known fact is that the purple worm is referred to as the purple ''dragon'' in Gary Gygax's notes: "the purple, or mottled, dragon is a rare, flightless worm with a venomous sting in its tail." This

was

quickly dropped in later editions.
* SandWorm: Giant, carnivorous worms that burrow underground at high speeds, and which hunt by tracking prey from below and attacking in a sudden, explosive surge through the surface.
* SwallowedWhole: With its cavernous maw, a purple worm can swallow even an ogre in one gulp.
* UndergroundMonkey: In older editions, mottled worms are an aquatic variant of purple worm that inhabits the shallow muck at the bottom of bodies of water.
[[/folder]]
!!Q
[[folder:Quaggoth]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_quaggoth_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-2E), NeutralEvil (3E), Unaligned (4E), ChaoticNeutral (5E)
Sometimes called "deep bears," these savage, 7-foot ursine humanoids eke out a primitive existence in the Underdark.
----
* GoodOldWays: The great divide in the free quaggoths' society is between those who "follow magic" by using weapons and dyeing their white fur with dung, blood and mind flayer gall to help them blend in with their surroundings, and those who "follow the beast" by fighting with their claws and eschewing camouflage.
* ImAHumanitarian: When they can't find food, quaggoths prey on each other. A thonot that fails the tribe is devoured in a cannibalistic ritual, in the hope that its power passes to another more worthy quaggoth.
* ItCanThink: Quaggoths' bestial appearance, snarling language, and penchant for fighting unarmed and unarmored have led many to assume they're bipedal cave bears, but quaggoths are in fact sapient, though not particularly intelligent. Their Intelligence score has even been going down over the game's editions, so their current stats only make them slightly smarter than ogres.
* MadeASlave: Approximately half the quaggoth population has been enslaved by races like the drow or illithids.
* TheMorlocks: At one point the quaggoths had a more advanced society on the surface, before being driven underground by the elves and falling into cannibalistic savagery. For this reason, quaggoths captured by the drow need little prompting to join raids against surface elves.
* PsychicPowers: Thonots are quaggoths which have gained psionic powers through exposure to the psychic energies which permeate the Underdark.
* TurnsRed: When a quaggoth comes close to death, it flies into a berserker rage, making its attacks more powerful and more accurate.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Quesar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_quesar_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood
Radiant, free-willed humanoid constructs native to the marshes of Belierin, third layer of the Blessed Fields of Elysium.
----
* BlindedByTheLight: At will, quesars can intensify their glows sixfold, potentially blinding nearby creatures.
* HealingFactor: They constantly recover hit points so long as they're exposed to sunlight, or magic like ''daylight''. This functions even after a quesar has been "killed," so the only way to permanently destroy one is to keep its remains in an area of darkness, forever, or to use magic like ''disintegrate'' to dispose of their bodies.
* InterserviceRivalry: Their ''AD&D'' write-up notes that Lawful Good celestials resent the quesars for their past rebellion. "On the planes of goodness, the aasimon are to be obeyed without question. Those that do not adhere to that stricture are not well liked." This lack of support can result in proactive quesars leading one-person crusades against the Lower Planes, which for all a quesar's power are still suicidal actions.
* LightEmUp: After they've had their blinding radiance active for a round, quesars can replicate a ''sunburst'' effect, dealing damage to all in 30 feet.
* PhosphorEssence: Quesars constantly shed bright light in a 20-foot radius, providing shadowy illumination 40 feet beyond that.
* ReducedToDust: A quesar's most dangerous ability is to, three times each day, unleash a burst of energy so intense that it subjects every creature and object within 15 feet to a ''disintegrate'' effect, dealing heavy damage and reducing those that succumb to ash.
* SoWhatDoWeDoNow: After becoming independent, most quesars remain on Belierin, pondering the purpose of their new lives.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: The quesars were crafted by angels as servitors, and while the intelligent constructs were initially grateful enough to follow their creators' commands, the quesars eventually expressed that they did not intend to exist as slaves. This offended the angels -- "The clockworks do not tell the clock maker what to do. The clay does not instruct the sculptor." -- and so there was a brief war in Elysium before the local deities intervened, chiding the angels that the quesars were not creatures of order, and the quesars that they should not foment chaos by rashly causing conflict with those who had treated them well. Thus the angels wordlessly departed Belierin, leaving the quesars to figure out what to do with their independence.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Quickling]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_quickling_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Tiny and malicious fey notable for their incredible speed.
----
* BlessedWithSuck: It is said that they were once a human-sized race of fey belonging to the Gloaming Court, but they were lazy and blew off their Queen's summons once too often. To quicken their pace and teach them to mind her will, she sped up their internal clocks. This gave quicklings their characteristic fast pace, but also sped up their aging process, leaving them with a lifespan of twenty years at best.
* SuperSpeed: In 5th edition they can move 120 feet per round without dashing, and their sheer speed imposes disadvantage on all attack rolls made against them.
* TheTrickster: A quickling spends most of its time perpetrating acts of mischief on slower creatures: tying a person's bootlaces together, unbuckling a saddle while no one's looking, or planting a stolen item in someone's bag. They don't commit outright murder, but quicklings can ruin lives in plenty of other ways. Quicklings enjoy causing suffering that transcends mere mischief, especially when they can create discord by blaming others for their actions.
* WeAreAsMayflies: Quicklings live incredibly short lives on account of their hyperactive metabolism. They die of old age in less than twenty years.
[[/folder]]
!!R
[[folder:Raggamoffyn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_raggamoffyn_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:From left to right, a common raggamoffyn, shrapnyl, guttersnipe and tatterdemanimal (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (tatterdemanimal), 3 (raggamoffyn), 5 (guttersnipe), 7 (shrapnyl) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Strange constructs comprised of animate scraps of cloth and metal, which can entrap and puppet an unlucky host creature.
----
* AchillesHeel: Shrapnyl are distinctly vulnerable to the ''shatter'' spell, taking damage from it.
* ActionBomb: The shrapnyl variant can live up to its name by exploding into a deadly cloud of flying steel once per day, damaging everything in a 10-foot radius centered on its host. This doesn't deal any damage to the shrapnyl or its host, but it does relinquish control over the latter, so a shrapnyl only uses this ability in emergencies.
* AnimateInanimateObject: A raggamoffyn forms when leftover magical energy interacts with inanimate objects, and appears as a crawling or clumsily-flying ragtag assortment of odds and ends. Common raggamoffyns look like a bunch of discarded hats, gloves, and robes, shrapnyls are made up of loose metal like jewelry, cookware or wargear, guttersnipes are frayed rope and belts with a core of glittering glass shards, and tatterdemanimals are just dirty rags and cloth scraps.
* BizarreAlienReproduction: Raggamoffyns reproduce by taking over a host, using it to gather and destroy enchanted clothing, then performing a rite that somehow makes the scraps into a new raggamoffyn.
* BlindedByTheLight: Guttersnipes can use the glass powder in their forms to replicate a ''glitterdust'' effect once per day, usually to make an escape.
* OneToMillionToOne: Raggamoffyns can get through tight squeezes by dispersing into their component bits, flowing under a door or through a portcullis gate, and reforming on the other side.
* PuppeteerParasite: A raggamoffyn can attempt to take control of any creature it has grappled, replicating a ''dominate monster'' effect, then uses its host to defend itself and other raggamoffyns. This means that any damage dealt to the raggamoffyn is

split

between the construct and its "captured one."
* SinisterSuffocation: Common raggamoffyns can shift to cover their host's nose and mouth, asphixiating them if they try to resist the construct's control.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ramfish]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_ramfish_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
10-foot-long fish that use their armored hides and fearsome horns to dominate stretches of ocean.
----
* FoodChainOfEvil: Ramfish schools prey upon anything smaller than them, but larger sea predators like dragon turtles and krakens have no problem hunting ramfish.
* HornAttack: A ramfish's bone deposits grow

into wickedly spiraling horns, which it uses with its Powerful Charge feat to deal hefty damage.
* {{Imprinting}}: As dangerous as they are, ramfish take well to domestication by sea elves and locathah -- the

creatures are very protective of their schools, so trainers just imprint themselves on a ramfish so it views them as part of that school.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: A ramfish has a mouth full of needlelike teeth that can be used as a weapon if it is cornered.
* OrphanedEtymology: Averted; to undersea races that have never seen a ram, these creatures are known as "hornfish" or "spiralfish."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rampager]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rampager_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Large, vicious, centaur-like creatures, called ''so-ut'' by goblinoids. They're known to kill for pleasure and destroy any metal they come across.
----
* AcidAttack: A rampager's claws are coated are coated with acid that adds extra damage to their melee attacks.
* BerserkButton: For some unexplained reason, metal drives rampagers completely mad. They'll prioritize attacking armored foes over any other, then those wielding metal weapons, and then rampagers will attack metal structures, even ignoring foes actively attacking them with non-metal weapons, at least until the rampager loses half its hit points.
* BloodKnight: Rampagers enjoy killing, and usually kill far more than they can eat. As long as prey is available, a rampager doesn't even stop killing long enough to feed.
* {{Cephalothorax}}: Their upper torsos don't have heads, just eyes and a mouth in the middle of their "chest."
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Their acidic claws can also dissolve armor and clothing in as little as one round, while their bite attacks can tear apart and ruin suits of armor and shields. Fortunately, anything that doesn't crumble immediately from their acid can be saved by washing it with water for a minute.
* TheNoseKnows: A rampager can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
* OurCentaursAreDifferent: They have a somewhat elephantine lower body supporting a headless upper body, 10 feet high in total.
* PoisonousPerson: Their saliva is simultaneously acidic and a weak poison that deals a bit of [[NonHealthDamage Strength damage.]]
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Rampagers emanate an aura of fear that can frighten anything within 30 feet.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rast]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rast_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Ravenous hovering monsters whose bodies are mostly claws, capped by heads that are mostly teeth. They're native to the Elemental Plane of Fire (specifically the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Ash), but packs of them can be found across the planes.
----
* BigEater: Rasts are insatiable creatures that eat almost continuously.
* {{Flight}}: They have the supernatural ability to fly, though if this power is suppressed, rasts are nearly helpless on the ground despite their many legs. In such cases they can only make a single move or attack action each round, and move at most five feet.
* ImmuneToFire: As creatures with the Fire subtype, rasts are immune to such damage, [[AchillesHeel but take extra damage from cold.]]
* MonstrousCannibalism: Packs of rasts will never eat their own, but will happily attack and feast on rival packs.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Rasts can have up to 15 claws, but can only use up to four at once.
* TheParalyzer: A rast's mere stare can paralyze opponents for several rounds, leaving it free to focus its attacks on those who resisted its gaze.
* VampiricDraining: They can bite into grappled opponents and drain blood each round, dealing [[NonHealthDamage Constitution damage]], though the rast doesn't recover any health from the attack.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ravid]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_ravid_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Strange flying serpents native to the Positive Energy Plane, and as such brim with life energy. They consider the rest of the cosmos a comparatively desolate place, and on other planes will use their abilities to animate everything around them.
----
* AchillesHeel: According to their ''Planescape'' stats, ravids are instantly slain by an ''energy drain'' spell or the touch of a life-draining undead like a wraith or spectre, though in the latter case the result is also a MutualKill. For this reason, ravids are terrified of the undead.
* AnimateInanimateObject: Ravids can use the ''animate objects'' spell as a 20th-level caster, at will. As a result, they're usually surrounded by animated objects that will defend the ravid to the best of their ability (though the ravid isn't smart enough to use tactics when directing its minions), and a ravid's progress through an area can be tracked by the unnaturally lively environment.
* ExplosiveOverclocking: Their ''AD&D'' rules are a bit more involved about the consequences of a character getting dosed with a ravid's positive energy, ranging from having the character's hit point total ''decrease'' if the touch "overhealed" them, to a ''haste'' effect that also [[RapidAging ages the subject one or two years from the burnout]], to granting the benefits of a ''strength'' spell at the cost of permanently reducing the subject's Strength afterward, again from the physical burnout.
* HealingShiv: Ravids' tail slaps and singular claw attacks lash a target with positive energy. In the case of living creatures, this can heal whatever physical damage the ravid's attack dealt, while [[ReviveKillsZombie undead will instead take extra damage from the positive energy.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Reason Stealer]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_reason_stealer_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Ooze (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Amorphous subterranean horrors that must murder other creatures in a desperate attempt to maintain their sentience.
----
* BlobMonster: In its nonsentient, default form, a reason stealer is a 4-foot-wide puddle of grainy, brown-yellow slime.
* CannibalismSuperpower: After dealing the killing blow to a creature, a reason stealer transfers its victim's Intelligence score to itself, which both heals it and allows the ooze to use its victim's ability scores, skills, feats, prepared arcane spells, saving throws, and attack bonuses. The ooze also changes form, reshaping its body into a grotesque parody of its latest victim, allowing it to use weapons and items. If the reason stealer kills another creature after that, the mental benefits are cumulative in the case of spells or feats, or it uses the better of the two attributes in the case of ability scores, skill ranks, and so forth. But in any case, these benefits only last for 24 hours, at which point the reason stealer collapses back into a mindless blob.
* SuperSenses: Reason stealers are blind, but their entire bodies are primitive sensory organs able to track prey by vibration and scent, giving them blindsight out to 60 feet.
* TalkativeLoon: After stealing a creature's mind, the monster mumbles random words in its victim's language.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Redcap]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_redcap_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (young), 7 (elder) (3E); 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Murderous fae who must soak their signature caps in the fresh blood of their victims to survive.
----
* BizarreAlienReproduction: 3rd Edition redcaps reproduce by budding once or twice over their lifetimes, carrying around a hump for six months before it falls off and rapidly grows to full size within another year.
* BloodKnight: From the moment it awakens, a redcap desires only murder and carnage.
* FertileBlood: 5th Edition redcaps are born from blood shed in the Feywild, or places under that plane's influence. This results in the growth of tiny, blood-red mushrooms that sprout into fully-formed redcaps under the moonlight. Some redcaps seek out and kill whoever shed blood to create them, others work with a murderous creator as kindred spirits.
* OrganDrops: Redcaps vanish when they die, leaving behind a single tooth that, when worn, grants the wearer a minor bonus on Charisma checks when dealing with fey, particularly other redcaps.
* PintSizedPowerhouse: Though Small creatures that look like hunched, wizened old humanoids, redcaps are quite strong for their size, able to wield Medium-sized weapons without difficulty and grapple larger opponents on equal terms.
* SinisterScythe: Redcaps wield scythes or sickles, always larger than what beings of their stature ought to be capable of handling.
* SufferTheSlings: 3rd Edition redcaps carry slings for ranged attacks, and have the ability to imbue their stones with eldritch energy for additional damage.
* WithCatlikeTread: Redcaps wear heavy iron boots that clank noisily with every step. Accordingly, they have disadvantage on Stealth checks in 5th edition.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Remorhaz]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_remorhaz_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E); 5 (young remorhaz), 11 (remorhaz) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)
Gigantic, arctic-dwelling centipedes whose bodies give off tremendous amounts of heat.
----
* ArchEnemy: Remorhazes and frost worms attack each other on sight, resulting in terrible battles that can devastate entire areas. The remorhazes usually win such brawls due to [[ElementalRockPaperScissors damage typing]] -- their bites and bodies inflict fire damage, which [[WeakToFire ice worms are vulnerable to]], but remorhazes don't actually have the fire subtype, meaning the ice worms don't get any damage multipliers against them.
* BeastOfBattle: Remorhazes can be trained from hatchings to obey commands and guard frost giants' citadels.
* CreepyCentipedes: They resemble monstrous centipedes, are big enough to prey upon polar bears and mammoths, and can swallow a human whole. They can give an adventuring party a serious fight as a result.
* DigAttack: Remorhazes have a respectable burrowing speed, which they use to burst out of the ice and snow and ambush prey.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Up through 3rd Edition, a remorhaz's superheated body could melt or char weapons into uselessness.
* OrganDrops: The secretions a remorhaz uses to superheat its body, known as ''thrym'', can be sold to alchemists, who may pay up to 1400 gp for what can be harvested from a single monster.
* PlayingWithFire: An enraged remorhaz generates so much heat that merely touching it will inflict severe burns, and in 5th edition, the creature's bite attacks deal aditional fire damage.
* SwallowedWhole: Fully-grown remorhazes can swallow creatures of ogre-sized or smaller after hitting them with a bite attack. In 1st and 2nd editions this was a OneHitKill due to the intense heat within a remorhaz's body, while 3rd edition merely had swallowed creatures suffer a ton of fire damage in addition to the bludgeoning damage from the thing's gizzard. In 5th edition, swallowed creatures instead take acid damage.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Retriever]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_retriever_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E, 5E), Elemental Animate (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 11 (3E), 14 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E), LawfulEvil (5E)
Sinister spider-shaped constructs that are faultless trackers and capable of subduing even mighty demons.
----
* EyeBeams: Retrievers have multiple eyes that can make different magical attacks. In 3rd Edition, they can shoot beams of fire, cold or electricity, or a ray of [[TakenForGranite petrification]], but they can only make one such attack per round, and each ray can only be used once every four rounds. 5th Edition streamlines things so that retrievers can either fire a beam that deals [[NonElemental force damage]] or another that [[TheParalyzer paralyzes the target]].
* GiantSpider: The retriever is an elephant-sized construct made in the shape of a spider.
* {{Retcon}}: Originally retrievers were constructed by demon lords to capture priority targets like runaway slaves, stolen items, or mortal enemies, but 5th Edition casts them as creations of the drow, designed to capture demons to bind to the dark elves' will. In their old lore, retrievers were built in the image of bebiliths, while in 5th Edition they are actually powered by bound bebiliths.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: They are appropriately very good at retrieving things, including living beings, and unerringly know the distance and direction to their current target.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rhek]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rhek_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Rhek chaosgrinder (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulGood
A Material Plane race of rhino-like humanoids who immigrated to the Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia shortly after it lost its third layer to Mechanus, and helped restore order in that time of crisis. Now they strive to crush evil and impose order upon an unruly cosmos.
----
* {{Acrofatic}}: Rheks are seven feet tall and weigh 350 pounds, but can still employ the monk class' acrobatics and increased movement.
* BareFistedMonk: Rhek chaosgrinders are skilled martial artists who don't require weapons to destroy their enemies.
* HealingFactor: Downplayed; they don't have fast healing or regeneration, but their redundant internal organs and rapidly-congealing blood mean that rheks automatically stabilize themselves when brought below 0 hit points.
* HolyHandGrenade: All rheks can make a ''Smite Chaos'' attack three times per day, dealing extra damage to Chaotic foes.
* HornAttack: They can make gore attacks with their horns, which does double damage during a charge.
* RhinoRampage: They're anthropomorphic rhinos, and while not bloodthirsty, are perfectly willing to enforce their vision of order through violence.
* SuperOCD: Fittingly for the more-Lawful-than-Good plane of Arcadia, rheks lean into this, striving for harmony and perfection by making sure everything is in its proper place, and having little tolerance for unpredictability.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: Rheks can ''detect chaos'' at will.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rilmani]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rilmani_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:An aurumach and cuprilach (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (ferrumach), 12 (cuprilach), 17 (aurumach) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Natives of the Concordant Domain of the Outlands, the rilmani embody pure neutrality. Rather than staying out of the great conflicts of the multiverse, they are committed to upholding the balance between the powers of good, evil, law and chaos, and subtly act whenever one side threatens to dominate the Great Wheel.
----
* AggressiveNegotiations: Aurumachs only intervene if the rilmani's covert attempts to influence a situation have failed, and will first attempt diplomacy, appearing unarmed and unarmored as they encourage a conflict's participants to seek a middle ground. If their words fail, they summon their weapons and armor in an instant and use force.
* BackStab: As assassins, cuprilachs can deal Sneak Attack damage like a rogue.
* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: Their primary goal is to uphold Balance across the multiverse, whether on an interplanar scale or on an individual Material Plane world.
* BladeSpam[=/=]RainOfArrows: Cuprilachs can make a full attack with a standard action, allowing them to move and unleash a flurry of sword strikes, or loose three arrows before the first has hit its target. What makes this even more dangerous is that in ideal circ*mstances, they'll apply Sneak Attack damage with each hit.
* ChromeChampion: Each rilmani is a humanoid whose flesh is the color of their subspecies' namesake, so ferrumachs have iron skin, aurumachs gleam golden, and so on.
* ColorCodedCastes: Like other outsiders that embody an alignment, rilmani are divided into several specialized subtypes, in their case defined by their metallic skins.
** Plumachs are lead-colored workers and traders who maintain rilmani society, and rarely venture from the Spire at the center of the Outlands.
** Ferrumachs are iron-skinned soldiers who often fight as cavalry, whether on a kuldurath or ''phantom steed''.
** Abiorachs have slight bodies with a liquid, silvery sheen and crystalline, multicolored eyes, and usually monitor the Balance on the Inner Planes.
** Cuprilachs have coppery hides and are the rilmani's primary infiltrators and assassins.
** Argenachs are silver-skinned sages who play puppetmaster on the Material Plane.
** Aurumachs are the golden leader caste of the rilmani, and in rare cases may intervene directly in a combat as diplomats, or as devastating warriors.
* EnemySummoner: Like many "embody an alignment" outsiders, rilmani can summon more of their kind as reinforcements, with a small chance of success for the low-ranking rilmani to automatic success for the aurumachs.
* InstantArmor: Aurumachs' enchanted golden armor is never truly worn, it simply appears on their bodies in time to deflect an attack and vanishes the next instant. The upside is that this lets aurumachs move without being impaired by a suit of full plate, the bad news is that in an AntiMagic field, they're effectively naked.
* NoSell:
** Rilmani as a race are immune to electricity and poison, and resistant to acid and sonic energy.
** The abiorachs can attune themselves to whatever Inner Plane they're on, becoming immune to the fires of the Elemental Plane of Fire, for example, and being treated as a native elemental creature by the plane's inhabitants.
* GoldColoredSuperiority: Aurumachs are the rilmani's leaders, the strongest of their race, and [[LargeAndInCharge the largest as well.]]
* SituationalDamageAttack: Specifically, Situational Damage ''Type'' Attack:
** Argenachs can fire rays of what look like silver light from their hands, but which deal a damage type that their target is vulnerable to. So a ray that hits a fire-immune baatezu might deal electricity damage, while a ray that hits an electricity-immune archon might deal cold damage.
** Aurumachs' "Antithesis" ability makes their touch or melee attacks deal extra damage to a target based on how far from True Neutral it is, so a Lawful Neutral target would take some chaotic damage, while a Chaotic Good target would take even more lawful and unholy damage.
* SummonToHand: Similarly to their armor, aurumachs' golden halberds can be summoned or dismissed instantly as a free action
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Ferrumachs can surround themselves with an aura replicating the ''fear'' spell.
* TreacherousAdvisor: Argenachs like to work by providing information and advice to Material Plane factions, but are just as likely to be aiding the cause of evil as they are good, and are in any case only

following ~~the rilmani's greater agenda.~~
* ~~VoluntaryShapeshifting: All rilmani can use ''polymorph self'' several times a day~~

