The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

Preface
I love monsters. I think its the reason I fell in love with D&D.
I own 15 Monster Manuals across 5 editions, and all of them
are old friends. Where would D&D be without the Beholder
or the titular Dragon? I cant imagine a world without Stirge or
Jermlaine. This book is for storytellers and worldbuilders. Its the
result of a heap of passionate people writing lore for the monsters
we all know and love.
I remember the first Monster Manual from 1st Edition very
well. I would stare at the drawing of the Carrion Crawler and
marvel at its design and how terrifying it would be to meet one
in a dark cavern, dropping down on some poor adventurers head
and dragging him away into the darkness to be eaten. Or how I
was pretty sure I was never going to have a Duckbunny or a Giant
Beaver in one of my campaigns.
Well. The Giant Beaver did appear once. A whole nest of
them. I had come up with some crazy reason why they were
mutated - the result of some mad wizards experimentation to stop
an incursion of militant druids who were hell-bent on reforesting a
grassland. I was 12 at the time, ok? Dont judge me.
I would read these books for hours. Wondering how they
were created. How they lived and what their societies looked
like. Over the years, as I got more and more of the Manuals, I
realized that the lore, the very core of the reason why these things
existed started to become less and less frequent. The 2nd Edition
Monstrous Manual stands as a paragon of monster lore. Fleshy
and exciting, they spurred me to create my own lore and twist the
established tales.
Then came Dragon Magazine.
The first Ecology article appeared in Dragon #72 and was
the Ecology of the Piercer. It was the start of a great many articles
discussing D&D monsters from a naturalists point-of-view.
/r/DndBehindTheScreen decided to continue the tradition
with this project for the 5th edition of the game, in the hopes that
we could emulate-in-spirit the ideas of these early articles, and to
add our own fresh ideas to the established lore.

These articles are not meant to simply rehash what we already

know, but to bring a new perspective, and to perhaps push the lore
into new areas that readers might not have considered on their
own. I think it was a great success.
Our design goals comprised of covering the following:
The lifecycle of the creature, including pregnancy and
young
The organization of the species (e.g., tribes, flocks,species
lone predators, etc..)
Other discussion around whatever might be interesting
how a grey ooze digests its food, how a flumph flies, etc.
The creatures main habitat and lair preferences.
Any other traits, physical, magical, supernatural, etc.
What would fighting one of these creatures be like?
How about a swarm of them?
What creatures does this creature associate or fight well
with? What are its enemies?
What kind of variants to these creatures could we create?
How could they be scaled for various levels of character
parties?
There are 153 monsters in the 5e Monster Manual. There are
also monsters in the Starter Set, Hoard of the Dragon Queen and
some in the Players Handbook. The list also does not have the
Miscellaneous Creatures or the NPCs from the Monster Manual,
only what we considered to be the core monsters are covered in
this book.
I would like to thank all the contributors for their amazing
ideas and for working so hard on this. In time, its my hope that
this book will allow a new generation of gamers to question the
status-quo and to bring their own spin on creatures that we have
become familiar with over the past 40+ years of Dungeons &
Dragons.

Matt H. aka Famoushippopotamus

Project Leader

Created by the /r/DnDBehindTheScreen community

The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

Aarakocra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Aboleth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Animated Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Ankheg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Azer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Banshee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Basilisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Behir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Beholder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Blight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Bugbear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Bulette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Bullywug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Carrion Crawler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Centuar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Chimera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Cloaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Cloaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Couatls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Crawling Claw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Death Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Demons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Devils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Dinosaur, Allosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Dinosaur, Ankylosaur . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Dinosaur, Deinonychus . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Dinosaur, Plesiosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Dinosaur, Pteranodon . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Dinosaur, Triceratops . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex . . . . . . 53
Displacer Beast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Doppelganger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Doppelganger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Contents

Created by the /r/DnDBehindTheScreen community

The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

Aarakocra
Written by 3d6skills
Hawks, eagles, falcon, parrots.. bah. Lets base the Aarakocra
on bearded vultures because 90% of the diet is bone dropped on
rocks digested in a stomach with a pH of 1. They lay two eggs but
encourage the chicks to fight to the death. It dyes its white feathers
with blood and iron oxide dust, and is very territorial.
No one knows exactly how Aarakocra came to this world.
They could be exiles from the plane of air, creatures born in high
mountain regions, devotees of a long forgotten bird god, or failed
experiments in humans or elves learning how to fly.

Physiological Observations
They are vulture-like in appearance with black and white
striped faces, red eyes, and black beaks. While their faces and
heads are feather free, the rest of their body is covered in black and
white feathers head to toe. Its is not uncommon to see Aarakocra
dying their feathers with blood, iron oxide dust, or be adorned
in red gemstones. Rubies, especially being valued. They live in
a woven nest and are mated for life. Each season the females lay
two egg, but encourage the chicks to squabble and fight for choice
food. Usually one chick gets pushed out of the nest. But such is
the way of nature, life, and the winds say the aarakocra.

