DARK WOOD GOBLIN

In the LAND OF NOD, East of EDEN, is a small region named SEVEN TOWNS. South of SEVEN TOWNS lies the DARK WOOD. It is a malignant place where the PLANE OF SHADOW seeps in and poisons all that is good and right.

These Goblins use the same statistics in games of Dungeons & Dragons as those listed in the 5th edition Monster Manual. However, when these creatures are encountered the DM can use the chart below to determine what the individual Goblins look like due to their mutations.

GOBLIN DEFORMITY TABLE
% Roll Deformity
01-03 Slits for Eyes
04-07 Albino Skin
08-10 Cone Shaped Head
11-13 Way Too Skinny
14-15 Short Legs, Big Bod
16-17 Goat Horns
18-20 Bulging Eyes
21-23 Pimples and Boils
24-26 Beak For Nose
27-29 Brightly Colored Skin
30-32 Very Large Ears
33-35 Shark-like Maw Mouth
36-37 Arms Drag on Ground
38-41 Enormously Obese
42-44 Scorpion Tail
45 -47 Big Red Eyes
48-51 Eyestalks
52-54 Feathers For Body Hair
56-58 Drooling Acid
59-60 Prehensile Tail
61-62 Four Legs
63-66 Smells Really Bad
67-68 Flesh Flakes Off
69-70 Two Heads
71-72 Gaping Mouth
73-75 Big Head
76-78 Hunchbacked
79-80 Missing Limb
81 -82 Long Tongue
83-84 Tentacles
85-87 Head Like A Fish
88-90 No Body
91-93 Wings
94-97 Really Long Fingers
98-99 Hairy
100 Roll Twice

Y … is for … YELLOW MUSK CREEPER #atozchallenge

A Yellow Musk Creeper is a plant creature in Dungeons & Dragons first appearing in 1981 in the module “Dwellers of the Forbidden City.”  The plant is very hard to identify because it camouflages itself within other plant life. The creature waits until a living creature comes close enough and then it sprays its pollen into the air. The pollen can have two effects to either charm or incapacitate so that the plant can use its deadly tendrils to bore into the victim’s head. Once the victim is dead, a bulb is deposited into the victim’s head and slowly turns into a zombie. These zombies are referred to as “Yellow Musk Creeper Zombies.”  The zombies serve to protect the Creeper and ultimately serve to transport the bulb to different locations to propagate more Creepers.

 

 

X … is for … XVART

 

xvart (pronounced “Zart”) – also known as svart and xivort – is a small fictional humanoid creature found in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Many gamers recognize the creature from the popular video game Baldur’s Gate, based on the Forgotten Realms setting. The Xvart was first introduced to D&D in 1978 in White Dwarf #9. They were based on beings appearing in a book called The Weirdstone of Brisingamon. 

Xvarts are cowardly and easily intimidated on their own so they usually work in large groups. They were generally hateful creatures. Their short, miserable lives led them to despise most creatures and take out their angst on anyone and anything they could; but they particularly enjoyed tormenting larger creatures, in particular, goliaths and half-orcs.

These vile little monsters worship RAXIVORT, a servant of the demon lord Grazzt. His symbol is a fiery blue hand. He was the Master of Slaves for Grazzt until one day he betrayed his master. He stole a powerful artifact known as the Infinity Spindle and created the Xvarts as imperfect duplicates of himself in an attempt confuse those tracking him. Raxivort’s realm, the Black Sewers, is in Pandesmos, one of the layers of Pandemonium.

Raxivort teaches that might makes right. If xvarts are not strong enough to prevail, the proper course of action is to retreat and return with reinforcements. He advises patience, and advocates any means—lying, cheating, theft, enslavement—to survive. With patience, one can still triumph in the end.

Xvarts are obsessed with stealing gold and other treasure from passersby in the hopes of winning the favor of Raxivort. Should the favor of Raxivort be won the demon god will appear and steal all of the Xvart’s treasure, granting it Warlock abilities in return. Such a Xvart becomes a Shaman of its tribe. Shamans of Raxivort wear special stilts that elevate them to a height of five feet. Over these, they wear long black robes and a mask of gold or gilded copper. The stilts are worn only on ceremonial occasions. Xvart shamans are tasked with ensuring that their tribe follows the teachings of Raxivort.

