Pedipalp

At a Glance

Pedipalpi resemble both spiders and scorpions. The smallest ones are called schizomida, the larger ones amblypygus, and the largest uropygus. Schizomidae walk on eight legs, lacking the whip-like feelers that the larger sizes have; they can grasp things with their foremost legs, but their only damaging attack is their bite. Amblypygii move on six legs, as one pair has evolved into feelers which they can use to probe traps, fissures, and unseen areas. Their foremost legs are now spiny pincers, which augment their damage in combat. Uropygii have further developed a scorpion-like tail, but the tail is non-damaging and actually seems to serve as an additional feeler. They also have a noxious gas attack.

Sources

  • Drow of the Underdark [FOR2/9326] page 118 — the original 2e description.
  • Menzoberranzan [1083] page 85

Myrlochar

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

Myrlochar, from the official WotC Monsters of Faerûn Art Gallery... click on the image for the link.
All rights are assumed to be reserved by that website

At a Glance

A chaotic evil extraplanar outsider.

A spider-shaped outsider from the Abyss. Myrlochar are also called soul spiders, and they are servants of Lolth.

Sources

  • Monsters of Faerûn [11832] page 66
  • Menzoberranzan [1083] page 85
  • Drow of the Underdark [FOR2/9326] page 117
  • WotC Monster Index

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Deep Dragon

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

Deep Dragon, from the official WotC Monsters of Faerûn Art Gallery... click on the image for the link.
All rights are assumed to be reserved by that website

At a Glance

A dragon.

Deep Dragons of the Realms

Dheubpurcwenpyl, Erthungaron, Jhanilmexa, Onskarrarrd, Worlathaugh, Zz’Pzora

Sources

  • Drow of the Underdark (3e) page 114
  • Menzoberranzan [1083] page 84
  • Drow of the Underdark [FOR2/9326] page 115
  • WotC Monster Index

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Werebat

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

Lycanthropes, from the official WotC Monsters of Faerûn Art Gallery... click on the image for the link.
All rights are assumed to be reserved by that website

At a Glance

A shapechanging humanoid.

A lycanthrope which, like other werecreatures, may be found anywhere humanoids dwell.

Sources

  • Lost Empires of Faerûn [17738] page 178
  • Menzoberranzan [1083] page 84
  • Drow of the Underdark [FOR2/9326] page 113
  • WotC Monster Index

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Sinister

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

Bats, from the official WotC Monsters of Faerûn Art Gallery... click on the image for the link.
All rights are assumed to be reserved by that website

At a Glance

A magical beast.

A bat that can lair in any clime, above or below the surface. A group of sinisters is called an audience.

Sources

  • Monsters of Faerûn [11832] page 18
  • Menzoberranzan [1083] page 84
  • Drow of the Underdark [FOR2/9326] page 113 — the original 2e description
  • I made up the name for a group, because the official “bands” sounds lame.

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Night Hunter

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

Bats, from the official WotC Monsters of Faerûn Art Gallery... click on the image for the link.
All rights are assumed to be reserved by that website

At a Glance

An animal.

A bat, also called draghazar, that can lairs in any clime, above or below the surface. A group of night hunters is called a swoop.

Sources

  • Monster Manual III [17921] page 38
  • Menzoberranzan [1083] page 84
  • Drow of the Underdark [FOR2/9326] page 113 — the original 2e description.

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Official Words

I dunno what to call this post, but I need a place to gather relevant and/or important statements made by TSR/WotC/whoever staff. This stuff might provide answers to questions at some point.

  • 30 March 2000: Jim Butler states that "Everything that bears the Forgotten Realms logo is considered canon" and indicates that this is intended to be the case going forward. — Source

My response to this is that I don’t think it’s fair to say that a novel is canon while an adventure published in Dungeon Magazine is not… particularly in a case where (hypothetically) the adventure was written by Ed and the novel was not, and especially with the feeble criterion that the novel has the Realms logo on it and Dungeon Magazine doesn’t. Instead let’s say that everything published (or permitted to be published) by TSR/WotC which is stated to be set in the Realms is canon for the Realms. There will be a lot of cases where this is difficult, but I’m guessing most of those can be blamed on WotC rather than freelance authors so let’s not automatically marginalize the player-generated material.

Terms of Venery – Vermin

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

ant A colony of ants [usgs, wikipedia]
bee A grist of bees [usgs, wikipedia]
bombardier beetle (giant) A cluster or click of bombardier beetles [Monster Manual]
caterpillar A army of caterpillars [usgs]
centipede (monstrous) A colony or swarm of centipedes [Monster Manual]
centipede swarm A tangle or colony of centipede swarms [Monster Manual]
cockroach A intrusion of cockroaches [usgs]
dragonfly A flight of dragonflies [wikipedia]
fire beetle (giant) A cluster or colony of fire beetles [Monster Manual]
fly A business of flies [usgs, wikipedia]
gnat A cloud of gnats [usgs]
grasshopper A cloud of grasshoppers [usgs]
hornet A nest of hornets [usgs]
locust A plague of locusts [usgs, wikipedia]
locust swarm A cloud or plague of locust swarms [Monster Manual]
scorpion (monstrous) A colony or swarm of scorpions [Monster Manual]
spider (monstrous) A colony or swarm of spiders [Monster Manual]
spider swarm A tangle or colony of spider swarms [Monster Manual]
stag beetle (giant) A cluster or mass of stag beetles [Monster Manual]
wasp (giant) A swarm or nest of wasps [Monster Manual]
worm A clew of worms [wikipedia]

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Terms of Venery – Undead

This information is for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. For the Zombie song by Venery Addiction, check their Myspace page.

banedead A pack of banedead [Monsters of Faerûn]
baneguard A squad of baneguards [Monsters of Faerûn]
banshee A keen or keening of banshees [Xaeyruudh]
bodak A gang of bodaks [Monster Manual]
bonebat A flock of bonebats [Monsters of Faerûn]
ghast A gang or pack of ghasts [Monster Manual]
ghost A gang or mob of ghosts [Monster Manual]
ghoul A gang or pack of ghouls [Monster Manual]
mohrg A gang of mohrg [Monster Manual]
mummy A warden squad or guardian detail of mummies [Monster Manual]
nighthaunt A fleet of nighthaunts [Candlekeep]
nightwalker A gang of nightwalkers [Monster Manual]
nightwing A flock of nightwings [Monster Manual]
shadow A gang or swarm of shadows [Monster Manual]
skeleton A clatter of skeletons [Xaeyruudh]
spectre A gang or swarm of spectres [Monster Manual]
vampire spawn A pack of vampire spawns [Monster Manual]
wight A gang or pack of wights [Monster Manual]
wraith A gang or pack of wraiths [Monster Manual]
zombie A shuffle of zombies [Xaeyruudh]