Author: Malcon The Firebringer

Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons have been in the game since the very beginning. Originally they were called Magic Users. The inspirations for this class being present in the game are myriad. Some of the known inspirations include:

• Gandalf from Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit
• Merlin from the legends and stories of King Arthur
• Jack Vance’s story “The Dying Earth”

Dungeons and dragons initially adopted the system of magic defined in Jack Vance’s novels and stories. A wizard memorized spells from a spell book and when the spell was cast….it was forgotten. This makes the wizard a powerful character but gives the wizard a great weakness. Once spells are used….the wizard becomes less powerful. When all spells have been used….the wizard is nearly powerless.

Wizards in Original Dungeons and Dragons

The magic user was one of the original three classes available. The other two were fighting men and clerics. Other classes were added soon after. But the magic user (wizard) was there at the very beginning.

The magic user was a weak character physically. But the magic user was incredibly intelligent. This intelligence made up for physical weakness by giving the wizard the power of magic. Magic users were also present in Basic and Expert editions.

Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition

The magic user was a standard class in the 1st edition Player’s Handbook. The list of available spells was exponentially increased from Original Dungeons and Dragons. The array of spells now available was absolutely awesome to the player looking ahead at the development of their character.

Unlike other editions (including many later editions) spells were not automatically known by a player. Finding spell books and scrolls was of paramount importance to the magic user. Finding new spells was as important to the player as finding new magical items. Perhaps even more important.

Spell scrolls could be used for casting a spell once….or they could be written into the player’s spell book to be memorized many times for use.

In 1st edition the Illusionist was a sub-class of the magic user. The Illusionist was a wizard of an entirely different type.

High intelligence was a prerequisite of becoming a magic user in 1st edition. Without high intelligence high level spells could never be learned.

Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition

In Second Edition the Wizard was the group type which included mages and other types of spell casters. Second Edition no longer used the words “Magic User” and instead substituted the word “mage.”

Unlike 1st edition Second allowed the player to create a more specialized mage. One could select from several schools of magic or play a generalist mage. The Complete Wizard’s Handbook further expanded upon this specialization. And the Tome of Magic provided for new spells and magical items for the game.

Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition

Mages were renamed Wizards for this edition of the game. Different schools of magic existed for the wizard to develop in. Wizards in this edition were proficient in “arcane magic.”

Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition

Wizards in this edition focus on using spells that can damage multiple targets or those which can alter the battle terrain or remove protections from the enemy (debuffing). This edition also offered alternative wizard kits in which to develop the character.

Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

Fifth Edition Wizards select from eight schools of magic. These schools are diverse and allow one wizard to be much different than the next. Such schools of magic include:

• Abjuration – focuses on blocking, banishing and protecting
• Conjuration – focuses on creating or producing creatures or things out of thin air
• Divination – focuses on understanding the past, present and future
• Enchantment – focuses on entrancing and beguiling enemies
• Evocation – focuses on inflicting damage on enemies
• Illusion – focuses on deception, guile and trickery
• Necromancy – focuses on curses and creating and controlling the undead
• Transmutation – focuses on changing energy and matter

Vancian Magic in Dungeons and Dragons

Fire and forget magic is pretty much an idea exclusive to Dungeons and Dragons. Many other fantasy games came out shortly after Dungeons and Dragons. The differences in most of those systems revolved around the magic system.

The fire and forget magic system was unpopular with many players who wanted the wizard class to be far more powerful. Gary Gygax and the designers of the various early editions of Dungeons and Dragons thought differently. They sought to create balance in the game for maximum playability. They understood, from the very beginning, that the magic user class would soon take over the game if the caster could just cast any spell at any time. Sadly….later editions of the game seemed to forget this concept and suffer because of it.

Resting is of vast importance in Dungeons and Dragons. This is especially true for spell casters. Without rest the spells stay forgotten (or in later editions the spell slots stay empty). Resting allows the caster to regain spells that were used previously or memorize new ones (in those early editions).

In the early editions a wizard could only memorize spells with a sufficiently safe and quiet place to study. The Wizard was required to have access to a spell book to study in order to memorize spells.

Spells in the early editions did not cast immediately. Their use could be interrupted during combat by striking the wizard or causing the wizard to have to dodge melee attacks or missiles.

