History Characters / DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesM

'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (shadow flayer), 10 (Thoon disciple) (3E)\\

!!Thoon Thrall
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_thoon_thrall_3e.jpg]]

->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' As base creature +2 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

Slaves to the Thoon infiltrator who converted them, these unhappy creatures help undermine their communities, or are pressed into a fatal fight.

!Undead Illithids
!!Alhoon
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alhoon_5e_5.png]]
[[caption-width-right:320:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Undead (3E, 5E), Aberrant Humanoid Undead (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 18 (3E), 10 (5E)\\

Mind flayers that pursue arcane magic are exiled as deviants, and for them no eternal communion with an elder brain is possible. The road to lichdom offers a way to escape the permanency of death, but that path is long and solitary. Alhoons are mind flayers that use a shortcut.

* PuppeteerParasite: These creatures came to the mind flayers of Thoon's attention after they took over some humanoid captives in their nautiloid's prison deck. They look like a cat-sized bundle of wires that can burrow into the brain and vital organs of a host body, killing it, then the creature repairs the damage over the course of a day, after which point the body is wholly under the parasite's control. Normally the parasite is visible as a cluster of thin tentacles at the base of the host's skull, but it can hide itself by submerging beneath the stolen flesh -- while this prevents the Thoon infiltrator from using most of its abilities, it does mean nothing short of a full dissection will reveal its presence. More dangerous, a Thoon infiltrator can, once per week, extend neck tendrils into a helpless victim's mouth, and if uninterrupted for a minute, will convert that victim into a Thoon thrall.

->'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (shadow flayer), 10 (Thoon disciple) (3E)\\

* PsychicPowers: As a monster that debuted in ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'', megapedes (with the notable exception of their 3rd Edition incarnation) and natural psions that can blast prey with psychic energy.

* PoisonousPerson: Their fearsome bites also deliver a dangerous poison, which can be harvested from a megapede corpse and saved for a month before drying.

* {{Telepathy}}: Mercanes possess a form of racial telepathy, allowing them to communicate with one another no matter the distance or dimension. Those who offend or wrong one mercane is going to find it next to impossible to do business with any others until restitution is offered.
* TookALevelInBadass: In past editions, mercanes have been more or less noncombatants who'd rather bribe opponents with a magic weapon than wield it against them, but 5th Edition gives them multiple attacks with a "psi-infused blade" that can [[SupernaturalFearInducer cuase victims to be frightened of the mercane.]]

* FlyingFace: They're shaped like such, flying through space. A spellcaster who chooses to bind their spirit to a murder comet will cause it to take the shape of their own face.

[[folder:Myconid]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_myconids_5e.jpeg]]

->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E), Fey Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (junior worker) to 7 (sovereign) (3E); 3 (guard) to 4 (sovereign); 0 (scout), 1/2 (adult), 2 (sovereign) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral, Unaligned (4E)

Also known as "fungus ones," these intelligent, mobile mushroom folk are distrustful of outsiders, but generally shy and nonviolent, making them a rarity among the Underdark's inhabitants.

* AnimateDead: One type of myconid spore infests corpses, causing them to rise as mindless servants. They do whatever work there aren't enough myconids to carry out.
* LargeAndInCharge: Myconids grow over the course of their lives, but the sovereign is always the tallest myconid (eleven feet). If it dies, another myconid will grow to eleven feet tall and take over.
* MushroomMan: Myconids are intelligent, ambulatory fungi that live in the Underdark.
* MushroomSamba: Pun aside, myconids structure their days into three parts: eight hours of work, eight hours of rest, and eight hours of a mind-melding hallucinatory state caused by their spores.
* {{Telepathy}}: One type of spore myconids can emit allows for telepathic communication, both between themselves and with outsiders.

->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\

Sometimes known as arcanes, these tall, blue humanoids are merchants who travel the Great Wheel, selling magical items and other exotic goods to anyone who can meet their prices.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Varies from the source material, with their early entries explaining that mercanes will never deal with fiends, genies and the neogi, while later information states that they'll hire appropriate bodyguards for a trade mission into the Abyss.