 

Q … is for … QUIPPER #atozchallenge

Quipper are a type of fish much like that of a piranha. They are usually found in tropical waters like those within the jungles of Chult. However, they are able to thrive in fresh water as well. They are small fish, averaging between eight and ten inches long. The largest normal Quipper recorded was measured at two feet. They are either silver or black in color, with a saw-edged belly and large, triangular-shaped teeth that close in a scissorbite.

 For sheer voraciousness, the Quipper has no equals. There are many tales of cattle unfortunate enough to enter Chultan waters being stripped to the bone in a few minutes by these creatures. Quipper attack anything, including humans, and they usually attack in a swarm called a shoal numbering between five and fifty fish.

Quippers are meat-eaters; their usual diet is fish, but they will eat any animal that enters their territory. They have no natural enemies. Their cutting teeth, like those of sharks, flay the flesh from their victim as they attack. They are capable of reproduction (which occurs year round) after only a few months of life, and their life span is about four years.

There are no common uses for Quippers, either as trade goods or magical components. Primitive tribes in Chult sometimes use Quipper teeth as a decoration. Quippers are occasionally sought after by evil wizards and lords, who use them to populate their moats and dungeon traps.

M … is for … MANTRAP #atozchallenge

 

The Mantrap is a D&D monster that first appeared in the 1983 Monster Manual II. It is a giant plant monster that has been recently featured in the Dungeons & Dragon’s module called Tomb of Annihilation.

It is a large plant, similar to an over-sized Venus Flytrap, that attracts prey by using hypnotic pollens, entrapping and dissolving its victims in acidic secretions. Its pollen causes creatures to become fascinated by the odor, and proceed to the body of the plant and voluntarily climb into one of its leaf traps, which close and firmly entrap the victim.

It utilizes a specialized form of foliar feeding, an adaptation found in several plants that grow in nutrient-poor soil. Carnivorous traps were naturally selected to allow these organisms to compensate for the nutrient deficiencies of their harsh environments by supplementing ordinary photosynthesis with animal proteins

Many explorers have perished by being lured within reach of a Mantrap. This is yet another danger of the Jungles of Chult.

 

 

K … is for … KRAJEN #atozchallenge

 

The creature know as the “krajen” is a otherworldly giant space squid. It develops in three stages: small spaceborne spores, a barnaclelike immature stage, and the huge, adult krajen that is the bane of the Spelljammer shipways. In its adult stage, the krajen can grow to be 40 feet long. Its tubelike body is dominated at one end by a thick central tentacle, the base of which is surrounded by a cluster of smaller tentacles.

 In their spore form they can be slain by such simple spells as cure disease. They drift like wind seeds in the Void, waiting for the approach of a ship or other solid body. They are so small that a Spelljamming ship can pass through a cloud of them without stopping and without its crew noticing. It is only when the spores take root in the hull of the ship that they are noticeable.

Krajen spores can take root in any solid object, including asteroids, ship hulls, and large living creatures. Once planted, the base of the spore widens and digs into the surfacer while the outer surface hardens into a shell similar to a barnacle’s. The central tentacle is nested in an opening at the top of this shell. In case of normal attacks on the immature krajen, the tentacle can whip out to attack enemies in the area, lashing out at random. When dormant, the tentacle is tucked inside the top of the shell.

Immature krajens can survive without air, and in fact prefer the stale air of bad air envelopes over the healthy air of areas replenished by green plants. They do need a solid surface to draw nutrients from, though each one can also absorb nutrients from dead bodies that it and the rest of the colony have destroyed.

If you travel the Void, fear the krajen!

 

LODESTONE MARAUDER

 

CLOCKWORK BRAWLER

 

CLOCKWORK DRAGON

 

DRACOBEELZEBUFO

 

The Dracobeelzebufo is the undead version of the huge dinosaur-eating froghemoth species found in Chult named Beelzebufo.  It is a form of dracolich because the Beelzebufo is believed to be tied to a draconic bloodline, specifically a blue dragon bloodline. Creating this strange dracolich requires the magical tome called THE TOME OF THIAM which contains the spells and rituals needed to create the undead horror.