Spells in the early editions of the game had three components:

• Somatic
• Verbal
• Material

These spell component requirements further limited the abilities of spell casters to dominate play.

Somatic components involved specific hand motions that must be completed in order to cast a spell. Without the ability to use one’s hands one could not cast some spells. A magic user whose hands are tied, for example, would be unable to use the proper hand motions to cast a spell.

Verbal components indicated the specific words of the incantation required to cast a particular spell. If the magic user was unable to speak (silenced or gagged) he or she could not cast a spell.

But Material components were the most restrictive. Some spells required very rare or very valuable materials in order to cast. Without such components the spell is not possible to use. Such rare components might even require an adventure of their own to obtain.

These components could greatly cut down on the potential overuse of particularly damaging and powerful spells.

Later editions of the game removed many of these restrictive things that balanced out the game play in early editions.

Wizard Spell Books in Dungeons and Dragons

Often the most powerful magical item that a high level wizard might own in early editions of Dungeons and Dragons was their own spell book. Spell books that contained many spells of each level could be worth far more than their weight in gold. A magic user finding such a spell book in an adventure would be so engrossed in studying this new spell book that it would be unlikely that they would take any interest in any other treasures obtained.

Scrolls found in a dungeon could also be of extreme value to a wizard. Scrolls were found far more often than whole books and individual scrolls might reveal new spells of high level.

Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons Could be Physically Weak but Mentally Powerful

In the early editions a wizard required others in order to successfully explore dungeons and caves. While the wizard could wield powerful magic the wizard was generally physically weak. They had few hit points. The could wear little in the way of armor or protective gear. This made then an easy target for any creature that could get close. Fighters, healers and thieves were essential the the survival of a wizard to higher levels.

Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons are a Popular Character Class

It is a rare thing to see a Dungeons and Dragons group travel without a wizard or spell caster of some type in the group. Wizards have become much loved characters in fantasy films such as Lord of the Rings. Virtually everyone who plays Dungeons and Dragons for the first time looks upon the wizard spells in the Player’s Handbook and thinks about how powerful they could become if they played such a character.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy these:

• Rangers
• Paladins
• Clerics
• Fighters
• Thieves
• Druids
• Bards
• Illusionists
• Monks

The Shambling Mound in Dungeons and Dragons made it’s first appearance in 1975. It was mentioned in Strategic Review #3. It appears in every edition afterwords with the exception of Basic.

The Appearance of the Shambling Mound in Dungeons and Dragons

The Shambling Mound appears only as a heap of vegetation. However this vegetation is moving! It is actually an intelligent form of vegetable life. It is usually between six foot and nine feet tall. It may have up to a six foot girth on it’s lower half tapering to about two feet at the “head.”

Where the Shambling Mound in Dungeons and Dragons can be found

They are commonly found in dismal marshes. But they can be found anywhere in wet subterranean places. They are generally solitary beasts. They prefer places with a constant food source. They are sometimes found in and around abandoned ruins and gold mines.

Meeting a Shambling Mound can be sudden and fatal

These creatures move almost silently and are nearly invisible in their natural environment. This makes them quite dangerous to those who unaware of their presence. These creatures often hide in a shallow bog and wait in ambush for anyone who might walk close.

The Shambling Mound has two enormous and powerful appendages. These appendages are similar to arms. Should both of these “arms” hit the same victim in the same round the creature will begin smothering the target.

Defenses of the Shambling Mound in Dungeons and Dragons

These are sturdy creatures. They have quite a few hit points. And they have certain resistances that make them difficult to kill. In First and Second Edition the Shambling Mound was immune to blunt weapons. Slashing and piercing weapons did only one half damage. These resistances did not carry over into the later editions and is totally gone by Fifth.

Should lightning be used against the Shambling Mound it will regain hit points in 5th Edition. In 1st and 2nd Edition the creature will actually gain another hit dice and become that much stronger. It has immunity to fire and cold in 5th Edition. In 1st and 2nd Edition it has immunity to fire and a saving throw may cause it to take no damage at all from cold (half damage otherwise). As lightning can cause the creature to grow it is entirely possible that there are Shambling Mounds roaming around with up to twenty hit dice.

Just how “intelligent” is a Shambling Mound?