* MerchantCity: The mercanes run the demiplane-city of Union, a great cross-planar trading stop, founded largely due to the mercanes' aversion to operating in [[TabletopGame/{{Planescape}} Sigil]].

'''Alignment:''' Neutral Evil

A creature entry's listed '''Challenge Rating''' may be for "baseline" examples of the monster, rather than listing every advanced variant presented in ''Monster Manual''s. Not all '''Playable''' creatures are created equal, especially in 3rd Edition, in which MonsterAdventurers can have significant Level Adjustments for the sake of party balance. A creature's listed '''Alignment''' is typical for the race as a whole, not an absolute for every individual in it -- even supposed embodiments of Good and Evil can change their alignment. Also, if there are two alignments listed, and one is for 4th Edition, assume that the other alignment holds true for all other game editions. Finally, the "Always Neutral" alignment listed in previous editions for nonsapient creatures has been equated with the "Unaligned" alignment of recent editions.

[[folder:Meenlock]]
[[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meenlock_2e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:285:2e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Aberrant Humanoid (4E), Fey (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 9 (4E), 2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil (1E-3E), ChaoticEvil (4E), NeutralEvil (5E)

Small, vaguely bug-like horrors that stalk and torment a chosen victim before abducting them back to their lair for converstion into a new meenlock.

* MindRape: Meenlocks hunt by selecting a target, then spending days stalking them while telepathically tormenting them, instilling paranoia through the feeling of being watched and followed, and filling them with the horrible certainty that monsters are going to come for them in the night. This mental assault deals Wisdom damage (in 3rd Edition) or psychic damage (in 5th Edition), potentially rendering the meenlocks' victim helpless.
* TheMorlocks: Another degenerate race of formerly-civilized humanoids that lurks underground.
* TheParalyzer: Their claw attacks can paralyze opponents, allowing the meenlocks to haul them back to their lairs.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Meenlocks give other creatures the creeps and project a supernatural aura that instills terror.
* {{Telepathy}}: They can use this to communicate, but mostly to be unpleasant to their prey.
* {{Teleportation}}: 3rd Edition meenlocks can use a ''dimension door'' effect every two rounds, while in 5th Edition it's a [[ShadowWalker shadow teleport]] instead.
* {{Tulpa}}: In 5th Edition, meenlocks are created as manifestations of the fear of other beings. When a sapient creature experiences deep fear or dread in the Feywild or an area highly influenced by it, one or more meenlocks spontaneously come into being.
* WasOnceAMan: In most editions, meenlocks procreate by haunting humanoids, driving them mad, and eventually kidnapping them to transform them into new meenlocks. Once a creature has been converted in this way, only a ''wish'' or ''miracle'' can bring them back.

[[folder:Mephit]]
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_mephits_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:349:Magma and ice mephits (5e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E), Elemental (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 1/2 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (3E), NeutralEvil (5E)

Imp-like creatures native to the Inner Planes. They come in an array of subspecies based on their elemental affinity, which affects their appearances, abilities and personalities, but one trait they all have in common is that they're incredibly annoying.

* BreathWeapon: All mephits can breathe a short cone of their corresponding element type, either dealing minor damage or hampering foes by restraining them with a coating of mud, blinding them with dust in their eyes, etc.
* {{Conlang}}: In ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' lore, there's actually an established form of code language involving sending mephits, where the type(s) of mephit sent and the number of them sent conveys different responses or information. For obvious reasons, you only send mephits to rivals, enemies and other people you just don't like. For example, an ice mephit indicates that the recipient is now officially forbidden from entering the home of the sender, with the number of ice mephits sent roughly indicating just how harshly they will be punished if they try.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: 5th Edition mephits explode when killed, creating a similar effect as their breath weapon.
* EnemySummoner: Some imps have a chance of summoning a few more of their kind, in case one of the things wasn't annoying enough.
* OurImpsAreDifferent: Mephits are small, devilish elementals with long noses, batlike wings, grating personalities and very low placement on the planar pecking order and food chain.
* {{Retcon}}: Mephits traditionally could represent one of the classical four elements or mixtures of multiple elements, resulting in a full ten subtypes just in the standard 3rd Edition ''Monster Manual''. 5th Edition pares their numbers down to six: dust, ice, magma, mud, smoke and steam mephits, born from where two or more elemental energy types interweave, which also explains why they are weaker than "pure" elementals.

