100 Dungeon Denizens
100 Dungeon Denizens
DUNGEON DENIZENS
Delve into the depths and discover these one hundred different harmless
creature that call this dungeon their home.
Achnelithid - A tiny cousin of the Piercer, resembles a shiny pebble or mineral outcrop. Dangerous only to mice and
01
small lizards.
Glitterbug - This coin-sized beetle-like Earth elemental feeds on minerals that are compressed into tiny gems on it’s
02
shell - used as a currency in some Underdark communities.
Fuzzworm - In the coldest places on the planet, the white, fluffy caterpiller known as the Fuzzworm can be found.
Attracted to body heat but with enough intelligence and a small amount of psychic ability so as to avoid those that
03
might resent their presence, these benign, fluffy creatures have saved many lives by wrapping themselves around sleep-
ing adventurers.
Trash Mimic - A non-predatory version of the classic Mimic, disguises itself as things nobody would want - rusty
04 weapons, mouldy paintings, shattered chests. They still get interacted with surprisingly often and it’s a rare adventurer
that stops to check the difference before attacking.
Box Critter - A smallish rectangle box shaped black creature that has a thousand little feet so when it moves it seems
05 as if it is on wheels or floating. It makes small beeps and squeaks. No one actually knows how they reproduce nor what
their function is, yet here they are.
Toadoid - It looks like a knee-high mushroom which cap can be all blue, red, green, yellow, purple, yet the dots are
always white, but it is actually a half sentient being. Cave dwelling. When exposed to fire or starlight it sometimes
06 comes up out of the ground and sprouts a pair of feet. Otherwise it will simply live out its life in the spot the spores
landed that spawned it. It has two arms and is able to wield weapons, but normally uses fists and spores to defend
itself.
Cloud Folk - Found in the Plane of Air, these elementals basically look like little puff clouds. They are friendly and
07 emotionally driven creatures that don’t mind giving rides to outsiders. Can cast Gust of Wind, but elder Cloud Folk
are capable of much stronger sky weather related spells.
Sweetfish - Tiny blind fish that glitter with blue-green luminescence. They only live in fresh, uncontaminated water. If
08
you see their reassuring glow, you know that the pool or rivulet is safe to drink.
Trubble - Small balls of brightly colored fur. They eat vegetable matter and dungeon detritus. As a defence mecha-
09 nism they make a puur-chirp sound that most humanoids find pleasing. If removed from the predator-rich under-
world environment, their exponential breeding rate may cause trouble.
Scissor Bugs - Called this by overworld explorers, underworld denizens call them ‘hunger in the dark’. Beetle-like, the
size of dinner plates and with huge serrated mandibles. They are harmless to humanoids but have a voracious appetite
10
for fungus of all kinds. They are resistant to poison and they project a sphere of silence 5 ft. in diameter for each beetle
in the swarm.
1
Dice Roll Result
Gate Bubbles - Appearing in areas where the dimensional barriers are weak, such as in the vicinity of an active portal
to another world. Gate bubbles are floating spheres that appear out of nowhere, grow large, shrink and dissapear ap-
11
parently at random. Some sages speculate that they are actually glimpses of multi-dimensional beings moving through
or casting ’shadows’ on our limited universe.
Bax - Bats that have been in the deep downs of the underworld for so long that they’ve lost many of their distin-
guishing bat features. Completely eyeless, pale, mostly hairless, and bearing only the stubbiest of feet, their ears are so
12 large as to completely ring their head, and their mouths are full of tiny teeth. They eat bugs, though a different species,
Crawling Bax, have evolved to eat lichens, and pull themselves along on stony surfaces with their clumsy wings. All
Bax are terrified of loud noises and tend to flee adventurers with great haste.
Dungeon Cat - A special sort of cat found only in dungeons, it delights equal parts in solitude and curiosity. Dungeon
Cats follow adventurers around and observe them, but should they be noticed, they disappear to another part of the
13 dungeon. As dangerous as a regular cat, just wants to be left alone while watching people. Curiously, they don’t tend to
belong to the dungeon’s creator, and are theorized to be something like neutral observer spirits taking a form we can
understand.