aid in their infiltrations.
!!Kuldurath
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_khuldurath_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A kuldurath with ferrumach (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Hulking but swift warbeasts often ridden into battle by ferrumach rilmani.
----
* BeastOfBattle: They're bred for combat and often outfitted with enchanted full plate barding.
* BondCreatures: Downplayed; kulduraths have the supernatural ability to share their riders' damage reduction or energy resistances, as well as the effects of any beneficial spells.
* HornAttack: A variant; kulduraths deal double goring damage with their tusks on a charge.
* ItCanThink: Kulduraths are as smart as ogres, enough to understand Sylvan, though they cannot themselves speak.
* MixAndMatchCritters: They have a rhino's tough hide and powerful musculature, but the way their bodies are set up makes them run and leap like Large, predatory rabbits, while their heads have tusks rather than horns or long ears.
* ShockAndAwe: Three times per day, a kuldurath can surround itself with an aura of electricity that damages all within 30 feet (their riders, being rilmani, are immune).
* TrampledUnderfoot: Kulduraths are large and heavy enough to trample smaller foes.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rimefire Eidolon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rimefire_eidolon_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood
The shattered, scattered remnants of the ancient goddess Hleid, a deity of winter and ice, rimefire eidolons spend their lives hiding from the dark forces that would see Hleid's demise completed.
----
* BondCreatures: Rimefire eidolons can forge magical bonds with rimefire witches, the remaining worshippers of Hleid. The eidolon will transform into an icy copy of their partner, and the eidolon becomes permanently aware of their partner's location and condition while gaining resistance to mind-affecting magic. This bond breaks only on death of one of its members, and instantly reforms if one is returned to life within a year of their death.
* ColdFlames: Rimefire eidolons burn with icy blue fire, which deals equal parts ice and fire damage and can be thrown at a distance.
* AnIcePerson: Rimefire eidolons have fairly extensive powers insofar as ice magic goes. Besides being able to thrown their ColdFlames as projectiles, they can shape and manipulate ice at will and further have access to a number of icy spell-like abilities, such as ''ice storm'', ''wall of ice'', ''cone of cold'' and ''polar ray''.
* PiecesOfGod: When the murdered goddess Hleid fell to earth, her shattered remnants took on living form as the rimefire eidolons.
* TechnicolorFire: The ColdFlames that burn around an eidolon's form are a bright blue-white in color.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Roc]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_roc_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Animal, Magical Beast (chaos roc) (3E); Natural Beast (4E); Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9, 22 (chaos roc) (3E); 11 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' True Neutral (1E-3E), ChaoticNeutral (chaos roc, 3E); Unaligned (4E-5E)
Vast, predatory birds that make even giants look tiny in comparison.
----
* EyeBeams: A chaos roc can emit a spray of prismatic light from its eyes.
* GiantFlyer: They have a wingspan of 200 feet in 5th edition and prey on otherwise massive animals like giants, elephants, and even ''whales''. Even at rest,

these

birds of prey rival dragons in size.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: They're often tamed by giants to serve as flying steeds.
* RocBirds:
** Rocs have appeared since the game's first edition as birds of prey large enough to carry off elephants in their claws. They are often associated with [[OurGiantsAreBigger giants]], who tame them as aerial mounts, although wild rocs will hunt giants. In fact, 5th edition lore says the giants' chief god Annam created rocs as air support in the giants' ancient war against the dragons.
** In ''TabletopGame/AlQadim'', it should come as no surprise that they are a prominent part of the setting, given the ArabianNightsDays theme. In fact, the setting has ''three'' variations. Asides from the common roc found in other settings, there are also the intelligent great rocs and the evil-aligned two-headed rocs (based on the Creator/RayHarryhausen one from ''Film/The7thVoyageOfSinbad'').
** In 4th Edition, ThePhoenix and {{Thunderbird}} (or Thunderhawk in the default setting) are considered species of rocs native to [[ElementalPlane the Elemental Chaos]] and possessing the elemental powers that come with such an origin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Roper]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roper_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"You see, stalac-''tites'' grow down from the ceiling, while stalg-''mites'' reach -- AAHHHHHHHHH-"]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (1E-3E), Evil (4E), NeutralEvil (5E)
A monster that looks like a stalagmite.
----
* AmbushingEnemy: Ropers hunt by closing their eyes and mouths, retracting their tentacles, and disguising themselves near-perfectly as formations of inert stone. They can stay like this nearly indefinitely, only opening their eyes and maws and lashing out with their tentacles when prey stumbles across them.
* CombatTentacles: Every roper has half a dozen tentacles which it uses to ensnare potential meals and drag them toward its mouth.
* ExtremeOmnivore: A roper eats any creature, from Underdark beasts to adventurers and their gear.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Ropers are consummate ambush predators which sit perfectly still while waiting for something edible to appear. Once they are within grabbing distance, it reveals itself by lashing out with its tentacles.
* YouWillNotEvadeMe: A roper’s tentacles can snag people from up to fifty feet away and reel them into biting distance in short order. Their touch also saps the victim’s strength, making it harder for the victim to break free and escape.
!!Piercer
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/piercer_d&d.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-2E), Unaligned (5E)
The immature form of the roper, piercers disguise themselves as stalactites and employ similar hunting tactics.
----
* DeathFromAbove: A piercer clings to a cave ceiling and waits for some unwitting creature to pass underneath it. When that happens, it lets go and drops onto the unfortunate victim, skewering and crushing them to death.
* DeathOrGloryAttack: The piercer is screwed if its initial drop fails to kill its would-be victim. It has no other way to attack and moves too slowly to escape reprisals.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Clinging to the ceilings of caverns, piercers blend in perfectly with stalactites, silently dropping to impale unsuspecting foes on the ground.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: For most of the game's history, ropers and piercers were entirely unrelated monsters that simply had thematically similar gimmicks. In 5E, piercers are recast as larval ropers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rogue Eidolon]]
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_rogue_eidolon_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:349:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral
Statues animated by dark deities, granting them dangerous power that has also driven the constructs mad.
----
* TheBlank: The faces of rogue eidolons are blank, except for the bleeding symbols of whatever dark god created them.
* BloodyMurder: They can spray thick gouts of blood from the symbols carved into their faces, which can cause all those hit with the stuff to [[SetAMookToKillAMook perceive their allies as enemies and spend several rounds trying to murder them.]]
* LivingStatue: A dark deity that was especially pleased with a particular cult cell sometimes sent the tiniest shred of its power infuse that cult's statue, granting it minimal sentience.
* MurderousMalfunctioningMachine: A fantastic example. Over the years, most of these constructs went insane from the dark energies within them, becoming rogue eidolons that in many cases murdered the very cults they were created to protect. Now they act at random, sometimes ignoring an adventuring party entirely, perhaps mistaking it for a group of cultists, and other times attacking the same adventurers they ignored previously.
* StupidityInducingAttack: Those hit by a rogue eidolon's slam attacks have to save or become permanently ''confused'', acting randomly until healed by magic like ''greater restoration'' or ''limited wish''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rust Monster]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rust_monster.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)
Odd bug-like creatures known and feared for their ability to turn metal arms and armor into piles of rust.
----
* AttackAnimal: Rust monsters can be domesticated, most commonly by gnomes, to serve as guard beasts, making up a first line of defense that disarms intruders for other guards to mop up. But the creatures' lust for rust overrides any training or loyalty to their masters, so their handlers shouldn't keep any metal on them during interactions.
* FoodAsBribe: They're actually easily tameable and friendly creatures if given scrap metal snacks.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Some dwarves are known to breed Large rust monsters to be ridden into battle by soldiers wielding stone weapons and wearing hide or stone armor. Such cavalry can rout an enemy army all on its own.
* MetalMuncher: Rust monsters subsist on rust, which they can create by touching any kind of metal. Their cousins, the folugubs, can liquefy crystals at a touch and feed on the result. They corrode metal extremely quickly, enough so that corroding and consuming enemy weapons mid-combat is a very viable combat tactic for them.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Rust monsters are the bane of any player who wears metal armor or carries metal weapons, as the touch of a rust monster's antennae corrodes metal in the blink of an eye.
* PaintingTheMedium: The rust monster's illustration in the first edition's ''Monster Manual'' shows its corrosive antennae eating a hole in the picture's frame.
* {{Retcon}}: ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' posits that rust monsters are the larval forms of the much more dangerous rust ''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons dragons]]'' of Acheron. This has been ignored by later entries for rust dragons.
[[/folder]]
!!S
[[folder:Sacred Watcher]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sacred_watcher_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Deathless (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' As base creature +2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Any good
These virtuous souls gave their lives while guarding someone, but linger on the mortal plane as deathless guardians until their charges no longer need their protection.
----
* GuardianEntity: Sacred watchers normally follow their charges on the Ethereal Plane, but should danger threaten, they manifest and fight to defend them. They're also constantly aware of their ward's status, and can instantly teleport to their location, even across planes.
* HealingHands: Five times per day, sacred watchers can channel positive energy through a touch to heal the living, or disrupt the undead.
* {{Intangibility}}: Sacred watchers are naturally ethereal, and have to manifest on the Material Plane to affect things there.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Sacred watchers are basically ghosts that haunt an individual rather than a location, except they're deathless creatures comprised of positive energy rather than undead animated by negative energy.
* ReviveKillsZombie: Explicitly averted; while deathless share many traits with undead, they're healed by positive energy and harmed by negative energy, the same as living creatures. This also means that many spells such as ''consecrate'' and ''desecrate'' have the opposite effects on deathless as they would on conventional undead.
* UndyingLoyalty: Quite literally, as they are the souls of bodyguards who refuse to pass on until someone else assumes responsibility over their charge. Even if "killed," they'll usually return after a few days.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sahuagin]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sahuagin_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E); 1/2 (sahuagin), 1 (coral smasher), 2 (priestess), 3 (champion, hatchling swarm), 4 (deep diver), 5 (baron, high priestess, wave shaper), 6 (blademaster) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
Piscine humanoids known as "sea devils" for their bloodthirst and savagery. They war with every other race in the ocean, and launch regular raids against coastal settlements.
----
* AbsoluteXenophobe: Sahuagin society is orderly, ritualized, and dedicated to the eradication of everything not sahuagin.
* AlluringAnglerfish: Sahuagin deep divers have anglerfish-like lures growing out of their heads. The magical light produced by these lures can put creatures into a hypnotic stupor.
* TheBeastmaster: All sahuagin can communicate telepathically with sharks. They use this power to command sharks in battle.
* TheBerserker: Like sharks, sahuagin can fly into a blood frenzy after scenting blood in the water or in response to taking damage.
* FantasticRacism: They loathe sea elves, and the two people are incapable of coexisting without hatred and violence. They loathe tritons only slightly less.
* FishPeople: Sahuagin resemble humanoid fish, with long tails, fins and webbed hands and feet. They're not fully amphibious like the kuo-toa, but unlike the locathah can survive outside the water for a couple of hours.
* HumanSacrifice: Sahuagin priestesses regularly sacrifice humanoids to their god Sekolah, drawing said sacrifices from prisoners of war, slaves, and even their own hatchlings.
* LargeAndInCharge: Sahuagin barons tower over their underlings (and most other humanoids, for that matter).
* MakingASplash: Sahuagin wave shapers, true to their name, are mages which focus on manipulating water. In combat they can whip up destructive whirlpools.
* {{Mutants}}: Most sahuagin mutants are simply born with extra arms, but if a sahuagin settlement is close to some sea elves, there is a rare chance for a sahuagin to be born that looks indistinguishable from a sea elf. These malenti are used as spies and infiltrators by their sahuagin kin, and their birth typically heralds a new wave of bloodshed between the two races, even if their existence hints at a deeper connection that neither wants to acknowledge.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Some sahuagins are born mutants, with an extra set of arms. Such individuals often rise to power as a community's barons and baronesses.
* ThreateningShark: Sahuagin are closely associated with sharks. Their god, Sekolah, is a ravenous and oversized great white shark. The sahuagin themselves can communicate telepathically with sharks and will fly into a vicious frenzy at the smell of blood.
!!Shell Shark
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned
Sharks which have been modified through sahuagin magic, making them tougher and more dangerous.
----
* BeastOfBattle: Shell sharks are chosen by priestesses of Sekolah to serve as protectors and messengers.
* HeavilyArmoredMook: A shell shark is covered in magically affixed plates of coral, giving it an Armor Class on par with a suit of plate.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Salamander]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/salamander_5e.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Elemental Humanoid (4E), Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (flamebrother), 6 (salamander), 10 (noble) (3E); 1 (fire snake), 5 (salamander) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (1-2E), Evil (3-4E), NeutralEvil (5E)
Serpentine beings native to the Elemental Plane of Fire, usually found in the service of stronger beings.
----
* BizarreAlienBiology: Salamanders don't need to eat, but still produce waste... [[NoConservationOfEnergy for some reason]]. This waste comes out through the salamander's spikes as a liquid that immediately combusts, creating the salamander's fiery aura.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Salamanders do not need to eat, they reproduce asexually, and they are not hurt by any natural phenomena on the elemental plane of fire. With no hunger, sex drive or need for shelter, they instead turn to religion to give life meaning, but Efreet and nobles stop them from worshipping gods. Instead, salamanders turn to fire as their god, and their entire society is built around it. Metal bends to fire but does not break, and gems reflect the beauty of fire, so salamanders prize both highly, but wood, liquid and anything else that is consumed or evaporated by fire is discarded as worthless.
* FantasticRacism: Salamanders hate ''Azer'', because they feel that if the azer had just stayed enslaved to the efreet, then salamanders wouldn't have been enslaved. They apparently haven't considered that the efreet is the root cause of this problem, which the efreet delight in.
* FierySalamander: Fiery humanoids from the plane of elemental fire, which prefer to live in sweltering temperatures and can create and control fire themselves.
* ImmuneToFire: Salamanders, as beings of elemental flame, cannot themselves be harmed by fire.
* MainliningTheMonster: As salamanders naturally generate intense heat from their bodies, some summon and bind them to forges and ovens to use as endless heat sources.
* NoSell: Inverted. Salamander nobles can cast a unique version of Dispell Magic that dispells fire immunity on creatures not native to the elemental planes.
* PlayingWithFire: Salamanders are creatures of the Elemental Plane of Fire, and by nature can create fireballs and walls of fire, heat themselves enough to burn other beings, and summon fire elementals.
* SlaveRace: The efreet enslaved the salamanders in the distant past, to make up for their failure to bind the azers in the same way. Most modern salamanders serve the efreet as slave laborers and soldiers, and the efreet despise the idea of salamanders serving any other master, including gods.
* SnakePeople: They have demonic humanoid torsos and heads mounted on long, serpentine bodies.
* StrongerWithAge: Salamander Nobles continue growing for their entire lives, and never die by natural means. This means that a truly ancient noble can be the size of a mountain, with power to match.
!!Frost Salamander
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frost_salamander_35e.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 9 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (3E), Unaligned (5E)
Blue-scaled creatures native to the Plane of Ice, but also found in the colder reaches of mortal worlds.
----
* BlueMeansCold: Unlike their red-and-orange coloration of common salamanders, frost salamanders have bright blue scales.
* BreathWeapon: The frost salamander's breath exhales chill wind in a sixty-foot cone.
* FantasticRacism: True salamanders and frost salamanders hate each other, and will fight to the death when they meet. It's not especially clear why this is, although there's speculation that this is a result of their opposing elemental natures or of a really bad first meeting.
* AnIcePerson: Frost salamanders can exhale chilling wind, and produce a freezing aura around themselves.
* NonIndicativeName: In-universe. True and frost salamanders aren't actually related to one another in any meaningful sense, but share a name because early explorers named the icy kind after the fiery one based on some superficial similarities.
* VertebrateWithExtraLimbs: They resemble reptiles with six legs.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Satyr]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_satyr_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E, 5E), Fey Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-2E), ChaoticNeutral (3E, 5E), Unaligned (4E)
Horned and hoofed humanoids who live in the wilderness and love to party.
----
* FaunsAndSatyrs: "Faun" and "satyr" are synonymous terms for the same type of ram-horned, goat-legged fey who live in forests and enjoy dancing, alcohol, music and revelry. They get along well with (i.e. chase) nymphs and dryads, as well as other woodland creatures like centaurs.
* TheHedonist: Their only interest is in the pleasure of fine wine, exhilarating dance, delectable spices, and passionate romance. They're known to venture into civilization to partake of its delights, and satyrs feel starved when they can't indulge themselves. Satyrs are happy to bring other people along during their revelries, but are oblivious to the consequences of their hedonism.
* MagicMusic: Satyrs can play various magical tunes on their pipes, which they can use to [[SupernaturalFearInducer frighten away intruders]], [[ForcedSleep put people to sleep]] (usually so the satyr can rob them), or [[CharmPerson charm their pants off]] (sometimes literally).
* OneGenderRace: Their ''AD&D'' entry notes that satyrs are all male, speculated to be the male counterpart to dryads, with whom they reproduce. Later editions don't specify that satyrs are all male, but tend to depict them as such.
* UnusableEnemyEquipment: In the hands of others, their panpipes have no special powers.
* UseYourHead: When pressed into combat, satyrs can deliver a powerful headbutt.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Scarecrow]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_scarecrow_5e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (5E), Fey Animate (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (2E), Unaligned (4E), ChaoticEvil (5E)
Distinctly spooky constructs created to serve spellcasters such as hags or witches.
----
* PumpkinPerson: Early scarecrows were noted to have carved gourds for heads, which [[ExorcistHead revolve unsettlingly]] as the construct lurches after enemies.
* ScaryScarecrows: Scarecrows are evil constructs that obey their master's command, eager to terrify prey with their sackcloth face and rend victims with razor-sharp claws.
* SoulPoweredEngine: A scarecrow is controlled by the bound spirit of a dead evil creature. Sometimes this results in [[AmnesiacResonance aspects of the spirit's personality resurfacing]], but the scarecrow remains focused on serving its creator.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: A scarecrow's mere gaze can paralyze other creatures with fear.
* WeakToFire: As creations of wood and straw, scarecrows are pretty flammable.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sea Lion]]
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sea_cat_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:2e]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sea_lion_d&d.png[[/labelnote]] ]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (3E), Unaligned (5E)
Also known as sea cats, these aquatic predators blend the forms of felines and cetaceans, and aggressively hunt anything that enters their pride's territory.
----
* ArtEvolution: In 1st and 2nd edition, they're depicted as very chimeric beings with a fully fishlike tails and fully leonine front, meeting at a sharp line. In and after 3rd, their body parts' designs are more smoothly integrated into each other, they're green, and their feline parts lack and a mane and are less specifically leonine.
* AttackAttackAttack: They attack other creatures on sight, either considering them prey or a rival to be driven off, and simply won't back down even against creatures that outsize them, fighting to the death.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Sea cats have the head and forelimbs of a lion, and the body of a small cetacean.
* PunBasedCreature: Their original incarnations were quite literally sea-lions, with maned, furred feline fronts and the back ends of fish, mermaid-style.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sea Spawn]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sea_spawn_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Humanoids who were lost at sea, only to be claimed by sea hags, storm giants, dragon turtles, morkoths, or some other aquatic power. Whether offered a terrible bargain or cursed by their creators, these sea spawn are transformed both physically and mentally into amphibious minions.
----
* CombatTentacles: Some sea spawn have tentacles which they can use to bludgeon and grapple their foes.
* FishPeople: They have one or more traits from undersea creatures -- a shark's jaws, sea urchin's spines, octopus tentacles -- which can have applications in combat. They're faster in the water than on land, and though amphibious, need to spend at least one minute each day submerged in seawater to avoid suffocation.
* HappinessInSlavery: Elminster implies as such.
-->'''Elminster:''' They are transformed by the sea and enslaved by powers of the deeps. And the transformation is more than mere fins and tentacles, they come to love their slavery. Poor souls.
* PoisonousPerson: Some sea spawn have venomous quills like a pufferfish, and can use them to prick nearby creatures.
* WasOnceAMan: They're the product of a magical ritual widely known by evil sea creatures.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shadar-Kai]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shadar_kai_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E); 7 (shadow dancer), 9 (gloom weaver), 11 (soul monger) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (3E), TrueNeutral (5E)
A race of humanoids innately bound to the Shadowfell. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shadow Mastiff]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shadow_mastiff_5e.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Great hounds from the Plane of Shadow, making them most dangerous in darkness.
----
* {{Invisibility}}: Shadow mastiffs can blend in with patches of shadow, giving them the effect of total concealment (in 3rd Edition) or proper invisibility (in 5th Edition).
* SeeTheInvisible: Their keen senses allow them to see normally-invisible things on the Ethereal Plane.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: The howling of their pack alphas can frighten other creatures, and is often the signal for the rest of the pack to attack. In 3rd Edition, all shadow mastiffs could use this ability, but their baying only affected non-evil creatures.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Being creatures of the Shadowfell, shadow mastiffs can tolerate bright light, but not sunlight.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shaedling]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shaedling_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Wicked winged fey whose spinnerets exude shapeable shadow-stuff.
----
* CastingAShadow: A shaedling holds command over shadow, in the same way as spiders weave webs. Once per day they can generate a wall of darkness up to 30 feet long, which only creatures with darkvision can see through.
* EvilCounterpart: Shaedlings are such to pixies, as their ancestors followed the drow into the Underdark following the elven schism. Through unlike drow and surface elves, shaedlings cannot breed with normal pixies.
* ExplosiveBreeder: They're quite prolific, coupling "wantonly" to produce eggs that hatch within a month, and newborns grow to adulthood in a year. As a trade-off, shaedlings only live about 20 years or so.
* ForcedSleep: Shaedlings can use a javelin made of shadow gossamer to put a creature to sleep, as well as potentially all who touch that creature.
* SpontaneousWeaponCreation: They can swiftly create weapons or shields out of shadow gossamer, most commonly javelins and spiked chains. The catch is that such items dissipate one round after leaving a shaedling's hands.
* WingedHumanoid: Shaedlings resemble drow of short stature with solid black eyes and dark dragonfly wings.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shambling Mound]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shambling_mound_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned
Vaguely anthropomorphic plants which wander constantly in search of food.
----
* FeedItWithFire: Shambling mounds are in fact spawned when lightning or fey magic invigorates a swamp plant. As such, electricity attacks heal them.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Shambling mounds are slow, and thus rely on ambushing prey, lying still and trying to appear as just another pile of rotting vegetation.
* ManEatingPlant: They devour any organic matter in their path, whether it's plants or animals. Humans are very much on the menu if they don't get out of the way.
* PlayingPossum: Shambling mounds are smart enough to feign death in the face of overwhelming opposition. So long as the root-stem that animates them survives an encounter, the creature can slowly regrow its body and go back to the hunt.
* SwallowedWhole: They can simply engulf grappled enemies, dealing bludgeoning damage each round and [[SinisterSuffocation preventing their victim from breathing.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shield Guardian]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shield_guardian_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E), 7 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned
Magical constructs that protect and serve whoever bears a specified amulet.
----
* HealingFactor: They recover a fixed number of hit points on each of their turns.
* TheKidWithTheRemoteControl: A shield guardian obeys and protects whoever currently possesses its corresponding amulet. As such, people have been known to attack a shield guardian's ward specifically to steal that amulet and gain possession of the guardian itself.
* PowersAsPrograms: A shield guardian can "store" a spell of up to 4th level, which it can then expend on command or if a certain condition is met.
* {{Synchronization}}: Shield guardians are magically linked to their owners, and if the owner is within 60 feet of their guardian, any damage that the owner takes will be split between the two of them.
* TakingTheBullet: If an attack threatens to injure its owner, a shield guardian can magically absorb the blow into its own body, even at a distance.
* {{Telepathy}}: Whoever bears a shield guardian's amulet can communicate telepathically with it no matter the distance, so long as they're on the same plane of existence. The shield guardian in turn always knows the direction to its master.
!!Runic Guardian
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_runic_guardian_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Rune-inscribed constructs that share many abilities with shield guardians, but can be considered a direct upgrade over them, albeit more expensive and difficult to construct.
----
* CycleOfHurting: Their fists are filled with lead and hit like a truck, so anyone struck by the runic guardian's slam attacks has to succeed at a high Fortitude save or be stunned for a round. In a one-on-one fight, this can lead to a fatal case of stunlocking.
* MagicKnight: Rather than storing one particular spell, a runic guardian has six spells built into its arms, legs, torso and head during the creation process. It can use each of these spells once per day, either on command or when a certain condition is met, and the spells' level is determined by which part of the body they're inscribed upon.
* MurderousMalfunctioningMachine: Runic guardians have a ''slight'' downside compared to shield guardians in that they can't be "reset" to serve another master. A runic guardian knows the instant its master dies no matter the distance, and will immediately go berserk, attacking everything in sight until destroyed. Retrieving its amulet does nothing to prevent this.
* ObviousRulePatch: While runic guardians are keyed to a magic amulet like shield guardians, all the item does is allow the construct to ''teleport without error'' to the amulet when called, once per day. A runic guardian is bound to a specific individual as its master upon creation, and if some thief steals the amulet and summons the construct, the runic guardian's first act is going to be to try to kill the pretender.
* RunicMagic: As indicated by their name, runic guardians' bodies are covered in runes crafted from precious metals, which glow when they use their inscribed spell-like abilities. This makes the constructs especially popular with dwarves and giants.
* SuperiorSuccessor: Anything a shield guardian can do, a runic guardian can do better. Their Fast Healing is better and comes with sturdy DamageReduction (which offsets their slightly lower health), their armor is better and their physical attacks hit harder, their "guard" ability imparts a better armor bonus to their master, their ''shield other'' ability works at a greater range and absorbs 75% of an attack's damage