* BrainMonster: An intellect devourer basically a brain running around on four little legs. Its modus operandi is to crack a victim's skull open, remove the brain and take its place.

* MookLieutenant: Duodrones are assigned with supervising and directing groups of monodrones, and in war with lead squads of precisely twelve monodrones into battle. The human-looking, six-armed hextons have a similar role, only they lead the 36 modron armies.

* MookMedice: Decatons, looking something like tentacles spheres on stumpy legs, are charged with physically maintaining other modrons, and can use magic like ''heal'' and ''healing circle'' at will.

* ThePoliticalOfficer: The cylindrical nonatons are explicitly compared to commissars, and are tasked with monitoring the loyalty of the decatons beneath them, and investigate rogue modrons.

* LivingPolyhedron: The more powerful and important the modron, the more sides they have. So monodrones are spheres, duodrones cubes, tridones tetrahedrons, and so on until the upper ranks look increasingly humanoid.
* MookLieutenant: Duodrones are assigned with supervising and directing groups of monodrones, the simplest modron type. In war, duodrones typically act as sergeants or corporals and lead squads of precisely twelve monodrones into battle.

* FantasticCasteSystem: Modrons live in a complex and perfectly ordered hierarchy, where each caste performs a specific task, possess precisely the level of complexity needed for its purpose, and is only able to communicate with the castes immediately above and below it.
* LawfulStupid: As personifications of Law without Good or Evil, modrons are essentially magic computers with zero individuality, imagination, or ability to comprehend anything except basic logic or disobey any order given them. It's mentioned that a modron who is marked with paint by someone hoping to [[DittoAliens distinguish it from other modrons]] will probably carry such a marking for the rest of its life, unless given orders to remove the paint -- which the modron probably won't even notice.

'''Challenge Rating:''' 8 (4E); 1/8 (monodrone), 1/4 (doudrone), 1/2 (tridrone), 1 (quadrone), 2 (pentadrone) (5E)\\

* AirborneMook: Quadrones are the only winged variant of modrons, and often combine this with their proficiency with bows to serve as aerial ranged support for modron forces.

* LawfulStupid: As personifications of Law without Good or Evil, modrons are essentially magic computers with zero individuality, imagination, or ability to comprehend anything except basic logic or disobey any order given them.

* FantasticCasteSystem: Modrons live in a complex and perfectly ordered hierarchy, where each caste performs a specific task, possess precisely the level of complexity needed for its purpose, and is only able to communicate with the castes immediately above and below it.

->'''Classification:''' Construct (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (hypnos), 2 (demos), 3 (galvan) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

* AchillesHeel: They are quite vulnerable to silver, and silvered weapons deal the maximum possible damage to malaugryms, which cannot be healed through non-magical means.

->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E), 3 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

* OurManticoresAreSpinier: Most editions have given manticores a fairly straightforward appearance with a lion body, batlike wings, a human head with three rows of shark-like teeth, and a tail tipped with a cluster of spines that they can launch like arrows, but the 3.5 ''Monster Manual'' depicts them with low-slung, leopard spotted bodies and heads resembling twisted, monstrous monkeys more than anything else. Regardless of appearance, they're evil, aggressive beings with a taste for human flesh.

->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 6 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 2 (5E)\\

->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E); 2 (standard), 8 (hoard mimic) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil (3E, 5E), Evil (4E)

->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 25 (3E), 14 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 3 (5E)\\

'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/8 (monodrone), 1/4 (doudrone), 1/2 (tridrone), 1 (quadrone), 2 (pentadrone) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral

'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E, 5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (junior worker), 1 (average worker), 2 (elder worker), 4 (guard), 6 (circle leader), 7 (sovereign) (3E); 0 (scout), 1/2 (adult), 2 (sovereign) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulNeutral

->'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

* AlluringAnglerfish: A serpentine example; a magran's lure emits light out to 200 feet or more, and replicates a ''hypnotic pattern'' effect that can affect those who come close enough, transfixing victims until the monster attacks them. Interestingly, if this eight-inch-wide lure is cut off from a magran's corpse, the hypnotic glow doesn't immediately dim, but remains usable for a couple of weeks -- the catch is, the thing's bearer, though immune to the ''hypnotic pattern'' effect themself, can [[ArtifactOfAttraction grow obessed with the orb]], refusing to part with it even after its magic runs out.
* InvisibleMonsters: Magrans can become ''invisible'' at will, and normally hunt by leaving nothing but their glowing lure visible, though they can hide it if they need to flee. The beasts are normally only visible in the instants they attack, though due to a quirk of their invisibility, any prey they've swallowed will be fully visible even if the rest of the monster is not, at least until the swallowed victim expires.
* MonstrousCannibalism: Newborn magrans are abandoned by their parents, so the larger hatchlings typically feed upon their smaller kin until they grow large enough to hunt conventional prey.
* SwallowedWhole: Their maws are wide enough to swallow prey whole, but their gullets are so small that Medium-sized victims can't move or attempt to cut their way free, leaving them to suffer acid and crushing damage even as they rapidly suffocate.

* MindRape: Moignos attack by "invading" other creatures and producing a paradox within their internal systems, "shorting out" their body to damage it.
* MouthfulOfPi: They are ''obsessed'' with working out the exact value of pi, and spend every moment of their existence devoting their primary processing power to this tak -- all the math work they do for the modrons are performed by moignos' subroutines. In fact, the origianl moignos nearly took over Mechanus before the modrons introduced the concept of pi to them, giving the moignos something new to focus on.

''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClasses Character Classes by Edition]]:'' 1st to 3rd ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesFirstToThirdEditionCoreClasses Core]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesOtherPreThirdEditionClasses Pre-3rd]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesOtherThirdEditionClasses 3rd Other]]) | 3rd & 3.5 ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesThirdEditionPrestigeClasses Prestige Classes]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesThreePointFiveEditionNPCClasses NPC Classes]]) | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesFourthEditionClasses 4th]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsClassesFifthEditionClasses 5th]]\\

''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDeities Deities]]'': Real-World Deities ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRealWorldDeitiesAtoF A to F]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRealWorldDeitiesGtoZ G to Z ]]) | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsLiteraryDeities Literary Deities]] | Non-human Pantheons ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDemihumanDeities Demihuman Deities]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsGiantDeities Giant Deities]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsGoblinoidDeities Goblinoid Deities]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsScalykindDeities Scalykind Deities]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsUnderdarkDeities Underdark Deities]]) | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsElderEvils Elder Evils]]\\

''Campaign Settings:'' Characters/{{Dragonlance}} | Characters/{{Eberron}} | Characters/ForgottenRealms ([[Characters/ForgottenRealmsGods Gods]] | [[Characters/ForgottenRealmsFactions Factions]] | ''Characters/TheLegendOfDrizzt'') | Characters/{{Greyhawk}} ([[Characters/GreyhawkDeities Deities]]) | Characters/{{Planescape}} ([[Characters/PlanescapeFactions Factions]] | [[Characters/PlanescapeRaces Races]]) | Characters/{{Ravenloft}} ([[Characters/RavenloftDarklords Darklords]] | [[Characters/RavenloftTheCarnival The Carnival]] | [[Characters/RavenloftTheKargataneOfVallaki The Kargatane of Vallaki]] | [[Characters/RavenloftTheFraternityOfShadows Fraternity of Shadows]] | [[Characters/RavenloftTheGreatFamilies Great Families of the Core]] | [[Characters/RavenloftGods Faiths]]) | Characters/{{Spelljammer}} ]] -]]]

[[folder:Mantari]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_mantari_2e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:2e]]
->'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Flying rays that inhabit caves and dungeons, usually feeding on vermin, but they're likely to attack larger creatures.