Octohops - Tiny, land-dwelling octopi. They hang around damp places, being amphibious, and are like the frogs of
14 the ceilings. And walls. And other places they can grab. They’re fairly clever, and small groups often try to hop on
adventurers for a quick ride to new places.
Eye-Birds - Nocturnal birds with a single defensive adaptation: Massive eyespots on their wings. When threatened,
15 they puff out a bright red throat pouch, which produces a deep growling sound, and spread their wings open to reveal
spots that look like massive, yellow eyes.
Peppermint Polies - Small white isopods that taste foul. When threatened, they stretch themselves out and touch
16 their antennae to their rear, exposing bright red bands between their armour. This alerts most predators to their nasty
taste.
Sparkling Jelly - A tiny or small-sized ooze that eats mosses and other plant matter. Suspended in the gelatinous
17 creature are hardened, small, and somewhat glass-like pieces which sparkle greatly from even a dim candle. Interest-
ingly, it doesn’t sparkle from magical sources of light.
Laughing Bones - An undead skeletal creature which might seem spooky, but are actually quite friendly (and very
rare). They come from bones, and metal debris in a dungeon being found and assembled by a fey spirit without a
18
host body. A laughing bones will be glad to travel with an adventurer or explorer for a while (as long as the traveler is
willing to exchange jokes and stories!)
Candle Crab - A small elemental hybrid of fire and earth that looks like a crab made from obsidian and brimstone. It
avoids water, but will scuttle toward a wood chip, piece of charcoal, a small piece of cotton, or a rag to snack on (by en-
gulfing it in flames). Interestingly, it seems to know that eating/burning some things can cause a lot of damage or pain,
19
and it will refuse to consume such things. It will not burn clothing (unless a piece like a glove is very obviously given
to it), it won’t burn furniture in a building, and it won’t burn plant creatures unless it’s in self-defense and absolutely
has to in order to survive.
Paper-kin - Scraps and pages of magical books left dormant for so long that parts of them gained sentience. These
tiny little warriors thirst for adventure and nobility. They tend to only be found in ancient libraries, very old treasure
hoards with spellbooks, or from other magical literary artifacts. They often tunnel out many hiding spaces like other
20
diminutive intruders such as rats or bugs might do. These spaces tend to be as cozy and innovatively decorated as any
intelligent humanoids dwelling might be. To a Paper-kin, even a small bottle cap and a trinket with some plush on it
are a comfortable table and chair.
Sticky Worms - These are relatively large, grublike creatures that glow faintly green in the dark. Their skin is coated
21 with a sticky mucus that insects and bugs seems to be attracted too. Harmless, but unpleasant to peel one off of the
unwary adventurer who brushes against the wall or is silly enough to grab one. ‘Just rip it off real quick, like a bandaid!’
Whisper Worms - They’re earthworm-sized slimes that have a knack for making noises that sound like people whis-
22
pering, but hide and go silent whenever disturbed or threatened.
Ghostfire Beetles - Technically undead, these beetles are harmless and usually incorporeal and appear like fireflies, but
with a sinister red or blue glow. They congregate in mating swarms in darkness wherever undead are likely to amass,
23
and a large swarm may indicate the presence of powerful negative energy swells. They can be captured, and used for
various purposes, but die in sunlight.
Floating Slimes - These slime-spores fill the air with tiny bubbles of foulness, being filled with hydrogen, methane,
and mephitic vapors, they are flammable, but of so small volume they are harmless. It would take quite a large gather-
24 ing of them to be any sort of danger to a grown individual. They do have a tendency to coat things with a layer of slick
acid, and can irritate or slow the healing of wounds. A small application of saltwater and soda will quickly neutralize
thier acid.
2
Dice Roll Result
Fire-Moss Beetles - A fine downy sort of red orange filligree lichen that slowly grows in lightless places atop a
certain variety of native beetle. It produces a sort of faint ultraviolet glow naturally, but when exposed to heat or flame
burns quickly releasing a small amount of heat and visible light (but a great deal of ultraviolet light, the equivalent of
25 several hours in full sunlight in only a minute). If painstakingly collected, dried, and powdered, it could be a substitute
or ingredient for use in black-powder, or as some sort of flash weapon against creatures that avoid bright light. Most
creatures, except the beetles they grow on, learn to avoid the lichen from the sunburns it inevitably gives when they
brush up against it.