instead of

splitting it 50-50, and so forth.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shocker Lizard]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_shocker_lizard_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Little blue reptiles that can blast would-be predators with electricity.
----
* AttackAnimal: Some of the fashionably rich host colonies of shocker lizards in their gardens or courtyards as a deterrent against thieves, though the creatures may require special training not to attack servants or playing children.
* CoolPet: Other wealthy individuals walk shocker lizards on leashes, or wear them on their shoulders.
* RoarBeforeBeating: A realistic take on the trope; when a potential threat approachs, a shocker lizard tries to warn them away with a low-powered electrical discharge, audible as a series of rapid clicks, and just strong enough for the other creature to feel on their skin and scalp. If the interloper persists, they get a stronger zap.
* ShockAndAwe: The body of shocker lizards can generate intense electrical shocks. An individual creature can only deal nonlethal damage to a single foe within five feet, but two or more shocker lizards can [[CombinationAttack combine their voltage]] in a 20-foot-radius burst of lethal electricity, centered on one lizard, that grows more powerful the more shocker lizards contribute to it. If six shocker lizards act in concert, the combined damage outperforms a ''fireball'' spell.
* SuperSenses: Due to their affinity for electricity, shocker lizards can detect any electrical discharges within 100 feet.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Silthilar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_silthilar_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood
The remnants of a race of fleshcrafters that escaped a magical plague by transforming themselves into countless motes of flesh, which can freely recombine into their original shapes.
----
* BalefulPolymorph: They can spend a full-round action by swarming a creature and subjecting it to a ''polymorph any object'' effect, transforming it into another living creature.
* {{Biomanipulation}}: When they aren't flat-out changing creatures' shapes entirely, silthilar are adept at applying specialized grafts to subjects -- flexible spines, improved muscles or bones, chitinous plating, regenerative blood, and so forth.
* DarkIsNotEvil: The silthilar have utterly alien bodies (when they even ''have'' solid bodies) and can effortlessly reshape other creatures as they see fit, but apart from the odd rogue swarms, the silthilar's skill at reshaping life is balanced by their respect for it, and they'll only work on voluntary test subjects or paying customers.
* HiveMind: Each mote of flesh that constitutes a silthilar is the physical embodiment of a piece of their race's lore, so a swarm of them creates a hive mind that can function as a single entity.
* KukrisAreKool: They favor kukris as melee weapons, and store them in dimensional pockets when in their swarm form.
* OneToMillionToOne: Silthilar can freely switch between their "swarm" form, a cloud of fleshy motes, and their "coalesced" forms, which are approximations of their original bodies.
* StarfishAliens: An individual silthilar mote is a half-inch mass of fleshy tendrils and bony hooks, but a cloud of such motes can coalesce into a human-sized shape with four arms and hands around its lower body, four hooked limbs around its upper body, and a mass of little tendrils for a "head" at the top.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Skiurid]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_skiurid_3e.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Malicious creatures from the Plane of Shadow that can conjure pools of unnatural darkness to drain the life from their victims... okay, they're basically shadow squirrels.
----
* CastingAShadow: Skiurids can cast a variant of the ''darkness'' spell that also deals damage and potentially lowers the Strength of any non-shadow creatures caught in it.
* EyeOfNewt: If their "Chill Darkness" attack deals damage, it creates a nugget of coalesced shadow, which the skiurids use for food (and hoard like acorns). Spellcasters can use those shadow-nuggets as optional material components that have a 50% chance of improving a necromancy spell's effective caster level by two, so the things can sell for 1,000 gp apiece.
* HitAndRunTactics: These critters prefer to blanket their victims with damaging darkness, snatch the resulting nuggets of shadow, and then do a short-ranged teleport to make their escape.
* KillerRabbit: Yes, they're Shadowfell squirrels, but they tend to work in colonies, they're evasive little buggers, and there's no saving throw against the damage of that "Chill Darkness" attack. If they're run right, they can threaten even mid-level characters.
-->'''Gruthark:''' Go ahead. Laugh. I did, once. Once.
* ShadowWalker: They can teleport up to 30 feet per day so long as their entry and exit points are in shadowy places, and their "Chill Darkness" attack counts in