Social Observations
These lawful neutral birdmen generally occur in bands of
5-10 pairs mated for life (+ 1d6 young) in mountains, deep craigs,
and plains regions that sit next to steep rocky features. 3-5 bands
make up an aarakocra flight centered around 1-2 wing-less holy
individuals- storm callers. Aarakocra cultivate and encourage
predators like giant eagles, drakes, wyverns and large cats to
make homes with in the flights range and prey on deer, sheep,
ect. The predators take the meat and the aarakocra farm the
bones. Therefore aarakocra territories are already remote, but also
become wild places difficult for human settlement. An aarakocras
duties are to the storm caller, their mate/chicks, the flight, and
independance. They are wary of outsiders and will consistently
track movement through their territories.
Stormcallers (Warlock class) were pushed out of the nest to
die by a more powerful sibling, but survived through sheer force
of will, cunning, and sacrifice. While young, these individuals cut
off their wings in a last sacrifice to air elemental and spirits. The
young stormcaller staves off death, is bonded to an air elemental
regaining flight, and gains magical ability. Becoming a stormcaller
is a painful, tragic experience and to human eyes it can create
aarakocra rulers disposed to cruelty and lack of mercy but not
always the case.

Behavioral Observations

Not too much is known about the exact behavior of

these beings. However shepherds have reported establishing
light trading with flights. Travelers crossing wastelands or

4 Aarakocra

remote areas have been known to be saved by an aaracokcra after

sucumming to injury. At the same time, caravans and attempted
settlement in some of the fertile grasslands near flight have been
met with destruction, death, and the periodic storms suspiciously
centered over villages. Aarakocra have been known to keep giant
eagles as pets or war dogs. And the little bits of lore that come
from shepherds and dwarves comment that the birdmen praise
rocs as agents of gods and view the phoenix as a symbol of greed,
vanity, and trickery.
Dungeon Masters Toolbox:
The following are scenarios you can use to guide interactions
between your players an the Aarakocra species:
Two aarkocra males grab one of the PCs and carry them
into the air by the legs. With the help of a third, they proceed
to shake any gems, trinkets, and jewelry loose to catch in a
net. They will drop the PC in a river or tree.
Local shepherds are being driven away or killed and their
flocks taken by birdmen. Also the weather has seen strong
winds that are destroying roofs and tall crops. Rumors has it
that high in the mountains a new stormcaller has taken hold
and wants to destroy the local town.
After witnessing a brave fight the PCs put up against
harpies/orcs/ettins, an aarkocra tosses the PCs a crude map
that points out a haven and two local dangers.
Shattering Sheep! The PCs are caught in a storm of
dropped sheep skulls and bones. DEX save or be knocked
unconscious by the mass of falling bones.
A small band of aarkocra approach the PCs about helping
defend an injured young roc- a holy bird. The PCs will need
to stave off attacks by ogres/giants/orcs until the stormcaller
arrives. The roc is in pain and may attack the PCs periodically.
Pieces of the local mountainous landmark are floating off!
Rumors abound that the local aarkocra have gems from the
plane of air and are either (a) terraforming to open a gateway
or (b) actually fighting off a slaad/undead assault by changing
the landscape for max advantage.

Some sailors report a much crueler populations of sea-borne

aarakocra that are prone to raiding ships from island bases. Or
piloting commandeered ships (sometimes with slaves) and raiding
trading vessels and port towns. These attacks dont seem to be
preceded by any weather changes, but somehow the raid do seem
to occur at the most opportunistic time. These leads some to ask if
the aarakocra have learn divination and scrying.

Confrontation

Aarkocra are not afraid to fight, but prefer to do it on their

terms which involves maximizing their time in the air. They
generally use spears, claws, and even hooked blades to dismount
opponents or drag them off cliff faces. They also will drop heavy,
arrow shaped stones from above in order to break or destroy more
fortified structures. Giant eagles can be used like war dogs. If need
Created by the /r/DnDBehindTheScreen community

The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

be, a Storm Caller might lead a group, bring the might of huge
storm systems or powerful air elementals.

Intraspecies Observations
Aarackocra tolerate small human settlements and will trade
openly with shepherds for bones, good spears, and gems, especially
rubies. Aarakocra come in contact with dwarves in the mountains
and trade rare herbs, spices, and tobacco for gems, metal work,
and lightweight armor that allows flight. Aarkocra have a hatred
of harpies, orcs, and ettins who eat too much of the local wildlife.
Aarakocra will hunt the undead, especially those primarily
composed of bone. They feel that the magical properties give
them strength and communion with the gods. Druid and Ranger
PCs will have the easiest time negotiating with aarakocra as they
understand their more neutral viewpoints.

Variant Species
Rattletails. Because not many live to see the other side of a
Rattletail attack, reports of these aarakocra are scant. Sailors and
merchants report that some make their home on chains of island
where goats can be raised for meat but there is little else that can
challenge them. From these island, they will raid shipping lanes
and ports. Worse are rattletails that have ocean going vessels they
will fly from and attack ships near by. These birdmen are equipped
with clay jars of fire to drop from the air. As the ship burns, they
will then swoop in knocking sailors off with heavy clubs and
enslaving the rest. Should a daring captain instead turn and attack
the Rattletail ship, they will find the birdmen chum the water to
attract sharks and worse. The birdmen will then leave their own
ship and bait an attack. Once most of the crew is on board they
will knock them off into the water and burn the other ship. Finally
as if their taste for wearing finger and toe bones is not enough,
Rattletails will also seek alliances with evil fishmen for added
support or shock troops.