Huge undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 21 (natural)

Hit Points 225 (18d12+108)

Speed 40 ft.

Standing Leap (Movement: The monster’s long jump is up to 20 ft. and its high jump is up to 10 ft., with or without a running start.

Phasing (Movement)  The creature can move through solid obstacles (walls, terrain) as long as its movement can end in an unoccupied space.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
25 (+7) 10 (0) 23 (+6) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 19 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +11, Wis +7, Cha +9

Skills Perception +12, Stealth +5

Damage Resistances necrotic

Damage Immunities lightning, poison

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned

Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft.

Languages Common

Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the monster fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. The monster has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The monster can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Jagged Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 5 (1d10) lightning damage.

Swallow Whole. On a successful Jagged Bite Action, the victim must succeed at a DC 15 or be swallowed. The victim tumbled down through the creature’s boney throat into its ribcage. The rib cage bones are sharp and jagged, doing 2d6+2 damage on the first round. Every round afterwards when the victim moves within the ribcage, the sharp bones inflict another 2d4 damage as they tear and rend flesh. The swallowed victim is Grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the target is Restrained, and the toad can’t bite another target. Succeeding a the DC 13 Grapple allows the victim to slip out of the ribcage gaps, escaping the boney prison.
Flipper Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7)  damage.

Frightful Presence. Each creature of the monster’s choice that is within 120 feet of the monster and aware of it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the monster’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

Lightning Breath (Recharge 5-6). The monster exhales lightning in a 90-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Legendary Actions

The monster can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The adult blue dracolich regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Detect. The monster makes a Wisdom (Perception) check. This allows it to determine which enemy has the lowest AC.

Grappling Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage plus 5 (1d10) poison damage, and the target is Grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the target is Restrained, and the toad can’t bite another target.

Fetid Cloud: A 10-foot radius of disgusting green gas extends out from the creature. The gas spreads around corners, and its area is lightly obscured. It lasts for 1 minute or until a strong wind disperses it. Any creature that starts its turn in that area must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned until the start of its next turn. While Poisoned in this way, the target can take either an action or a Bonus Action on its turn, not both, and can’t take reactions.

Arveiaturace, Ancient White Dragon


 

This ancient white dragon is feared by all sailors of the Sword Coast, except for those who dismiss her as a legend — until it’s too late. The Flying Hunt of Nimbral and several aerial patrols from Evermeet have fought her in midair and forced her into flight on occasion, but most ships are helpless against her diving attacks — and when crews scramble down into their holds to escape her snatching claws, she’s been known to land on a ship and tear it apart like a child opening a gift. What makes Arveiaturace so deadly is her past: She was the steed of a wizard, Meltharond Thone, who captured and tamed her. Over the centuries of her servitude, her hatred for him turned slowly to love, and she was plunged into melancholy when at last, longevity magic failing, he died.

Arveiaturace is more intelligent — and vastly more sensitive — than most white dragons, but she has all the savagery and snarling hunger for revenge of her kind. She grew so used to the company of Meltharond (who chatted with her constantly, treating her as an equal despite the spells that prevented her from attacking him) that she’s now governed by loneliness and has been known to spare sailors and others she snatches if they don’t like wizards, don’t attack her, and have the quick wits to shout out a desire to talk (or demonstrate an ability to sing) before she bites the life from them.

Over the years, she has developed a relationship of mutual respect with Laeral, the Lady Mage of Waterdeep, and with the seafarer and shipwright Old Aldon of Mintarn, but the White Wyrm is spoken of with awe and fear in Candlekeep: She once heard from a captive that a certain sage of that establishment had written disparagingly of Meltharond. She arrived unannounced to tear the roof from the main building, snatch up the writer, and set straight his views on the dead wizard. It’s reported that less than a month later, Laeral of Waterdeep personally delivered a freshly printed tome from Candlekeep entitled The High History of the Mighty Mage Meltharond to the White Wyrm, and stayed with the dragon for more than a tenday, talking day and night through. She has refused to answer queries as to just what was discussed, but sailors have noticed that the White Wyrm now seems to turn a blind eye to vessels sailing near Waterdeep.