this

regard.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Skulk]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_skulk_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (2E, 3E), ChaoticNeutral (5E)
Extremely stealthy humanoids who use their talents for murder.
----
* AntiTrueSight: 3rd Edition skulks are under a constant ''nondetection'' effect.
* AxeCrazy: Regardless of edition, skulks revel in bloodshed. Their 2nd Edition write-up mentions that they enjoy framing groups for their murders to sow violent discord in a society, in 3rd Edition they take particular pleasure in gruesomely slaying wealthy elites, and in 5th Edition they carry out the orders of their summoners in the most violent ways possible.
* BackStab: Their 2nd Edition write-up gives them the backstab ability of 5th-level thieves.
* ChameleonCamouflage: Traditionally, skulks can alter their skin tone to blend in with their surroundings. They can also adopt a "natural" skin color to try to pass for a human, but can be given away by their blue, pupil-less eyes.
* InvisibleMonsters: 5th Edition skulks are so devoid of identity that they're naturally invisible. Besides magic, there are [[SeeTheInvisible a few ways to spot them]]: skulks are visible in the reflections of mirrors or polished surfaces, they're revealed by the light of a candle made from the fat of an annonymous corpse... and humanoid children of ten years or under can see them just fine.
-->'''Mordenkainen:''' Some children have imaginary friends that their parents can't see. [[NotSoImaginaryFriend Sometimes these invisible friends aren't imaginary.]]
* {{Retcon}}: Their 3rd Edition lore was that skulks were the descendents of an ancient society's "untouchable" caste, who went through a ritual to make them trully beyond notice, allowing them to get their bloody revenge on their oppressors. In 5th Edition, skulks are instead the shells of those who became lost in the Shadowfell, to be summoned as invisible servants by a ritual.
* StealthExpert: Skulks leave no tracks, blend in with their surroundings, have natural bonuses to stealth rolls, can be hard to detect magically, and in 5th Edition are just plain invisible.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Slaad]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Elemental Humanoid (4E), Aberration (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/8 (slaad tadpole) to 10 (death slaad) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral (2E, 3E, 5E), ChaoticEvil (4E); LawfulNeutral (gormeel, 3E)
Toad-like humanoids native to the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, who live to spread anarchy.
----
* BizarreAlienReproduction: Slaad reproduction centers on the activity of red and blue slaadi. Red slaadi implant small eggs into creatures when attacking with their claws, which after a week or so hatch into infant blue slaadi that eat their way out. Blue slaadi instead spread a disease called slaad fever through their bites, which causes victims to turn into red slaadi. If either method infects an arcane spellcaster, it instead produces a green slaad. Green slaadi can then transform into progressively stronger types of slaad.
* FrogMen: They are living embodiments of elemental chaos that just so happen to look like anthropomorphic frogs.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: The 5th Edition ''Monster Manual'' recounts that Primus, lord of the modrons, attempted to tame the chaos of Limbo by throwing a gigantic stone infused with the power of law into the rival plane's heart. While this did stabilize Limbo enough for modrons (and later githzerai) to shape some of its chaos into sustainable enclaves, the interaction between law and chaos spawned the slaadi, which proceeded to wipe out every modron in Limbo, while what came to be known as the Spawning Stone continued to create new slaadi to menace the power of law. For his part, Primus stands by his actions and chooses to ignore the slaadi.
* KidWithTheLeash: Slaadi that emerge from the Spawning Stone or come into contact with it develop a gem-like fragment of the thing in their brain. Should someone manage to extract this control gem from an incapacitated slaad, it is compelled to obey their commands, and cannot be charmed by anyone else.
* {{Metamorphosis}}: With the exception of the eternally low-ranked reds and blue, slaadi progress through a series of successive metamorphoses as they age, transforming into the next strongest type of slaad every hundred years -- green slaadi become grey slaadi, then death slaadi, then white slaadi, and finally black slaadi.
* OxymoronicBeing: An extremely rare variant of slaadi, the gormeel, embody one of the most paradoxical traits of chaos -- total randomness' ability to spontaneously create order and structure. As such, unlike other slaadi, gormeel are strictly LawfulNeutral.%%In-universe alignment.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Green, grey and death slaadi can change into humanoid shape. They typically take on the form of whatever person they were spawned from, and they use this power to infiltrate humanoid societies and sow chaos.
!!Mud Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mud_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)
The weakest of all slaad variants, mud slaadi exist outside of their kind's normal reproductive cycle and are viewed with derision and contempt by stronger slaadi.
----
* CowerPower: They can cringe in combat, a supernatural mind-affecting ability that can make opponents who fail a Will save balk at attacking the mud slaad.
* HealingFactor: Mud slaadi regenerate three hit points of health per round, although this doesn't allow them to recover health lost through privation, such as starvation, thirst or suffocation, or to regrow severed appendages.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Mud slaadi can emit a loud screech that can deal sonic damage to creatures within thirty feet of them.
* PlayingPossum: If critically injured, a mud slaad can collapse and feign death during their opponent's turn. It takes a high-level Sense Motive or Heal check to detect that the slaad is still alive.
* ViralTransformation: When a mud slaad bites someone, it transmits a magical disease that, over the course of a week, transforms the victim into a new mud slaad.
!!Red Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/red_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 5 (5E)
Red slaadi are simple, violent brutes, mostly used by their stronger kin as thugs.
----
* DumbMuscle: Red slaadi are very strong and aggressive, but also fairly stupid. Greater slaadi mostly use them as guards, bruisers and frontline brawlers; they aren't really good for much else.
* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: A red slaad's claws are ovipositors. They can inject their eggs into the wounds of any humanoid creature they slash, and if the egg is not removed within three months, it will hatch into a slaad tadpole that tears its way out of the host in a messy and fatal fashion.
* FantasticRacism: They loathe blue slaadi, despite depending on the chaos phage they spread to reproduce.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Red slaadi can emit loud, resounding croaks that leave non-slaad creatures stunned.
* WasOnceAMan: Red slaadi all began life as humanoids infected by the chaos phage that blue slaadi transmit, which over time cause them to mentally and physically transform into a new slaad.
!!Blue Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blue_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E), 7 (5E)
Blue slaadi are big, strong, stupid bruisers only marginally smarter than red slaadi, with whom they share their foul tempers.
----
* ChestBurster: Blue slaadi are born when a red slaad's claw attack plants an egg pellet into another creature. About a week later, this hatches into an infant blue slaad that eats its way out of its host, killing it.
* DumbMuscle: Blue slaadi are technically smarter than reds, but only marginally so; their brute strength remains far and away their greatest asset.
* FantasticRacism: They detest red slaadi, but depend on them to infect humanoids with blue slaad tadpoles.
* ViralTransformation: When a blue slaad claws someone, it transmits a magical disease called chaos phage. If the victim is not able to fight off the phage and succumbs to it, they immediately transform into a slaad.
!!Green Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/green_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E), 8 (5E)
When a spellcaster is infected by chaos phage or a red slaad's egg pellets, it becomes or produces a green slaad instead, who inherits greater intelligence, an even temper and magical abilities from its former self. Unlike their blue and red kin, who are perpetually confined to their low ranks and talents, green slaadi eventually mature into stronger slaad variants.
----
* EvilGloating: Green slaadi are very arrogant and haughty, and tend to waste time boasting, gloating and blustering during combat when they should be paying more attention to what their foes are doing.
* PlayingWithFire: Beyond being able to cast ''fireball'' once per day, in 5th Edition, green slaadi can hurl flames as a ranged attack at will.
* WasOnceAMan: Green slaadi often begin life as humanoid spellacasters who became infected by the chaos phage that blue slaadi transmit, which over time cause them to mentally and physically transform into a new slaad.
!!Gray Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_gray_slaad_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E), 9 (5E)
A green slaad who reaches its first century retreats into isolation, returning as a smaller but more potent gray slaad. They serve the death slaadi, and may be dispatched by their masters to the Material Plane on dark errands.
----
* {{BFS}}: They master the greatsword at some point during their transformation, imbued with their magic.
* CannibalismSuperpower: What's one of the quickest ways for a gray slaad to promote itself? Eat a death slaad.
* ImmortalitySeeker: Their loyalty to the death slaadi is explained by the gray slaadi being fascinated with their superiors' power and near-immortality.
!!Death Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_death_slaad_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 13 (3E), 10 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral (2E), ChaoticEvil (3E, 5E)
Gray slaadi who undergo a mysterious ritual transform themselves into death slaadi. While physically they are little different from their previous form, their outlook is corrupted by evil, driving them to conscript lesser slaadi into campaigns to invade other planes.
----
* DeadlyGas: Death slaadi pick up the ability to cast ''cloudkill'' once per day.
* IndustrializedEvil: It is the death slaadi that most aggressively propagate new slaadi, by leading their kin to overrun small villages on other planes and turning them into prison/breeding camps, where the entire population is implanted with slaad tadpoles or chaos phage. Once the locals are dead and the next generation of slaadi is born, the death slaadi lead their army on to repeat the process.
* MakeThemRot: Their natural and greatsword attacks are infused with negative energy, dealing necrotic damage.
!!White Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/white_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 21 (3E)
If a death slaad survives for more than a century, it retreats into solitude to transform into a white slaad, a process that refocuses its mind away from evil and back to their purity of chaos.
----
* DoppelgangerAttack: White slaadi can summon up to six instances of themselves from their immediate past and future to attack a foe all at once.
* PowerGlows: White slaadi, the second most powerful variety of their kind, are marked by a soft white glow that emanates from every part of their bodies.
* SuperSpit: White slaadi can spit globs of chaos-stuff at foes up to sixty feet from them, which damages them over several rounds as the chaos attempts to break their bodies down.
!!Black Slaad
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_slaad.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Challenge Rating:''' 25 (3E)
Black slaadi are the final stage in the slaad life cycle, maturing from white slaadi whose light is exchanged for impenetrable shadows. Black slaadi are beings of chaos incarnate and immensely dangerous creatures, eclipsing even the might of most ancient dragons.
----
* LivingShadow: Black slaadi appear as masses of pure darkness, toad-shaped voids in creation broken only by a wide fanged grin and two eyes that gleam like stars.
* ShadowedFaceGlowingEyes: A black slaad's face, like the rest of its body, is a featureless mass of shadow from which two points of light peer out.
* SuperSpit: Like white slaadi, black slaadi can spit globs of raw chaos at foes, but their attack does twice as much damage.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Slithering Tracker]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_slithering_tracker_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Ooze (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Neutral (2E), ChaoticEvil (3E)
Watery slime monsters that can flow under doors and up walls after their quarry, then drain the life from them.
----
* AndIMustScream: While a 5th Edition slithering tracker maintains their intelligence and sentience after their transformation, most end up going mad from being trapped in a mute, bloodthirsty blob form, and after killing their original target go on a murderous rampage.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: When motionless, a slithering tracker is very hard to distinguish from a pool of non-murderous water.
* TheParalyzer: 2nd Edition slithering trackers can paralyze their victims for 12 hours, while it only takes them one hour to drain the plasma from a man-sized victim.
* RevengeBeforeReason: 5th Edition casts slithering trackers as the result of a ritual in which someone, whose thirst for revenge matters more than their own life, voluntarily transforms themselves into an ooze by magically draining their body of moisture. The subject's mind lives on in the new ooze, which goes off to murder the target of their ire.
* VampiricDraining: Once a slithering tracker grapples an enemy, it leaches plasma from their body (in 2nd Edition) or [[SinisterSuffocation starts to drown them]] while dealing [[MakeThemRot necrotic damage]] each turn (in 5th Edition).
* WallCrawl: These oozes can run up walls and even across ceilings without difficulty.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soarwhale]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_soarwhale_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 15 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Creatures resembling colossal baleen whales that drift through the skies rather than the ocean. They're docile enough to be domesticated and used for transporting passengers and cargo.
----
* LivingGasbag: They're basically organic blimps 40 feet wide and 80 feet long, and can be outfitted with gondolas or howdahs to carry over 130,000 pounds.
* TheParalyzer: When threatened, a soarwhale can empty its air bladders as a defense mechanism. This causes the soarwhale to plummet a hundred feet before stabilizing, but leaves a cloud of gas in its prior position that can paralyze anything around it, which is very much a ''bad'' thing to have happen a mile above the ground.
* SpaceWhale: Of the "Air Whale" variant. Sages agree that the odds of such a thing occuring naturally are slim to none, but if some mage had a hand in soarwhales' creation, there are no records of it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sorrowsworn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_the_angry_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Angry (5e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (the Wretched), 7 (the Lost), 9 (the Lonely), 11 (the Hungry), 13 (the Angry) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Creatures native to the Shadowfell, formed of congealed negative emotions felt by people who travel there.
----
* AnthropomorphicPersonification: Each sorrowsworn personifies a different aspect of despair or distress.
* ExtremeOmnivore: These Hungry consume all life and energy they encounter, eating flesh and drinking screams.
* MultipleHeadCase: Each of the Angry has two heads, which constantly bicker with one another until they find something else to vent their wrath on.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: The Lost try to embrace any creatures they can reach, attempting to find solace in the contact. Aside from the horror of being embraced by such a thing, the victim experiences a flood of fear and panic.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Sorrowsworn are ''dangerous'' monsters, each being a powerful mid-game boss or late-game EliteMook. But they are also so utterly miserable that you have to feel sorry for them.
* YouWillNotEvadeMe: The Lonely launch their harpoon-like arms to drag their victims close.
* ZergRush: The Wretched are individually very weak, but gather in large packs to scour the Shadowfell for prey. When they find a creature, they surge forward to sink their fangs into their victims.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Spawn of Juiblex]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spawn_of_jubilex_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (lesser), 10 (greater), 14 (elder) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Revolting masses of infernal slime spawned from the Demon Lord of Ooze.
----
* CombatTentacles: A spawn of Juiblex can cover foes with a thick coat of slime and subsequently animate it, causing the slime to sprout tentacles and attack nearby creatures.
* ExtraEyes: About the only features these fetid oozes have are lots of red eyes dotting their surface, glaring hatefully and hungrily at any creatures around them.
* GiantWallOfWateryDoom: Elder spawns of Juiblex are Gargantuan slime monsters, so they're capable of doing this on their own. Stories speak of them blotting out the sun like a tidal wave before crashing over a town, leaving only ruins and bones behind.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: These monsters were created when Zuggtmoy, Demon Queen of Fungi, attempted to banish her rival demon lord to another plane. Instead she succeeded in sending part of Juiblex's essence to the Elemental Plane of Water, where it polluted the elemental matter around it until the natives evicted the source of corruption. This inadvertantly created a "Demiplane of Filth" inhabited by the rogue shard of Juiblex's essence, while scattering the spawn of Juiblex across the Material Plane at the same time.
* MuckMonster: A spawn of Juiblex is a nauseating mass of toxic sludge, capable of flowing over even difficult terrain faster than a man can run. Anything engulfed by it takes damage and may be sickened, or even suffer [[NonHealthDamage Constitution damage]] from the larger specimens.
* NonElemental: The damage dealt by this demonic sludge's corrupting touch is undefined, so there are few defenses against it.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Spawn of Juiblex are so horrific in appearance that other creatures have to save or be forced to retreat from the monsters.
* TrulySingleParent: Once it has consumed enough food, a spawn of any size splits off a new lesser spawn.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Spawn of Tiamat]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spawn_of_tiamat_3e.jpg]]
Tiamat, Goddess of Evil Dragonkind, has struggled against her brother Bahamut in an eons-long conflict known as the Dragonfall War. In an effort to tip the balance decisively in her favor, Tiamat has exerted her influence on the eggs of chromatic dragons, causing them to hatch into a wide variety of dragonblooded creatures that have since bred true. Individually, each of these dragonspawn is a dangerous predator or soldier, but together they form a terrible army meant to conquer the world for the the Chromatic Dragon Queen. Dragonspawn usually congregate in packs with their own kind, but willingly work with chromatic dragons, or even other evil creatures such as hobgoblins -- but those allies should remember that the spawn of Tiamat are ultimately loyal only to their creator.
----
* BeastOfBattle: All of the non-humanoid spawn of Tiamat can serve effectively as war-beasts or mounts.
* DraconicHumanoid: Some spawn of Tiamat are bipedal, and classified as Monstrous Humanoids in 3rd Edition.
* ElementalPowers: All spawn of Tiamat are immune to the energy type associated with their "parent" dragon breed, and many have attacks that deal the same energy damage as well.
* FriendlyFireproof: Conferred by the "Tiamat's Blessing" ability certain dragonspawn share. For example, bluespawn stormlizards will grant any other spawn within 5 feet (this includes their riders) immunity to electricity, even if they have a non-blue dragon heritage.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: All dragonspawn have an obvious draconic heritage, but they fall short of being classified as true Dragons, and instead have the (Dragonblood) subtype. This means that they are classified as either Magical Beasts or Monstrous Humanoids, but certain spells and magic items affect them as if they were true Dragons.
!!Blackspawn Raider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_blackspawn_raider_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenger Rating:''' 4 (standard) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Cunning and vicious hunters that only put aside their competition for kills when faced with the prospect of slaying a metallic dragon.
----
* BreathWeapon: They can breathe a line of acid.
* GlorySeeker: Blackspawn raiders constantly compete for the glory of killing the biggest and most dangerous targets.
* {{Matriarchy}}: Their leaders are "spawnmothers" who have at least five living adult children. Since blackspawn raiders are Chaotic Evil, this leads to vicious politics where spawnmothers try to get each others' children killed in dangerous assignments, or steal eggs from fertile mothers to increase their own standing.
* {{Ninja}}: Their best ambushers train to become "exterminators," taking ranks in the ninja class.
* ReligiousBruiser: They're vicious killers, but blackspawn raiders take their role as "the Children of Tiamat" seriously, and when they slay and ritualistically devour metallic dragons, they consider it an act of worship.
!!Blackspawn Stalker
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_blackspawn_stalker_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Horrible combinations of dragon and spider, and expert hunters and trappers.
----
* BreedingCult: Blackspawn stalkers believe that the best way to serve Tiamat is by breeding her the ultimate servant. As such, they try to reproduce as much as possible, forming mated pairs and distributing their eggs among a half-dozen nests each year.
* GiantSpider: They're Large-sized, spider-like creatures with a 10-foot legspan and weigh 5,000 pounds.
* ProjectileWebbing: They can throw webs like nets to entangle creatures.
* SuperSpit: Rather than an official breath weapon, blackspawn stalkers can spit globs of acid at a single target up to 60 feet away.
!!Bluespawn Ambusher
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bluespawn_ambusher_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
These pack hunters bury themselves underground before bursting out to attack prey with their claws, horns and electricity bursts.
----
* DigAttack: Bluespawn ambushers can burrow through earth and stone as fast as they can walk, and will either lie in wait beneath the surface until prey approaches, or burrow towards prey before erupting to the attack.
* HornAttack: They can make gore attacks with their facial horns, unlike proper blue dragons with which they share a skull structure.
* ShockAndAwe: They can periodically blast anything within 10 feet with electrcity, and in protracted combats usually duck back underground while this ability recharges.
!!Bluespawn Burrower
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bluespawn_burrower_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
Other dragonspawn use these creatures to erect earthworks or glass monuments to their queen, but they're just as capable in combat thanks to their massive claws and electrified tails.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: Their tails are not just spiked like the heads of maces, they also constantly crackle with electricity for additional damage.
* ElementalBarrier: Bluespawn burrowers carry a potent electrical charge that lashes out at anything that grapples or makes a melee attack aginst them, and enemies wearing metal armor take a penalty on the resulting saving throw.
* ShockAndAwe: They can make a conical "lightning sweep" attack three times per day.
!!Bluespawn Godslayer
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bluespawn_godslayer_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E), 22 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil (3E), Evil (4E)\\
''Yes. I am blessed. I have borne Tiamat's child in Her stead. Holy be Her plans, and may those that use this godslayer come to fruition... swiftly.''
-->--'''Kazeranthamus, blue dragon'''
Giant draconic humanoids that excel at killing dragons and extraplanar creatures.
----
* CraftedFromAnimals: Their huge, heavy shields are crafted from dragon skulls.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Between their arrogance and [[HunterOfHisOwnKind talent at killing fellow dragonblooded creatures]], other spawn of Tiamat, and even dragons who aren't wholly devoted to Tiamat, tend to hate and fear godslayers.
* HunterOfMonsters: Godslayers get damage bonuses when fighting dragons or outsiders.
* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: They make liberal use of their Awesome Blow feat to send enemies flying, while keeping close enough to hit them again when their victim tries to get off the ground.
* ShockAndAwe: Their enormous swords don't have enchantments on them to deal lightning damage, all the electricity crackling around them is coming from their wielders.
* SterilityPlague: Unlike most spawn of Tiamat, bluespawn godslayers are sterile and can only be born to blue dragon parents who have earned Tiamat's favor, or are lairing near an enemy the Dragon Queen wants dead. This just makes bluespawn godslayers consider themselves Tiamat's favorites.
!!Bluespawn Stormlizard
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bluespawn_stormlizard_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
These draconic quadrupeds serve ably as war mounts, crashing into the enemy like rhinos and electrifying foes caught between them.
----
* AngstySurvivingTwin: Any bluespawn stormlizard that survives the loss of its sibling will fly into a berserk rage until it too is slain. Even simple separation can be dangerous, with the stormlizard refusing to eat until its sibling returns.
* CombinationAttack: Bluespawn stormlizards don't just generate electricity, it arcs between them and others of their kind. As a swift action they can cause a line of electricity to fire from their horn to another stormlizard within 100 feet, dealing damage to anything in a line between the two spawn.
* HereditaryTwinhood: All bluespawn stormlizards are born same-sex twins hatched from the same eggs. They spend their lives together, take another pair of twins as mates, and use the same lair for egg laying. Once the resulting sets of twins are born, the pairs break up, taking the twins of the same sex with them to raise them.
* HornAttack: They can make devastating gore attacks with their horn on a charge.
* ShockAndAwe: Aside from arcing electricity between their horns, bluespawn stormlizards can fire a 100-foot line of electricity every few rounds.
!!Greenspawn Leaper
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_greenspawn_leaper_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
These agile creatures are swift climbers, allowing them to serve as arboreal predators or mounts for smaller spawn of Tiamat.
----
* CombatPragmatist: Greenspawn leapers compete by challenging each other to races through the forest canopy, with the loser being the first to slip up and fall or balk at attempting a jump or risky climb. They're cunning enough creatures to deliberately fall behind in an attempt to bait an opponent into being the first to reach what they know is a dangerously weak tree branch.
* CompeteForTheMaidensHand: During their triannual mating season, male greenspawn leapers invade a female's territory, racing against each other for the right to breed with her. This means that the lucky winner faces a long trip home once the female tires of him, and they may cross several rival males' territory only to find that their home stretch of forest has been claimed by a neighbor.
* PoisonousPerson: Once per day, a greenspawn leaper can release a cloud of poison that affects everything within 5 feet of them. The poison is absorbed through the skin, at which point it converts to acid and damages victims.
* WallCrawl: They have an impressive climb speed, which is usually employed to scramble through the forest canopy of their preferred territory, but can be applied elsewhere if the leapers join an army of other spawn of Tiamat.
!!Greenspawn Razorfiend
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_greenspawn_razorfiend.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
These voracious predators use their modified wings as weapons, and are equally dangerous in forests and swamps.
----
* BreathWeapon: They can spray a cone of acid every few rounds (since 3rd Edition's green dragons dealt acid damage with their breath weapons rather than poison damage).
* DragonHoard: Unlike most spawn of Tiamat, greenspawn razorfiends have inherited a proper draconic instinct for hoarding treature, and will collect coins and other shiny valuables in their lairs.
* InASingleBound: Greenspawn razorfiends can't quite fly with their wings, but they can use them to assist with jumping, resulting in a whopping +22 bonus on such skill checks.
* RazorWings: Their claw-tipped wings hit as hard as greatswords and have the Augmented Critical trait, so they're more likely to deal a CriticalHit.
!!Greenspawn Sneak
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_greenspawn_sneak_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
These small draconic humanoids serve the armies of Tiamat as scouts and skulkers.
----
* BackStab: They can deal Sneak Attack damage like Rogues against flanked or flat-footed foes.
* InHarmonyWithNature: Greenspawn sneaks are an interesting variant. Their outposts, positioned in woods or marshland bordering what they consider to be enemy territory, have a surprisingly small impact on the local ecosystem, since the sneaks have slow metabolisms and don't need to hunt much, and supplement their diets with wild plants they tend. But this isn't out of any love or respect for nature so much as a desire to evade detection by their victims.
* StealthExpert: Greenspawn sneaks have respectable bonuses on Hide and Move Silently checks, and are wholly dedicated to their roles as the reconnaissance arm of Tiamat's forces.
!!Greenspawn Zealot
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_greenspawn_zealot_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
Draconic humanoids who serve as the religious leaders of Tiamat's forces, and support other dragonspawn on the field of battle.
----
* LifeDrain: Their "Touch of Tiamat" ability deals damage to enemies they touch and simultaneously heals a dragon or dragonblooded creature (potentially the greenspawn zealot making the attack), up to a certain number of points of damage per day.
* ThePoliticalOfficer: Greenspawn zealots are essentially commissars, ensuring that other spawn of Tiamat are properly decidated to the Dragon Queen's cause. While this earns them the resentment of the more chaotic dragonspawn, few dare oppose Tiamat's faithful. This trait may make the greenspawn zealots the most dangerous spawn of Tiamat, as while they aren't the most powerful of her children, they are often the motivational force that marshalls their fellow dragonspawn into effective armies.
* WarriorMonk: They live in monasteries and temples dedicated to Tiamat, where they train in warcraft and commune with their goddess.
!!Redspawn Arcaniss
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_redspawn_arcaniss_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classifiaction:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
These draconic sorcerers provide magical support to Tiamat's armies, with a predictable affinity for destructive fire magic.
----
* BornAsAnAdult: While most spawn of Tiamat age rapidly, redspawn arcanisses are hatched fully-grown and adult-sized, with an instinctive grasp of their spells. After a week of instruction on the lay of the land and their place in the world, they're ready to go off and form a new warband.
* FeedItWithFire: They're not just immune to fire effects, they're healed by them. This includes their own fire spells, so redspawn arcanisses will happilly drop a ''fireball'' on themselves to recover health and damage foes in the same stirke.
* MageSpecies: All Redspawn Arcaniss are natural sorcerers.
* PlayingWithFire: Redspawn arcanisses cast fire spells at a boosted level. That said, they're not so obsessed with fire [[PoorPredictableRock that they use it exclusively]], so they also know spells like ''Melf's acid arrow'' or ''magic missile'' to bring against fire-resistant targets.
* ReligiousBruiser: They consider themselves "the Burning Ones of Tiamat," her favored children who will purge the world of nondragons and rule over what remains, and study a holy text called the ''Scrolls of Fire'' that was purportedly written by Tiamat herself.
!!Redspawn Berserker
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_redspawn_berserker_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Ogre-sized draconic humanoids that fight as brutal shock infantry.
----
* TheBerserker: Subverted; despite their name, redspawn berserkers never go out of control during combat, and their entry notes that while they are innately chaotic creatures, they're unfailingly obedient to Tiamat or her representatives.
* CounterAttack: Redspawn berserkers prioritize attacking opponents who injured them with a melee strike in the previous round of combat, and gain a damage bonus against such foes.
* CraftedFromAnimals: They're depicted with dragon-skull shields and boney morningstars, suggesting they've converted their conquests into wargear.
!!Redspawn Firebelcher
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_redspawn_firebelcher_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E), 12 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (3E), Unaligned (4E)
These lumbering creatures can serve other dragonspawn as mounts, or as living artillery pieces.
----
* DumbMuscle: Redspawn firebelchers are rock stupid, with an Intelligence score of 1, dumber than some mundane animals. But they're just smart enough to be trained to work with other dragonspawn, after eating only a few of their kin.
* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: They're compared to crocodiles in general appearance and behavior, only they lounge around lava pools rather than in water.
* SuperSpit: They can "belch" fire up to 60 feet away, dealing heavy damage to targets directly hit by the attack, and lesser damage to those adjacent to that target.
!!Whitespawn Hordeling
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_whitespawn_hordelings_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
The weakest dragonspawn, these small draconic humanoids are nomadic predators barely more intelligent than animals.
----
* BreathWeapon: They can breathe a 30-foot cone of ice every few rounds for a bit of cold damage.
* TheHorde: Their only "organization," until other spawn of Tiamat rope them into a proper army, is as wandering bands of up to 150 hordelings.
* ZergRush: Their sole strategy in combat.
!!Whitespawn Hunter
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_whitespawn_hunter_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Brutish but crafty, these draconic humanoids are adept stalkers.
----
* TheBerserker: They derive status from strength and displays of aggression, so any who can fly into a battle rage become the tribe's leaders.
* ChainPain: Their berserkers carry spiked chains into battle.
* MadeASlave: Whitespawn hunters aren't smart, but can see the value of slave labor, whether captive humanoids or the smaller, weaker whitespawn hordelings. Such slaves tend not to last long, and are unceremoniously eaten once they succumb to their poor conditions.
* TheSocialDarwinist: Whitespawn hunter society, such as it is, is all about the strong persevering over the weak. Their eggs are abandoned with the expectation that the hatchlings will fight and devour their weaker siblings, their coming-of-age ritual involves two hunters bringing down prey but only one returning to the tribe with it, and they'll even turn on white dragons in desperate times. As a result, they view other whitespawn hunter tribes as rivals to be driven off, enslaved or eaten.
!!Whitespawn Iceskidder
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_whitespawn_iceskidder_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
These draconic creatures are uniquely adapted for rapid movement across ice.
----
* BreathWeapon: They cna breate a 30-foot cone of ice that deals damage and can partially freeze victims in place, with effects similar to that of a ''tanglefoot bag''.
* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: Their clawed feet are apparently organic ice skates, allowing whitespawn iceskidders to ignore all terrain penalties related to snow or icy ground, and succeed on Balance checks caused by ice or cold magic.
* WingsDoNothing: They're depicted with wings, but have no flight speed or wing attacks.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sphinx]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_gynosphinx_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Gynosphinx (5e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (hieracosphinx), 7 (criosphinx), 8 (gynosphinx), 9 (androsphinx) (3E); 11 (gynosphinx), 17 (androsphinx) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood (androsphinx), TrueNeutral (criosphinx, gynosphinx) (3E), ChaoticEvil (hieracosphinx); LawfulNeutral (androsphinx, gynosphinx) (5E)
Winged, leonine beasts with the heads of various other creatures and rather peculiar reproductive behavior.
----
* BizarreSexualDimorphism: Up until 5th Edition, sphinxes were infamous for this and their mating habits. The only female sphinxes are gynosphinxes, who want to breed with androsphinxes, but the males have no interest in sex and need to be bribed or coerced into it, to the point that gynosphinxes will pay adventurers handsomely for leads on an androsphinx. Such couplings produce fraternal twins, an andro- and gynosphinx. The ram-headed criosphinxes lust after gynosphinxes, but the latter find them repulsive, resulting in the criosphinxes trying to entrap the females in their lairs and competing viciously with one another for their "prize," who often escapes out a back passage in the ensuing chaos. If a criosphinx does mate with a gynosphinx, the result is another male criosphinx. And then there are the evil, brutish, falcon-headed hieracosphinxes, who simply hunt down and rape gynosphinxes, producing more hieracosphinxes. The good news for gynosphinxes is that they're smarter than all the males of their odd species, which helps them avoid the ones they dislike and track down androsphinxes. The bad news for gynosphinxes is that they're also ''slower'' than all the males of their species, and hieracosphinxes and criosphinxes aren't known for giving up once they catch sight of a female.
* FeatheredFiend: Hieracosphinxes have the heads of falcons, and are evil at heart.
* HornAttack: Due to possessing the heads of rams, criosphinxes can attack with their horns.
* MightyRoar: An androsphinx can let out a magical roar up to three times a day. The first roar frightens its enemies, the second roar deafens them, and the third roar knocks them flat on their asses.
* OurSphinxesAreDifferent:
** Sphinxes have been present in the game for most of its history. They're immortal, magical and extremely intelligent beings who resemble winged lions with the heads of various other creatures, and a fondness for riddles. The four most common variants are the androsphinx (male, with the head of a human man), the gynosphinx (female, with the head of a human woman), the criosphinx (male, with the head of a ram) and the hieracosphinx (male, with the head of a hawk or falcon). In practice, their art tends to depict human-headed sphinxes as still having very leonine faces.
** A number of other sphinx types have been described over the game's history, including loquasphinxes (human-headed and come in both genders, known for their interest in arcane knowledge and [[IKnowYourTrueName truename magic]]), astrosphinxes (mad, evil, wingless sphinxes with goat skulls for heads, who pose answer-less riddles to everything they meet and kill them when they can't answer), threskisphinxes (ibis-headed sages and artisans), and a variety of evil sphinxes with the heads of various predatory animals.
* PsychicBlockDefense: In 5th edition, it is impossible to read a sphinx's mind. They are immune to any magical effect that would read their thoughts or sense their emotions, and divination spells only affect them if they allow it.
* RiddlingSphinx: Sphinxes, especially gynopshinxes, are fascinated by riddles and games of wit and enjoy testing themselves against others in this manner.
* TimeMaster: 5th edition sphinxes can control the flow of time within their lairs. They can inflict Rapid Aging on their enemies or make them younger, can shunt the entire lair ten years into the past or future, or force everyone to reroll their initiative.
* UnreliableIllustrator: Androsphinxes and gynosphinxes are described as resembling winged lions with the heads of humanoids, but their artwork from 3rd Edition onwards invariably depicts them with fully leonine heads.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Spider]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spider.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Vermin (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Beast (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' Varies\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)
Eight-legged arachnids, usually either web-spinners who wait for prey to come to them, or active pursuit hunters. While mundane spiders are barely more than annoyances in worlds with ''neutralize poison'' spells, there is a worrying number of oversized arachnids to threaten adventurers, including some with magical powers of their own.
----
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Sword spiders have legs that end in sharp, chitinous blades that resemble metallic weapons.
* BrainFood: The aptly-named brain spider uses PsychicPowers to subdue prey, then injects a venom that allows the spider to slurp up their liquified brains and nerves.
