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Beast, Undead
The undead beast is a mindless killer of unknown origin; it seems compelled to destroy any living thing. The size of a small dragon, the beast's bones protrude from rotting flesh. It has a great horned head, and its ribs are bare and barbed, forming a nasty cage. It walks on all fours, but it can rear on its hind legs by balancing with its stubby tail. It can also bring its powerful forearms against its opponent.
Where Found: Warriors' Tomb (Level 1)
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Chimera
No one seems to know how chimera were created; it is a dark mystery, perhaps better left unexplored. A chimera has the hindquarters of a large, black goat and the forequarters of a huge, tawny lion. Its body has brownish-black wings like those of a dragon. The monster has three heads, those of a goat, a lion, and a fierce dragon. The goat head is pitch black with glowing amber eyes and long ochre horns. The lion head is framed by a brown mane and has green eyes. The dragon head is covered with orange scales and has black eyes. Its many heads and powerful physique make the chimera a deadly foe in combat. If it's in the mood, the dragon head can loose a searing stream of flame in lieu of biting.
Where Found: Guildhall Quarter Ruins
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Elemental, Earth
Earth elementals can be conjured in any area of earth or stone. This type of common elemental appears on the Prime Material Plane as a very large humanoid made of dirt, stones, precious metals, and gems. It has a cold, expressionless face, and its two eyes sparkle like brilliant multifaceted gems. Though it has a mouth-like opening in its face, an earth elemental rarely speaks. Though they travel very slowly, they are relentless in the fulfillment of their appointed tasks. An earth elemental can travel through solid ground or stone with no penalty to movement or dexterity.
Where Found: Mages' Guild (Level 3)
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Elemental, Water
Water elementals can be conjured in any area containing a large amount of water or watery liquid. Usually a large pool serves this purpose, but several large kegs of wine or ale have been known to work also. The water elemental appears on the Prime Material Plane as a high-crested wave. The elemental's arms appear as smaller waves, one thrust out on each side of its main body. The arms ebb and flow, growing longer and shorter as the elemental moves. Two orbs of deep green peer out of the front of the wave and serve the elemental as eyes. Like all other common elementals, water elementals rarely speak.
Where Found: Mages' Guild (Level 4)
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Feyr
Feyrs (pronounced "fears") are created from the remnants of ordinary nightmares mixed with residual magical energies. They are unknowingly brought to life by the strong emotions of a large group of people. They are most commonly found in large cities that have a good number of mages, priests, and other spellcasters. Feyrs appear as humped, hunchbacked creatures, grim and inhuman in appearance. Their hide is mottled and curved like the surface of the human brain. The creature is supported by two main tentacles that act as legs, and by a handful of other tentacled limbs.
Where Found: Forest Trail
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Grave Mist
These terrible undead are typically found in desolate graveyards and burial grounds. They do, however, dwell anywhere there are dead. Grave mists seep into the Prime Material Plane where dead bodies are present. They feed on any remaining life essence that a dead body retains. Grave mists appear vaguely humanoid in shape with grey swirling mist as the outline of their bodies. Dark, black holes are all that show on the face to denote eyes. Their movements are swift and deft. A group may appear as smoke or fog to the unwary traveler.
Where Found: Burial Glen
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Groaning Spirit (Banshee)
The groaning spirit, or banshee, is the spirit of an evil female elf -- a very rare thing indeed. Groaning spirits hate the living; they find the presence of living beings painful, and seek to harm whomever they meet. Groaning spirits appear as floating, luminous phantasms of their former selves. Their image glows brightly at night, but is transparent in sunlight. Most groaning spirits look old and withered, have hair that is wild and unkempt, and dress in tattered rags. They have faces of pain and anguish, and eyes burning brightly with hatred and ire. Groaning spirits frequently cry out in pain -- hence their name.
Where Found: Temple of Lathander (Level 3)
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Hag
Hags are witch-like beings that spread havoc and destruction, working their magic and slaying all whom they encounter. They appear as wretched old women with long, frayed hair and withered faces. Grotesque moles and warts dot their blotchy skin. They wear clothing similar to that of peasant women. Their mouths contain blackened teeth, and their breath is foul. Though they appear wrinkled and weak, hags possess supernatural strength and can easily crush smaller creatures (goblins, for example) with one hand. And though hags look decrepit and dilapidated, they run surprisingly swiftly -- they can even lithely bound over and around rocks and logs in their path. Iron-like claws grow from their skinny fingers. They use these claws and their supernatural strength to rend and tear opponents in combat.
