Lurkers, otherwise known as lurkers above, were a type of aberration found in the Underdark.[1][2]
Description[]
Lurkers physically resembled manta rays but were much larger. Their underside was grey and had a texture similar to that of stone.[1][2][5]
Behavior[]
Lurkers tended to stubbornly fight others to the point of death.[5]
Biology[]
Lurkers flew due to a gas they naturally generated in internal sacs.[3][5] This gas gave them a natural buoyancy, which they coasted upon by flapping their wing-like mass.[5]
Abilities[]
Lurkers were nearly impossible to detect, thanks to their excellent camouflage.[2][5]
Combat[]
Lurkers hunted by hiding along the top of caverns and tunnels, attaching themselves with their camouflaged underside facing downwards. Once a target passes underneath, it dropped from the ceiling, slamming into them and wrapping itself around its prey. It killed its prey by constriction.[2][3][5]
History[]
In 1357 DR, lurkers could occasionally be found in the sewers beneath Waterdeep.[6]
Ecology[]
Female lurkers laid a clutch of eggs in a sticky substance on the ceiling of a cave or tunnel. After hatching, the newborn lurkers fell to the ground, where they fed on small creatures until they grew strong enough to fly on their own. Since they were solitary creatures, the young were left to fend for themselves.[3]
Diet[]
Lurkers were an omnivorous species and ate whatever they could manage.[3]
Usage[]
Lurkers were sought after to be trained and employed as defensive creatures. As such, lurker eggs could be sold for up to 900 gp and a newborn lurker up to 1,100 gp. The gas generated by lurkers could be used as a material component in the brewing of a potion of levitation.[3]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The 2nd edition alignment given in the original source is "Nil", which should be read as Neutral according to this Sage Advice answer by Skip Williams in Dragon Magazine Issue #155: "The nil alignment rating is a holdover from an early draft of the Monstrous Compendium material. Originally, a rating of nil indicated that a creature was not intelligent enough to have an alignment at all. However, the nil rating was dropped during rewriting and should have been replaced with the neutral alignment."
Appearances[]
Adventures
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Christopher Perkins, et al. (August 2013). Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 249. ISBN 978-0786965311.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 94. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 David "Zeb" Cook, et al. (1989). Monstrous Compendium Volume Two. (TSR, Inc), p. 83. ISBN 0-8803-8753-X.
- ↑ Skip Williams (March 1990). “Sage Advice”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #155 (TSR, Inc.), p. {Template:1.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 62. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 27. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.