* GiantSpider: Giant versions of common spiders are an old and recurring enemy type, and can range from the size of a dog to the size of a house.
* UndergroundMonkey: Numerous variant spider types have appeared, such as woolly snow spiders found in frozen lands.
* WallCrawl: Most spiders can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, as if they were flat.
!!Bloodsilk Spider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_bloodsilk_spider_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:33]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned
Wolf-sized, bloated red spiders that use their webs to drain the blood of their prey.
----
* LifeDrain: A bloodsilk spider can make its webbing drill into entrapped victims, siphoning out blood to damage the target and give the spider some temporary hit points. The spiders will take advantage of this, bolstering itself by feeding on weaker prey before going after something tougher.
* ProjectileWebbing: Like other monstrous spiders, bloodsilk spiders can throw their sticky blood-red webbing similarly to nets, in order to entangle victims that evade what they string up as traps.
* YouHaveToBurnTheWeb: Averted; their dripping, bloody nets are immune to fire damage, unlike conventional spider webbing.
!!Inferno Spider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_inferno_spider_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Spider-shaped elementals of magma and flame, standing eight feet across and weighing as much as 600 pounds.
----
* DeathByChildbirth: At the end of their mating ritual, two inferno spiders charge one another, collide and explode, giving birth to hundreds of young.
* LivingLava: Inferno spiders' bodies are covered in transparent plating revealing their molten cores, and randomly break out in flames that dance along their legs and abdomen.
* PlayingWithFire: Their [[ProjectileWebbing thrown web]] attacks are naturally on fire, dealing damage each round a creature is entangled in them. Fortunately, a moderate amount of cold damage extinguishes their webs' flames and makes them brittle and easier to break.
* PoisonousPerson: The bite of an inferno spider delivers a caustic poison that burns a victim from within, dealing additional fire damage.
* WreathedInFlames: Their flaming, superheated bodies [[TheSpiny damage any creature that grapples or attacks them with non-reach melee weapons.]]
!!Phase Spider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_phase_spider_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned
Large arachnids which can slip in and out of the Ethereal Plane at will.
----
* ArtEvolution: Phase spiders have actually gotten ''more'' spidery over the editions, as they originally had humanoid faces that made them easy to confuse for neogi or driders. 3rd Edition scaled things back by simply giving them a pair of large eyes to set them apart from other giant spiders, while their 5th Edition art has them looking mostly normal apart from their size and coloration.
* {{Intangibility}}: Thanks to its ability to shift between the Ethereal and Material Planes, a phase spider can use HitAndRunTactics against its unsuspecting victims largely without fear of reprisal.
* ItCanThink: Phase spiders are far more intelligent than any normal spider. The average phase spider is at least as smart as the average ogre or hill giant.
!!Tomb Spider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tomb_spider_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (broodswarm), 4 (web mummy), 6 (tomb spider) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Withered, horse-sized spiders suffused with negative energy, and which seek out humanoid corpses to infest with their young.
----
* AnimateDead: Any human-shaped corpse wrapped in a tomb spider's webbing becomes animated as a web mummy, which shambles along to serve as its creator's minion even as a brood of tiny tomb spiders grow within it.
* GraveRobbing: As per their name, tomb spiders seek out crypts and burial grounds to provide corpses for their young. Only after they have a good number of web mummies on their side do tomb spiders begin hunting on the surface.
* MonstrousCannibalism: If nothing destroys a web mummy, the young spiders within it feed upon the decaying internal organs of their host, then hunt and eat each other until the single survivor emerges as a fully-grown tomb spider several weeks later.
* ProjectileWebbing: Like other monstrous spiders, tomb spiders can throw their webbing like nets.
* ReviveKillsZombie: Their tomb-tainted souls render tomb spiders vulnerable to positive energy and makes negative energy heal them, as if they were undead. Their poisonous bites cause their victims to be the same for a minute.
* SpiderSwarm: If a tomb mummy is destroyed, a tomb spider broodswarm boils out of the corpse, ready to attack.
* StickySituation: Weapons that strike at a web mummy are in danger of getting stuck, while creatures using natural weapons run the risk of being grappled by it.
* TurnsRed: Should the tomb spider that made it be slain, a tomb mummy flies into a rage, gaining a bonus on attack rolls.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Spider Eater]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spider_eater_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Giant flying insects that mostly feed on other oversized arthropods.
----
* ChestBurster: Spider eaters reproduce by paralyzing Large-sized or larger creatures and laying eggs in their bodies, which after six weeks hatch into young that proceed to eat their way out of their host.
* FoodChainOfEvil: As the name implies, these things mostly eat giant spiders.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Provided sufficient training, spider eaters can serve as exotic flying mounts.
* NoSell: They're under a constant ''freedom of movement'' effect, which allows them to ignore the webs of their favored prey.
* TheParalyzer: Their stings inject a poison that can leave a victim paralyzed and helpless for six to thirteen ''weeks'', more than enough time for a spider eater's young to hatch from a host.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Spirit of the Land]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_spirit_of_the_land_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Earth manifestation (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 23 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
A mighty nature spirit that defends a specific geographic region from despoilers.
----
* ElementalPowers: They can use powerful magic like ''chain lightning'', ''incendiary cloud'', ''earthquake'', and ''create water'' at will, which is usually sufficient to deal with threats to their domains. When it wishes, a spirit of the land can physically manifest in the shape of a Huge [[ElementalEmbodiment elemental]] composed of one particular element, gaining the ability to control this element.
* FightingAShadow: The destruction of a spirit of the land's elemental manifestation at most renders the fey dormant for a day.
* GeniusLoci: They embody either a specific, bounded landform - a valley, a desert, a lake - or one aspect of such terrain, in which case multiple spirits of the land can coexist in the same region. They're aware of everything that happens in their domain, and while usually dormant, will awaken and punish anyone that would ravage the land under their protection.
* {{Intangibility}}[=/=]InvisibleMonsters: In its natural form, a spirit of the land is an invisible, shapeless mist.
* MouthOfSauron: Their ''AD&D'' write-up mentions that spirits of the land prefer to work through a druid living in their region.
* WeatherManipulation: Much of their spell-like abilities pertain to changing the weather -- ''control water'', ''control winds'', ''sleet storm'', ''fog cloud'', and of course ''control weather''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sprite]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sprite_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood
Tiny winged fey who militantly defend their sylvan glades and groves.
----
* TheEmpath: Sprites can put their hands upon another creature and sense their emotional state by the beating of their heart, or even [[DetectEvil discern the creature's alignment]] or [[MySensorsIndicateYouWantToTapThat know if they're in love.]]
* GoodIsNotNice: Though good defenders of the forest and sworn enemies of evil fey and goblinoids, sprites are noted to lack warmth or compassion, and are much more serious about their duties than the flighty pixies.
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: "Sprite" traditionally has encapsulated an entire subgroup of little winged fey folk, including "standard" sprites, pixies, nixies, sea sprites, grigs, and atomies. They all have insect features, usually just dragonfly or moth wings, but the grigs look to be half-cricket. They're generally inoffensive, if prone to mischief, but dislike other creatures intruding on their homes.
* ForcedSleep: Their arrows deal little damage, but are coated in a poison that puts targets to sleep.
* {{Invisibility}}: They can turn invisible at will.
* TreetopTown: Sprites build little villages high in trees, or even in willing treants.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Squamous Spewer]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_squamous_spewer_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Ravening blobs of eyes, teeth and scales from both chromatic and metallic dragons.
----
* BlobMonster: They're amorphous masses of scales, ExtraEyes and TooManyMouths, leading to speculation that they're related to gibbering beasts. In practical terms, squamous spewers' fluid anatomy means they can't be flanked and aren't subject to {{Critical Hit}}s.
* DragonAncestry: They have some draconic qualities, such as superior vision and an immunity to paralysis and magical sleep effects, but squamous spewers display no loyalty to true dragons, and the two generally despise each other.
* ItCanThink: Despite their freakish appearance, and in contrast to gibbering mouthers, they're fully intelligent and capable of speaking Draconic.
* RandomEffectSpell: The shape and effect of their BreathWeapon (which can come from three of a spewer's mouths at the same time) is randomized, either a cone or line of acid, cold, electricity or fire damage.
* SuperSenses: Their keen sense of smell and echolocation give them the benefit of blindsight out to 60 feet.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Three times per day they can let loose a MightyRoar that can cause those within 60 feet to become panicked or shaken.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Star Spawn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_foulspawn_4e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:4e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberrant Humanoid (4E), Aberration (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (Grue), 5 (Mangler), 10 (Hulk), 13 (Seer), 16 (Larva Mage) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (Grue, Seer), ChaoticEvil (Hulk, Larva Mage, Mangler)
Twisted monsters with a connection to the eldritch forces lurking beyond the boundaries of the known world, whether those forces be the stars themselves or the Elder Evils.
----
* BrownNote: Hulks, manglers, and seers can all inflict psychic damage with their melee attacks, while the grue's bite can confound its victim in a way that leaves them more vulnerable to attack.
* {{Cult}}: A star spawn seer is most often encountered as the leader of an Elder Evil cult. Usually, no one else in the cult knows the full extent of the horror the cult is venerating.
* DumbMuscle: The hulk is the largest of the known star spawn, and appears to have little will of its own, other than to protect its master.
* EvilIsVisceral: Star spawn hulks have transparent skin which leaves their muscles fully visible.
* HumanoidAbomination: A larva mage is a wholly alien being that takes the form of a humanoid, created when a powerful cultist of a wormlike entity contacts the comet-borne emissary of an Elder Evil, allowing the emissary to merge with a mortal consciousness.
* IntangibleMan: Star spawn seers are out-of-phase with the rest of the universe, allowing them to move through creatures and objects like they aren't there. This incorporeal movement does unpleasant things to the mind of any creature the seer passes through.
* LastChanceHitPoint: When a larva mage falls to 0 hit points, it doesn't die. Instead, it collapses into a swarm of worms with none of the larva mage's intellect or power. It's practically helpless in this state, but if the swarm can escape and go a full day without being destroyed, it will reform into the larva mage once more.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: A mangler most often has six arms, but one can have any number from four to eight.
* PrimalStance: Manglers appear smaller than their true size, due to their hunched posture and emaciated frame.
* PsychicPowers: A grue's constant chittering and shrieking produces discordant psychic energy that disrupts other creatures' thought patterns.
* {{Retcon}}:
** Most of the monsters presented as Star Spawn in ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' were classified as "Foulspawn" in older editions of the game, and the Star Spawn of 4th edition were a completely different but equally evil group of entities.
** The larva mage was known as the Worm That Walks prior to 4th edition. It was also not included amongst that edition's version of the star spawn ''or'' the Foulspawn of earlier editions.
* SwapTeleportation: A star spawn seer can avoid incoming attacks with its Bend Space reaction, which lets it trade places with another star spawn within 60 feet (and forces the second star spawn to take the hit in the seer's stead).
* TheWormThatWalks: A larva mage is a mass of worms assembled into a vaguely humanoid shape and controlled by a single intelligence. The whole swarm needs to be killed to ensure the mage's destruction, or else it will come back.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Steel Predator]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steel_predator_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Construct (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 13 (3E), 16 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (3E), LawfulEvil (5E)
Metallic feline hunters that would be formidable in battle even without their sonic roars.
----
* AdaptationalVillainy: In 3rd Edition, steel predators were simply animalistic beings that killed only to feed themselves, but 5th Edition cast them as assassins that occasionally go rogue and begin to kill indiscriminately.
* DeadlyLunge: Like other "big cat"-type creatures, 3rd Edition steel predators can make a pounce and rake attack on a charge.
* KillerRobot: A 5th Edition steel predator is a merciless machine with one purpose: kill its target regardless of distance and obstacles.
* MakeMeWannaShout: One feature that has remained constant is the steel predator's devastating roar, which deals heavy sonic/thunder damage as well as extra damage to brittle or crystalline items (in 3rd Edition), or may [[TheParalyzer stun victims for a minute]] (in 5th Edition).
* MetalMuncher: In 3E, steel predators feed on metal, and especially prize metallic magical items. Their natural home, the Outer Plane of Acheron, is littered with endless weapons-strewn battlefields and broken heaps of war machines, giving them a rich supply of food.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Acheron-native steel predators are adept at sundering enemies' weapons, shields or other held items with their bites.
* {{Retcon}}: In 3rd Edition, steel predators are outsiders native to the Infinite Battlefield of Acheron, prowling its warzones for fresh metal morsels. In 5th Edition, they're artificial killers created by a rogue modron to hunt down and slay targets across the planes.
* SuperSenses: They enjoy blindsight out to 30 feet, which is especially significant for the deaf 3E steel predators.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: 3rd Edition steel predators can sense the presence of any metallic magic item from up to 120 feet away.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stirge]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_stirge_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:4e]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_stirge_4e.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Beast (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E); 1, 7 (dire strige), 12 (swarm) (4E) ; 1/8 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E, 3E) Unaligned (2E, 4E-5E)
Bat-winged, needle-mouthed creatures that feed on larger animals' blood.
----
* AmbushingEnemy: Desert stirges are flightless, and hunt by burying themselves in the desert sand to ambush creatures passing by. Jungle stirges are also poor flyers, and instead rely on hiding in thick canopies and falling prey passing beneath them.
* ArtEvolution: Depictions of stirges are somewhat inconstant. The gained a second pair of wings between 2nd and 3rd Edition, and in addition some depictions give them greater proportions of birdlike traits or depict their probosces as rigid beaks or hooked noses.
* FantasticFaunaCounterpart: In most regards, they act as a fantastical counterpart to mosquitoes and vampire bats.
* MixAndMatchCritters: While their specific appearance and proportions change between editions, stirges usually resemble mixes of vultures, bats and mosquitoes.
* TheSwarm: Individual stirges are fairly weak and pose little threat to all but the weakest humanoids, so they usually attack in large swarms.
* VampiricDraining: Stirges feed on the blood of living creatures, attaching and draining them slowly.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stone Cursed]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_stone_cursed_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
With a bit of basilisk blood and the ashes of a co*ckatrice feather, a petrified humanoid can be animated as a stony servitor, murderous but obedient to its creators.
----
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Stone cursed are predictably good at disguising themselves as ordinary statues.
* LivingStatue: The stone cursed are spawned through a foul alchemical ritual performed on a petrified humanoid. A dim echo of the victim's spirit is awakened, animating the statue and turning it into a useful guardian.
* OrganDrops: A side effect of their creation ritual is the formation of an obsidian skull-shaped stone within the stone cursed. If extracted from a slain stone cursed, a skilled arcanist can use the skull to try and extract a memory from the stone cursed's mortal life. Whether the attempt is successful or not, it can only be made once.
* TakenForGranite: Not only was the stone cursed a victim of such an attack, their claws drip with a transformative sludge that can in turn petrify their enemies.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sylph]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_sylph_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood (2E), TrueNeutral (3E), Unaligned (4E)
These beautiful winged women are air elemental-kin, rumored to be a crossbreed between nymphs and air spirits. They have a liking for the scenery of the Material Plane, and make their homes on mountaintops, but can be found almost anywhere due to their love of travel.
----
* AlchemicElementals: They're the sylphs representing air, obviously.
* CuriosityIsACrapshoot: Their response to strangers is to turn invisible and observe from hiding, but even if they detect a potential threat, sylphs' curiosity can lead them to linger in dangerous situations just to watch what happens.
* EnemySummoner: Once per day, a sylph can summon a Large elemental of any variety.
* {{Invisibility}}: They can use ''improved invisibility'' at will.
* OneGenderRace: Sylphs are all-female and, according to their ''AD&D'' write-up, [[MarsNeedsWomen reproduce with male humanoids]], most commonly elves but sometimes humans or halflings. This results in an egg three months later, which hatches into an infant sylph in another six months.
* {{Retcon}}: Their size varies by edition, starting Medium-sized, getting downgraded to Small in 3rd Edition, then becoming Medium again for 4th.
* SquishyWizard: Sylphs are natural sorcerers, but are ''very'' squishy in direct combat -- their 3rd Edition stats only give them 10 hit points despite being CR 5.
* WingedHumanoid: Their 2nd Edition write-up states that sylphs can naturally levitate, and their wings simply provide thrust.
[[/folder]]
!!T
[[folder:Tarrasque]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tarrasque_5e.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Elemental Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 20 (3E), 30 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3.5E), Unaligned (4E-5E)
An ancient and practically immortal monster, the tarrasque spends centuries at a time in hibernation before rousing itself to lay waste to everything in its path.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: The folkloric tarasque was a fairly standard medieval dragon who was easily defeated, cowed and tamed by Saint Martha. The ''D&D'' tarrasque is an unkillable, almost unstoppable juggernaut capable of leveling cities and often the most powerful and dangerous thing a party of adventurers can expect to meet.
* AntiStructure: The 5th edition tarrasque's Siege Monster trait makes its attacks inflict double damage to objects and structures.
* ArmorPiercingAttack: The 4th edition tarrasque has a passive trait which lets its attacks ignore damage resistance and thus always inflict full damage.
* AttackReflector: The tarrasque's carapace can reflect magic spells back at their casters.
* TheDreaded: Ordinary people are terrified of the tarrasque, and for good reason, as it can destroy entire towns and cities singlehandedly. When people hear that the beast has awakened and is headed their way, they get the hell out of dodge.
* HealingFactor: The tarrasque has freakishly strong regeneration, which will heal it of any and all damage it takes and which outright prevents it from taking lethal damage or incurable wounds from any source. It can instantly recover a severed limb by holding it to its stump, and even if it can't access the lost appendage a new one will grow back in six minutes at the longest anyway.
* NighInvulnerability: While the specifics vary by edition, the tarrasque is usually highly resistant if not outright immune to multiple damage types, highly resistant to magic, and immune to multiple status effects. Its tough hide is extremely difficult to injure, translating to a sky-high AC, and it usually has a very powerful HealingFactor which quickly undoes any damage it ''does'' take. In older editions, the only way to kill it was to bring it down to negative hit points and then use a ''wish'' spell to make it ''stay'' dead. In 4th edition, it simply cannot be killed: bring it down to 0 hit points and it just [[VillainExitStageLeft buggers off to the Earth's core to recuperate for a few decades]].
* NoSell: The Tarrasque's armored carapace is impervious to most forms of magic, and has a 1-in-6 chance of [[AttackReflector reflecting any spell cast on it back at the caster]].
* SingleSpecimenSpecies: The tarrasque is generally treated as a unique creature in most settings. The one exception is ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'', which has a planet inhabited by ''hundreds'' of the creatures.
* VillainExitStageLeft: In 4th edition, the tarrasque will escape from combat by burrowing into the ground the instant it falls to 0 hit points. It then returns to the planet's core to rest and recuperate.
* YouWillNotEvadeMe: In 4th edition the tarrasque projects a magical aura which prevents other creatures from flying higher than 20 feet, keeping them well within reach of its teeth and claws. Said aura also neuters the speed of flying creatures so that they cannot outrun the tarrasque.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tempest]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tempest_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 16 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral
These composite elementals are more or less living storms, and generally attack any creatures they encounter.
----
* BizarreAlienReproduction: Their ''AD&D'' entry assures us that yes, tempests do have genders, and if a "male" and "female" living storm meet, the result is about a week's worth of calamitous weather, followed by the two going their separate ways, leaving behind one to four infant tempests sometimes called "tantrums."
* BlowYouAway: Beyond being able to use ''gust of wind'' and ''wind wall'' at will, a tempest can take the form of a whirlwind (or vortex if underwater) that can mow over enemies, dealing heavy damage and potentially sucking them up in the cyclone.
* {{Cumulonemesis}}: A tempest is an elemental spirit in the form of a living storm cloud about fifty feet wide. A surly and aggressive being, it attacks with lightning, pouring rain and whirlwinds, and feeds by killing living creatures and consuming their moisture.
* ElementalPowers: A tempest is an elemental where all four elements coexist: air in the wind, earth in the whirling sand and dirt, fire in the heat of the lightning, and water in the rain. In 3rd Edition, it simultaneously has the air, earth, fire and water subtypes.
* AnIcePerson: Tempests can use ''chill touch'' as an at-will spell-like ability.
* OrganDrops: According to their ''AD&D'' entry, the element of earth is represented in both the dust that swirls around a tempest, and in their "circulatory system" of silver. When a tempest is slain, a silvery residue rains from its form, which can be collected as the equivalent of a handful of silver pieces, but is most valuable as a crafting component for a ''wand of lightning'' or similar lightning- or weather-related magic items.
* ShockAndAwe: They can cast ''lightning bolt'' at will.
* UndergroundMonkey: Tempests have both arctic and desert equivalents. The latter are skriaxits, also known as blackstorms or living sandstorms, and are just as aggressive but much more sad*stic than ordinary tempests, making them NeutralEvil rather than ChaoticNeutral. %%In-universe alignments.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tendriculos]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tendriculos_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Huge, carnivorous plants known for their rapid regenerative ability.
----
* BigEater: Tendriculoses consume large amounts of meat to fuel their regeneration ability.
* HealingFactor: The tendriculos can regrow its vegetable body extremely rapidly, unless hurt by acid or bludgeoning weapons.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: The process is quite involved, but it's possible to ride a tendriculos, in a way. First, one of their seeds has to be grown in a special alchemical mixture that negates its paralytic, acidic digestive juices. This makes the tendriculos wholly dependent on its master to feed it pulped meat, or else it will starve. Once the monster is fully-grown, a device resembling a bear trap is used to hold its jaws open, at which point its owner can crawl inside its stomach cavity, steering the creature by reins attached to the steel contraption in its mouth. For this to work, the tendriculos needs special training to suppress its urge to swallow enemies, but this isn't foolproof, which can result in an enemy being dropped into the creature's stomach right next to its "rider."
* ManEatingPlant: They look like a 15-foot-tall mound of vegetation supported by vines and branches, and have a mouth full of thorny teeth.
* SwallowedWhole: Anything Large or smaller hit by a tendriculos' bite attack is in danger of being swallowed, at which point it will take regular acid damage and have to save against [[TheParalyzer paralysis]] from the same digestive juices.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Thoqqua]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thoqqua_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Also known as rockworms or fireworms, these creatures use their superheated bodies to burrow through solid rock in search of minerals. They're often found on the Elemental Planes of Fire and Earth, but are native to the Paraelemental Plane of Magma.
----
* DigAttack: Their first instinct when disturbed is to attack, often by bursting out of a rocky surface at interlopers.
* DungeonBypass: 3rd Edition druids can summon thoqquas with ''summon nature's ally'' at 5th level, and can then direct the creatures to tunnel their way through dungeon walls and other obstacles well before a party normally gets access to spells like ''teleport''.
* FastTunnelling: They have a 20 foot burrow speed, and can bore through solid rock without difficulty. This leaves behind a narrow but usable tunnel, though it takes a couple of minutes for its walls to cool enough to be safe to use.
* FeedItWithFire: Their 2nd Edition rules let thoqquas heal from fire damage, and notes that when two or more thoqquas are encountered together, they'll abuse this trait to give each other additional hit points.
* MagmaMan: They're hybrid creatures of elemental earth and fire, which unfortunately contributes to thoqquas' foul tempers, and makes them vulnerable to cold attacks. On the upside, they deal extra fire damage with every attack, or to anyone stupid enough to touch them.
* MetalMuncher: They feed on rocks and minerals, which can cause problems if thoqquas end up on the Material Plane next to a dwarf or kobold settlement.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Thought Eater]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thought_eater_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:2e]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thought_eater_2e.jpg[[/labelnote]] ]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (thought eater), 13 (thought slayer) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (thought eater), ChaoticNeutral (thought slayer) (3E)
Predators from the Ethereal Plane whose skeletal forms are wrapped in protomatter, and which feed upon the mental energy of Material Plane creatures.
----
* ArtEvolution: Early thought eaters were explicitly skeletal platypi, but their 3rd Edition art made them much more intimidating, something like hawk-headed skeletal lions draped in ectoplasm.
* DeadlyGaze: A thought slayer's mind-consuming gaze can instantly kill creatures that fail their saves, or daze those who saw it through something like a mirror or reflection in water. The good news is that it has to manifest on the Material Plane to affect Material creatures with it, so prey at least has a chance to fight back.
* EvolutionaryLevels: The ''Expanded Pisonics Handbook'' describes thought slayers, a larger and stronger variant of the thought eater, as having "fared far better on the evolutionary ladder" than their common kin.
* GiantMook: Thought slayers are a far more dangerous breed of thought eater, being Huge rather than Medium-sized, wielding much more dangerous psionic powers, and capable of bringing down prey with a mere stare.
* HitAndRunTactics: If they face resistance, a thought eater will make an attack or two, then return to the Ethereal Plane to digest their meal. Though if they sense weak prey, they'll stop to gorge themselves.
* {{Intangibility}}: As Ethereal Plane predators, they can shift to the Material Plane as part of a move action, and return to the Ethereal as a free action. The catch is that if they spend more than 10 continuous rounds on the Material Plane, their wispy bodies will fall apart, killing them.
* ManaDrain: A thought eater's only attack is a touch that drains six power points from a psionic opponent, or deals [[NonHealthDamage Intelligence damage]] to non-psions; either way, these attacks provide nourishment to a thought eater. Thought slayers work similarly, but have an actual bite attack, and need only look at their victims to consume their minds.
* PsychicPowers: Basic thought eaters can use powers like ''psionic daze'' or ''precognition'' to assist in hunts, while thought slayers can break out bigger guns like ''brain lock'' or ''mind trap''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Thri-Kreen]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/88268_620_121.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E, 5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral
Mantis-like humanoids with multiple limbs and a penchant for psionic powers. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Thunderbird]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thunderbird_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood
Immense birds of prey with great power over the sky's fury, thunderbirds are often seen as objects of worship by humanoids who share their ranges.
----
* GiantAnimalWorship: Thunderbirds are often worshipped as nature spirits and embodiments of the elements by desert-dwelling peoples.
* GiantFlyer: Thunderbirds are immense, capable of reaching thirty feet from head to tail and to have fifty-foot wingspans, and can easily carry animals as large as an orca away into the sky.
* ShockAndAwe: Thunderbirds have innate control over electricity, and can magically call down thunderbolts and create lightning storms.
* {{Thunderbird}}: Thunderbirds are immense raptors with power over storms and lightning, which tribal communities ofter worship as avatar of nature's fury and abundance.
* WeatherManipulation: Thunderbirds can create fog banks, lightning storms and sandstorms as innate magical powers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tlincalli]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tlincalli_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Nomadic scorpion people who live in the desert.
----
* ArtEvolution: The tlincalli have had a consistent design over the years, a human upper body attached at the front of a giant scorpion. Through 3rd edition said body was red-skinned, hairless, but otherwise pretty human, even handsomely so. 5th edition tweaked this design to make them look more monstrous: the upper body is humanoid but clearly inhuman, with a chitinous exoskeleton and an insectoid head.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: The tlincalli of Faerûn have an odd practice of divination, in which they spread out among tunnels just beneath the surface, tracking the movements of other creatures through their tremorsense as they move through some mystical grid. After days of this, the tlincalli reach some conclusion, and will either erupt from their tunnels to attack surface settlements, or adopt completely random attitudes towards strangers they may have encountered before, all the while convinced that they are doing what destiny demands of them.
* BewareMyStingerTail: At the end of a tlincalli's long scorpion tail is a stinger.
* DesertBandits: They scavenge most of the things they want or need from other creatures. If you're passing through their territory and have something they want, they're liable to attack you and take it.
* EatenAlive: They take prisoners with the use of their paralytic poison, but only to bring back to their nests so their newly-hatched young have a fresh meal.
* PoisonousPerson: A tlincalli's stinger carries a powerful paralytic poison. Their eggshells are coated in a similar poison, ensuring that any would-be predator who tries to consume the eggs ends up as a helpless meal for the hatchlings. Elminster notes that even tlincalli shells have a poisonous coating, [[OrganDrops which alchemists can boil out while preserving its paralytic power.]]
* ScorpionPeople: Tlincallis, also called scorpion folk or stingers, have the upper body of a human and the lower body of an enormous scorpion.
* {{Teleportation}}: In 3rd Edition, stingers can use an ability called ''bolthole magic'', allowing them to instantly move up to 20 feet straight up or down in a flash of red light, so long as they pass through at least a foot of earth during the move. Though the ability deals a bit of damage to the stinger, it's a useful way to move between tunnels overlapping one another, or launch surprise attacks against surface enemies.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tojanida]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tojanida_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (juvenile), 5 (adult), 9 (elder) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Turtle-like omnivores from the Elemental Plane of Water, who can reconfigure how their limbs emerge from their shells.
----
* ItCanThink: They look like bizarre animals, but tojanidas have human-level intelligence, speak Aquan, and can be pretty loquacious on the subject of food.
* OurMonstersAreWeird: They're turtles with shells of hexagonal plates, which completely surround their bodies save for eight openings, four on each end. They have four flippers, two claws and a toothy mouth all on stalks, which they can stick out of their shell's openings however they see fit.
* RemovableShell: Played with; a tojanida cannot take its shell off, but they are certainly less attached to it than normal turtles, as they can move around within it and rearrange how their limbs protrude from it.
* SmokeOut: They can emit an ink cloud that replicates the effect of ''fog cloud'' underwater.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tomb Tapper]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_tomb_tapper_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 14 (3E), 10 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral
Strange giant-sized constructs, properly named thaalud, that covet magic items and have an obsession with shaping stone.
----
* AbsurdlyDedicatedWorker: The original thaalud were created during a war between human wizards and nonhuman spellcasters, but in the centuries since that conflict, the tomb tappers have continued to obsessively hoard any magic items they come across. Rumors abound that all of their loot is taken to a single vault deep underground, which would be one of the richest treasure hoards in the multiverse.
* BellyMouth: Perhaps their distinguishing feature, which they can use to make bite attacks, or chew on an enemy spellcaster.
* TheBlank: Their heads are just featureless lumps, which incidentally makes them immune to illusions or gaze attacks.
* DishingOutDirt: They can use ''spike stones'' during combat, or ''stone shape'' simply to amuse themselves by creating random doorways, walls or twisty corridors.
* DropTheHammer: They commonly wield stone hammers scaled up for their size.
* EatDirtCheap: Tomb tappers crush rock with their jaws to extract mineral sustenance.
* StarfishLanguage: They can communicate with other creatures through {{Telepathy}} (usually to demand that they hand over all their magic items and run away), but tomb tappers speak among themselves by generating humming vibrations with their skin.
* SuperSenses: They navigate through something like sonar, giving them blindsight out to 120 feet but making them effectively blinded if under a ''silence'' effect. Tomb tappers also have tremorsense out to half that distance.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: They can ''detect magic'' at will.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tortle]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tortle.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulGood
Turtle-like humanoids that wander the world to partake in its wonders, well-protected by their sturdy natural armor. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Trapper]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_trapper_5e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned
Manta-like creatures that cling to ceilings or walls, or spread out over floors, and try to blend in with their surroundings. Once prey comes near, the trapper peels away and wraps around their victim, smothering and crushing them before digestion.
----
* AcidAttack: Beyond the bludgeoning damage of their crush attack, a trapper's victims take acid damage each round they're being smothered by the thing.
* ChameleonCamouflage: A trapper can change the appearance of its outer side to blend in with any surface made of stone, earth or wood. They can't properly mimic snow or vegetation, but know how to conceal themselves under a thin layer of the stuff.
* CraftedFromAnimals: Their hides can be harvested and fashioned into enchanted leather armor.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: It takes a high Intelligence check to distinguish a trapper from an ordinary section of wall, ceiling or floor.
* ItCanThink: Downplayed; trappers have animalistic intelligence, but have caught on that the leftover bones, items and treasure from their meals also draws other creatures to investigate.
-->'''Volo:''' Trappers know when prey draws near, so explore ruins and dungeons with equal wariness. For dumb beasts, they know very well what treasure is, what treasure chests are, and how these lure the likes of us.
* {{Retcon}}: The original trapper debuted on the same page as the lurker (above), a similar manta-shaped creature known for disguising itself as a ceiling, while trappers were relegated to dungeon floors. Their most recent lore mentions trappers clinging to any surface they please, suggesting the trappers and lurkers are the same type of monster.
* SinisterSuffocation: Anything grappled by a trapper is in danger of suffocation.
* UndergroundMonkey: Forest trappers, also known as miners, hunt by burrowing just under the surface of paths or dirt roads and extending twig-like barbs to the surface that carry a paralytic poison. Once prey blunders onto them and is incapacitated, the miner surfaces and engulfs its victims.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Treant]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/treant_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E), Fey Magical Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 8, 25 (elder) (3E); 16 (4E); 9 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood (3E), Unaligned (4E), ChaoticGood (5E)
Large humanoid trees who inhabit and guard ancient forests.
----
* ForestRanger: Most treants live as protectors of their forest homes, guarding them against the intrusions of evil creatures and of outsiders who take more natural resources than the environment can spare.
* NonHumanUndead: Blackroot treants are undead tree-people who rule over blighted forests roamed by restless spirits and the walking dead.
* GreenThumb: They can animate and control regular trees.
* StealthyColossus: When a treant stays still, its legs join together to resemble a single trunk and its facial features become indistinguishable from normal whorls and lines of tree bark. As long as it doesn't move, even people walking right across its feet will find it impossible to tell it apart from a normal tree.
* TheSymbiote: The treats of [[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms the forest of Cormanthor]] live in symbiosis with other forest creatures that live in and on the treant itself, gaining food and shelter in exchange for performing some service. These are grubs that feed on a kind of mold that infests treants, toxic fungi that grow around their legs and ward off gnawing rodents, and bats that nest in their branches and eat parasitic insects.