Not very. They are vegetable matter with limited intelligence. They wander in search of food sources. One of their favorite foods is the Shrieker. They are often found in the vicinity of such creatures.

The brain of the Shambling Mound is in the center of it’s body. Cutting off limbs or a head will have little effect upon it. A new arm or extremity will reform in only a short time. It’s thick fibrous layers makes penetration of weapons very unlikely to strike the brain of the Shambling Mound.

Weaknesses of the Shambling Mound in Dungeons and Dragons

These creatures might sound invincible. But they are not. They are, however, quite formidable. But spells which affect other plant life will likely also affect the Shambling Mound. A party with a Druid in the mix might have a distinct advantage against these creatures. Charm plant and plant control are two effective spells against them.

They are not especially fast creatures and can be outrun by many potential opponents.

The Shambling Mound lives to eat

They can eat any organic material. And they will if they get the chance to do so. Places where the Shambling Mound reside are often devoid of other life of all kinds. Their ability to blend in with other vegetation makes them effective hunters. They are often unseen up to the point where the mound begins it’s attack.

Tactics for the Shambling Mound and the Dungeon Master playing the role

These creatures are not fast. So it is unlikely that they will pursue victims with the intent to catch them. They might wander into potential enemies. But more likely they will choose to set an ambush. Yes the creature is not particularly intelligent. But they are not totally unintelligent. They have instincts. And their instincts are to use their attributes to the best effect. As they can easily blend with other plant life…..it is easy for them to hide in ambush in areas thick with vegetation. Why chase others when the victims can come to it?

The creature actually likes lightning. Lightning makes it stronger. So when lightning is used on the field of battle the creature will immediately seek more of it. It will go straight to the source of lighting in order to get stronger.

Shambling Mounds in Dungeons and Dragons are an old school classic

Yet it exists in just about all of the editions. Fifth Edition has made modifications to the creature to give it further resistances and abilities. This makes it even more dangerous in that edition. Regardless of the edition that you play…you do not want to meet one of these creatures in the dark areas of the dungeon.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy these:

• Beholders
• Mind Flayers
• Undead
• Intellect Devourers
• Displacer Beasts
• The Underdark
• The Astral Plane

Fighters in Dungeons and Dragons have been with the game since the very beginning. In the original game Fighting Men, Clerics and Magic Users were the only classes available. Other classes were introduced in the supplements to the game as they were devised. Fighters were called Fighting Men in the original booklets to the game. This title was changed to Fighter in all later editions.

Fighters in Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition

In Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st edition Fighters were one of the core classes. Rangers and Paladins were considered sub-classes of Fighters. The Fighter was built for melee combat and little else. They were the best suited for such combat. They had the ability to use the best armor and all available weapons in the game. They had the largest hit dice (Paladins were equal to them) with a D10 for hit points. They used the best to hit tables. Overall they were a sturdy class and essential to success in the places where monsters lurk.

Any race could play a Fighter in 1st Edition. But some races were limited in what maximum level they could achieve.

Fighters in Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition

In AD&D 2nd Edition the Fighter was one of the Warrior group of classes. The class was later expanded upon by the release of the Complete Fighter’s Handbook. This book offered several sub-classes of the Fighter which could be used in game play. Such sub-classes included: Swashbuckers, Noble Warriors and Gladiators.

Fighters in Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition

Third Edition changed the Fighter Class substantially. Now Fighter abilities were treated as “combat feats.” These feats changed the nature of the Fighter from a brute force brawler to something else entirely.

Fighters in Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition

Fourth Edition changed the Fighter even more. Now the Fighter used a martial power source for their ability. Fighters chose between two different builds: Great Weapon Fighter and Guardian Fighter. Two more builds were offered in the Martial Power supplement. These builds were Tempest Fighter and Battlerager. The differences between these builds are as follows:

• Great Weapon Fighter – an offense oriented fighter
• Guardian Fighter – a defender
• Tempest Fighter – a dual wielding fighter
• Battlerager Fighter – use axes and hammers and benefit from temporary additional hit points

Fighters in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

In Fifth Edition the Fighter chooses from three martial archetypes starting at 3rd level. These archtypes are as follows:

• Champion – focuses on simple power
• Battle Master – focuses on maneuvers
• Eldritch Knight – limited access to magic

Other works have added many other archtypes. These include:

• Purple Dragon Knight – from the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
• Arcane Archer – from Xanathars Guide to Everything
• Cavalier – from Xanathars Guide to Everything
• Samurai – from Xanathars Guide to Everything

Fighters are tanks

Yes. I am stealing a word from video games. But it is essentially correct. They are the buffer between the monsters and the weaker members of the group that can deal exceptional damage. Magic Users, Wizards, Sorcerors, Illusionists and others can inflict huge amounts of damage on monsters. But they can do so only if they can stay alive long enough to use their magic to benefit the group. The key to their success is that line of fighters between them and the bad guys. By using their skill in melee combat the Fighter draws the attention of the enemy while the casters begin casting their spells. In this manner the Fighter is an essential character in an adventurer’s party. Now, it is true, that other fighter type classes can fill the same role. But none can fill it in quite the same manner.

Fighters in Dungeons and Dragons can use missile weapons too

They just do not choose to do so very often. But there are times when the enemy is out of reach. And there are times when the enemy is using cover or defending some structure where the Fighter is unable to meet them face to face. When this situation arises the Fighter is more than capable of using a ranged weapon to take down a foe.

Inspirations for the Fighter

The Second Edition Player’s Handbook mentions many examples of Fighters throughout history (and in mythology). Some of these were certainly the inspirations for the class creation:

• Perseus
• Hiawatha
• Beowulf
• Sinbad
• Spartacus
• El Cid
• Alexander the Great
• Charlemagne
• Hannibal

And of course…Knights in general were certainly an inspiration for this class. Dungeons and Dragons Editions mention Knights from time to time. It is more likely that the Paladin would be considered a Knight. But Knights were certainly capable of using heavy armor and were often trained in many different weapons.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy these:

• Rangers
• Druids
• Paladins
• Monks
• Illusionists
• Bards
• Thieves

The Lich in Dungeons and Dragons is my favorite monster. And they have been around in this game since nearly the very beginning. The Lich was first introduced in the Greyhawk Supplement to Dungeons and Dragons in 1975. The Lich was then expanded upon in Eldritch Wizardry in 1976. The Lich as existed, in some form, in every edition of the game since that time.

Who can become a Lich in Dungeons and Dragons?

The answer to this is not entirely clear. In the Greyhawk supplement it could apparently be both mages and mage/clerics. Later editions seemed to limit this only to mages. I will delve into this subject again later when I discuss the process by which one becomes a Lich.

The Lich in Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition

In 1st Edition the Lich was one of the listed creatures in the Monster Manual. It describes the creature has being created by powerful and arcane magic. And it mentions nowhere the possibility of anyone but a mage becoming one.

The Lich in Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition

The second edition of Dungeons and Dragons includes the creature in both the Monstrous Compendium Volume One and the Monstrous Manual. The creature is greatly expanded upon in the “Von Richten’s Guide to the Lich.” which was produced for Ravenloft.

The Lich in Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition

Third Edition lists the Lich in the Monster Manual as a template and is expanded upon in the Epic Level Handbook. In Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 it is included in the Monster Manual.

The Lich in Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition

The Lich is again mentioned in the 4th Edition Monster Manual. The Dungeon Master Guide for this edition gives a process by which one can become a Lich.

The Lich in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

The Lich is mentioned in the 5th Edition Monster Manual. It is as powerful a creature in 5th edition as it has been in all of the others.

How does one become a Lich in Dungeons and Dragons?

The process for becoming a Lich is described in several places in Dungeons and Dragons lore. The process was first described in Dragon #26. The article is called Blueprint for a Lich by Len Lakofka.

The process was much expanded upon in 2nd edition in Von Richten’s Guide to the Lich.

The process includes:

• Obtaining a phylactery of the highest quality. This receptacle will hold the life force of the Lich and must be made from expensive materials. Very expensive materials.
• Preparing the potion of transformation. The ingredients of this potion have changed slightly since the Dragon article but are more or less the same. They include a mixture of several poisons. This potion will end the life of the mage and begin the Unlife of the Lich. If this potion is properly made the mage will transform immediately. If it is not….then he or she will die.
• Rituals of sustenance must be performed in order for the Lich to continue in it’s new state. These rituals involve the acquisition of a fresh heart. This heart is used to create a special dust which is sprinkled over the body and in the eyes of the Lich

These rituals and potion are necromantic in nature. This suggests that in these later editions only the mage can transform into a Lich. However….an argument could be made that a Cleric (or other class for that matter) might become a Lich by hiring others to cast the necessary spells that they, themselves, cannot.

