List of monsters in Nick's Campaign

## Chuul

**Chuuls** are large lobster-like aberrations with a strong albino exoskeleton and a mass of paralysis-inducing tentacles around its mouth. Despite their crustacean biology, chuuls are not great swimmers and prefer to engage prey on land. Chuuls typically wait and ambush prey with their massive claws and victims were either crushed by its pincers or paralyzed by its tentacles. Chuuls prefer a life of solitude in watery habitats like swamps, sewers, coastlines, or underground water cavities, occasionally with other chuuls (groups are called "pods"). Despite their monstrous appearance, chuuls are relatively intelligent, able to set traps and ambushes. They will also keep trinkets from their victims also trade their victims' brains (which are poisonous to them) with illithids.

A chuul was one of the creatures found imprisoned in the Yuan-ti tunnels. It apparently broke out of its cage while the party battled the Yuan-ti cultists, and fought the party while they were eating delicious venison. The chuul had landed some hard hits as it fought the party, but was eventually killed.

## Medium aberration, neutral evil

### Challenge Rating

2

**Nothics** are medium neutral evil aberrations. They lurk in places of great magical knowledge, which all nothics crave. Nothics are usually the result of a curse befalling wizards who delved too deep into magical knowledge, transforming them into hideous one-eyed aberrations with hunched, spiked backs, sharp talons, and a single eye. They have no discernible memory of their former selves, save for a faint notion of a possibility of a way to reverse its condition. If driven to violence, a nothic will use its cursing gaze to rot an enemy's flesh from its bones.

A nothic was found imprisoned alongside a few other varied monsters in the dungeon rooms in the Yuan-ti tunnels. When it saw the party approaching, the nothic immediately sprang up and stared directly into Dahlia's eyes; however, she resisted its effects enough to look away. Defeated, the nothic retreated to the back of its cell. This nothic was either freed or broke free and attacked the party later on while they were eating delicious venison and was quickly defeated.

## Medium beast, unaligned

### Challenge Rating

0

**Deer** are medium unaligned beasts. They are herbivorous even-toed ungulate mammals. Male deer are called *stags* or *bucks*, female deer are called *doe*, and a young deer is called a *fawn*. Adult male deer have antlers, which are used in fights, usually with other male deer during mating season. Deer have many predators, mainly wolves, cougars, and humanoids. Deer usually live in wooded areas, where food is abundant.

While in Briskridge awaiting a message from Ivan Blackstone, Alirion Helder went into the woods surrounding the village for a quick hunt and came across a deer. Before it could react, Alirion shot it with an arrow square in the chest. Later that day, when Alirion and groupmate Dahlia Rose were tracking a group of bandits, they found a deer that had been cleanly cleaved in half, and tracks indicating something was dragged off.

## Huge beast, unaligned

### Challenge Rating

2

**Giant constrictor snakes** are huge unaligned beasts. They are very biologically similar to standard constrictor snakes, except for the fact that they are one size larger. They are non-venomous, instead capturing prey by encircling their long, heavy bodies around a potential victim, slowly squeezing it so it suffocates to death, then swallowing it whole. These beasts have no natural predators and a taste for livestock, so may be found where snakes are common near farming communities.

Staffs of the Python are magic staffs that, when tossed forward and its command word is spoken, is transformed into a giant constrictor snake. This was the case with Archpriest Thrax's staff that turned out to be a Staff of the Python. He used it in the battle in the ritual chamber to protect him and aid him in fighting the party. After the Archpriest was seemingly killed, the snake attacked the only party member it could see, Barlow, and killed him. The snake was soon killed itself by a now-frenzied Gronk.

## Large beast, unaligned

### Challenge Rating

1

**Giant spiders** are large beasts and, simply put, enormous versions of regular spiders. Their appearance, environment, and behavior vary as much as standard spiders. Goblins were known to use them as mounts, and Lolth has endless swarms of giant spiders ready to serve her. Giant spiders spin webs that medium creatures can find themselves trapped in.

There was a small swarm of giant spiders in the Caves near Briskridge. When the party returned to these caves to search in a last attempt to find any sign of Rose Blackstone, all they found was a large collection of webs and the remains of these spiders' meals. They did not go unnoticed. All giant spiders were killed, but not before Alirion and Cob found themselves trapped in webbing.

## Huge giant, chaotic evil

### Challenge Rating

8

**Fomorians** are described as the "most hideous and wicked of all giantkind". They are hideously deformed and misshapen giants who dwell primarily in the Underdark. They are loyal only to those they fear and seek to enslave or simply eat others. It is said that fomorians were the most handsome and brilliant of the giants with unrivaled magical ability, until their greed drove them on a foolish mission to gather all the magic of the Feywild, leading to their defeat and the warping of their bodies "to reflect the evil in their hearts".