* {{Treants}}: Treants have been present as Good-aligned plant creatures since the early days of the game. They were openly named [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Ents]] in the first editions of the game, but the name was later changed to treants for copyright reasons. They begin life as regular trees that sometimes possess a spark of magical potential, which can be slowly nurtured by druids or other treants to cause the tree to gradually develop humanoid features and mature into an adult treant.
** While treants are normally benevolent, those living in [[TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}} the Demiplane of Dread]] are vicious and aggressive -- there's something in the Demiplane that turns all plant-creatures that grow there into homicidal killers, even if they'd otherwise be good guys, and the treants are no exception.
** The 1986 bestiary ''Creature Catalogue'' includes the gakarak, a much more hostile relative of the treant. Gakaraks resemble regular treants draped in moss and lichens, inhabit deep, ancient forests, are incredibly hostile to humanoids and consider them all to be vicious tree-slayers, and are some of the most long-lived creatures in existence. They possess a typical set of GreenThumb powers -- specially, they can animate trees, make plants grow and teleport through vegetation -- and rarely speak more of the local languages than they need to to shout "get away from my trees!" before attacking intruders.
* UndergroundMonkey: They have some regional variants as well. Wizened elders are stunted (Medium-sized), gnarled treant variants found on cold plains or subalpine mountains, right on the edge of the tree line. They're ChaoticNeutral rather than NeutralGood, harsh and sometimes cruel, and bitter toward their "overly-soft" treant kin for "abandoning" them to less-hospitable climates. %%In-universe alignment.
!!Saguaro Sentinel
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_saguaro_sentinel_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Desert-dwelling relatives of treants, saguaro sentinels view themselves as protectors of wasteland plant life.
----
* CactusPerson: Saguaro sentinels are huge, humanoid saguaros who watch over cactus forests and can use their covering of thorns to defend themselves in battle.
* SpikeShooter: They can shoot out their thorns in painful volleys, but at the cost of losing the melee defense they gain from them until the thorns grow back.
* TheSpiny: Anyone attempting to battle a saguaro sentinel risks exposure to the long, wicked thorns that grow from their bodies. In game terms, this causes anyone who tries to fight one with natural attacks or unarmed strikes, or who is pushed into the plant, to suffer 1d6 points of piercing damage. This issue can be circumvented by using melee weapons.
* UndergroundMonkey: Saguaro sentinels are a desert-themed variant of treants that resemble [[CactusPerson huge, humanoid saguaros]], are TrueNeutral rather than NeutralGood, and guard and protect cactus forests.%%In-universe alignment.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tressym]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tressym.png]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (3E), 0 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral or ChaoticGood (2E, 3E), ChaoticNeutral (5E)
Intelligent creatures resembling winged housecats.
----
* CatsAreMagic: They're the product of magical experimentation, and have several supernatural abilities beyond flight.
* CoolPet: Tressym are intelligent flying cats known to form strong friendships with humanoids, particularly rangers and wizards.
* IntellectualAnimal: Their ''AD&D'' stats put their Intelligence at higher than the average human's, when serving as familiars they're bright enough to understand and carry out complex orders (at least those that don't require opposable thumbs), and they can defy their instincts to concentrate on a task or leave bird eggs and hatchlings alone so they'll have something to hunt later. They just lack a natural ability to communicate with other creatures.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Tressym are cats with membranous wings covered in avian feathers.
* NoSell: Tressym are immune to any poison.
* SuperSenses: They have good-ranged darkvision, can detect invisible entities, and even detect poisons.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Triton]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/triton_5e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood
Amphibious humanoids with finned legs, who generally keep to themselves, battling the evil forces of the ocean. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Troglodyte]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/troglodyte_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E), 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Degenerate lizardfolk from the Underdark infamous for their stench.
----
* BizarreSexualDimorphism: In at least some settings and editions, only the males are humanoid, while the females are squat, non-sentient, toad-like giant lizards.
* ChameleonCamouflage: Their pebbly-scaled hides can change color to match whatever type of stone their cavern homes are made of.
* DumbMuscle: Trens are much bigger and stronger than common troglodyters, but also much less intelligent.
* EitherOrOffspring: When trens and troglodytes interbreed, the resulting eggs will hatch into either full trens or full troglodytes, with an equal chance of each.
* EvilSmellsBad: They smell revolting -- their natural musk is strongly offensive to the noses of every other living thing, and non-troglodytes who fail their fortitude checks will be sickened from simply being close to them.
* LizardFolk: Primitive, pale-scaled humanoid reptiles found living underground.
* TheMorlocks: They're sometimes depicted as the LizardFolk equivalent, being descendants of conventional ''D&D'' lizardfolk that got trapped in, and adapted to, the Underdark.
* ServantRace: In ''Forgotten Realms'', the troglodytes were created by the sarrukh to serve as guardians of their underground holdings and as subterranean explorers. The trens were later bred by the yuan-ti to serv as SlaveMooks.
* TrueBreedingHybrid: Trens were created through the selective cross-breeding of troglodytes and lizardfolk. In the modern day, long after the original experiments, they have established themselves as a widespread and self-sustaining species in their own right.
* WeaponizedStench: In various editions of the game, troglodytes emit a nauseating stench as a special attack. The exact game effects of this stench vary from edition to edition.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Troll]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/troll_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Giant (3-5E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E, 5E), 9 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Ugly green monsters with a powerful regenerative factor, which can only be negated by fire or acid damage.
----
* AlienBlood: Fire trolls have mauve blood that corrodes metal.
* AllTrollsAreDifferent: The trolls in ''D&D'' are actually pretty consistent in their large size, low intelligence, savage demeanor, regenerative powers and distinctive pronounced noses. But they also come in an array of subtypes defined by habitat or unique biology, while the 5th Edition ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' also introduces a number of troll mutates based on their healing factor's response to certain types of damage.
* AquaticMook: Scrags, amphibious trolls who only regenerate when immersed in water.
* CannibalismSuperpower: Trolls who [[MonstrousCannibalism feed on their conspecifics]] can become powerful dire trolls. While this makes them larger and stronger, it also leads to BodyHorror like additional heads and limbs, which at least can be useful in combat.
* ClingyCostume: Bladerager trolls are characterized by having been flayed alive so armor plating can be applied directly into their flesh. The constant pain from these enhancements makes them even more savage than normal trolls, and [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead deals Wisdom damage to anything making psychic contact with them.]]
* CrystallineCreature: The skin of crystalline trolls is made entirely out of crystal, giving them good natural armor but also a vulnerability to sonic attacks that can shatter their crystalline shells.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: Death undoes the magic that binds the implanted weapons to a bladerager troll's flesh, causing its body to explode in a burst of jagged shrapnel.
* EliteMook: Fell trolls, a breed that grows to be much larger and stronger than common trolls.
* FeedItWithFire: Fire trolls take no damage from fire-based attacks, but will instead regain ten hit points of health for every round during which such an attack covers at least half their bodies.
* FromASingleCell: In 1st Edition, trollish healing is so strong that every sliver of flesh cut from a troll will eventually regrow into a new individual unless it's burned.
* GemTissue: Crystalline trolls have bodies seemingly covered in rock crystal, which grants them an immunity to acid damage, but also a new AchillesHeel in the form of sonic attacks.
* GiantMook: Mountain trolls' main characteristic is that they're Huge instead of Large, with a corresponding increase in their melee ability. Dire trolls are also Huge, but defined more by their bodily mutations.
* HealingFactor: Just shy from FromASingleCell, in fact. Unless it is damage from fire or acid, they ''will'' heal from it, and fast. Chopped off limbs will continue to move on their own, or will instantly merge with the troll if it holds the severed member to its stump. You can hack a troll into itty bitty pieces, and it will heal back together. They are almost fearless as a result, savagely throwing themselves into combat while safe in the knowledge that nothing the enemy can do can permanently hurt them.
* KillItWithFire: Fire damage is one of the few things trolls can't regenerate, and thus one of the more efficient ways to kill them.
* LiterallyShatteredLives: If a fire troll is brought to zero hit points by cold-based damage, it will stiffen and fall over to the ground. Normally it will simply thaw in a few rounds and start regenerating, but dealing sufficient damage to it while it's frozen stiff will cause it to shatter and kill it for good.
* MakeThemRot: Rot trolls are so saturated with negative energy that they cause any creature within five or so feet of them to suffer necrotic damage.
* {{Mutants}}:
** Trolls' regeneration can interact in peculiar ways with outside stimuli, and trolls exposed to great quantities of certain substances or energies can undergo dramatic mutations as their flesh takes on the qualities of these things, leading to rot, spirit and venom trolls.
** Troll mutates have been exposed to the corrupting influence of the Far Realm, granting them physical deformities like extra limbs and externalized organs. Worse, they will mutate further mid-combat, growing extra claws or heads, or sprouting tentacles or wings, as they heal damage from enemies. Sometimes these growths are vestigial and useless, other times they're fully-functional.
* PoisonousPerson:
** Venom trolls literally drip with poison, which slicks their skin, coats their claws and drips from their every wound.
** Filth-eater trolls live in the squalid refuse pits on the periphery of drow settlements, and as such their claw attacks carry filth fever. On the upside, [[AcquiredPoisonImmunity they're immune to normal diseases themselves.]]
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: War trolls were carefully bred and magically-augmented by a cabal of mages to make them exceptional soldiers. They're smarter and more disciplined than normal trolls, capable of deftly wielding weapons and wearing armor, and live only for battle, serving their creators or hiring themselves out as mercenaries.
* RockMonster: Stone trolls (''Dragon'' magazine #199) have rocky skin that they get from [[EatDirtCheap eating rocks, stones and gems]].
* ShorterMeansSmarter: Forest trolls are smaller than normal trolls (making them Medium-sized Giants), but just as smart as an ordinary human, making them capable of using sophisticated tactics during their hunts.
* SmashMook: The brutish, bestial trolls lack the technological prowess to create complex weapons or the skill and wit to use them effectively. Instead, their favored approach to battle is to simply wade into melee and begin hitting the closest enemy, relying on their potent regeneration to keep them alive.
* SuperSpit: Ice trolls can spit globs of ice-cold saliva that will both freeze their targets and nauseate them.
* TrueBreedingHybrid: The first mur-zhaguls arose from the intermingling of trolls and demons, but in the present day they're a self-sustaining species in their own right.
* UndergroundMonkey: Some of the simpler troll subtypes are marked by their favored terrain -- wasteland trolls, cave trolls, mountain trolls, etc.
* WalkingWasteland: Rot trolls are so suffused with negative energy that they cause all living things in their vicinity to undergo necrosis.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Gray trolls (''Dragon'' magazine #199) are badly burned by sunlight, which steadily chips away at their health without allowing regeneration and, if they cannot find shelter in time, burns them to ash.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tsochar]]
[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tsochar.png]]
[[caption-width-right:305:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (individual strand), 4 (tangle) (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil
Alien masses of tendrils from a cold, distant world, feared for their ability to worm into other creatures' bodies to wear their flesh.
----
* TheAgeless: Tsochari are functionally immortal, since individual strands from their tangles regularly die and are replaced by new ones, without impacting the gestalt being.
* ChestBurster: When a tsochar decides to leave a host, or is evicted by a spell like ''remove disease'' or ''dispel evil'', it bursts out of the body, dealing damage to it.
* ExtraParentConception: Tsochari are hermaphrodites that reproduce every five to ten years, laying a clutch of eggs that results in hundreds of new tsochar strands. Since it takes about 40 of such strands to make a "full" tsochar, and they don't take any pains to segregate egg clutches from each other, it's not uncommon for a tsochar to have dozens of parents.
* FantasticRacism: Tsochari recognize the power of other aberrations like neogi and illithids, but view ordinary humanoids as little better than animals to be ridden or sacrificed to their god.
* FusionDance: A fully-grown tsochar is actually a tangle of tsochari strands that have fused together to form a single organism.
* TheParalyzer: Their strands' barbs inflict a poison that deals Dexterity damage, allowing tsochari to render a victim helpless so they can wear their flesh. However, an individual strand's poison is too weak to do this, so only combined tangles can inject dangerous amounts of venom with their constriction attacks.
* PossessionBurnout: While inside a living host, a tsochar deals daily Constitution damage as they feed on its blood and tissues, while a slain-and-replaced body will slowly be devoured, taking Constitution drain each month.
* PuppeteerParasite: Tsochari can worm their way wholly inside other creatures over the course of a minute, and can then choose to either simply inhabit their host, hiding their tendrils in the spaces between its organs and muscles, or they can bore out their victim's nervous system, killing them (painfully) and effectively taking control of the body. While inhabiting a host, a tsochar can damage it from the inside and inflict nauseating pain, usually to punish a defiant victim. In any case, a humanoid body inhabited by a tsochar will display signs like a slightly distended abdomen, long cords beneath their skin, and the glint of alien flesh in their throat, ear canal or navel.
* ReligionOfEvil: The tsochari are faithful devotees of Mak Thuum Ngatha, the Nine-Tongued Worm, an alien god they honor through sacrifices of other intelligent beings.
* StarfishAliens: A tsochar in its base form is a thin blue-black strand of flesh 3 to 8 feet long, with an eye and mouth on one end and a barbed stinger on the other. Individually a tsochar strand is a mindless predator, but when they form a tangle, their nervous, digestive, circulatory, etc. systems fuse as well, creating a sentient creature.
* {{Telepathy}}: A useful way for a tsochar to give orders to a host it's inhabiting.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Twilight Guardian]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_twilight_guardian_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
These dragon-shaped masses of earth, stone and plant matter arise where a dying dragon has fused with the landscape to become its sentinel.
----
* TheAgeless: They don't have much of a concept for mortality and time, and twilight guardians rebuild their bodies each time they use their ''teleport via plants'' ability.
* DragonAncestry: An odd case, since they aren't born in a natural sense, but twilight guardians have the (dragonblood) subtype.
* GuardianEntity: Twilight guardians are the physical manifestations of a departed dragon's spirit, and are typically found in a dragon breed's hatching grounds, attacking any creatures not native to the area. They only have a rudimentary sense of their creator's spirit, however, and are near-mindless creatures.
* PoisonousPerson: Their tails carry a Constitution-damaging poison.
* {{Teleportation}}: They can ''transport via plants'' at will, popping around the battlefield by merging with the ground in one place and reforming some distance away.
* WhenTreesAttack: Downplayed in that twilight guardians are just as much creatures of earth and stone as they are branch and grass, though they still have the Plant type. They also vary by terrain and climate, so twilight guardians in desert environments will be made from scrubs or cacti.
[[/folder]]
!!U
[[folder:Umber Hulk]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/umber_hulk.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Natural Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (1E-3.5E, 5E), Unaligned (4E)
Bipedal insect-like creatures native to the Underdark, umber hulks are ambush predators who incapacitate victims with a magical gaze before devouring them.
----
* BigCreepyCrawlies: An umber hulk is an eight-foot-tall insect-like creature.
* ExactlyWhatit*aysOnTheTin: They're umber-coloured, and they tower over most humanoids with their hulking stature.
* HypnoticEyes: An umber hulk's four-eyed gaze puts its victims into a state of confusion, forcing them to act randomly and leaving them easy prey.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Many survivors of an umber hulk attack forget about the incident, because their memory is scrambled by the umber hulk's confusing gaze.
* SlaveRace: The neogi make extensive use of umber hulk slaves, leading to generations of the brutes being raised in captivity, to the point that they accept their servitude as part of the natural order. This means the neogi don't need to use their supernatural ability to control umber hulks, who will obey a neogi's orders without question, even meekly submitting to corporeal punishment from masters they could easily crush in their hands.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Umbral Blot]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_blackball_2e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:2e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 32 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Also called "blackballs" or "deadly spheres," these roaming 5-foot globes of utter darkness disintegrate everything they touch.
----
* BlowYouAway: Umbral blots naturally insulate themselves against the surrounding air, [[RequiredSecondaryPowers otherwise they'd be constantly surrounded by a vacuum.]] But if a particularly speedy foe manages to evade them, they can suppress that effect, creating a 30-foot vortex that draws in all nearby creatures, with the saving throw against the effect being much higher for airborne foes.
* DimensionalTraveler: 3E umbral blots can use ''etheral jaunt'' or ''plane shift'' as a standard action.
* DungeonBypass: They're fully capable of boring their way through terrain, and can surprise adventurers by coming up through the floor or dropping from the ceiling.
* MistakenIdentity: It's mentioned that some spellcasters who encounter these creatures confuse them for a ''sphere of annihilation'' and attempt to command them with a ''talisman of the sphere''. The umbral blots might choose to play along for a time, only to betray their "master" for their presumption.
* OneHitKill: Anything an umbral blot makes contact with has to save or die, disintegrating so completely that not even [[ReducedToDust dust]] remains.
* PowerOfTheVoid: They're essentially free-roaming black holes, and incredibly dangerous entites.
* SuperSenses: 3E umbral blots have blindsense out to 200 feet.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: 2E blackballs can instead sense any intelligent creatures within 60 feet of them.
* {{Teleportation}}: As if their flight speed wasn't enough, 3rd Edition umbral blots can use ''dimension door'' or ''teleport without error'' at will.
* TookALevelInBadass: With a movement of only 3, 2nd Edition blackballs moved at a quarter the speed of a baseline human, giving other creatures a chance to escape and elude it. The umbral blot of the 3E ''Epic Level Handbook'', on the other hand, flies at a rate of 90 feet per round, more than enough to run down someone mounted on a horse.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: Umbral blots are believed by some sages to be creations of "[[TheOldGods the Old Ones]]," who used them as messengers or assassins, until they rebelled and destroyed them, so perhaps now the umbral blots are roving the cosmos, looking for any Old Ones they missed.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Unicorn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unicorn_35e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Fey Magical Beast (4E), Celestial (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood (1-3.5E), Unaligned (4E), LawfulGood (5E)
One-horned, equine beings who live in the forest. They're generally benevolent if skittish, and are often hunted for their horns.
----
* AnIcePerson: Palomino unicorns or criocorns, described in ''Dragon Magazine'' #190, live in arctic environments and can create blizzards, chill metal and shoot freezing rays.
* ImmortalProcreationClause: ''The Ecology of the Unicorn'' states that unicorns are so long-lived that they seem to be nearly immortal, but remain rare because they almost never breed.
* TheMedic: Unicorns can heal wounds and poisoning with a touch of their horns.
* MixAndMatchCritters: While it's not often brought up, and not mentioned at all in 5th edition, unicorns are this. They have the bodies of horses, obviously, but also the tail of a lion or boar, the beard of a goat, cloven hooves, and trots like a deer rather than gallop.
* TheParalyzer: Black unicorns, describes in ''Dragon Magazine'' #190, can paralyze other beings with a touch of their horns. If this paralysis isn't cured within three days, the victim dies of heart failure.
* PlayingWithFire: Bay unicorns or pyrocorns, described in ''Dragon Magazine'' #190, live in spent volcanic caverns and can naturally cast spells that allow them to wreathe their horns in fire, create flames or throw fireballs.
* UndergroundMonkey: 2nd edition ''D&D'' introduces a great variety of unicorn breeds -- depending on which sources one uses, up to ''fifteen kinds''.
** The base game has three; the ChaoticGood, conventional or "sylvan" unicorn, the demon-blooded, ChaoticEvil and meat-eating black unicorn of the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', and the NeutralEvil shadow unicorn -- evil hybrids of unicorns and [[HellishHorse nightmares]] -- from ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}''.%%In-universe alignment.
** ''Magazine/DragonMagazine'' #190 introduces the alicorn (gnarly-horned unicorns that can cast CharmPerson), pyrocorn (NeutralEvil bay-colored unicorns who can cast [[KillItWithFire a number of fire spells]]), black unicorn (different for the Faerunian kind in that their powers focus on [[CastingAShadow magically manipulating darkness]]), roanicorn (desert-dwelling brown unicorns with telepathy and ESP), cunnequine (LawfulGood counterparts to the traditionally ChaoticGood unicorn), faerie unicorn (small, green-tinted chameleonic unicorns), graycorn (TrueNeutral gray colored unicorns that reflect damage back at their attackers), criocorn (palomino-colored LawfulEvil unicorns with [[AnIcePerson ice-related magic]]), chromacorn (pinto-colored NeutralGood unicorns that can cast illusions and Prismatic Sprays), sea unicorn (aquatic unicorns that can shapeshift into narwhals), unisus (a WingedUnicorn born from crossbreeding a unicorn and a {{pegasus}}), and zebracorn (zebra-striped unicorns with VoluntaryShapeshifting powers).%%In-universe alignments.
** Basic/Expert/etc ''D&D'' has actual unicorns with healing powers, and also attributes similar powers to ''narwhals'', making them the unicorn's marine counterpart rather than just a funny-looking whale.
* {{Unicorn}}: Intelligent white horses with spiraling horns, goatlike beards, lion-like tails, cloven hooves and magical powers (including the trademark ability to teleport once per day anywhere within their forest home), and the males have a goat-like beard and a very long mane; some material describes them as being more deer-like than equine. They're often sought out by paladins and other goodly beings as allies, steeds and companions and by more evil or amoral sorts for their horns, which can be used in various healing potions. Celestial chargers are unicorns from the Celestial Realms that have the power of clerics.
* UnicornsPreferVirgins: Unicorns sometimes allow themselves to be ridden, but only accept human or elven maidens of pure heart and good alignment.
** ''Magazine/DragonMagazine'' #190 describes a number of unicorn variants, several with their own spins on this theme: alicorns and cunnequines have the same requirements as common sylvan unicorns, the NeutralEvil pyrocorns accept evil female riders with affinities for fire magic, the ChaoticEvil black unicorns accept evil fighters or thieves of either sex, fairy unicorns accept any halfling, gnome, elf or fairy of good heart, gray unicorns accept only female druids of strictly neutral alignment, the LawfulEvil criocorns bear only exceptionally evil women with a talent for icy magic or who worship an evil god of cold or winter, pinto unicorns accept any rider of pure heart, narwhals bear only sea elven women of pure heart, and unisi may be ridden by any humanoid maiden with a good heart.%%In-universe alignments.
** The Vow of Chastity Feat in the ''Book of Exalted Deeds'' suppliment gives a character many benefits for maintaining virginity, one of which involves acquiring a unicorn as your companion.
* WingedUnicorn: Unisi, described in ''Dragon Magazine'' #190, are winged and horned equines created from the crossbreeding of unicorns and pegasi. They have the same habitat preferences and societies as pegasi, but share the unicorns' horn attack and preference for female riders of pure heart. Their horns can be used to brew potions that allow their drinkers to fly.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Uvuudaum]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_uvuudaum_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 27 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Aberrant horrors from the Far Realm, who delight in spreading madness to more structured realities.
----
* BrownNoteBeing: Just coming close to an uvuudaum can cause creatures to succumb to a ''confusion'' effect.
* HumanoidAbomination: Uvuudaums are clearly based upon, or were originally, humanoids, but they've been assembled wrong -- they have three sets of spidery limbs or humanoid arms in place of legs, and a mostly-normal torso with a tail-like spiked appendage in place of a head and neck.
* MagicKnight: They're extremely dangerous in direct combat, and also capable of using spells like ''confusion'' and ''polymorph self'' at will, more dangerous magic like ''chain lightning'' or ''disintegrate'' a few times per day, and they can even cast epic spells like ''nailed to the sky'', ''time duplicate'' and ''contingent resurrection.''
* MindRape: Their head-spike attack both deals terrible physical damage and blasts victims with incomprehensible images from the Far Realm, inflicting [[NonHealthDamage Wisdom drain.]]
* SuperSenses: Despite their lack of recognizable sensory organs, uvuudaums have blindsight out to 500 feet.
* {{Telepathy}}: Uvuudaum can communcate telepathically with any creature that speaks a language.
* UseYourHead[=/=]BewareMyStingerTail: Instead of a normal neck, an uvuudaum has something like a 15-foot tail with an iron-hard spike.
[[/folder]]
!!V
[[folder:Vegepygmy]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_vegepygmy_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/4 (vegepygmy), 1 (vegepygmy chief), 2 (thorny) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Should a creature succumb to a russet mold's poisonous spores, its corpse will sprout fungoid monsters -- beasts will give rise to thorn-covered quadrupeds called thornies, while humanoids or giants will spawn bipedal creatures alternatively known as vegepygmies, moldmen or moldies. The moldmen have enough intelligence to form a simple tribal society, and get along well with other fungus or plant creatures, but vegepygmies exist solely to perpetuate themselves by infecting others with their spores.
----
* AttackAnimal: Thornies serve this role in vegepygmy society.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Both vegepygmies and thornies are adept at blending in with foliage, especially since their coloration tends to match their surroundings.
* HealingFactor: Both vegepygmies and thornies will regenerate some health each turn unless they take cold, fire or necrotic damage.
* MushroomMan: Vegepygmies are a decidedly non-cute example, being fungus creatures that arise from the remains of a humanoid or a giant killed by russet mold. It's noted that myconids consider vegepygmies to be something like rustic cousins.
* PoisonousPerson: Vegepygmy "chiefs" are simply old enough to produce spores, which they can release in a burst once per day to infect nearby creatures. Those that succumb will give rise to new moldmen.
* TheSpiny: Thornies are... thorny, and deal a bit of piercing damage to anything that grapples it.
* StarfishLanguage: Moldies can only hiss instead of speaking verbally, but communicate with each other through gestures and rhythmically tapping their bodies.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Verbeeg]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_verbeeg_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Giant (1E-3E, 5E) Fey (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (marauder), 5 (longstrider) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (marauder), TrueNeutral (longstrider)
Also called "human behemoths," these gangly giant-kin often end up using their superior intellects to boss around ogres and hill giants.
----
* BastardBastard: Verbeegs (along with firbolgs, fomorians and voadkyn) are the bastard children of the demigod Ulutiu and Othea, wife of Annam the All-Father. They were initially welcomed in the ancient giant kingdom of Ostoria, but when Annam discovered their true parentage, they were made outcasts and despised as ''maug'' by the rest of giantkind. While the verbeegs intended to [[StartMyOwn start their own]] great kingdom, the other giants didn't give them any space to do so, and gradually the verbeegs descended into barbarism and banditry.
* TheBeastmaster: Verbeegs tend to get along with animals, taking on wolves, worgs or bears as companions and letting them lair with them in caves.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: It's mentioned the verbeegs have no notion of ownership, believing that everything is owned by everybody, and thus take whatever they want without pausing to think about it.
* {{Gonk}}: Downplayed compared to the likes of fomorians, but verbeegs tend to have minor but notable deformities such as a club foot, hare lip, uneven eyes, and so forth.
* IGaveMyWord: 4th Edition's Feywild verbeegs live by the adages "Never give a sucker an even break" and "Always keep your word." As such, they'll prey upon other creatures' sense of justice and honor, but will always uphold a promise... [[ExactWords with the caveat that they'll phrase their pledges in a way that gives them an out.]]
* KlingonPromotion: The fastest way for a verbeeg to advance in their social hierarchy is to discredit or defeat a superior, by violence or other underhanded means.
* TheNapoleon: They're shorter than any true giant, which probably contributes to the chip on their shoulders regarding their kin.
* TheNeidermeyer: In combat, verbeegs drive their underlings into the fray first, "accompanied by many curses, oaths, and highly descriptive accounts of the giants' and ogres' parentage."
* OurGiantsAreDifferent: They're technically Giants, but are Large creatures at most ten feet tall, and aren't considered part of the Ordning.
* PunnyName: They are indeed very big compared to humans, especially if you have a French-Canadian accent. Gary Gygax has admitted verbeegs are an homage to or parody of Myth/PaulBunyan.
* {{Retcon}}: 4th Edition portrayed verbeegs as giants native to the Feywild, more greedy, manipulative tricksters than bossy browbeaters.
* ShorterMeansSmarter: They're smaller but more driven and intelligent than the likes of hill giants, allowing verbeegs to employ those larger true giants as minions. Unfortunately, hill giants' stupidity means they're prone to botching the verbeegs' strategies, leading to the sight of an irate verbeeg hopping from foot to foot, screaming insults at the befuddled hill giants towering over them.
* ToServeMan: Verbeeg marauders rob people they come across in the wild, and eat them if food is scarce.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Verdant Prince]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_verdant_prince_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 11 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Imperious fey tyrants who delight in striking bargains with mortals that always end badly for the other party.
----
* BalefulPolymorph: They can cast the spell once per day.
* DealWithTheDevil: Verdant princes appear before those in need and the greedy, and offer them aid in exchange for a service or gift. They take care to fulfil their end of the bargain, while asking for something that seems innocuous, but will in truth bring ruin.
* FaerieCourt: As per their name, verdant princes like to set themselves up as leaders among the fey, attracting evil dryads, nymphs and satyrs to lord over in sylvan courts. While cruel towards mortals, verdant princes make an effort to appear as magnanimous rulers toward their own kind.
* LieToTheBeholder: They can use ''disguise self'' at will in case their normal appearance would scare off a potential schmuck.
* MagicallyBindingContract: When a verdant prince strikes an oath bond with a creature, it creates a magical binding that, should a party not hold up its end of the bargain, inflicts a hefty penalty to their ability scores and sickens them until the bargain is fulfilled. Only death or powerful magic like ''wish'' or ''miracle'' can end an oath bond before the bargain is fulfilled, or negate the penalties from reneging on it.
* OurNymphsAreDifferent: Verdant princes are born to dryads or nymphs who mate with other verdant princes, and have some plant-like features like [[HornedHumanoid horns of gnarled wood]] and [[PlantHair a mane of leaves]] that may change color with the seasons, or even fall off in the winter.
* ShockAndAwe: They can use ''call lightning storm'' once per day.
* {{Teleportation}}: They can use ''dimension door'' at will, [[VillainExitStageLeft especially if they expend all their combat spell-like abilities but are still losing a fight.]]
* TrackingSpell: When a bargain with a verdant prince is broken, the wronged party becomes immediately aware of it and is always aware of the other party's distance and direction.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vermiurge]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_vermiurge_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 24 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral
Immense insectoid aberrations that lead lonely lives in desolate wastes, vermiurges rule over the great ranks of stinging, crawling things as silent gods.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: Vermiurges have scorpion-like tails tipped with venomous stingers.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: Vermiurges resemble flying scorpions in the same size range as giants.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Vermiurges resemble four-clawed scorpions with dragonfly wings.
* PestController: A vermiurge is constantly surrounded by a swarming cloud of venomous insects under its control.
* PunnyName: "Vermiurge" is a portmanteau pun on "vermin" and "demiurge".
[[/folder]]
!!W
[[folder:Water Weird]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_water_weird_5e.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Like their water elemental kin, these creatures of living water are often summoned to the Material Plane, in their case to guard a location with a pool or fountain to which they are bound. Not to be confused with a water elemental weird (see "Elemental Weird" in the "Elemental" folder).
----
* AchillesHeel: 2nd Edition water weirds are instantly slain by a ''purify water'' spell, with NoSavingThrow. In 5th Edition, meanwhile, they die if they ever leave the water to which they're bound, or if that water is somehow destroyed.
* GrandTheftMe: In their ''AD&D'' rules, a water weird that comes into physical contact with a normal water elemental can attempt to take control of it.
* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: In 5th Edition, water weirds are naturally Neutral, but if their pool is befouled by dark magic, they'll change alignment to NeutralEvil and kill for pleasure, perhaps turning against their summoner. Conversely, if their pool is blessed and made into holy water, water weirds will become NeutralGood and attempt to scare off intruders instead of attacking. In either case, casting ''purify food and drink'' on the water weird's pool will purify its alignment as well. %%In-universe alignments
* MurderWater: They're invisible when immersed in a pool of normal water, and fully capable of crushing or drowning those that intrude on the location they're guarding.
* SinisterSuffocation: Anything grappled and pulled into a water weird is in danger of drowning.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wemic]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_wemic_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Tauric lionfolk who live in prides that roam warm and temperate plains.
----
* BarbarianTribe: A non-Evil example. Wemics live in a Stone Age, nomadic society, don't have a written language, and are fairly superstitious, but they generally keep to themselves rather than raid their neighbors. Some find work as guides or mercenaries, preferring to be paid in magical weapons, while other prides may charge tolls for safe passage through their territory.
* CatFolk: Their upper bodies are humanoid, with a strong feline influence -- fur, leonine facial features and eyes, and a mane of hair on males.
* DependingOnTheArtist: Even in the same game edition, artwork can vary on just how catlike their faces are, ranging from "mostly human" to "basically a lion's head."
* NatureHero: Wemics take care not to over-hunt within their ranges, and are enraged if an outsider intrudes and kills an animal simply to take a trophy from it.
* OurCentaursAreDifferent: Their lower bodies are those of lions.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wood Woad]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_wood_woad_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral
Roughly-humanoid wooden protectors who zealously guard a chosen location or person.
----
* TheAgeless: Wood woads don't die of old age, which can lead some to outlive whatever person or place they were originally guarding, in which case the wood woad will usually roam until it finds something else to watch over.
* GreenThumb: 3rd Edition wood woads can use ''warp wood'' at will, ruining (or repairing) wooden weapons, items or structures.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Yes, these creatures of living wood are good at blending in with other plant life.
* HealingFactor: 5th Edition lets them regenerate health each turn, so long as they haven't taken fire damage.
* HeroicSacrifice: A wood woad is invested with the soul of someone who gave up life, free will and sentiments to become an eternal guardian, through a ritual that involves having their heart cut out and placed in a tree, which then grows into a wood woad.
* PlantPerson: They're more bark than leaf, but wood woads are still mobile plants, and can root themselves in the ground to take in sustenance.
* PrimitiveClubs: They wield simple wooden clubs in combat, appropriate for their crude forms, though in 5th Edition said clubs are enchanted to deal a lot of bonus damage.
* {{Teleportation}}: Wood woads have the ''tree stride'' ability of dryads, allowing them to step into one living tree and step out another.
* WeakToFire: Like most plant entities, they take extra damage from fire.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Worg]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_worg_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E), 9 (4E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (1E-3E, 5E), ChaoticEvil (4E)
Wolf-like monsters who often ally with goblin tribes.
----
* ArtEvolution: Worgs have become progressively more monstrous over time. In and before 3E, they're essentially just big, evil wolves. In 4E, they're depicted with scaly and demonic hindquarters. 5E worgs are fully hairy and mammalian, but have humped backs, longer forelimbs, and elongated, hairless faces.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Worgs allied to goblin tribes often serve as mounts for their partners, bringing with them a level of intelligence, power and combat prowess that horses cannot match. However, as worgs are intelligent beings, this is first and foremost a partnership of equals, a detail that goblins are served well to remember.