Magic use by the Lich in Dungeons and Dragons

The magical abilities and skills of the Lich continue in death. In the Greyhawk supplement it states that a Lich must have been a minimum of 12th level in life but that the average Lich is at least 18th level in ability. The 1st Edition Monster Manual bumps that level minimum to 18th level.

The Alignment of a Lich In Dungeons and Dragons

This too has evolved a bit. In the 1st Edition Monster Manual the Lich is indicated as being Neutral (evil) in alignment. But not Neutral Evil. This suggests that they are neutral but have evil tendencies. The 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual changes this to any type of Evil alignment. This is continued in 5th Edition. Yet there are references to good Liches in some Dungeons and Dragons literature. Specifically in the Monstrous Manual: Monsters of Faerun there is a reference to good Liches existing. So there seems to be some possibility of Liches of other alignments existing. These instances must be exceptionally rare.

What happens when a Lich loses interest in the physical Realm?

In the epic adventure module “Tomb of Horrors” a new variant of the Lich is introduced. It is called the Demilich. Unlike the Lich only a skull or even a skeletal hand will remain. This creature, however, is extremely powerful. It is perhaps more powerful in this form than previously.

What exactly is a Lich’s Phylactery?

It is a receptacle for holding the life force of the Lich. It can consist of a metal box, an amulet, a ring, a trinket, or some other device. Typically this phylactery is very expensive to make. Phylacteries in value of 120,000 or more gold pieces are not uncommon for Liches.

The appearance of a Lich

The Lich is not uniform in appearance. There are differences between them. These differences may well be the result of the process in which they transform themselves. In general, though, they will have a skeletal appearance. Their form will appear decayed and ancient. Liches have empty eye sockets but sometimes tiny points of light can be seen inside of the hollow cavity.

The Lich can easily be mistaken for other types of lesser undead such as wights, skeletons and mummies. But they are vastly more powerful than any of these. They are highly intelligent. They have plans within plans. And they still posses the same magical abilities and spells as they did in life. Only in Lich form it is likely that the Lich will have acquired many more magical items and much more magical knowledge than it had in life. That is because now the Lich is virtually immortal. It spends much of it’s time in these magical pursuits.

The Lair of a Lich

The Lich is not unaware that it’s existence to others is abhorrent. Therefore it takes great measures to defend itself from destruction. It will have lairs in dark and deep places guarded by traps, magic and other creatures.

Self Defense for the Lich

So how does a Lich survive for hundreds or thousands of years with all of these adventurers exploring dungeons across the realm? Very carefully.

The Lich is super intelligent. It will set death traps and false entrances to it’s tomb to fool and destroy others who would hunt it. The Tomb of Horrors is a good example of this technique. The Lich (actually Demilich by the time he is hunted in that adventure) has false entrances which are deadly traps. One could easily die in that adventure before reaching the real tomb.

The Lich plans for it’s eventual confrontation. It knows that others seek to destroy it. And it will take precautions to avoid this.

In my own campaign the Lich Malcon the Firebringer has been confronted twice by adventurers. And he survived both times despite being physically destroyed. This is because he hid his phylactery well so that others could not destroy his life force completely. The first time he was destroyed the adventurers did not recognize the nature of his phylactery. They saw it as a pretty treasure and sold it at market. After all….they were there to get treasure. And it was very valuable. The second time he was physically destroyed he had placed 666 phylacteries (or receptacles that looked like one) around his tomb. The adventurers naturally did not find and destroy all of them. Only one was the real phylactery and it was not found.

In addition to death traps and hiding the phylactery the Lich is also a master of other undead creatures. There are so many possibilities for guardians that any list would naturally be incomplete. But there is no reason that only undead creatures could serve a Lich. It’s very nature virtually guarantees that it is going to be the most powerful thing in a dungeon. As a result, any other creatures that wish to survive there, will almost certainly do service for the Lich.