The party encountered a fomorian in the yuan-ti tunnels as one of the monsters imprisoned and apparently experimented upon. The fomorian was visibly uncomfortable as the cell was only barely big enough to accommodate its large body. This fomorian somehow seemed to escape or was released from its prison, but was the only one still living the party never encountered.

## Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil

### Challenge Rating

1

**Bugbears** are medium chaotic evil humanoids. Resembling tall, hairy goblins, they take their names from their overall bearlike appearance. They are known for their temper and brutish tendencies and prone to fits of rage. Often found in the company of other goblinoids, bugbears often serve as the brawn of goblin tribes. Bugbears survive by raiding and hunting, but they can set ambushes and know when to flee.

The first encounter in the caves near Briskridge was with a bugbear. Gronk fell into an offshoot hidden by a delicately-placed cover and was rescued by teammates, but not before waking the sleeping bugbear, who grabbed its morningstar and charged towards the barbarian. Gronk managed to climb out before the bugbear could reach him, but the bugbear started climbing up in pursuit. Cob cast *Prestidigitation* to make one of its hands sweat, hampering its progress enough to allow the party to attack it from above. It was killed by a well-aimed dagger dropped by Cob's *Mage Hand*, hitting it square in the face.

The party later witnessed a deceased bugbear as one of the six prisoners in the dungeon area of the Yuan-ti tunnels. It was apparently reanimated as a bugbear zombie (see below) and attacked the party later on. It was defeated and killed permanently.

## Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil

### Challenge Rating

1/4

**Goblins** are small chaotic evil humanoids. They a race of small and numerous goblinoids often living in underground subsurface caverns used as lairs. They are elusive and nimble and can slip away from danger more easily than most. Goblins are tribal by nature, and goblin leaders are generally the strongest and/or smartest around. They have short fuses, little concept of privacy, and breed rapidly, allowing them to overwhelm opponents through hit-and-run attacks and sheer numbers. In larger tribes or groups, goblins make natural scouts and infiltrators.

Krang was a goblin who was a member of a bandit group who called themselves "The Horde" that was ambushed by the party. Krang was immediately incinerated by Cob's *Scorching Ray*.

Goblins have the following abilities:

* **Senses & Languages:** Darkvision. Common and Goblin.
* **Skills:** Goblins are stealthy by nature.
* **Nimble Escape.** Goblins can quickly and easily hide or disengage from combat.
* **Actions:** Goblins can attack with a scimitar or shortbow.

## Medium humanoid (goblionoid), lawful evil

### Challenge Rating

1/2 (100 XP)

**Hobgoblins** are medium lawful evil humanoids. They are goblinoids with dark orange or red-orange skin. They measure virtue by physical strength and martial prowess, caring about nothing except for skill and cunning in battle. They are larger, stronger, smarter, and more menacing than goblins, but not as physically powerful as bugbears. Hobgoblin society has been found to be more industrious and less savage than that of goblins or bugbears

Torkang was a hobgoblin who was part of a wandering group of bandits who called themselves "The Horde". He noticed something was off when they were returning to their campsite, so he scouted ahead, coming across the party. He was only noticed when he was near the campsite, specifically spotted by Cob, who immediately reacted by casting *Sleep*. Torkang was easily killed by Dahlia, who slit his throat, after which Torkang's corpse was used in the party's plan to kill the Horde (after they covered up his bleeding neck with a scarf). Alirion and Cob used *Mage Hand* to control the minute movements of the hobgoblin's face, Gronk was made invisible via *Invisibility* and propped up and moved the body around, and Dahlia used her genetic *Thaumaturgy* to mimic a general hobgoblin voice. The plan worked, allowing the party to ambush the Horde and swiftly kill them.

## Small humanoid (kobold), lawful evil

### Challenge Rating

1/8

**Kobolds** are small lawful evil humanoids. They are an aggressive, inward, yet industrious reptilian race distantly related to dragons, a connection they take great pride in and can be found serving dragons. They are resentful of their short stature and hated anyone who would joke or snipe about it (especially sprites and gnomes); however, what kobolds lack in size and strength, they make up for in numbers and preparation, digging out large networks of tunnels and setting cruel but cunning traps for intruders. Trapmaking, along with ambushing and mining, are skills kobolds are known for.

In the caves near Briskridge, the corpse of a kobold was found. Upon inspection, the cause of death appeared to be a potion of poison confused with a potion of healing. It was checked for anything of note, and upon nothing being found, the corpse was yote into a nearby underground river. In the tunnels near said caves, a group of kobolds, along with two cultists, were standing guard near a teleportation circle. Two served as foot soldiers and the other two sentries; all were magically put to sleep and killed.

## Medium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil

### Challenge Rating

1/2 (100 XP)

**Orcs** are medium chaotic evil humanoids. They are stereotypically savage in both personality and appearance, with stooped postures, porcine faces, and prominent teeth that resemble tusks. They have a warmongering culture and very chaotic tendencies compared to other races, often regarded as savage brutes that satisfy their bloodlust by raiding and slaying anything that stands against them.

