Grinning Stone Monkeys
A low-level D&D monster I've been tinkering with... It can feel like low-level monsters are less interesting than high level monsters, so I tried to make these more than chunks of hit points.
Grinning Stone Monkey
No. Appearing: 3-12
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 1+3
Move: 9, 9 climbing
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage/Attack: 1-3
Alignment: chaotic evil
Intelligence: average
Size: S (1' tall)
Grinning stone monkeys are strange rock-like creatures that bear a superficial resemblance to monkeys. They are hairless with oddly-shaped heads, seemingly grinning. They haunt abandoned castles and other ruins, where their natural abilities can be put to the best use. At night they will sometimes raid nearby towns for small shiny objects: jewelry, coins, and gems!
Grinning stone monkeys can shape stone like clay and use this ability to make mazes of tunnels in the walls of their lairs. These will be placed so as to allow them access to each room and allow for hasty escapes. Further, they create statues resembling themselves on as many ledges and flat surfaces as they can. They will sit motionless amongst the statues they've created in order to get the drop on intruders. If they are in their lair, grinning stone monkeys surprise 11 in 12, 6 in 8 if the party knows what they are facing and are actively searching for them. Their coloration and natural stealthiness allows them to move silently at 85% and hide in shadows 60% of the time.
Though weak in physical combat, they have a few tricks for getting the best of interlopers into their residences. If a grinning stone monkey posing as a statue has surprise and can isolate an intruder, the monkey will snake its tail around the victim's neck and begin strangling him. 80% of the time, this is noiseless and will not attract the attention of others, even if they are nearby and facing away. In 1d4+1 rounds, the victim will be strangled and the monkey will return to posing as a statue.
If unable to perform the previous attack, a grinning stone monkey can spring on a character's back. The character must make a saving throw or be knocked on his face and stunned for one round, unable to do anything. If a grinning stone monkey puts all four of its limbs on a person, it can create a sleep effect identical to the sleep spell in that character. Typically a grinning stone monkey will attack the last character in a party that passes by this way, quickly grab a small object, no bigger than a dagger, then run for one of its holes.
***
That seems like a good way to give a low-level party a memorable time! Heh!
Grinning Stone Monkey
No. Appearing: 3-12
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 1+3
Move: 9, 9 climbing
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage/Attack: 1-3
Alignment: chaotic evil
Intelligence: average
Size: S (1' tall)
Grinning stone monkeys are strange rock-like creatures that bear a superficial resemblance to monkeys. They are hairless with oddly-shaped heads, seemingly grinning. They haunt abandoned castles and other ruins, where their natural abilities can be put to the best use. At night they will sometimes raid nearby towns for small shiny objects: jewelry, coins, and gems!
Grinning stone monkeys can shape stone like clay and use this ability to make mazes of tunnels in the walls of their lairs. These will be placed so as to allow them access to each room and allow for hasty escapes. Further, they create statues resembling themselves on as many ledges and flat surfaces as they can. They will sit motionless amongst the statues they've created in order to get the drop on intruders. If they are in their lair, grinning stone monkeys surprise 11 in 12, 6 in 8 if the party knows what they are facing and are actively searching for them. Their coloration and natural stealthiness allows them to move silently at 85% and hide in shadows 60% of the time.
Though weak in physical combat, they have a few tricks for getting the best of interlopers into their residences. If a grinning stone monkey posing as a statue has surprise and can isolate an intruder, the monkey will snake its tail around the victim's neck and begin strangling him. 80% of the time, this is noiseless and will not attract the attention of others, even if they are nearby and facing away. In 1d4+1 rounds, the victim will be strangled and the monkey will return to posing as a statue.
If unable to perform the previous attack, a grinning stone monkey can spring on a character's back. The character must make a saving throw or be knocked on his face and stunned for one round, unable to do anything. If a grinning stone monkey puts all four of its limbs on a person, it can create a sleep effect identical to the sleep spell in that character. Typically a grinning stone monkey will attack the last character in a party that passes by this way, quickly grab a small object, no bigger than a dagger, then run for one of its holes.
***
That seems like a good way to give a low-level party a memorable time! Heh!