Puddle Jelly - A small slime that resides in damp places, and often imitates small puddles of water to disguise them-
selves from larger predators. Completely harmless, they feed on the bacteria that cultures within the musty environ-
26
ments where they are found. Apparently they taste quite good, and elven cultures are known to eat them alive; they say
it has a nice tingling sensation and has a slight nutty taste.
Room-Ray - A little beast that hovers over the ground, gliding wherever it senses food. Small creatures often ride
27
them by throwing bait ahead of them. They are very docile.
Confidence Critter - A large mite like creature that scales walls and roof. It eats away the anxiety of people around
28 it, doing the equivalent of casting heroism to a creature within 5 ft. Sometimes kept used to alleviate depression, and
used as leverage to people addicted to them.
Stench-Friend - A harmless elemental from the air plane. It is a foul smelling creature that for unknown reasons
29 takes a liking to one PC and stays with them for 1d20 minutes. Anyone within 10 feet can smell the stench. Some are
visible, but the ones that aren’t smell especially bad.
Under-Chickens - Dark, iridescent colored chickens that have very atrophied heads with fleshy tubes instead of beaks
that suck at lichen, molds, slimes etc. on the ground. They have no sight and run around in flocks of 3d4. PCs encoun-
30
tering them might first hear them suck-pecking at the floor. If startled they’ll run mindlessly and blindly in all direc-
tions randomly bumping into PCs, walls, or even into danger. PCs can make animal handling checks to herd them.
The Scared Skeleton - A skeleton that has been magically enchanted to fear any adventurers. It will act as though a
31 permanent fear effect is on it whenever it notices any non-undead being. It will run away from anything to the best of
it’s ability and can’t approach them. Additionally, it cannot attack due to its fear.
Bugbear-Mites - Flea-like creatures about the size of a finger each. They feast only on bugbear hairs (and the dirt/
blood matted into them). Entirely harmless to most creatures, they are very territorial and will wiggle menacingly
at anything that gets near them. When no bugbears are near, or when they are removed from their host, they enter
32 hibernation cocoons, but emerge whenever they hear a loud enough noise (such as a bugbear roar or a party of adven-
tures). While they cannot harm players, they may attempt to consume the hair of other humanoids if hungry enough,
something described as mildly annoying by their ‘victims’. Most often found near goblin camps, though due to how
far goblins explore, they are present in hibernation all over the world.
The Solitars - Extremely cute creatures that seek out secluded caves, abandoned castles, or anything else rarely visited
by other creatures. They are small, cute, fluffy and can fly. Every adventurers dream random adoption. Except for one
33 thing. The Solitar hates any other creature. It will always attempt to avoid being seen, and when seen will attempt to
flee. If trapped/captured, they will explode into a puff of fluff, seemingly disappearing. In reality, they either teleport or
turn into a gaseous form and float away, safely. Sure to upset any party that tries to adopt every cute thing they find.
Cave-eye - These creepy yet harmless creatures dwell in dark caves and caverns. They somewhat resemble transparent
sea stars save for a golf ball sized singular eye on their centers. The eye is used to detect their common predators such
34
as the giant bats or slimes. They usually only eat moss and other decaying plant matter found in cave roofs and walls.
They usually live in small colonies of 3-10 creatures. Cave-eyes rarely grow to be more than 30 cm in diameter.
Shardians - These crystals grow in dungeons with potent magical auras. To unknowledgeable they seem to be just
ordinary purple crystals. However, these crystals are fully sentient creatures. They capable of communicating with crea-
tures that possess either telepathic abilities or an innate connection to earth or stone (such as dwarfs, earth elementals,
35
or other Shardians). Each Shardian is connected to a telepathic network that over time spreads throughout the whole
dungeon. Removing a Shardian from it’s original growing spot (and thus from its network) without proper safety
measures causes it to die and crumble into worthless rock dust.