* AttackAnimal: Young mantari can be trained by those looking for a guard animal or pest controller.
* BewareMyStingerTail: Their mouths are used only for eating, so mantari attack by hovering over foes, jabbing with their tails while keeping the rest of their bodies out of reach.
* FlyingSeafoodSpecial: Mantari have an innate, magical flight ability, so their "wings" are mainly used to maneuver.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: When lying on the dungeon or cave floor, a mantari might be mistaken for a puddle of brackish water.
* PoisonousPerson: Their tails carry a poison that [[NonHealthDamage damages the victim's Strength and Dexterity]], while mantari themselves are mildly poisonous -- anyone who consumes their flesh has to save or be incapacitated with nausea.
* SinisterStingrays: Mantari are flying monsters that bear a strong resemblance to manta rays (leading to speculation about their relation to cloakers and trappers), and are aggressive enough to go after adventurers. Most mantari are only about four feet across, but there are rumors of "greater" mantari in the depths of the Underdark with 10-foot wingspans.

* EternalRecurrence: Every 289 years, when the gears of Mechanus complete seventeen cycles, Primus sends thousands of modrons to survey the Outer Planes of the Great Wheel. Given the extreme dangers involved, only a few survive to return to Mechanus.

!!Moigno
[[quoteright:262:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_moigno_2e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:262:2e]]

Living mathematical equations that roam Mechanus, begrudgingly doing calculations on behalf of the modrons.

Rarely, an ankheg egg produces an insectoid monster with a silvery carapace and dangerous intelligence, which quickly leaves the nest to strike out on its own. These mockery monarchs are able to spawn copies of humanoids they consume, and send those mockery drones to lure more victims to their lairs.

[[folder:Magen]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_magen_demos_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Demos magen (5e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Construct (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (hypnos), 2 (demos), 3 (galvan) (5E)\\

Human-shaped constructs crafted by mages to be intelligent and perfectly obedient servants. Their name derives from ''gens magica'', or "magical people."

[[folder:Meazel]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_meazel_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E), 1 (5E)\\

Degenerate humanoids that lurk in dismal places while stalking prey.

* BackStab: 3rd Edition meazels can deal extra Sneak Attack damage to flanked or surprised foes.
* {{Curse}}: The 5th Edition meazels curse any creature they take through a shadow teleport, which allows undead and other Shadowfell creatures to sense the cursed victim from a distance of 300 feet.
* PoisonousPerson: Swamp-dwelling meazels carry an unslightly skin disease that doesn't affect them, but can infect those they hit with claw attacks, dealing [[NonHealthDamage Dexterity and Constitution damage.]]
* {{Retcon}}: In 3rd Edition, meazels are diseased, swamp-dwelling creatures that stalk and murder other humanoids with their stealth skills. In 5th Edition, meazels are debased creatures of the Shadowfell that murder other humanoids with their shadow magic.
* ShadowWalker: Stepping into a shadow allows a 5th Edition meazel to magically move to another one.
* SuperReflexes: 3rd Edition meazels share a rogue's Evasion ability, allowing them to fully avoid attacks with a Reflex saving throw.
* WasOnceAMan: As per their current lore, meazels are all that remain of people who fled into the Shadowfell to escape their mortal existence and ended up transformed by the darkness.

[[folder:Medusa]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_medusa_5e.png]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=3e=]]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/medusa_d&d.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 6 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

Snake-haired women who can turn living beings to stone with their gaze.

Small, vaguely bug-like horrors that stalk and torment a chosen victim before abducting them back to their lair and converting their captive into one of them.

* YouHaveFailedMe: The merchurions used to be a race of giants that excelled in metalcrafting, and were tasked by Surtur, Lord of the Fire Giants, to make weapons superior to the dwarves' adamantine waraxes. When decades of work produced only a slag of mercurial metal inside a magma rift, and enraged Surtur threw the merchurions into their own creation, inadvertently transforming them into their current state. As much as the merchurions have a jealous hatred towards fire giants, they still feel deep shame over failing Surtur.

* HeelFaceTurn: In ''exceptionally'' rare cases, individual illithids have been known to overcome their inherent desires and become morally neutral, and in extreme case even ''good,'' questioning the need to dominate others and consume brains. These individuals who think differently would quickly be rooted out and killed by other illithids if discovered, and as such most need to live in isolation from their kind.