Doombat

Doombats were a kind of gigantic bat with a barbed tail.

Description
Doombats appeared as giant black bats with a wingspan of and a barbed tail of up to  long.

Abilities
Owing to their powerful wings, doombats had a carrying capacity of up to in flight.

The sonar yip present in regular bats evolved into a potent sonic attack in doombats. The shriek, which a doombat could continuously maintain for up to 30 seconds, had a debilitating effect on creatures up to a distance of. While under the effect of this shriek, spellcasters were rendered unable to cast spells.

Behavior
Doombats typically attacked and tried to kill every living creature they saw while hunting.

Although they could be kept at bay by particularly bright lights, such as that produced by a light spell, doombats were undeterred by more dim sources, such as torches and lanterns.

Ecology
Doombats typically kept to underground areas undisturbed by underground civilizations, although they were sometimes summoned and kept by the orcish shamans of Shargaas as mounts.

During nighttime, doombats took to the surface in order to hunt. They were not picky about their prey, and could sometimes even be found around aboveground graveyards.

History
Sometime after Castle Kilgrave was abandoned in the mid–13 century DR, doombats started inhabiting the site. When Bane took the castle over during the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR, this flock ended up expelled from their lair and the doombats were seen hunting far away from their lair.

Notable Doombats
By the, the lich Azimer kept a doombat as a guardian during his stay in the abandoned School of Wizardry.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dragon #95, "Into the Forgotten Realms" • Lashan's Fall &bull; Shadowdale