* ItCanThink: Mistake worgs for normal wolves at your peril. They're not only smart enough to speak Goblin, they even have their own language, easily confused for the howling of ordinary wolves, which they can use to convey information over great distances, or coordinate an attack.
* SavageWolves: Worgs are intelligent, evil creatures resembling large, powerfully built wolves. They live as savage predators in the wilderness and eagerly attack travelers and isolated settlements, and often ally with goblinoids.
!!Guulvorg
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/guulvorg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 13 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Immense, mace-tailed worgs created by goblinoid shamans as superior war beasts.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: Guulvorgs have long tails ending in bony maces.
* BioweaponBeast: Guulvorgs are unnatural beings created by the magical alteration of common worgs by goblinoid shamans seeking to create stronger and deadlier war mounts. They're still mostly found as war beasts for hobgoblin forces, although some have escaped into the wild. They also suffer from drawbacks from their artificial and imperfect creation, as the accelerated metabolism that fuels their speed and power also makes it difficult for them to keep themselves properly fed.
* BloodyMurder: Striking a guulvorg with a piercing or slashing attack will send its boiling-hot blood gushing out, badly scalding its attacker.
* MoralityPet: Guulvorgs are violent, spiteful creatures, cruel hunters, foul-tempered loners, and provided with little empathy for other living beings -- but they are also very loyal to their mates and, when they manage to breed, become doting and self-sacrificing parents to their pups.
* NecessaryDrawback: Guulvorgs have incredibly high metabolisms, giving them boiling-hot blood that harms anyone who tries to wound them, and fueling their swift reflexes and constant growth. However, maintaining such a metabolism requires an immense amount of energy, forcing guulvorgs to eat voraciously and leaving them constantly hungry, and most die young from either starvation or literally burning themselves out.
!!Winter Wolf
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/winter_wolf_d&d.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Natural Magical Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 14 (4E), 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (1E-3E, 5E), Evil (4E)
Stronger kin to common worgs with ties to elemental cold, who haunt frozen northern climates.
----
* BreathWeapon: Winter wolves can breathe out a cone of freezing air.
* ElementalShapeshifting: In 4th Edition, winter wolf snowfangs can turn into whirlwinds of ice and snow.
* AnIcePerson: They deal cold damage with their bites and can exhale blasts of frigid air.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wyvern]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wyvern_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Dragon (3E, 5E), Natural Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E, 5E), 10 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (1E-2E), TrueNeutral (3E), Unaligned (4E-5E)
Winged dragonkin known for their stingers and animalistic savagery. See the [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons Dragons subpage]] for more information.
[[/folder]]
!!X
[[folder:Xill]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_xill_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil
Four-armred, red-scaled reptilian raiders from the Ethereal Plane, feared for their reproductive method.
----
* {{Expy}}: Of the ixtl from ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheSpaceBeagle''.
* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: Xill can take a standard action to implant their eggs inside a paralyzed victim. [[ChestBurster The young emerge 90 days later, devouring their host from the inside out,]] unless they're removed with a Heal check or a spell like ''remove disease''.
* {{Intangibility}}: Xill live on the Ethereal Plane, and can shift from it to the Material Plane as a move action. Returning is slower, however, a process that takes two full rounds, over which the xill is motionless, but attacks against it have an increasing chance to miss. Notably, they can use their planewalking ability while carrying a willing or helpless creature.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: They make good use of their four limbs to grapple and restrain victims to be bitten and implanted with eggs, then hauled off to the Ethereal Plane until those eggs hatch.
* TheParalyzer: Their bites can inject a paralytic into their victims.
* PeopleFarms: Xill society is divided between the Lower Clans, who forgo weapons and remorselessly attack other creatures to propogate themselves (and don't call themselves "Lower Clans," or acknowlege other xill), and the High Clans, more "civilized" xill who dwell in cities within the Deep Ethereal, craft goods, and will trade with visitors, while rarely if ever leaving the Ethereal Plane themselves. The xill of the High Clans can't use their paralysis poison more than once per day because those glands have atrophied from disuse, but they still need intelligent creatures as hosts for their young, leading to a longstanding rumor that they maintain a hatchery/nursery in the Deep Ethereal where humanoids are bred as nothing more as incubators for xill young.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xorn]]
[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xorn.png]]
[[caption-width-right:290:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Elemental Magical Beast (4E), Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (minor), 6 (average), 8 (elder) (3E); 5 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1E-3.5E, 5E), Unaligned (4E)
Trilaterally symmetrical stone-eaters from the Elemental Plane of Earth.
----
* DungeonBypass: Xorns' ''earth glide'' ability lets them move through solid stone as easily as a fish swims through water, passing without leaving a tunnel behind them. They use this ability to seek out food, but since it lets them bypass living and nonliving obstacles, xorns can be valuable sources of information about a dungeon's layout.
* EatDirtCheap: Xorns feed primarily on gemstones and minerals, although they also enjoy {{metal|Muncher}}. They are in fact unable to digest meat at all, and consequently tend to ignore fleshly beings unless these threaten their food supply -- or unless they're wearing a significant amount of jewelry or armor.
* MetalMuncher: In addition to gemstones, xorns feed on metal and can smell it up to twenty feet away. If a xorn encounters {{Player Character}}s who are carrying metal (copper, silver, gold and so on), it will do whatever it can to make them hand it over, first offering information its learned from its travels in an exchange, then resorting to threats or even force.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: A xorn variant known as xarren are slightly smaller and shinier. They specifically eat enchanted metal, and can crush metallic magic weapons in combat.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xvart]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_xvarts_5e.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E) Fey (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/3 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (3E, 5E), Evil (4E)
Small blue humanoids who survive by stealing from other creatures, but occasionally take prisoners to ransom, torture or sacrifice.
----
* BodyDouble: In 5th Edition, xvarts were created by Raxivort, a demon-turned-demigod who stole a treasure from Graz'zt's hoard and became a planar fugitive. Xvarts look like smaller versions of their creator, and screw with magical tracking, as any attempt to track their creator will result in the spell pointing to the nearest xvart. Raxivort continually spawns xvarts to keep his enemies off his tail.
* HumanSacrifice: When things aren't going well for them, xvarts naturally assume that Raxivort is angry and kidnap enemies, which are dragged back to the lair and sacrificed on a makeshift altar. If the ritual is successful, Raxivort may appear in person, put all the tribe's valuables into a sack, and leave.
* OneGenderRace: As of 5th Edition, xvarts are all male and lack the ability and desire to reproduce, and are instead created by Raxivort whenever he needs a fresh set of decoys.
* {{Retcon}}: Xvarts were originally introduced as another breed of small, nasty humanoids alongside goblins and kobolds. 4th Edition cast them as gnomes who were captured by fomorians and then further twisted by the Shadowfell. 5th Edition has the most elaborate backstory yet, explaining that xvarts are the creations of a paranoid demigod meant to throw his enemies off his trail.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: One constant across the editions is that xvarts can communicate with bats and rats (and their giant variants), which they domesticate, as well as wererats, who end up the dominant party in alliances.
[[/folder]]
!!Y
[[folder:Yakfolk]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yak_folk_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E); 3 (warrior), 4 (priest) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Ogre-sized, yak-headed humanoids who call themselves Yikaria, "the lucky chosen." Despite their air of culture and sophistication and their seemingly-idyllic mountain cities, they are ruthless slavers.
----
* EnemySummoner: Any yakfolk can summon a dao (in 2nd Edition) or evil janni (in 3rd Edition) once per day, who is bound to serve the yakfolk until the second sunrise after the summoning. The genies are resentful servants, but are unable to directly harm their masters, and instead vent their frustrations upon the yakfolks' enemies, or attempt to subtly undermine their masters, perhaps by giving information to their foes.
* GrandTheftMe: Beyond merely capturing other creatures as slaves, yakfolk can take over other beings' bodies by physically merging with them, during a 20-minute ritual that is a unique variant of the ''magic jar'' spell. This grants the yakfolk access to their victim's memories, so that only someone who knows the victim closely has even a chance of realizing something's wrong. Yakfolk use this ability to infiltrate other races' societies, and once a mission is complete, they're liable to amuse themselves by causing the hijacked body to run amok, then abandon control and escape, leaving the bewildered victim to face the consequences.
* MadeASlave: They are notorious slavers, so that even the poorest yakfolk owns a servant or two, while their cities contain five to six times as many enslaved minions as yakfolk.
* MageSpecies: Yakfolk dabble in magic, so that while they cannot innately spells on their own, every one of them can use any sort of MagicStaff, and their leaders are all spellcasters.
* OurMinotaursAreDifferent: They're pretty much a yak-themed variant of minotaurs.
* TheShangriLa: Their mountain strongholds [[CrapsaccharineWorld appear]] as such, with impressive defenses surrounding libraries, temples and green gardens. "Outsiders stumbling into an enclave of yak folk are usually surprised and pleased to find what appears to be a utopia hidden in the mountaintops, and the yak folk do all in their power to foster that image until the strangers can be disarmed and enslaved."
* TheTheocracy: All yakfolk are fanatic in their worship of a deity outsiders know only as the Forgotten God, who appears as a yakfolk wearing a smooth, featureless mask. Said deity is responsible for subjugating the genies, forcing them to serve the yakfolk for "a thousand years and a year." He also demands constant sacrifices of slaves, who are ritualistically slain in "the matter elemental" -- thrown off a cliff, immolated, drowned, or buried alive.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yellow Musk Creeper]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yellow_musk_creeper_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A yellow musk creeper and zombified orcs (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Climbing plants known for their beautiful yellow flowers, enticing aroma, and their propensity for consuming the brains of other creatures and turning them into mind-controlled puppets.
----
* AlluringFlowers: Their numerous yellow flowers produce a heady, entrancing musk that lures those who smell it into the heart of the plant, whereupon the creeper's sharp vines quickly skewer the unfortunate and consume their brain. In-game, this is treated as a mind-affecting compulsion place on anyone who gets a good whiff of the plant's pollen.
* BrainFood: Yellow musk creepers feed by stabbing their vines into the heads of their victims and sucking out their brains.
* CombatTentacles: A creeper's main melee weapons are its fast, strong and razor-edged vines.
* ManEatingPlant: Yellow musk creepers are aggressively carnivorous plants whose diet consists exclusively of the brains of others -- they don't even photosynthesize, and in fact avoid bright light. They don't limit themselves to human prey specifically, however, and will happily go after anything with a developed central nervous system.
* MindControl: When a creature comes within 30 feet of the creeper, it blasts them with a spray of potent-smelling dust that can cause the creature to fall into a trance, desiring only to walk right into the creeper's reach and not react even as it feeds on them.
* PuppeteerParasite: The creeper's main mechanical claim to fame is its ability to plant seedlings into the heads of other creatures, which turns the victim into a yellow musk zombie that thereafter lives only to protect the creeper. After a few months of this thralldom, the zombies leave their creeper, wandering randomly for a few days before dropping dead and allowing their seedling to take root and grow into a new yellow musk creeper.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yeth Hound]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yeth_hound_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Fey (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil
Evil canines with uncannily human faces, who take cruel delight in hunting intelligent prey.
----
* BeastWithAHumanFace: Yeth hounds resemble large dogs with the faces of ugly, distorted humanoids.
* {{Flight}}: They can run across the ground or glide through the sky.
* RightHandAttackDog: 5th Edition yeth hounds are created by powerful fey as rewards for a servant, who becomes the pack's master, able to telepathically communicate with them. Should their master be slain, yeth hounds seek out a new evil individual to serve, like a hag, necromancer or vampire.
* {{sad*st}} Yeth hounds delight in terrorizing their prey, and will draw out their hunts for as long as possible, until the threat of dawn brings an evening's entertainment to an end.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Yeth hounds' horrible baying can cause other creatures to flee in a panic.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Yeth hounds can't stand sunlight and never willingly prolong a hunt beyond dawn, no matter the amount of coercion by a pack's master. In 5th Edition, if a yeth hound is exposed to natural sunlight, it fades away, vanishing into the Ethereal Plane, and can only be retrieved after the sun has set.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yeti]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yeti_d&d_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Natural Beast (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E); 1/8 (yeti tyke), 3 (yeti), 9 (abominable yeti) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (1-3E), Unaligned (45), ChaoticEvil (5E)
Apelike predators found in high, cold mountains.
----
* BigfootSasquatchAndYeti: As typical for yeti depictions in fiction, they are white, hairy monsters living in snowy areas but, unusually, they also have horns. There are also abominable yetis, a larger and stronger variant found in isolated areas.
* BreathWeapon: Abominable yetis can exhale cones of frigid air.
* EliteMook: Abominable yetis, a rare variant which grows to be three times larger and much stronger than common yetis.
* HornedHumanoid: Beginning in fourth edition, yetis have goat-like horns despite resembling ape- or bear-like humanoids otherwise.
* UnwittingPawn: Yetis tend to rampage into humanoid settlements when food grows scarce, and mountain warlords are known to deliberately overhunt game in order to lure them into enemy towns and camps, using the unwitting beasts' instincts to weaken opposition and rid themselves of a dangerous monster in one swoop.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yrthak]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yrthak_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Giant, eyeless, winged reptiles that hunt using sonic attacks.
----
* GiantFlyer: They're Huge winged creatures with 40-foot wingspans, and as such officially giant-sized.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Yrthaks attack using focused beams of sound from the conical protrusion on their heads. They can emit a lance of solid energy against a single target, or fire at the ground or a stony surface to create an explosion of shattered stone to deal less damage to all within a 10-foot-radius of the impact site.
* SuperSenses: Though blind (and immune to gaze attacks and illusions), yrthaks can perceive their surroundings thanks to a special organ on the tip of their tongue that senses sound and movement. This grants them blindsight out to 120 feet, but renders them effectively blind if affected by a ''silence'' spell.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yuan-ti]]
[[quoteright:350:[[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuan_ti.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A yuan-ti pureblood and abomination. (3e)]]
->'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (3E), NeutralEvil (5E)
The descendents of humans who performed dark rituals to take on the traits and shapes of serpents. Though their ancient empire was overthrown, the yuan-ti survived, and plot to control and enslave other nations.
----
* ChameleonCamouflage: In many editions, yuan-ti halfbloods and abominations can psionically change the coloration of their scales to blend in with their environment.
* CharmPerson: In 5th edition, all yuan-ti can innately cast the ''suggestion'' spell.
* {{Cult}}: They often set up serpent cults in other races' cities, offering hedonistic pleasures or cures for physical and emotional ailments, to expand their influence and gain leverage over those in power.
* FantasticCasteSystem: A yuan-ti's standing in society is determined by how reptilian they are -- the less serpentine they look, the less power they wield, and [[WeHaveReserves the earlier they're sent into battle ahead of their superiors.]]
* FantasticRacism: Yuan-ti look down upon humanoids as inferior, and most think it beneath themselves to converse with [[ToServeMan "meat."]] Purebloods, owing to their vocation as spies or spokesmen, do the best job of disguising their disdain towards lesser humanoids, but their training involves learning how to suppress their annoyance about having to treat lesser beings as equals.
* GodhoodSeeker: Yuan-ti rarely worship deities out of any true sense of reverence -- their extremely dispassionate and emotionless natures aren't very conducive to this -- but rather seeks to emulate their deity, learn the secrets of their ascension or divine nature, and use this knowledge to become deities themselves and supplant their former patron.
* HappinessInSlavery: In ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', the yuan-ti were originally the most successful and loyal of the sarrukh's {{Servant Race}}s, and were typically trusted with the most important assignments and the greatest degree of independence. The yuan-ti in turn genuinely embraced and accepted this position, as they viewed the sarrukh as their natural superiors and their subservience to them as their ideal and natural place. Even in the modern day, they still respect the remaining sarrukh despite also viewing their creators' civilization has having become decadent and past its prime. This was bred into them at a fundamental level, and contemporary yuan-ti are profoundly unsettled by the eagerness to serve that arises upon personally meeting sarrukh.
* LackOfEmpathy: The cold and emotionless yuan-ti view all other creatures as either threats to be avoided or hunks of meat to be used and discarded as they see fit, and they view the emotions of other beings as an exploitable weakness. They don't even feel empathy for their own kind: while the yuan-ti place a higher intrinsic value on fellow yuan-ti than they do on everything else, a starving yuan-ti would still kill and eat one of its fellows without hesitation or remorse.
* {{Mayincatec}}: They live in cities deep within the jungle, their temples are step-sided pyramids adorned with fancy snake artwork, and they practice human sacrifice to please their serpentine gods. If that wasn't enough of a clue, ''Volo's Guide to Monsters'' has a list of sample yuan-ti names drawn from Nahuatl names and nouns.
* {{Metamorphosis}}: It's possible for yuan-ti to undergo rituals to transform their bodies and thus rise in rank, but the cost in time, rare ingredients, and sacrificial victims means that most yuan-ti never get the opportunity to "promote" themselves.
* MonstrousCannibalism: The yuan-ti's ancestors debased themselves through cannibalistic rituals to gain their powers, and their descendents have no taboo regarding eating each other for lack of other options.
* PoisonedWeapons: They tip their arrows with their own venom for added lethality.
* PoisonousPerson: Their malisons and abominations have poisonous fangs, while the purebloods can innately cast the ''poison spray'' cantrip.
* PsychicPowers: Traditionally, yuan-ti have been psionicists as well as arcanists and priests, so that some of their supernatural abilities such as the shapechanging have been explicitly psionic abilities. 3rd Edition also offered variant rules exchanging their spell-like abilities with innate psionic powers.
* SnakePeople: They vary in form, but are typically some combination of snake and humans. Most are either primarily to fully humanoid and scaled or have humanoid torsos on a snake body, while others are fully snakelike or made out of multiple smaller snakes.
* SnakesAreSinister: They're tainted by snake blood, and are coldly, thoroughly evil.
* TheSociopath: Yuan-ti are natural manipulators, completely devoid of emotion, and believe themselves to be the pinnacle of creation, destined to rule over the lesser races.
-->'''Elminster:''' Ye cannot goad one of the serpent folk into hatred or fear, or evoke in it love or friendship. They make fake such things to cozen ye, but within they are always cold, calmly calculating.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Yuan-ti can take the form of vipers, their size varying based on how the yuan-ti's ranking.
* WasOnceAMan: The first yuan-ti were humans who, after developing a cold-bloodedly logical philosophy, resorted to sinister and increasingly-extreme rituals to transform themselves into hybrids of human and snake, in emulation of their inhuman gods. In the present, they sometimes reward loyal human cultists with transformation into a pureblood.
!!Yuan-ti Pureblood
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuan_ti_pureblood.png]]
[[caption-width-right:270:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 1 (5E)
The most human-looking of the yuan-ti, and therefore the lowest caste. They serve as minions or expendable soldiers in their temple-cities, but their appearance makes them valuable infiltrators and go-betweens for their more serpentine superiors.
----
* LittleBitBeastly: Purebloods are almost completely human in outward appearance, with only minor traits such as a few patches of scales, ophidian eyes or a forked tongue betraying their nature as yuan-ti.
* MouthOfSauron: Yuan-ti leaders typically rely on purebloods to interact directly with humanoids, both because the purebloods are the best at it, and also because it's beneath higher-ranked yuan-ti.
* ReptilianConspiracy: Due to their ability to pass off as humans, purebloods are often sent to infiltrate human societies to serve as spies, agents and assassins, in order to weaken a city or nation for an eventual takeover or, more commonly, to subtly manipulate it into playing along with the yuan-ti's goals.
!!Yuan-ti Malison
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_malison_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E); 3 (standard), 4 (mind whisperer, nightmare speaker), 5 (pit master) (5E)
Also known as halfbloods, malisons are the most varied of the yuan-ti in terms of appearance. They make up the middle class of yuan-ti society, overseeing the purebloods and fulfilling the orders of the abominations.
----
* CharmPerson: Mind whisperers can compel other creatures to do their bidding with spells like ''friends'', ''charm person'', and ''crown of madness''.
* ChurchMilitant: Many malisions become disciples of the yuan-ti's serpent deities.
** Mind whisperers are warlocks in service to Sseth the Sibilant Death, schemers and manipulators who seek to expand yuan-ti influence through subterfuge.
** Nightmare speakers are cruel and sad*stic torturers who prolong the suffering of their victims to nourish their dreadful goddess, Dendar the Night Serpent.
** Pit masters are priests of the chief yuan-ti god Merrshaulk, and mastermind plots to infiltrate the governments of nearby humanoid civilizations, while keeping their own cities hidden.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Halfbloods are a roughly even mix of snake and human, but the nature of that mixture varies tremendously. Some malisons appear human other than their snakelike heads, others have serpentine tails in addition to legs, or have a serpent's lower body replacing their legs, and some have functional humanoid arms while others have masses of snakes hanging from their shoulders.
* MasterOfIllusion: Mind whisperers can cast a number of illusion spells like ''minor illusion'', ''hypnotic pattern'', and ''illusory script''.
* ForcedSleep: A pit master can invoke the power of Merrshaulk to put nearby creatures to sleep once per day.
* PoisonousPerson: Pit masters are even more poisonous than the typical yuan-ti, and can invoke Merrshaulk's power to inflict extra poison damage with their melee attacks.
* SpellBlade: Twice per day, a mind whisperer can imbue one of its melee attacks with psychic energy to increase that attack's damage, while a nightmare speaker can do the same with necrotic energy.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: By invoking Dendar's power, a nightmare speaker can torment a nearby creature with an illusion of its worst fear. The terror inspired by this illusion is so great that the victim can actually die of fright. They can also cast the ''fear'' spell through their pact magic.
!!Yuan-ti Abomination
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuan_ti_abomination.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E, 5E)
Abominations are the most snakelike of all yuan-ti, and typically a pair of arms is the only sign of their human heritage. They are the masterminds, temple leaders and warlords, leading fights from the rear as they observe and evaluate opponents and provide magic support, only entering melee combat as a last resort.
----
* LargeAndInCharge: Abominations are Large creatures, whereas their malison and pureblood underlings are Medium.
* PersonalSpaceInvader: They can use their tails to grapple and constrict foes.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: In 5th edition, an abomination can innately cast the ''fear'' spell once per day.
!!Yuan-ti Anathema
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuan_ti_anathema.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:4e]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_anathema_4e.png[[/labelnote]] ]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 18 (3E), 12 (5E)
Anathemas are the rarest, mightiest, and most monstrous of all yuan-ti, venerated as something like demigods by their kin. Their presence shifts a temple-city's priorities to small-scale wars of conquest and expansion.
----
* AcidAttack: 3rd Edition anathemas could make a dissolving touch attack for heavy acid damage, which dealt even higher damage when used against a victim [[PersonalSpaceInvader the anathema was constricting.]]
* AppropriatedAppellation: These monsters represent such a perversion of their human origins that human deities, even evil ones, declared that their very existence is heresy, but these "anathema" bear their label with pride.
* ArtEvolution: 3rd and 5th edition depicted the anathema as a giant yuan-ti abomination with a nest of vipers for a head. 4th edition turned this on its head (heh) by making it a nest of vipers with a giant snake head.
* BioAugmentation: In 3rd Edition, anathemas know the secrets of transforming humanoids with yuan-ti grafts such as snake tails, serpent arms, scales and poisonous fangs. They can also create broodguards and tainted ones, described below.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Their 3rd Edition write-up notes that while yuan-ti venerate anathemas, they're also seen as a destabilizing force in the temple-cities, as the aberrations are interested only in obliterating every other civilization around them. As such, anathemas normally live as outcasts in the wilderness, ruling over cults of other yuan-ti attracted to their auras of unspeakable evil.
* LargeAndInCharge: An anathema towers over all other yuan-ti, even the abominations, and has the power and charisma to seize control of multiple yuan-ti cities.
* MultipleHeadCase: 3rd and 5th edition anathemas have six heads, allowing them to savage their enemies with a flurry of bites.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Anathemas project a magical aura which fills their enemies with a crippling fear of snakes and snakelike creatures. They can innately cast the ''fear'' spell as well.
* TheWormThatWalks: 4th edition anathemas are basically a mass of snakes assembled into a vaguely humanoid form.
!Yuan-ti Servitors
!!Yuan-ti Broodguard
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_broodguard_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E), 2 (5E)
Former humanoids transformed, physically and mentally, into monstrous slaves of the yuan-ti. As their name suggests, they are often entrusted with guarding their masters' brooding chambers.
----
* TheBerserker: Broodguards can fly into a reckless rage in combat, gaining a bonus on attack rolls at the cost of defense.
* DumbMuscle: This is part of the trade-off of converting a slave into a broodguard -- the transformed creature may be more capable in combat, but it's not good for much else but guard duty.
* NoSell: In 3rd Edition, broodguards are immune to ''hold'' and ''charm'' spells, while in 5th they have advantage on saving throws against such magic.
* WasOnceAMan: Most broodguards are made from human prisoners forced to consume a magical brew that renders them helpless. A broodguard loses all semblance of who it once was, and even its human origin is barely discernible. 3rd Edition notes that it takes a very specific sequence of spells to save someone mid-transformation into a broodguard, but once that transformation is complete, only a ''wish'' or ''miracle'' can turn them back to normal.
!!Yuan-ti Tainted One
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' As base creature +1 (3E)
These creatures appear to be normal humans, but are loyal to their yuan-ti creators, making them capable of infiltrating areas that would give purebloods pause. They are actually created from the same concoction that can transform humans into broodguards, though tainted ones are considered the more successful outcome.
----
* MyInstinctsAreShowing: While tainted ones ''look'' perfectly human, they can display some qualities that might give away their true allegience, such as a tendency to frequently lick their lips, [[SssssnakeTalk drawing out sibilants]], or keep serpents as pets.
* PoisonousPerson: Tainted ones have poisonous saliva, but no natural bite attack, so they can only use this poison in combat by grappling someone with exposed skin. Alternatively, they can deliver the poison [[KissOfDeath with a kiss]], though the save DC is lower.
* PsychicPowers: As part of their transformation, tainted ones unlock some of a true yuan-ti's psionic potential, and can ''poison'' foes as well as ''[[VoluntaryShapeshifting polymorph]]'' into a serpent form.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yugoloth]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_yugoloths_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A canoloth and ultroloth (3e)]]
Mercenary fiends from the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, embodying the NeutralEvil alignment. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiends the Fiends subpage]] for more information about them. %%In-universe alignment.
[[/folder]]
!!Z
[[folder:Zaratan]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zaratan_2e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:2e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 20 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral
Colossal sea turtles that can be easily mistaken for islands as they float along warm ocean currents, lazily feeding on whatever washes into their open mouths.\\
For their 5th Edition incarnation, see the "Elder Elementals" section of the "Elementals" entry.
----
* AwakeningTheSleepingGiant: Often literally! Zaratans are normally content to just drift, feed and sleep, and their usual response to an attack is simply to retract into their NighInvulnerable shells and take a nap. But if a foe persists, zaratans are devastating opponents with a fearsome bite, or they can simultaneously sweep their flippers to bludgeon everything in a 40-foot-radius around them.
* HeavySleeper: Zaratans spend most of their lives asleep, reflexively swallowing whatever ends up in their mouths, and sleep longer the older they get. After a battle, they'll immediately fall back asleep for up to a century.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: It's possible to steer a zaratan, but it takes a group effort to overcome its natural lethargy. A primary rider needs to stand near the creature's head and shout or sing loudly to convey instructions, while at least three others stand on the shell's circumference and stamp or pound it to encourage the zaratan to move. Even so, it takes a very high Diplomacy, Perform or Intimidate check to convince the zaratan to obey its riders' wishes.
* ItCanThink: Zaratans aren't brilliant, but they understand simple commands in most languages, speak Aquan, and are nice enough to resist the urge to dive if they know they have riders on their shells, unless the zaratan's life is in danger.
* NoSell: ''AD&D'' zaratans are immune to poison due to their extremely slow metabolisms, and their shells are invulnerable to anything short of magical weapons.
* TurtleIsland: Their shells can be several hundred feet in diameter, more than enough space to support a small ecosystem. Sometimes shipwreck survivors who wash up on a zaratan never realize they're on a turtle, while in other cases small tribes will dwell upon the zaratan and [[GiantAnimalWorship worship it as a local god.]] And if someone knows that they're on a zaratan, they won't take kindly to anyone who bothers it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zeitgeist]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zeitgeist_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 23 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Varies
Strange, rare fey generated by the people living in a large city, and able to physically manifest using portions of old buildings, urban smoke, or even humanoid figures.
----
* GeniusLoci: The zeitgeist appears to be created by the lives and emotions of a city's residents. They are incapable of leaving their city, and die if it is destroyed.
* GuardianEntity: They can be considered one for an entire settled population, but are pretty unreliable. A zeitgeist's "natural" alignment matches that of their home city's predominant outlook, but since they manifest in times of crisis, they tend to act ChaoticNeutral, and their behavior can be altered by the fear and anger that a city's populace is experiencing. They are committed to protecting their city, but don't have as much regard for the individual people and structures within it. All that to say, a zeitgeist may manifest when its city is under siege, only to kill everyone within reach after the fighting breaches the outer walls, or spawn during a riot and mindlessly attack anything around it, or appear during a flood and rescue some citizens while slaying others. %%In-universe alignment.
* InvisibleMonsters: Zeitgeists are invisible even when attacking, unless they choose to suppress this ability, or when they choose to take a manifested form.
* PlayingWithFire: Downplayed; a zeitgeist's smoke manifestation deals a little bit of fire damage with its slam attacks, but it's not enough to set things on fire.
* PoisonousPerson: A zeitgeist's smoke manifestation can simply surround smaller creatures with choking city smog, potentially sickening them.
* RockMonster: A zeitgeit's stone manifestation takes the form of a giant humanoid composed of stone and detritus.
* TheSwarm: They can also manifest as a Huge mob of humanoids.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zeugalak]]
[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zeugalak_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:325:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral
Mountain-dwelling aberrations that rejoice in the wild power of lightning storms.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: A zeugalak's snakelike tail ends in a venomous stinger.
* FeedItWithFire: Striking a zeugalak with electricity-based attacks doesn't harm it, and instead limbers it up by granting temporary points to its Dexterity. As such, they cavort during mountain thunderstorms, giving bellows of excitement that can be heard for miles.
* ShockAndAwe: Zeugalaks are closely tied to electricity; in addition to taking no damage from it, they're constantly surrounded by a crackling electrical aura and can exhale a line of electricity as a BreathWeapon.
* TheSpiny: An aura of electrical energy surrounds a zeugalak at all times, electrocuting anyone who tries to damage it in melee.
* {{Teleportation}}: If a zeugalak is struck by an electric effect, whether natural or magical, it can instantly teleport to its source. In the case of natural lightning, they use this ability to teleport up into the clouds, then ''slow fall'' their way through the storm.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zodar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zodar_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 16 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral
Powerful and mysterious constructs resembling six-foot figures in obsidian armor, who travel the planes in pursuit of their inscrutable objectives.
----
* AnimatedArmor: They look like humanoids in all-encompassing dark plate, except it's actually a ceramic exoskeleton surrounding a core of pure muscle fibers.
* BareFistedMonk: The overwhelming majority of zodar eschew weapons when fighting, and when pressed into combat usually [[KillerBearHug grab and crush opponents.]]
* NighInvulnerable: They're flat-out immune to damage from anything but bludgeoning weapons, and even then, such weapons' magical enhancement bonuses are ignored when resolving attacks against zodar.
* NoSell: 2nd Edition zodar are immune to magic, even beneficial spells.
* TheQuietOne: Zodar are habitually silent, and a given specimen might say only a single sentence fragment over a typical human's lifetime. When they ''do'' speak, [[{{Omniglot}} every being around them can understand them perfectly.]]
* RealityWarper: They can use the ''wish'' spell once per year, but typically do so no more than once per century, and the effect is always so subtle that it's difficult to recognize as the work of a zodar.
* SuperStrength: Zodar are immensely strong (Strength 25), and can effectively double that score three times per day in bursts of strength. They've been observed performing feats that would give even titans trouble, such as picking up a ship's broken mast and [[TelephonePolearm hurling it like a javelin at an enemy.]]
* UnusableEnemyEquipment: It's theorized that a zodar's outer shell would make for exceptional armor, but anything capable of killing a zodar reduces its "armor" to a bunch of useless fragments.
* TheWatcher: A zodar might attach itself to a group of adventurers in their travels, but they typically follow at the back of the party in silence without actively participating -- at most they'll defend themselves when attacked, but more than one zodar has watched a TotalPartyKill unfold in front of it without doing anything to help. On very rare occasions, a zodar might suddenly burst into action, such as bounding into a melee to grab and crush a specific victim, then go back to its passive role.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zorbo]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zorbo_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:2e]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_zorbo_2e.jpg]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned
Small, bear-like carnivores that use their deceptively cuddly appearance, as well as their ability to harden their hides based on their surroundings, to bring down prey.
----
* ArchEnemy: Bears attack zorbos on sight, whether because of the creatures' appearance, or the fact that their roar sounds like the crying of a bear cub.
* ArtEvolution: Their 5th Edition art does a much better job of hiding the fact that these things are basically carnivorous koalas.
* CraftedFromAnimals: Zorbo hide, when properly treated, carries enchantments well, and items made from it receive a bonus on saving throws to avoid destruction or other harmful effects.
* FieldPowerEffect: A variant; zorbos can rub up against their surroundings (which looks like a bear scratching its back on a tree) and improve their Armor Class based on what they're in contact with, getting increasingly sturdier defensive bonuses from wood, metal and stone.
* KillerRabbit: In their old art they look like slightly toothier koalas, but zorbos are aggressive, like the taste of humanoid flesh, and can ruin an adventuring party's magic items. They can also form colonies of up to 60 of the things.
* MooksAteMyEquipment: Zorbos' most dangerous ability is to drain the effectiveness of magic items like a ''ring of protecton'' or ''bracers of defense'' with its claw attacks, which adds their defensive bonuses to the zorbo's own Armor Class while turning the item to dust with NoSavingThrow.
* YowiesAndBunyipsAndDropBearsOhMy: They're more or less a ''D&D'' spin on the drop bear, being a dangerous animal that looks like a koala.
[[/folder]]