Where Found: Guildhall Quarter Ruins
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Knight, Death
A death knight is the horrifying corruption of a knight; it was cursed by the gods as punishment for betraying the code of honor it held in its former life. A death knight is typically taller than six feet and weighs more than 300 pounds. Its face is a blackened skull covered with shards of shriveled, rotting flesh. It has two tiny, glowing, orange-red pinpoints for eyes.
Where Found: Temple of Lathander (Level 4)
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Living Muck
Living mucks are voracious, amorphous monsters composed of groups of cell colonies that scavenge and hunt for food. They typically inhabit ruins and dungeons. They have the ability to sense heat and analyze material structure from a distance of up to 90 feet to determine if something is edible. Living mucks attack any animal or vegetable matter (including humans) on sight.
Where Found: Temple of Lathander (Level 1)
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Minotaur
Minotaurs are either cursed humans or the offspring of minotaurs and humans. They usually dwell in labyrinths, for they are not confused in these places; this gives them an advantage over their prey. Minotaurs are huge, well over 7 feet tall, and quite broad and muscular. They have the head of a bull and the body of a human male. Minotaurs are not extraordinarily intelligent, but are extremely cunning and have excellent senses.
Where Found: Forest Trail
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Naga, Bone
Bone nagas are created undead. They appear as snakes with large, human-like skull heads. Their empty eyesockets glow with hatred. Created by dark nagas (and a few evil mages) to serve as guardians, these worms serve their masters with absolute loyalty. Their creation is an exacting process, hence their rarity -- a good thing for the gentler creatures of the Realms. In battle, bone nagas bite with their long fangs and have been known to use other means of attacking those foolish enough to seek their wrath. Bone nagas eat nothing and fill no niche in the life cycles of the Realms -- except for the fact that they sometimes kill large, aggressive natural predators (including man) for sport.
Where Found: Temple of Lathander (Level 2)
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Naga, Spirit
These black-and-crimson-banded naga have a human-like head with stringy hair and deep brown eyes. Spirit naga smell of rotting flesh (which also happens to be their favorite food). Hiding in deserted ruins or caverns, the evil and cunning spirit naga try to harm any creature that passes through their domain. They set traps and frequently attack without warning.
Where Found: Temple of Lathander (Level 3)
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Ogre Slug
The appearance of ogre slugs is unmistakable: they have the upper torso, arms, and head of an ogre but the lower body of a large slug. Their coloring is usually swampy, grey-green skin on the upper body area, fading into a deep, blackish green for the lower slug portion. Ogre slugs are just as mean and ugly (if not uglier) than their full-bodied cousins.
Where Found: Mages' Guild (Level 1)
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Scaladar
Scaladar are scorpion-like monsters that have been described as "smoothly-moving metallic constructs." Formerly found only in Undermountain, they are beginning to spread to both subterranean and surface areas nearby... though none have surfaced within Waterdeep proper. Rumor has it that some of these cold, methodical killers are released with orders to simply destroy all living things they encounter. They attack by grabbing prey with two huge pincer claws while lashing out with their sting-equipped tails.
Where Found: Mages' Guild (Level 2)
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Shade
All knowledgeable authorities agree that shades are (or were) normal humans who, through arcane magic or dark sciences, have traded their souls or spirits for the essence of shadowstuff. Although they retain the shape and abilities of their original body, they are rumored to have grown in power by joining with shadowstuff. The true native shade is unknown, and no one knows if shades are connected with shadows (see the next monster description), or some power or substance from the Plane of Shadow. The method of transmutation from living being to unliving shade life has been lost.
Where Found: Temple of Lathander (Level 1)
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Shadow
Shadows are shadowy, undead creatures that drain strength from their victims with their chilling touch. Shadows are 90% undetectable in all but the brightest of surroundings as they normally appear to be nothing more than their name would suggest: shadows. However, you can clearly see them in bright light. Shadows travel in loosely organized packs that freely roam ancient ruins, graveyards, and dungeons. They specialize in terrifying their victims.
Where Found: Warriors' Tomb (Level 2)
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Shadow Hound
These hound-like creatures are normally encountered on the Plane of Shadow. In their natural habitat, they roam in packs or are used as trained guard beasts. As their name would suggest, shadow hounds appear as dark, black shadows of a canine form. Their eyes glow with a fiery radiance that sends a chill to the very soul of anyone looking at them. When they attack with their vicious teeth, their mouths produce the same fiery radiance as their eyes.
Where Found: Temple of Lathander (Level 4)
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Shambling Mound
Shambling mounds, also known as "shamblers," appear as heaps of rotting vegetation. They are actually an intelligent form of vegetable life that is roughly humanoid-shaped. They measure six to nine feet tall; their girth is about six feet at their base (legs to waist), and two feet at their summit (the "head"). Shambling mounds are fearless attackers and are perhaps the most deadly form of plant life known; they are not above creeping slowly into the camps of unsuspecting travelers at night. One bit of trivia: shambling mounds are excellent swimmers as well.