Giant Roly-Polies - Giant version of a pill bug, growing up to 12 inches in length. Primarily scavengers, feeding on
36
plants and dead animals. When threatened it rolls itself into an armored ball.
Paper Bugs - a species of insect related to walking leaves, that have adapted to imitate sheets of parchment instead.
Very big for bugs, about the size of a sheet of parchment, and startling when they stand up and start walking, but
37
completely harmless unless you’re a book. They mostly eat paper and book glue, and can be typically found in aban-
doned libraries and studies.
3
Dice Roll Result
Coneheads - Sitting at the size of a small dog, these creatures imitate spikes with their gray pointed fungi caps that
38 extend off the head and cover the whole body when they crouch down. Their bodies texture and color imitate that of
the terrain they’re in, though their structure eerily mirrors that of goblins once the fungi cap is removed.
Vulture Slimes - Like their namesake above, these slimes will follow around Adventurers or other denizens of the
underground. They feed off corpses and equipment. Overtime they come to take on aspects of what they eat. Higher
level ones can even cast spells or use class features if they were able to eat a strong creature. They often have leather or
39
metallic outer coats from eating weapons and armor. Despite being hard to kill they are very passive and non hostile.
Occasionally smarter ones will try to lead surface dwellers into traps or even lead them safely through the dungeon so
they can eat whatever the visitors kill.
Blanket Ghost - Contrary to its name, a blanket ghost is a fey spirit in the form of a blanket of any kind. It lies in
wait, waiting for any sentient being to claim it as its own. But, luckily for all, the blanket ghosts do not have any form
40 of ill-will toward their owners, in fact, quite the opposite. Those adventurers with a blanket ghost find simple chores
done without any explanation why or how, a good night’s rest and a loving companion that they don’t even realise they
have until it’s gone.
Torchfly Nests - These cone-shaped nests can be found affixed to walls in dungeons the world over. At the wide end
of the nest, swarms of the small black flies soar endlessly upwards, flashing bio-luminescent red and orange glows as
an ongoing warning to predators and casting a convenient glow in the dark caves to which they are native. It is said
41
that the jelly at the narrow end of these nests can be refined into a potion which lets the drinker see in the dark as if
it were daylight, or into a poison which causes the victim to be so terrified of drowning they will refuse to even drink
water.
Elkshrooms - A four-legged fungus in a generally elkish shape, about the size of a small dog. They sprout ant-
42 ler-shaped fruiting bodies in the ‘head’ region when they sporulate in the fall. The fruiting bodies are delicious in sal-
ads, and highly coveted by local chefs, but elkshrooms are very quick, resistant to piercing damage, and hard to catch.
Displacer Mosquitoes - Seemingly normal mosquitoes. When you attempt to slap them, they are actually six inches
43
to the left.
44 Mockingfrog - A small pinkish frog that has a croak that sounds like a different insult to each person.
Whisper Crickets - These insects make the traditional chirping noise, but when they are threatened, they create a
45
minor aural illusion of whispering or growling behind the threat.
Breeze Minnows - Small fish that live in the air instead of the water. They eat small bugs, and are generally well-liked
46
because of it.
47 Rave Crabs - Crabs that when gathered in groups, will dance and use their claws and shell to create music.
Whistle Rats - Very shy, and like to stay hidden. Any time you inadvertently draw near to one (or more), they emit a
48
deafeningly loud whistling noise. This will inevitably ruin covert movement / attacks.
Glowing Bluehead - A plain-looking bird, that can make it’s nest glow in dark to attract insects. During mating
49
season, males build very elaborate additional constructions to make colorful illumination to attract females.
Toad of Ill Omen - This fat, slow moving toad has an unnerving habit of appearing seemingly out of nowhere, usually
in the middle of a trail, on your pack, or other inconvenient location. It seems the toad has no natural predators, and it
50
is considered extremely bad luck to disturb the toad. If it’s in your way, you have to wait for it to decide to leave on its
own accord, lest you be cursed by its strange toady ways.