Aboleth
Written by Jackissocool
Aboleths are among the most sinister and horrible of all
threats to sentient humanoid life. Ancient, immortal, and allknowing, aboleth are primeval abominations fueled by inhuman
arrogance and hate for all other beings.

Physiological Observations
Aboleths are the oldest sentient life in existence. Their basic
body shape resembles an eel, although not even a blind old fool
could mistake an aboleth for any natural modern animal. They
have no fins beside on their tail and down their back. Behind their
head, four muscular tentacles twist and turn. Three huge red eyes
- vertically arranged - sit at what would be called their face, above
a mass of tentacles. The tentacles pull food into the aboleths small,
slit-like mouth.

Created by the /r/DnDBehindTheScreen community

Along the side of their body, aboleths have huge, gaping holes.
These are roughly an analog to nostrils or gills. Aboleths breathe
and vocalize through these holes. Aboleth language is enormously
complex - it covers a vast range of pitches, clicks, croaks, pops, and
sing-song esque vocalizations. Even with a lifetime of training, a
humanoid mind is incapable of grasping any but the most basic
meaning an aboleth expresses.
These holes also produce the aboleths distinctive slime. This
filthy muck turns the water around an aboleth into a thick, soupy
mass. The aboleth requires this slime to breathe and to maintain
moisture in its brief forays above water. The slime can also infect
other creatures, forcing air breathing creatures to breathe water.
The aboleth transmits this disease using its tentacles.
Ants have grand plans. They build elaborate structures
over the course of generations. From an ants perspective,
their societies are complex and eternal. They arent.
Theyre mounds in the sand, and the sea comes to wash
them away. The sea is eternal and it washes away their
pathetic homes. I am the sea. You are less than ants. Now
beg for me to kill you like your friends did.
MOLMIG, THE PERMANENT

When one speaks of the dawn of time, they are referring

to the first memories of the aboleths. This memory is no myth
or folklore passed down - it is a simple fact that every aboleth
remembers in perfect clarity. An aboleth has a perfect eidetic
memory - it can recall every instant of its entire life in exact detail.
These memories tretch back a long time, because once an aboleth
reaches adulthood it ceases to age - they are immortal except for
violence. But even more significant is that an aboleths memory is
passed down to each generation.
Aboleths reproduce asexually. Every few decades, an aboleth
retreats to a secure location and lays a clutch of of 5-10 eggs. The
aboleth doesnt move from the eggs for any reason until several
weeks have passes, at which point it swallows the eggs with
the holes on the side of its body. After another month or so, the
aboleth vomits out fully developed but smaller aboleths - the
young are called smiluts. Theyre only a few feet long at birth, but
mentally fully developed and carrying all the memories of their
entire familial line. They spend a year or so with their parent there is no childhood for an aboleth, only a period of protection
while they develop physically.
Aboleths also possess formidable psionic powers. They can
communicate telepathically with all manner of beings and, most
terrifying of all, can dominate the minds of lesser beings. They
often force other creatures to serve them as thralls.

Social Observations
Aboleths used to rule a planet-spanning empire. For more
than a billion years, they were the unquestioned masters of
the world. They were served by advanced constructs they
built, but eventually desired slaves capable of a certain
degree of independence. The aboleths took fish and
altered their form using dark arts and advanced science.
They shaped the creatures into a form that mimicked their

Aarakocra 5

The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

own. Above the surface, they performed similar experiments on
apes, developing the first hominids. They let these species develop,
forcing most of them into slavery and watching the others.
As their control over their subjects increased, so did their
vanity. Until their subjects, in their hopelessness, created religion
and brought the gods into being. The gods smote the aboleth
empire and liberated their worshipers.
Now, hundreds of thousands of years later, the aboleth empire
is not what it was in its heyday. Aboleths lurk in secret in the
deep waters of the world. Most are largely solitary, meeting with
other aboleths every few decades to further their devious plots.
Aboleths, vile and alien though they are, are capable of something
resembling friendship among their own, although an aboleth
would never come to a friends aid - if one is unable to protect
itself, it does not deserve assistance.
A few aboleth cities exist in secret around the world.
Architecture with blasphemous geometry - strange stones twisted
into impossible shapes. The hierarchy is impossible to comprehend
for mortal minds and their governmental systems operate over
spans of millennia.
And as a rule, aboleths worship no gods - they recognize
the very real power of the divine, but feel no need to prostrate
themselves before something so much younger than they are.

for blasphemous art, forcing mothers to eat their children, and

other things simply too hideous to describe.
An aboleths lair will always be in deep, dark water. They will
often be surrounded by pathetic, mewling slaves. They cover their
homes in magical artifacts and alien art.

Intra-Species Observations
Aboleths have nothing but hate for all other intelligent life.
But they are not fools. They acknowledge and, to a certain degree,
even respect the power of gods and mortal heroes. They also
understand, however, that those other powers are but a blink in
the eye of the aboleths - in time, they too will fade.
Aboleths are careful to hide themselves from the world above
secrecy is paramount to protecting their plots. They interact
with the world primarily through their thralls. When they do
occasionally emerge to the world above, it is in a terrible unveiling
of power - a reminder for the mortal world that all they know is
only temporary.

