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A shambling mound was a large, animated plant with predatory tendencies.[2] It was also known as a shambler.[6]

Description[]

They appeared to be moving, vaguely man-shaped mounds of rotting vegetation.[3]

Species[]

Serpentine[]

A serpentine shambling mound was one that had been corrupted by tainted blueberries. Their bodies were stretched so that they resembled serpents with the head and hands on one end and the legs on the other, but otherwise they had nothing in common with serpents. There were only a few of these creatures. They dwelled in the east starwood area of the forest of Cormanthor, north of the Halfaxe Trail.[7]

Ecology[]

Habitats[]

Shambling mounds were often found in temperate marshlands.[3]

In northwest Faerûn, they could be found in the Mere of Dead Men[8] and the Stump Bog.[9]

In interior Faerûn, they could be found in the Vast Swamp of Cormyr.[10]

In south Faerûn, they could be found in the Great Swamp of Rethild,[11] occasionally in the Thornwood,[12], occasionally in Chondalwood,[13] and wandering the jungles of Samarach.[14]

History[]

In 1357 DR[15] and up to 1368 DR, shambling mounds could occasionally be found in the sewers beneath Waterdeep.[16]

In 1374 DR, the Shadowscale lizardfolk lured a shambling mound into the back entrance of their warren by bringing it animal carcasses. It served a dual purpose as both guardian and waste disposal. However, when they stopped feeding it (being undead, they no longer needed to eat), it went off and hunted on its own, but used the area as a den. Two shocker lizards joined it, forming a mutualist relationship: they gained the shambler's protection and ate its leavings, while their electric shocks bolstered and healed the shambler.[6]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

Adventures
Dungeon #30: "... And a Dozen Eggs"Curse of the Azure BondsCurse of Strahd
Novels
Sentinelspire
Referenced only
The Council of Blades
Video Games
Curse of the Azure BondsGateway to the Savage FrontierDungeon HackEye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth DrannorBaldur's Gate II: Throne of BhaalIcewind Dale: Trials of the LuremasterIcewind Dale IINeverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the BetrayerNeverwinter Nights 2: Storm of ZehirBaldur's Gate: The Black PitsIcewind Dale: Enhanced EditionIdle Champions of the Forgotten RealmsBaldur's Gate III
Card Games
AD&D Trading Cards
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
The Lady in FlamesA Fool's Errand

Gallery[]

Further Reading[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 270. ISBN 978-0786965614.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 232. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 222. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
  4. Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 293. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
  5. Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 87. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan, Matthew Sernett, James Wyatt (March 2007). Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 83, 104–105. ISBN 978-0-7869-4119-3.
  7. James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Cormanthor”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 25. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
  8. Ed Greenwood and Sean K. Reynolds (May 1999). “Wyrms of the North: Voaraghamanthar, "the Black Death"”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #258 (TSR, Inc.).
  9. Ed Greenwood (December 1987). “Welcome to Waterdeep”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #128 (TSR, Inc.), p. 14.
  10. Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan, Matthew Sernett, James Wyatt (March 2007). Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 39. ISBN 978-0-7869-4119-3.
  11. Tom Prusa (1993). The Shining South. (TSR, Inc), p. 37. ISBN 1-56076-595-X.
  12. Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 143. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.
  13. Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 176. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.
  14. Obsidian Entertainment (November 2008). Designed by Tony Evans. Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir. Atari.
  15. Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 27. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.
  16. Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 63. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
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