Anomalocaris - A hovering anomalocaridid that is attracted to temporal anomalies (time magic) and has a penchant
51
for slipping through cracks in time.
52 Glass Squid - A squid literally made of glass, exquisitely beautiful and fragile, that swims with otherworldly grace.
Cobblestone Beetle - A rather large insect that can retract its many legs to resemble a single piece of cobblestone.
53
Adventurers sometimes step on them while walking down a hallway, causing a loud CRUNCH sound under their feet.
Jewel Wasp - A shiny, brightly colored wasp that eats gemstones and other precious materials. They frequently infest
54
dragon hoards, where they might be considered pests or pets, depending on the dragon.
Pelican Flower - A plant creature that looks like a pitcher plant, but uses two large leaves as wings, flying around and
55
hunting small animals in a manner similar to pelicans.
Alarm Jellyfish - Jellyfish that flash a warning red color when disturbed, often attracting larger predators to deal with
56
the disturbance.
Incense Slugs - Palm-sized slugs that grow short tentacles which can be harmlessly broken off and used as incense.
57
The slugs also have a calming aura, and are viewed as holy by certain religious orders.
4
Dice Roll Result
Bladed Peerens - Rodents that look like long ferrets with six legs. The two front legs have three fingers, two of which
58 ending in long, blade-like claws. These claws never get dirty or dull, and are next to impossible to break. They also have
this same material as plates on their backs. These claws maintain this property if the animal dies and they are removed.
Healing Toads - Red toads that are particularly hungry and vicious for food. They are very hard to kill because they
59 heal and reform so quickly. Their blood can be used for healing, if you can manage to catch and kill one. Legends also
say that their blood has been used to regrow body parts.
Harvester Grums - Chubby mammals that look similar to raccoons, without the markings on their coats. The have
60 only been found in the wild in large dens that they build; and are almost always sleeping. Despite never leaving their
dens, the dens are always full of food.
Illusory Flies - A see-through insect that looks like a dragonfly. They seem like an illusion: They cannot be touched
61
and cannot see or hear any animals around them. They still land on solid objects like rocks and walls.
Brine Rats - Large rats with white fur and bright blue eyes that live in salty tide pools. Their fur is razor sharp but
62
extremely brittle.
Pufferbugs - Caterpillars roughly the size of a loaf of bread. Uniquely when they pupate, the cocoon produces hun-
63
dreds of regular sized, vibrant green butterflies.
Crystal Mite - A small, crystalline insect from the Underdark that uses their gem-like appearance to hide from preda-
64 tors; their natural attraction to gem deposits leads many miners to keep the mites as pets; the fragile crystals that form
their exoskeleton are worthless, but conniving Underdark traders may try to sell them as the real thing.
The Butternewt - A small, pale, yellow-ish amphibian some six inches long, the butternewt is known for its chubby,
endearing exterior, and the creamy scent it naturally exudes. This creature consumes the fats of any (dead) creature
it comes across, only emerging from the rotting logs it calls home when it smells dying flesh. It has no offensive
65
capabilities, and is not known to consume living organisms. So named for its resemblance to a stick of butter, a single
butternewt is an adorable discovery one might make in a dungeon — until they come across a number of them tearing
into the remains of a dead creature nearby.
Kivve Masal - Snail-like creatures which use containers they find as shells. (Examples include pots, chests, and Small
crates with one side cracked open.) If their shell breaks, they will move much quicker than any snail would normally.
66
They are edible and taste like grapes. Their mucus and trails are highly flammable. They are herbivores and favour
haurchints.
Cappers - Like cloakers, but small. They fall onto someone’s head, arrange themselves into a fashionable piece of
67 headwear, and eat the bugs they find in the person’s hair while chirping in a way that sounds almost like spoken words
(similar to a parrot).
Humming Stirge - A coin-sized stirge that obtain nutrition through drinking tears instead of their blood-sucking
68
brethren. Will throw sand, pollen, or dust in the eyes of creatures to get a meal.