Angel

Written by rtwfm

Dungeon Masters Toolbox:

Aboleths are one of my very favorite monsters. They capture
Lovecraftian horror more than any other. The key to using
them, in my experience, is to make it a slow burn for the PCs introduce the threat early on, but then hide it away. Drop hints
that the aboleth is watching and plotting. Have its servants
appear periodically to harass the PCs.
And when the time comes for the final battle, make
the aboleth as terrifying as possible. Aboleths possess an
intelligence far beyond mortal minds. They will use every trick
in the book and show no mercy. And when the PCs emerge
victorious? Remind them that their victory is only temporary
and that all of their hopes and dreams will be washed away like
anthills on the beach.

Behavioral Observations
The primary drive for aboleths in all things is a deep hatred
of mortals and gods. They remember their billion year empire
and what was taken from them. Each aboleth constantly burns
with a cold, alien bitterness at the injustice they perceive. They
will stop at nothing to reclaim their rightful place atop the world,
but they plan on a geological time scale - to the aboleths, their
displacement was a recent event. It is quite possible they are still in
the very early stages of their plans to regain power. This is the way
an aboleth thinks.
They are immensely cruel and take great pleasure in the
suffering of lesser beings. They have an almost artistic passion
for the mental domination and enslavement of mortals.
Some take this to levels impossible to comprehend capturing humans from the surface and adorning the
walls of their lairs with their still living bodies as a canvass

6 Angel

A direct emanation of a good God, Angels are the

embodiment of His will and their only meaning is to fulfill
His orders. But they arent perfect beings, this blind obedience
together with their strong pride can sometimes lead to mistakes
and an Angel may also fall into darkness, where he begins to yearn
for vengeance toward the God he was serving.
Ill heal the faithful and revive those who are worthy.
Ill bring destruction upon those who deserve it and Ill
carry the ones who oppose God into death. Ill do all this
and even more...
...for God has spoken.
MIKAEL, ONE OF THE TWENTY-FOUR SOLAR

Physiological Observations
Despite that only a few have received the blessing of seeing the
true form of an Angel, all the witnesses agree to one thing: they
are beautiful. It isnt known if its because they are truly beings
of considerable appearances or because those who see them are
struck by a sense of beauty that comes from the Angels divine
origin.
Anyway, they are described as very tall and muscular
humanoids, neither male nor female, with large feathery wings,
metallic or opalescent skin and gleaming eyes Although they can
sleep, eat, and drink while under cover, they dont need to. Even
breathing doesnt appear to be a necessity for them.

Social Observations

The Angel Hierarchy is structured with rigid castes based

solely on how much power their God has granted to them.
Ambition isnt common among the Heavens lower ranks and
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The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

rebellion has no meaning at all. Everyone understands the
importance of his own place and only the more powerful ones may
show signs of ambition.
However it shouldnt be mistaken as the human form of
ambition, rather they crave to fulfill their duties better than
anyone else. This behavior may lead to rivalries between the higher
ranks and thats why the few Solar keep to themselves, far from the
rest of the Hierarchy.
Dungeon Masters Toolbox:
Angels arent only Gods tools, they can be valuable to any
DM. Did you think that the mighty Pelor shows himself to any
human just because this little being was calling for help? Of
course not, Pelor has His own business to run (lets put aside
the fact that only being near to an almighty entity isnt exactly
safe and bearable by any poor mortal, without considering the
alignment of the deity).
Regardless of how your Pantheon is composed you almost
certainly need agents for your gods. In the last section, I wrote
an example based on the Catholic religion of how you can
organize ranks between your winged beings.
A few examples with some D&D deities:
Angels of Tyr. Armed with longswords, they guide, help
and judge paladins and magistrates. They can cast Zone of
Truth at will or just perceive every lie passively.
Angels of Pelor. Armed with a mace, they shine so bright
that you cant glance at them. They are always near clerics,
granting them healing miracles and the power to destroy the
undead.
Angels of Habbakuk. They always carry nets with them
and are somewhat translucent. They can talk to animals and
calm a sea storm.
Angels of Lolth. Their wings were ripped when they fell,
but the Dark Mother adopted them and gave to them new
wings, made of webs. They guide the hands of assassins and
help spreading their new Mothers web of deception through
whispers in the right ears

Variant Species
Being created and guarded by divine powers, Angels didnt
face the obstacles of evolution, today they are exactly how they
were created eons ago. The classic literature tend on classify them
into 3 big categories:

Devas, the ones who live among mortals.

Planetars, the army of God.
And the, almost God-like, Solars.

Truthfully, the Hierarchy is very fragmented, with every

Angel created for a precise purpose. A more archaic classification
divided them into seven groups:
Archangels, literally Chief Angels. They are the most
powerful ones, destined to lead the Hierarchy in the Final Battle
against the Evil.
Seraphim, the Burning Ones. Seraphim are Gods
bodyguards, they are always near their own God and therefore
they shine perpetually in His blinding light. It is said that their
wings are indestructible and thus they are often depicted with
6 wings, flying with a pair while they wrap themselves with the
other two pairs.
Cherubim, the Blessed Ones. Cherubs are Wardens of
relics, holy places and saints. They are armed with flaming or
thunderous swords and they have astonishing metamorphic
abilities, above average for any other Angel.
Thrones, the Many-Eyed-Ones. Directly under the orders
of the Cherubim, Thrones are sentinels, observers, spies. It is said
that they also carry the Throne of their God, thus the name.
Dominions, are the mind of the Hierarchy. They are being of
high intellect who elaborate the strategies to undertake against the
Evil and oversee the duties of the other Angels. Some say that they
posses orbs who allow them to see through the Thrones eyes.
Virtues, are the ones who grant sparks of divine power to
mortals. Clerics, paladins and druids are all observed and guided
by Virtues. It is said that they may also offer contracts to certain
beings who were predestined to have the chance to shift the
balance in a way or another.
Powers, are the soldiers of the Hierarchy. They are specialized
to fight Fiends, Devils, Demons and all the loathsome beings that
Evil may generate.