Where Found: Temple of Lathander (Level 2)
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Slithermorph
A slithermorph is an amphibious predator and carrion-eater. Most of the time it resembles a black pudding, creeping about in a glistening black, amorphous form. At will, it can "shape-change" into and out of the form of a serpentine, four-armed monster resembling a yuan-ti. In serpentine form, a slithermorph appears as a thick-bodied, scaled snake. Four muscular arms protrude near its head; these arms can employ clubs and other crude weapons.
Where Found: Mages' Guild (Level 4)
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Steel Shadow
Although steel shadows look rather like giant planarian worms, equally at home on land and underwater, they are rarely seen in their true forms. They merge with metal to enter and animate metal items. They use the metal shells as both homes and weapons; they can remain inside metal indefinitely without harm. As long as metal of some sort is nearby, you can find steel shadows in almost any habitat: from the wrecks of ships in the ocean depths to ancient tombs locked in glacial ice in the high mountains.
Where Found: Mages' Guild (Level 2)
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Swordwraith
Swordwraiths are the spirits of warriors cut down during battle and kept from the dissolution of death by their indomitable wills. Only seen at night or underground where the sun never shines, swordwraiths appear as warriors. Their weapons and armor are unremarkable; their flesh within the armor appears insubstantial. Swordwraiths were hardened, professional soldiers at one time, and as undead, they have retained their knowledge of strategy and tactics... and continue fighting because fighting is all they know. In many cases, these soldiers are too stubborn to even admit that they are dead.
Where Found: Warriors' Tomb (Level 1)
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Troll
Trolls are horrid carnivores found in all climes: from arctic wastelands to tropical jungles. Most creatures avoid these beasts because trolls know no fear and attack unceasingly when hungry (which is most of the time). Their limited intelligence and ravenous appetites are commonly known character traits. They grow to a height of 9 feet or more. A rubbery hide serves as skin, and regenerates at a phenomenal rate. The color of this "skin" is a nauseating moss green, mottled green and gray, or putrid gray. A writhing hair-like mass grows from their skulls and is usually greenish black or iron gray in color. Trolls walk upright, but hunched forward with sagging shoulders. Their gait is uneven, and when they run their arms dangle freely -- often dragging along the ground. In spite of this awkwardness and pathetic lack of grace, trolls are extremely agile climbers and runners.
Where Found: Temple Quarter Ruins
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Watchghost
These undead, sometimes called "unsleeping guardians," appear as graceful, beautiful humans of either sex who drift or walk about silently. Their limbs and appendages sometimes retain chalk-white flesh, but their torsos and lower bodies are always skeletal, and their eyes are always dark, empty pits. Watchghosts are intelligent, dangerous opponents; they are usually found as guardians serving powerful undead lords such as specters, vampires, and liches. Often, powerful, evil priests or wizards set watchghosts to guard a tomb, treasure vault, or other enclosed areas.
Where Found: Mages' Guild (Level 1)
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Water Weird
These unusual creatures are natives of the elemental plane of Water, but they are being encountered more and more often on the Prime Material Plane. When they are found in this realm, they are violent and hostile, attacking all living things instantly. In some manner that has never been fully understood, water weirds are able to feed on the life essences of those they slay. Water weirds look like serpents composed entirely of water.
Where Found: Mages' Guild (Level 3)
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Wight
Long ago, the word "wight" meant simply "man." As the centuries have passed, though, it has come to be associated only with those undead that typically inhabit barrow mounds and catacombs. From a distance, wights can easily be mistaken for any number of humanoid races. Upon closer examination, however, their true nature becomes apparent. As undead creatures, wights are nightmarish reflections of their former selves with cruel, burning eyes set in mummified flesh over a twisted skeleton with hands that end in sharp claws.
Where Found: Warriors' Tomb (Level 2)
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Wyvern
A distant cousin to the dragon, the wyvern is a huge flying lizard with a poisonous stinger in its tail. The dark brown to gray body of the wyvern is half tail. The tip of the tail is a thick knot of cartilage from which a 2-foot-long stinger protrudes, much like that of a scorpion. This tail is very mobile, easily striking over the back of the wyvern to hit an opponent to its front. The wyvern's eyes are red or orange. It does not have a strong odor, although its lair might smell of a recent kill. Like many other monsters, it is rather stupid, aggressive, and always ready to attack.
Where Found: Temple Quarter Ruins
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