Cave Runner Vines - These leafless plants vary in consistency and thickness from delicate hairlike structures to huge
69 woody ones as big around as tree trunks. They have a chemosynthetic relationship with cave bacteria meaning they
need no light or leaves. Their young shoots, however, are vital to the food chain.
Tap Bats - Flightless bats whose limbs lack wing membranes. They echolocate by tapping their long fingers to make a
70
sound.
Wood Borer - This 3cm, black, wood-eating beetle sometimes mistakes synthetic shoe soles for tree wood and
burrows up through the sole of a person’s shoe to their foot. If shaken up, it might get confused and take a test bite of
71
the foot, but usually, it will just riddle the sole with holes until it disintegrates on the foot of the person wearing the
infested shoe.
72 Dire Mole - A passive creature that hunts large bugs and dire worms. About as big as a pig. Friendly to humanoids.
Rust Bugs - Small black Roly-Poly millipedes with shiny black shells consisting of several segments that allow them
to roll into a near-perfect sphere for defence. Swarms can form blankets several feet wide, but individuals are never
bigger than a few milometers in the wild. These distant cousins of rust monsters can eat rust, leaving behind cleaned
but damaged metal, but prefer to filter dead air. They can be found in blankets along the ground in deep dips or pits
73
in the deep Underdark where pockets of unbreathable used air settles. Clever Alchemists have found these little bugs
actually filter the dead air and spit out pure oxygen. They also discovered in captivity, kept alone, in very large tanks of
used air with enough space to exercise, they can grow to nearly a meter in length after several months. The shell-like
segments can be harvested and are hard enough to be used as a steel replacement.
Stone Beetles - They look like ladybugs but they’re grey where ladybugs are red, and they’re thumbnail-sized. They
74 chew through stone and form colonies much like ants. They’re very picky about the sort of stone they like to chew.
Harmless and photophobic.
5
Dice Roll Result
Gardener Spider - A species of spider(roughly the size of a housecat) that uses its natural web making abilities in
horticulture rather than trap making, this omnivorous species maintains vast underground gardens. These large gardens
75
are usually made up of plant life indigenous to the under dark, but Gardener Spiders take great interest in non-native
species.
Veris Rat - A small reptile that masquerades as a rodent. Hides within rat colonies, using fine colour-shifting scales
like thin hairs to help it blend in. It is widely sought for its brain - a small organ in its head produces a mental projec-
76
tion that confuses the rodents around it, convincing them that it is a fellow rat. It feeds primarily on rat young and the
old or injured in rat colonies.
Stal Faux - This species of spider has a back that looks unnervingly similar to a skull, with individuals having different
sorts of skulls (human, dwarf, tabaxi, etc.). They mostly feed on insects trapped in their webs, which are also shaped
77
like skulls, and typically only disguise themselves as skulls to hide from or scare off threats. Their backs are used as
decoration and as a reagent in novice necromancy, and their legs add a nice kick of flavour to soup broth.
Stellar Fungi - A unique breed of fungus that adheres to large caves’ ceilings, organizing themselves to mimic the pat-
78 tern of stars directly overhead, as if capable of seeing through hundreds of meters of stone. Particularly savage Drow
paint them with misleading designs, trying to waylay Underdark explorers foolish enough to use them for navigation.
Whistle Cats - Blind felines that have developed echolocation abilities, capable of mimicking whistles and clicks.
79 They use the ability to cause bats and similar creatures to fall into their carefully made ambushes. Friendly to sapient
races, can be adopted as familiars and animal companions.
Damned Beetles - A fist-sized insect, these creatures are unique in their diet: they consume both holy and unholy wa-
ter, using the liquid as a defence against the creatures of the dungeons it inhabits. Mindless and happy to cozy up with
80 sapient races, they’re a pest species with little value as food. Traditionally found in abandoned churches and monaster-
ies, they’re rarely in groups larger than five or six creatures. When agitated, they leak whatever sacred water they just
ingested.
Cave Rabbits - Generally camouflaged top the rock and able to stand absolutely still, to the point that they can be
81 mistaken for rocks. Unlike surface rabbits, they have some climbing ability. Like surface rabbits, rapid breeding is a
major component of their survival.