Behavioral Observations
More often than not Angels appear disguised as the races
among which they have descended. But usually only the lower
castes lives many years among mortals, dispensing aid, hope,
courage and any other quality their God presides. Except for the
lowest caste, all of them can see through lies and deception, thus
no mortal can escape their judgment, but since the Heavens ranks
are not infinite, the medium and higher ranks are only deployed
where there is an absolute necessity. Such a situation may call for
a direct intervention using all their might, without any need to
maintain a cover. Thats why sometimes Angels may appear as
emotionless creatures, lead only by their duties, consumed by their
own hate toward sinners and unfaithful. Truly, they have emotions
like every other conscious being.

Created by the /r/DnDBehindTheScreen community

A
Angel 7

The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

Animated
Objects
Written by sorryjzargo
Not to be confused with Mimics, which are monsters
grotesquely shaped as man-made objects, Animated Objects are
man-made objects brought to life through magic. The nature
of the objects or the magic powering them varies from object
to object, but they all share certain traits that make it easy to
classify them as a single type of monster. Most Animated Objects
are unintelligent, with a singular purpose. Unfortunately, their
purpose is almost universally harmful. Except for the rare
intelligent Animated Objects, they are all unaligned because
of their unintelligent nature. Even if their purpose is evil, they
only fulfill their purpose because they are forced to, not because
they themselves are evil. They also all share a vulnerability to
antimagic.
Boris had just killed a Rust Monster that was guarding
King Olisters fortress. With his weapons and armor
destroyed, he thought he had no choice but to turn back.
Then he found a suit of armor decorating the dungeon.
Praising the gods for his good luck, he put on the armor
and waved the nearby sword with glee. King Olister would
fall before his blade, there was no doubt.
When he reached the final chamber, he shouted a
challenge to the mad king: Fight me like a man or die a
coward! King Olister merely laughed at his challenge.
The enraged Boris charged, but the carpet sprung to life,
tripping him. Raising his blade to fight his new foe, he
gasped when he realized that the sword was no longer
in his hand, but floating a few feet away, pointed at him.
He desperately tried to jump out of the way of the blade,
but the armor locked up and actually moved him into the
path of the blade. His head decorated a pike outside King
Olisters fortress the following morning.
BORIS LEARNS TO NOT TRUST ANIMATED OBJECTS
THE BIG BOOK OF BORISS BLUNDERS

Physiological Observations
The shape and function of Animated Objects vary from
item to item. Three most commonly encountered by explorers
are known as Animated Armor, Flying Sword, and Rug of
Smothering. However, Animated Objects come in practically
every possible form, from the tiniest needles to carriages and ships.
All Animated Objects share one physical trait: they can only move
parts of the objects that are capable of moving. A statue would
make a poor Animated Object because it has no moving parts;
it would be wiser to make a statue into a golem of some
kind.
Animated Armor. This form of Animated
Object typically appears to be a metal suit of armor, with
significant variation in composition and decoration from
object to object. Its not uncommon to see Animated Armor with

8 Animated Objects

emblems or spikes decorating them. They can also take the shape
of other kinds of armor, like leather or scale, but they tend to
be less common because they lack durability. Animated Armor
doesnt rust naturally, though if it is made of metal it can still be
damaged by a Rust Monster or any magical sources of rust. If
the design of the Animated Armor does not make it immediately
obvious that there is no one wearing it, it can easily be confused
for a person.
Dungeon Masters Toolbox:
Animated Objects are one of the most versatile monsters
in the Monster Manual because they can literally be anything.
The right amount of creativity can turn a room full of junk into a
deathtrap of deadly Animated Objects.
Alternatively, Animated Objects can be used as to help the
PCs. An animated lamp could guide a lost party through a
maze, or an animated rope might help a traveller rappel down
a wall. There could be a very lazy wizard who decided to never
have to deal with any mundane task again, so he made every
single possession he owned into an Animated Object, so the
door opens when he wants through, the coffee makes itself, the
broom sweeps automatically, etc.
Theres no limit to the size of an animated object, so an
entire ship could be animated, doing away with the need of
a crew. A rogue, intelligent animated ship would be a deadly
scourge upon the seas. Even more ambitious, there could be an
animated city somewhere, maintaining itself while its citizens go
about their lives, barely aware that the city is anything special.
Im personally fond of a homebrew spell that transfers a dead
persons consciousness into an animated object. Fun times...

