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Beholder
Also known as Eye Tyrant or Sphere of Many Eyes, this solitary horror is most often found underground. Beholders have a globular body and move with innate levitation. Atop the beholder's spherical body are ten eye-stalks, and in the center is a single large eye and a gaping maw adorned with several rows of razor-sharp teeth. Each of the eye-stalks has a unique magical ability -- the beholder can cast a different spell with each. Fortunately, not all of the eyes can be brought to bear on a given target. Beholders are covered with hard, chitinous armor, making them relatively tough to hit in combat.
Appears: Level 12
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Displacer Beast
The displacer beast resembles a blue-black puma with two powerful tentacles growing from its shoulders. The tentacles are tipped with sharp, horny protuberances that can punch through even steel armor. The beasts range in size from 8 to 12 feet in length and can reach upwards of 500 pounds. The beast's name describes its most dangerous feature -- an ability to "displace" its image up to three feet from its actual location. This makes the dispacer beast very difficult to hit in combat.
Appears: Level 9
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Drider
This strange creature has the head and torso of a drow (see below) and the lower body of a giant spider. When drow of exceptional ability reach the sixth level, they are subjected to a test by the drow's dark goddess. Those who pass the test are elevated to special services. Those who fail are transformed into driders and cast out of drow society. Driders can generally cast spells as well as fight with weapons.
Appears: Level 8
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Drow
In their long-past history, the drow were part of the elf community that still roams the world's forests. Something turned these elves evil, and drove them from the sunlight into their present subterranean caves and cities. Drow are shorter and more lightly built than men. They have black skin and pale, usually white hair. All drow can cast some magic spells, and they often carry swords of adamite alloy.
Appears: Level 7
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Dwarf
These stocky demi-humans stand between 4 and 4 1/2 feet tall and weigh between 130 and 170 pounds. Dwarves are very tough warriors, and are resistant to both poisons and magical attacks.
Appears: Level 5
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Flind
This humanoid creature vaguely resembles a heavily muscled human with a canine head. Flind are of average intelligence, and can be found both above-ground and in caverns.
Appears: Level 3
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Golem
A golem is an artificial creature animated by an elemental spirit. The process of creating a golem begins with the creation of a body made of stone, iron, clay, or even flesh. After the body has been assembled, the creator must undergo a lengthy ritual to bind the elemental to the body, and subordinate its will to the new master. The ritual is a closely guarded secret of a handful of powerful wizards. Golems are utterly fearless, and battle with a single-minded determination.
Appears: Level 12
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Hell Hound
The hell hound is a very large, rust-red or brown beast with burning red eyes. The beast's markings, teeth, and tongue are soot-black. The baying of a hell hound has been described as "eerie," "hollow," and "disturbing." The beast attacks with flaming breath and piercing teeth.
Appears: Level 8
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Kenku
These beings resemble humanoid hawks, with both arms and wings. Their height ranges from five to seven feet, their feathers are predominantly brown with white under-feathers, and their eyes are brilliant yellow. Kenku all have natural thieving abilities, and take perverse pleasure in annoying and inconveniencing human and demi-human races.
Appears: Level 6
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Kobold
Well known for cowardice and a wide sadistic streak, kobolds are usually only dangerous in large groups. Kobolds stand about three feet tall, and their dark, rusty hides are somewhat scaly. The smell of a kobold has been described as "a cross between a wet dog and a swamp." They have an ancestral hatred for gnomes, and attack them on sight. Kobolds generally prefer to attack their opponents en masse, or from a distance.
Appears: Level 1
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Kuo-Toa
This is an ancient race of fish-men that now dwell in subterranean caverns. The kuo-toa harbor an age-old hatred for surface dwellers and their sunlit world. These creatures have a vaguely human body, topped with a wide-mouthed fish head. They have short legs and long, three-fingered hands. Kuo-toa wear no clothing, only a leather harness for their weapons and few belongings.
Appears: Level 3
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Leech, Giant
This is a slimy, slug-like parasite that feeds on its victim's bodily fluids. Leeches wait in the mud, sludge, and slime of swamps and sewers for unsuspecting prey. The giant leech rears up from the ooze when it detects the presence of a living creature, and attempts to subdue its prey.
Appears: Level 1
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Mantis Warrior
Also called Thri-Kreen, this is a carnivorous insect man. A mantis warrior resembles a man-sized preying mantis. Mantis warriors are often armed with a peculiar, viciously-bladed polearm. The name for this weapon has never been translated into the Common tongue, but the ferocious reputation of the deadly thing, and the warriors who wield it, has spread far.
Appears: Level 10
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Mind Flayer
Also called Illithid, this is one of the most feared of the subterranean dwellers. Mind flayers feed on the very minds of sentient beings. They are a slime mauve color, stand about six feet tall, and adorn themselves with flowing robes decorated with images of suffering, death, and despair. Their faces resemble octopi with two large, white, pupilless eyes.
Appears: Level 11
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Rust Monster
This is a subterranean creature with an appetite for metals of all kinds. Rust monsters are about five feet in length, and have a long, armored tail and two prehensile antennae. The tail is tipped with a strange paddle-like appendage. The creature is normally placid and inoffensive -- until it smells metal. Whenever the creature detects the scent of food (armor, weapons, and the like) it charges. Whenever the monster hits metal with its antennae, the metal corrodes and "feeds" the creature. Even magical weapons can be susceptible to the rust monster's attack.
Appears: Level 9
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Skeletal Lord
These creatures are an alite force of evil warriors created from the bones of fallen heroes. They can attack quickly, are very tough, and can pack together to attack as a group. The best defense against them is to turn them by readying the holy symbol of the party's highest level cleric. Skeletal lords take half damage from piercing and slashing weapons like swords and daggers.
Appears: Level 7
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Skeleton
This is a magically animated body, created and controlled by a powerful evil wizard or priest. Skeletons are one of the lesser undead monsters, though powerful skeletons have been created from the bodies of powerful warriors. Because they have no intelligence or will, skeletons are immune to spells such as Sleep, Charm, and Hold. They are also utterly fearless, and never retreat from a fight.
Appears: Level 2
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Spider, Giant
This predator haunts many regions and helps to keep down the level of pests such as kobolds and adventurers. Giant spiders weave webs for unwary victims, and attack with poisonous bites.
Appears: Level 4, Level 5
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Xorn
This creature is a native to the elemental plane, and feeds on precious metals deep underground. The wide body of a xorn is made of a pebbly material, and its mouth is located at the top of its head. Three talon-clawed arms are positioned symmetrically around its body. In the few reported cases of xorn attacks, the creatures seem to have been attracted by jewels or precious metals, rather than malice.
Appears: Level 11
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Zombie
Like skeletons, zombies are undead creatures that are animated and controlled by powerful wizards or priests. The animation ritual does not alter the condition of the zombie's body, so most are in severe states of decay, often missing patches of skin and hair, and occasionally whole limbs. Zombies are very slow and clumsy, but they fight with determination and persistence.
Appears: Level 2
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