History for Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesPToZ - TV Tropes (2024)

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What is the history of TV tropes? ›

History. TV Tropes was founded in 2004 by a programmer under the pseudonym "Fast Eddie." He described himself as having become interested in the conventions of genre fiction while studying at MIT in the 1970s and after browsing Internet forums in the 1990s.

What is the rule of creepy TV tropes? ›

The limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief for a given element is directly proportional to its creepiness. Some tropes are often used for the purpose of making a character unlikable by making them come across as creepy.

What is the trope all part of the show? ›

All Part of the Show is the frequent tendency for people at a showing to credit the bizarre, supernatural occurrences or peculiar statements and actions of certain performers that take place to a very creative Special Effects coordinator, cast or both.

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What is the last of their kind TV trope? ›

A character who is a species unto themself, the Sole Survivor of some calamity that has wiped out their entire civilization. If this civilization used to be important in the power balance between civilizations that still remain, it's now considered missing.

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What is the hidden hour TV Tropes? ›

The Hidden Hour frequently occurs When the Clock Strikes Twelve, due to the association between midnight and magic. However, this is not about magic simply being at its strongest around midnight, nor is it about planets whose day-night cycles are naturally longer than 24 Earth hours.

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Is TV Tropes a reliable source? ›

We are considered, in academic terms, a "tertiary source", like an encyclopedia (or, indeed, Wikipedia). Anyone can edit our articles, they are not peer reviewed, and there is no guarantee that any information contained in them is factual, reliable, or permanent.

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What tropes are overused? ›

Contents:

The Chosen One.
The Magic Sword.
The Dark Lord.
The Wise Old Mentor.
The Damsel in Distress.
The Orphan Hero.
The Love Triangle.
The Horde of Mooks.

More items...

Jul 15, 2023

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What is the point of TV tropes? ›

Also TVTropes is great about giving you suggestion about what to read/watch/play. You really like a certain series. Just look at its trope page and examine your favourite tropes - and possibly some more suggestions for a new series to spent your time on.

What is the eleven o clock number TV tropes? ›

An 11 o'clock number is a big showstopping number with some sort of thematic revelation, and it usually happens around 11:00 p.m., because shows used to start at 8:30, but now they start earlier for some reason."

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Is a trope a cliché? ›

The difference between a trope and a cliché is that tropes reflect pre-existing genre archetypes, and they're helpful to writers because they come from storytelling patterns that have worked well for generations. A cliché reflects patterns that are no longer effective, and can even be derogatory or damaging.

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What is a stereotypical trope? ›

a convention or device that establishes a predictable or stereotypical representation of a character, setting, or scenario in a creative work: The author relies on our knowledge of the Haunted House trope to set the scene. From her introduction in the movie, the character is nothing but a Damsel in Distress trope.

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Are tropes good or bad? ›

The Good: Tropes are tools for readers and for writers.

Tropes help readers find stories with elements they already know they like. Readers, especially those who read genre fiction like romance, mystery, thriller, science fiction and fantasy, have specific tastes around the types of stories they enjoy.

What is the most popular trope? ›

Happy Ending – The most popular and important romance trope on the list! The Love Triangle – Three characters, one choice, and some unavoidable hurt feelings.

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What is the ace trope? ›

So the Ace trope is when a deuteragonist or side character is the living embodiment of “There's Always Someone Better”. So, this character basically drives the main character to become a better version of themselves.

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How do you explain TV tropes? ›

A trope is a theme or device used in storytelling. They are usually common or overused. We can think of them like clichés, but on a greater scale.

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What is the origin of the trope? ›

The first records of the term trope come from around 1525. It ultimately comes from the Greek trópos, meaning “turn, manner, style, figure of speech.” In rhetoric, a trope is another term for a figure of speech. The use of trope to mean a “recurring theme” is a more modern usage.

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Who created tropes? ›

'Trope' was a label first suggested by D. C. Williams (1953a), presumably as a joke (at least according to Bacon 2011 and Schaffer 2001). The literature is ripe with alternative labels, including, but not limited to, abstract particular (Campbell 1990), moment (Mulligan et al.

History for Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesPToZ - TV Tropes (2024)

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What is the history of TV tropes? ›

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