Flying Sword. Despite the name, Flying Sword is a

classification that encompasses all animated handheld weapons,
including swords, axes, clubs, hammers, daggers, and even
crossbows. Swords are the most common, but any out-of-place
weapon in a dungeon could potentially be an Animated Object.
Like the name implies, these objects can fly, making up for
the weapons general lack of moving parts. Unlike a Dancing
weapon, Flying Swords function permanently (until destroyed or
disenchanted) but they do not gain the benefits of their wielder
like Dancing weapons do. Like Animated Armor, Flying Swords
possess the same immunity to natural rust and the same weakness
to Rust Monsters and magical rust.
Rug of Smothering. This type of Animated Object shares
an unfortunate physical similarity to another less sinister
magical object, the carpet of flying. Like the carpet, the Rug
of Smothering appears to be a rug or carpet, but instead of
responding to command words with flight, the Rug of Smothering
brings a whole new world of pain. Unlike a carpet of flying, a
Rug of Smothering is generally incapable of flight, though there
are certain exceptions. Their magical properties make them a
natural flame retardant, so while fire can still damage them, they
dont burn like cloth typically would. These rugs dont typically
possess the ability to fly, though some possess slight levitation
capabilities.
Other. Animated Objects of other categories possess the same
physical characteristics as the objects they come from, though
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The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

some things can be magically amplified. The magic negates most
of the objects natural weaknesses, such as wooden objects dont
burn as easily or metal objects dont rust. Objects are animated
through either control of the objects moving parts or can fly
through magic propulsion, though the latter is less common.
Since they dont have eyes (usually), they see through a magical
blindsense that extends 60 ft. Beyond that, they are blind.

Social Observations
Because the ovewhelming majority of Animated Objects are
unintelligent entities with a singular purpose, there is very little
social interaction between Animated Objects. Sometimes they can
coordinate to accomplish a group goal, but that is largely up to
their creator. The rare intelligent Animated Object usually avoids
the unintelligent ones, sticking together in the even rarer instance
of multiple intelligent Animated Objects inhabiting the same
area.

Behaviorial Observations
An Animated Objects behavior is based entirely on the
intentions of its creator. The most common Animated Objects
serve a violent purpose, but there are many other kinds that exist
for other reasons. Intelligent Animated Objects develop a sense
of superiority because of their uniqueness, but they also tend to
inexplicably become paranoid, often leading to isolated lives away
from anything or anyone else.

Interspecies Observations
Animated Objects only interact with other species if it is
required by their purpose. Violent Animated Objects interact
violently with other species, while helpful Animated Objects aid
other species. Intelligent Animated Objects tend to be reclusive,
avoiding both unintelligent Animated Objects and other races.
While Animated Objects will fulfill their purpose to the best
of their abilities, they will not perform any actions not directly
associated with fulfilling their purpose. An Animated Object
cannot aid an adventurer if its purpose is not to aid people, and
they will not harm an adventurer if its purpose is not to harm
people.

Ankheg
Written by JonBanes
The Ankheg (gryllotalpa aegisidae, alt. myrmecia aegisidae)
is a large insect common to temperate forest and grassland
biomes. Many consider the ankheg to be a notorious pest species
and when there is an infestation it can wreak havoc to a farm or
ranch due to disruption of local soils and predation of domestic
animals. Removal of ankhegs from agricultural societies can be
difficult as obtaining enough poison to reach a lethal dose for the
ankheg is often not a viable solution due to size and the creatures
resistance to many poisons effects. As such, a manual approach
is often used. Ankheg resistant to removal have been known to
Created by the /r/DnDBehindTheScreen community

consume or fatally poison unwary extermination contractors.

It is not suggested that the inexperienced attempt to remove an
infestation.

Physiological Observations
It is perhaps due to its interactions with humanoids that one
of the ankhegs most noted features are its large outer mandibles.
Capable of injecting a potent poison these are used to subdue and
manipulate prey for mastication with its smaller inner mandibles
in addition to warding off unwanted intruders to its territory.
Some sub-species of ankheg have been reported capable of
launching a poisonous projectile. The mechanism behind this has
remained expectedly elusive.
The ankheg has a number of very keen senses including
low-light capable vision, a keen sense of smell using the antenna
on its head, and the ability to sense fine vibrations in the
surrounding earth facilitated by a number of fine hairs on the
ankhegs feet.
Dungeon Masters Toolbox:
Darkvision, tremorsense and a keen sense of smell means
that any PCs will have a hard time hiding from an ankheg, or
sneaking up on them.
Ankhegs become a force to be reckoned with when they are
acting as ambush predators. Make sure that you make full use
of their burrow speed and propensity to build shaky collapseprone tunnels to really put the screws to a party. Its actually
quite rare for a thing to fight to the death in real life but clade
Arthropoda is not known for its high intelligence. Protecting
a kill, its lair, or its brood offer a great incentive in addition to
more simple blind, dumb, invertebrate rage.
Speaking of low intelligence, some editions of this creature
have such low INT that they are immune to certain mind
affecting spells and powers, make sure to make a note of that
and be aware that comprehension is often a prerequisite to
following an order. Giving a complex order to a thrall does not
give it a brain.
In a number of ways the ankheg resemble ants, but are
terrifyingly larger. While the typical depiction of the ankheg
is a solitary one, turning it into a social animal is a easy step to
take. A dungeon that resembles an anthill with larger than life
ants has a certain appeal and can be a nice break from a more
traditional dungeon. You can use the ankhegs tunnels quite
effectively given the right context.
Ankheg armor is also very attractive to Druids for obvious
reason. It can pose a nice macguffin for the druid in your party.