Shelf Fungus - Large fungal growths that filter nutrients from the air. Grow slowly, forming solidly anchored, fairly
82 sturdy shelves. Spines on edges cause minor scrapes on creatures using them to climb and absorb the nutrients from
the resulting blood obtained.
Florogoblin - A herbivorous goblinoid that is about two thirds the size of a goblin. They are omnivorous and oppor-
tunistic scavengers, living on fruits, vermin, and occasionally on carnivore’s leavings. They are slightly more intelligent
83
than the average animal, but cannot learn to speak, and react more to tone than particular sounds. In the dark, they
could easily be mistaken for goblins due to their similar silhouettes.
Darkbumbler - These large bumblebees are roughly eight to ten inches in diameter, with orange fur with black stripes.
84 They fly loudly and have large stingers which they can use repeatedly (similar to wasps). Like wasps, they are very
aggressive and protect sources of sugar that they can convert to honey: flowers, fruit, and decomposing corpses.
Cave Crab - These small crabs are a pale tan or cream colour. If they are crushed, their blood spurts out, covering
85 whatever they splatter on to in a glowing neon yellow-green light which is almost impossible to wash off. The glow
persists for 26-36 hours.
Giant Silkworm - Silkworms that have grown unnaturally large due to the strange mushrooms they eat. Their silk is
86
often used by Drow to craft blankets, clothing, banners, rope, and a variety of other woven items.
Bara-Bara - These limpet-like creatures are covered with a domed shell, roughly the size of a wheelbarrow, and walk
on four stumpy legs. When it encounters a predator or a patch of edible fungus, it drops to the ground, forming a tight
87
seal between the ground and it’s shell. To feed, it uses its rasping tongue to strip the ground of all vegetation beneath
its shell, at which point it moves on.
Lookers - Pale grey, cat-sized creatures that crawl and climb on four thin, long, nearly man-like limbs. Their heads
are somewhat ridged and crested curving back, and although they appear faceless the front of their heads are in fact
88 covered with a multitude of thin, nearly invisible slits. Through these organs, they absorb and derive sustenance from
light and mana. They can often be seen alone or in pairs, following and gazing upon travellers or adventurer parties
navigating with light (particularly of the magical variety).
Shadow Slimemold - This dark mold slowly grows along the wet rock surfaces. It will only grow in the shadows, but
89 also requires a nearby source of light to create those shadows. When disturbed, it will squelch and retract deeper into
the darkness of the shadows it resides in. While doing so it also triggers a Darkness spell centred on itself.
6
Dice Roll Result
Skugs - These fat toads are the size of dinner plates, black with yellow warts. They are unusually dense, as if they are
90 made of steel, and often climb up to ledges and drop on to small prey below in order to crush them to death via blunt
force trauma. Their thick hide can protect from many predators bites, though not all. They are Omnivorous.
Sing Web Weaver - The threads of this large (tiny size category) blue and green spider’s web absorb sound waves from
the vibrations of passing creatures and struggling prey, which the webs then release as haunting, almost music-like
sound waves that confuse bats into flying into their traps. The webbing is shock absorbant, and is immune to Thunder
91
and Non-Magical Bludgeoning damage, and Resistant to Magical Bludgeoning, and the spiders are armoured with
their webs, and clothes woven from the webbing confers resistance to Non-Magical Bludgeoning damage and Thun-
der damage.
Zurs - These distant cousins of slugs can dig into pebbles or rocks, depending on their sizes. They can squeeze into
the smallest openings, and use their compacted muscles to carve a path in the rock. They can then use their multi-
92 ple suckers and muscles to build small bodies into their stones. Some of them grow arms and legs, while others can
become small creatures that roll. Most of them are peaceful, but some species develop colonies that can become quite
dangerous. They can use any kinds of minerals, including ores and crystals, to develop their armor.
Chasm Eels - these creatures look like a cross between an eel and a lamprey, though they do not swim in water. Rath-
er, they have electric organs in their bodies, similar to electric eels, which they use to float in the air. They are small
93
predators hunting tiny critters that cling to the walls of chasms and can use their electricity to stun them from a short
distance. They are skittish around larger creatures, but make loyal familiars to spellcasters who can tame them.