Two orc brothers, Durgash and Voltag, were in the bandit group that called themselves "The Horde". Ambushed by the party, Durgash was killed with a chest hit from Gronk's longsword and Voltag was killed by Cob's *Scorching Ray*.

## Medium humanoid (any race), any non-good alignment

### Challenge Rating

1/8

**Cultists** "swear allegiance to dark powers such as elemental princes, demon lords, or archdevils. Most conceal their loyalties to avoid being ostracized, imprisoned, or executed for their beliefs. Unlike evil acolytes, cultists often show signs of insanity in their beliefs and practices."

The party first official adventure was hired to rescue the daughter of Ivan Blackstone from what was revealed to be cultists worshiping the Yuan-ti. They interrupted a ritual in progress and a large battle progressed, ending in what was essentially the slaughter of several dozen combat-inexperienced cultists.

## Small monstrosity, unaligned

### Challenge Rating

1/2

**Darkmantles** are small unaligned monstrosities. They are octopoid subterranean creatures that can camouflage themselves with cave walls with their limestone-colored skin. Darkmantles had the magical ability to float. They have several eye-like organs that could only detect luminosity; to make up for this, they use echolocation in a similar manner to cave bats. Darkmantles often form small swarms, using their ability to generate magical darkness to overwhelm targets; if one was struck down, the darkness still remained. While blinded, prey would soon find their heads enveloped by a darkmantle, which would soon suffocate or crush them. Darkmantles are often found in the Underdark and Shadowfell, but they can also be found in cave systems much closer to the surface.

The party encountered a swarm of three darkmantles in the Caves near Briskridge. After being caught off guard by an illusion of a flameskull, they found themselves in a bubble of magical darkness. Alirion, with Devil's Sight, noticed the darkmantles as they were floating down to attack. A couple of the party members found themselves briefly suffocating, but the darkmantles were quickly killed off.

## Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral

### Challenge Rating

3

**Doppelgangers** are neutral monstrosities that are infamous for their innate shapeshifting abilities that allow them to mimic the appearance of any humanoid. In their true form, doppelgangers appear as tall, lanky, and sexless humanoids with inky blue skin and dull amber eyes, which only the unwise would mistake as weak. On the contrary, doppelgangers are quite strong and agile, easily able to serve as spies and assassins. Doppelgangers can steal lives by using their telepathy and unique interrogation tactics to learn as much as they can about a victim, before either killing them or keeping them prisoner.

One known example of a doppelganger's victim was a dwarf in Briskridge named Ivan Blackstone, who had been kept prisoner in the basement of his house by a group of doppelgangers. Once this was revealed to the party, they engaged in battle, resulting in most of the doppelgangers either getting burned or decapitated.

## Large monstrosity, neutral evil

### Challenge Rating

5

**Ropers** are large neutral evil monstrosities. They are ambush hunters, usually found in subterranean caves, especially in the Underdark. Taking the appearance of stalagmites, ropers wait for living creatures to come close before lashing out with their tendrils, grappling targets and drawing them towards their fanged-filled mouth. Surface ropers exist, often taking the appearance of dead tree trunks in forests.

The second encounter in the caves near Briskridge was with a roper. This roper had a large burn mark on its side and, for reasons unknown to the party, could only produce four tendrils instead of six. After a long and frustrating fight, it was eventually slain.

## Tiny undead, neutral evil

### Challenge Rating

0

**Crawling claws** are the severed hands of murderers animated by dark magic. Through dark rituals, the life force of a murderer can be bound to their severed hand, haunting and animating it. Crawling claws cannot be turned nor controlling by undead-controlling magic, as they are entirely bound to the will of their creator. Commands given to it need to be simple or general, due to its limited senses and intelligence. Left to itself, claws are driven by the same dark emotions that drove the original killer, and it may imitate what it did in life.

After a long and frustrating battle with a roper in the caves near Briskridge, the party came across an old battered chest. Barlow opened it via *Knock*. Inside were multiple aged and rusting weapons, a few healing potions, and a crawling claw that scuttled out and away until Alirion shot it with an arrow.

## Medium undead, neutral evil

### Challenge Rating

* **Standard:** 1/4
* **Bugbear:** 2

**Zombies** are the undead corpses of previously living beings, reanimated through powerful necromancy. Unlike skeletons, zombies retain whatever rotting flesh is still on their bones, and can follow simple orders. Virtually any creature type can be reanimated as a zombie, so long as they had a solid form, and zombies are able to reanimate upon death, depending on how punishing the killing blow was.

A deceased bugbear was found as one of the monstrous prisoners of the Yuan-ti in their underground tunnels. It was apparently reanimated as a zombie, which found a mace and attacked the party on sight. It was defeated and killed permanently.