Despite their fearsome reputation as voracious hunters of large

game the ankheg is omnivorous consuming an extremely varied
diet. It is believed that this is primarily to maintain its rather
large size for a species of this particular clade. The large
size also creates problems for the distribution of oxygen,
a known limiting factor for many insects. Their large
size suggests that there is something more than just
diffusion pushing oxygen through their system.

Ankheg 9

The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

The ankhegs chitinous exoskeleton is the primary reason
that they are hunted, besides pest eradication. When properly
cured and maintained it can be used as armor plating that can
rival other types of heavy armor. Of of the notable properties is
that it is one of the few heavy armors that is non-metallic instead
relying on chitin for its structural integrity. This has made it a
valuable commodity to the right buyer. Successful hunting of
ankheg can be quite profitable especially due to the fact that the
ankheg has resisted domestication despite a number of disastrous
attempts.

Evolutionary lineage

There is some debate over the evolutionary lineage of this

peculiar insect. Due to the price portions of the exoskeleton
receive in most markets, comparative analysis of intact specimens
remain elusive as most are not collected with scientific enquiry
in mind. As a result, there are two competing theories on which
clade the ankheg occupies within the Insect class.
Some taxonomists lump the ankheg in with the mole cricket
(Gryllotalpidae) citing the strikingly similar mophologies,
behaviors, and diet. Both feature strong front fore-limbs used
for digging and burrowing in earth and loose soils to create
tunnels used by both to store eggs and early instar grubs/pupa. In
addition, both appear to be omnivorous, making them a pest to
both agriculture and animal husbandry, though the ankheg has a
notable size advantage in the later regard. There are some notable
differences that are marks against this hypothesis such as the lack
of wings on the ankheg and the lack of any poison used by the
mole cricket. This has lead some to believe that there is a different
lineage for the ankheg.
The number of similarities to the bull ant clade (Myrmecia)
has lead to an alternative theory stating the ankheg to be a large
member of the bull ant family. Like many in the bull ants parent
clade, Formicidae (the ant family), the ankheg produces a poison
which it is able to administer with a fearsome set of mandibles.
This, is addition to the solitary nature of a number of ankheg,
have lead to its classification in the Myrmecia sub-family.

Social Observations
Many ankheg are solitary creatures meeting other ankheg
only to mate and perhaps fight over territory but on a couple
occasions more complex social interactions have been observed.
Of the more solitary varieties, a mating pair may be seen soon
after the female has laid her eggs unless she has consumed the
male due to a scarcity of resources. In addition several males may
be seen in close proximity before mating vying for a females
attention.
More rare are small groups of ankheg working together.
This subspecies seem to have a high level of coordination and
will perform all sorts of tasks together including building tunnel
systems and hunting. They may in fact actually be eusocial
like the ant, bee, or naked mole-rat but this has not been
confirmed.

10 Azer

Behavioural Observations
The ankheg is an ambush predator making use of its highly
developed senses. In particular, its ability to sense vibrations
through earth mean that it doesnt even need to have a line of sight
or to be downwind to detect potential prey or hunters.
Ankheg make the most of these senses when they are inside
their tunnels. Ankheg are prodigious tunnelers making vast
networks of them when they find a new territory. Farmland is
especially attractive for this activity and can cause problems
with the stability of the fields that the tunnels are built under as
collapses are common injuring or killing farm animals and farmers
alike. The ankheg use these tunnels as a way to store food and
protect young from egg into its early instars. These tunnels have
also been used as staging grounds from which the ankheg will
quickly burrow above ground and attack prey.
Exploration of these tunnels without proper equipment is not
advised.
An Ankhegs chitin makes an excellent armour and
each individual has quite a bit of it. The problem is in
collecting it, mostly because an Ankhegs chitin makes an
excellent armour and each individual has quite a bit of it.
OLD HUNTERS ALMANAC

On the Consumption of Ankheg

Consuming Ankheg flesh has a number of complications and
thus it is generally not recommended. Contamination of the meat
from the many poison glands is common during butchering which
tends to be a rather kinetic operation.
There are, however, a number of accounts of various
individuals eating ankheg. A human culinary author named
Fredrick the Foodie boiled a (mostly) whole ankheg, convinced
the boiling process would produce a clean meat to eat alongside
a bucket of drawn butter and a bushel of lemons. Unfortunately,
before he was able to render a verdict on the taste, Fredricks throat
closed up, never to open again.
Another brave consumer, dwarf Gurdson Ironbelly, slow
roasted an ankheg leg over a fire and this last words were:
Sgood, like crab, bit nutty... It is theorized that it tastes like
a cross between a shellfish like crab or prawn and crickets, which
are known to have a nutty quality to them.

Azer

Written by HomicidalHotdog
If there is beauty and order in the Plane of Fire, it is the result
of the efforts of the Azers. An otherwise chaotic and unforgiving
place, the elegant cities and breathtaking spires that rise from the
ashes and cinders of the Plane of Fire are unparalleled in other
elemental planes. No other race is as dedicated to or as meticulous
with their craft as are the Azers, and the works they have wrought
stand both the test of effectiveness and the onslaught of time.