Cave Grapes - Phosphorescent Beetle larvae that feed on a variety of root-like fungal nodules. They grow to be grape
sized and store a large amount of sugary liquid in thier abdomens like honeypot ants on the surface. They squirt a
94
phosphorescent goo on attackers as a defense mechanism. They can be foraged for, and even domestecated as a food
source.
Sludgepots - These foul-smelling creatures resemble miniature ropers, in the sense that they have sticky tendrils that
can ensnare prey, although their prey is typically tiny insects and occasionally small creatures. Their barrel-sized bodies
feature a central depression which stores vile liquid which smells of rotting meat and feces, to attract their prey. They
95
have a limpet-like foot, and a ring of mouths, and a very sensitive array of antenna-like cilia on the rim of their ‘bowl’
that gives them blind-sight to 15 feet. They typically gather in colonies of 100 or more near water sources, and repro-
duce by budding.
Dark Carpet - A vanta-black colored slime-mold which has the magical ability to transmute air to stone (or rarely,
mineral ores), albeit slowly. An inch thick per year, on average. The moss feeds on darkness, prefers damp conditions,
96 and dies if exposed to bright light or high concentrations of gold-bearing ore. The stone created typically matches the
geology of the local environment, but can sometimes create new veins of valuable ore. Were one to figure out what
makes the slime determine what type of stone to place, one could have a regenerating ore-mine.
Sour Po’Tuber - Not actually a plant, but technically an outsider and a form of ‘slow life’ that experiences time differ-
ently than normal creatures and plants; these cone-shaped lifeforms burrow through even solid rock with a single, hard
tooth on the end of their six to twelve-inch wide tap-root by slowly twisting and pushing forward. A single Po’Tuber
takes 15 years to grow to adulthood from a bud, and digs at a rate of about 1 foot per year. Once established, they
97
spread out runner-vines which form woody, waxy, starch-filled tuber-like buds which can be harvested, steamed and
slow-roasted, and then pounded for several minutes into a tasty, very stretchy mochi-like paste. The paste is sour and
tastes like mashed-potatoes with dill pickle juice and anchovy paste; to topsiders perhaps not a flavor combination that
appeals, but many in the darklands relish the dish. Additionally, the po’tubers resist rot for up to a year until cooked.
Cavelotus - A distinctive white lichen that instinctively casts dancing lights for up to 1 hour per day. The lichens
grow in large clumps of multiple plants, supporting the sustained cantrip for much longer than 1 hour, collectively. The
lichen supports itself by tapping into both the photosynthesis system of nearby plants, as well as breaking them down
for nutrients. Other plants requiring light are dependent upon the cavelotus. Often, these plants offer some form of
98 protection to the lichen, or provide a nutrient that it can’t get any other way. The cavelotus leaves resemble giant lotus
leaves (up to 2 meters across), and have a similar perfumed (if fishy) flavor and are edible; but are creamy-white with
milky blue veins. The leaves roll and unroll slowly by themselves, in a very slow dance (hours). At a point in the cavelo-
tus’s lifecycle, it sprouts milky-blue puffballs that release pale-blue spores; supported by a stalk that drips a white,
sticky, milk-like sap. The sap is narcotic, somewhat like ketamine if properly collected by a trained alchemist.
Shadowleaf - A plant that only grows in the dark, produces pale white leaves that are a viable substitute for various
99 spell components. The roots are starchy tubers that go well in a stew. Be careful, though, exposing the leaves to direct
sunlight or firelight will cause them to burst into ghostly white flames that take an hour to put out.
Siren Roots - A plant which hangs upon the roof of the caves, it amplifies noise within stone greatly, making any
100 vibration sound like an earthquake. It is not yet known how they survived annoying the other creatures down here for
so long, plucking it will make it emit a loud wave of noise, amplified by itself, which ends once it dies.
7
Thank you so much for supporting the OSR Vault! Please visit www.osrvault.com for more works like this.
Support the work on Patreon at www.patreon.com/dndspeak.