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The Ecology of Monsters, 5th Edition

Physiological Observations
The raw spirit of fire which animates these Dwarf-like beings
is inextricably linked to the metal that they are composed of, and
is imbued into them during their construction. It bursts forth
from fissures in their metallic skins, forming fiery hair and beards
that surpass even the most distinguished Dwarfs. It is unknown
whether Azers were made in the image of Dwarves or vice-versa, as
both are more ancient than historical records. Perhaps a shortstatured God simply likes the look. Regardless, the similarities are
more than superficial, as both races have an innate affinity with
metal, gemstones, and riches. They seem drawn to the plunder of
the earth, and their bodies are well suited to the depths and harsh
conditions of the mines.
Dungeon Masters Toolbox:
Azers are the civil-engineers of the planes. Modrons might
keep a planar citys infrastructure functional and clean, but it
was probably designed and built by an Azer. Therefore, if you
need something steam-punk or modern in an otherwise High
Fantasy campaign... Azers are the way to go. Given their nonconfrontational nature I dont tend to use them as guardians
or combatants, but they can make for interesting low-level
planar encounters. Theyre also the most obvious choice for
blacksmiths in the planes.
Azers are low CR (2) and I dont like them in groups, so I
discourage aggression by having the Azer ruin PC equipment if
threatened. That said, they can make excellent rewards, so if a
player has grown attached to and named their otherwise nonmagical sword, doing a favor for an Azer can make that sword be
ON FIRE. In a good way.
They neednt be confined to the Plane of Fire, either. Perhaps
some great work has brought them to the Prime and they need
help collecting material or protecting their scaffolding. Or
maybe it will help PCs get back at that Genie who twisted a wish,
or forge them a planar gateway to get them to a new adventure.
Or a sorcerer has bargained with an Efreeti to rent some of its
Chained Azer Slaves for the construction of his macguffin +5.
My variants are not balanced, and may prove more
challenging than the normal CR 2. Hopefully these variants
expand their usefulness or give you ideas!

Unlike most other elementals, Azers are made, not born. It

is this very fact that distinguishes them and grants them unique
insight into the nature of construction and metallurgy. Any
Azer seems capable of building a new Azer, though the exact
requirements for their construction are unknown, and new Azers
appear to be constructed on a rare whim rather than by some
divine pattern. At best, this occurs once or twice in an Azers
existence. Despite the origins of their existence, however, they are
no more a construct than any other living thing, as they are far
more than the sum of their parts: A golem or automaton follows
the precepts of its construction, but an Azer will always surprise
you.
They have no need for sleep or sustenance, though they have
a literal taste for rare metals. Upon consuming a metal, they
melt it down within their internal conflagration and can extrude
it from their very fingertips, allowing them to sculpt intricate
Created by the /r/DnDBehindTheScreen community

designs that are far more delicate than any mortal smith could
manage. It should be noted that an aversion to quicksilver and
gallium is commonplace, perhaps due to these metals low melting
points.
Each Azer has a unique metallic husk, but they distinguish
each other more by the hue and pattern of their flame than by
the cut of their shells. This may be due to the prevalence of body
modifications within the Azers. The metal they consume may
either be incorporated into their next project or fused with their
bodies. Newly-forged Azers tend to be constructed of a bronzelike psychoreactive metal, while ancient Azers may have bodies
composed of a wide variety of left-over precious metals. Most
Azers retain the Dwarf-like appearance of their birth, but Azers
with unusual, even alien, features have been witnessed.

Social Observations
Azers are a solitary and paradoxically anarchical race. They
have no apparent, definite hierarchy, but a strict social contract
exists within their conclaves that ensures order. Most Azers are
more concerned with their own inventions and creations than
with each other, but large projects necessitating the input of
dozens or hundreds of Azers are often spontaneously undertaken
without so much as a blueprint agreed upon (such a collection
is known as a Blast of Azers). For example, the construction of
the City of Brass for the Efreeti involved hundreds of thousands
of Azers working seemingly independently towards a common
goal. This occurred in spite of their lack of telepathy or established
leadership. Rather, whatever an individual Azer makes is accepted
and expanded upon by most other Azers. No order is enforced by
the Azers because they universally self-enforce, and an Azer acting
out of line is unheard of. It isnt that the Azers are disorganized;
they are so organized they have no need of the usual command
structures.
Social interactions between Azers usually entails little
more than mutual appreciation of the Azers creations. At its
most flattering, an interaction will encompass admiration of
a particularly rare metal incorporated into an Azers husk.
This brusqueness is not considered rude by the Azers. They are
universally focused upon new creation, rather than wasting time
with pleasantries. Somehow their independence has resulted in
the mutually-assured construction of massive, gleaming spires and
impervious ships to sail the burning seas.
Other species attempting to interact with Azers should bring
some complex or rare tribute. An artifact or unusual construct
may catch an Azers attention for a time, but those wanting to
truly interact with an Azer should engage them on innovative
ideas. Azers are happy to iterate repeatedly on an idea for
centuries, but a truly new idea will consume and focus them.

Behaviorial Observations
Orderly and nearly obsessive, Azers remain focused on
their current task unless something gets in their way. About
the only thing that can catch an Azers attention is an
interesting puzzle or unusual construction. Even in
these cases, only a cursory examination will be performed
before the Azer returns to its current priority. What they
lack in brilliance they make up for in persistence. Azers are

Azer 11