The Lich almost certainly knows it’s own physical weaknesses. It will put many guardians between it and the delvers so that it can use it’s spells safely at a distance. And since the Lich is a high level magic user these spells can be awesome weapons of mass destruction. Some potential spells that a Lich will want to use first might include:

• Power Word Kill – Why take chances? Just use this spell and kill someone almost immediately.
• Power Word Stun – Lower level version of the power word. It is still a brutal quick use spell that will disable one of the enemies immediately
• Death Spell/Finger of Death
• Disintegrate – another nice instant kill spell (unless saving throws are made)
• Mirror image – why show one face when you can show several? This low level spell is a must for the Lich that wants to survive to become a Demilich someday
• Cloudkill – Why not throw it out in the middle of the melee? It is not like the Lich’s undead guardians are going to care about it. They are likely to be immune to it’s effects anyway
• Dimension Door/Teleport – in case things go badly
• Clairvoyance, clairaudience, other types of scrying – to see what your new friends are up to before they reach the final destination

Of course, since the Lich will have had hundreds, or thousands, of years to prepare for such encounters it will have researched and created many magical items for it’s defense. It is likely to be in possession of evil artifacts as well. These items may give the creature an edge over it’s enemies that is totally unexpected. It is also possible that in this time the creature may have discovered new spells never seen before by mortals.

As the Lich is incredibly intelligent it will immediately recognize the most dangerous of it’s enemies and target them. This will likely be the spell casters in the group. And the Lich will act accordingly.

Weaknesses of the Lich in Dungeons and Dragons

There are few weaknesses to these creatures. But they can be arrogant. And this can be their undoing. They will often not see mere mortals as being terribly dangerous to their survival. And they may dismiss them as no threat at all.

Their physical bodies are not extremely sturdy. They have limited amounts of hit points (depending upon the edition played). And they do not do excessive damage with physical attacks. If silenced the creature could be rendered ineffective completely.

And if the phylactery were to be discovered….the creature can be destroyed forever.

The Lich in Dungeons and Dragons can be a fearsome enemy and an arch villain

The Lich is likely to be behind many of the evil goings on in the realm. It always has plans in motion. With so much time on it’s hands it will be plotting new atrocities while conducting current ones. They are a foul creature and should be destroyed by those capable of doing so at the earliest opportunity.

Famous Lich from Dungeons and Dragons published adventures and literature

There are many such Lich out there. So many, in fact, that I am not so sure they can truly be classified as a “rare” encounter. But some of these Lich include:

• My own Malcon. Of course I had to list him first. If I failed to do this he would turn me into something truly nasty.
• Acererak from Tomb of Horrors. Ok. He was actually a demilich in that adventure but he was a Lich long before that.
• Vecna from the Greyhawk campaign.
• The Githyankee Lich Queen Vlaakith
• Kaangax from Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn
• Lyran from Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II
• Vongoethe from Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Baal

There are, of course, so many more. I could not possibly list all of them here. One should merely understand that if you enter the darkest and deepest places under the earth you might very well run into one. And that might be the last thing you ever see.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy these:

• Undead in Dungeons and Dragons
• Beholders in Dungeons and Dragons
• Mind Flayers in Dungeons and Dragons
• Intellect Devourers in Dungeons and Dragons
• Displacer Beasts in Dungeons and Dragons

Traps in Dungeons and Dragons are a terrifying part of the dungeon delver’s life. Dungeons are dark and dangerous places. Those who live in these places do not like trespassers coming in and killing their friends and stealing their treasures. Those who adventure in these dark and deep places know to expect such dangers and prepare for them accordingly.

Traps have been with the game since the very beginning. The possibility of monsters hiding in every room seemed unlikely. It was only natural that some rooms would be empty, some rooms would have strange tricks and magical effects and some rooms would contain traps.

But traps are not limited to rooms. They can be found in many places in a dungeon. Traps can be found in hallways, stair cases, rooms, treasure chests and containers, ceilings and even in the wilderness itself. Nowhere is safe. And that is the point. No place in the dungeon should be safe. Not even places that do not appear to have monsters guarding them.

Room Traps in Dungeons and Dragons

Room traps can consist of many types of dangers. Not every trap is really a man made hazard. Sometimes a ceiling might be weak or there could be a hole in the floor created by age or some long forgotten event. These types of dangers are just as dangerous to the delver as a man (or monster) made trap.

Some room traps might include things like these:

• Crushing walls
• Crushing ceilings
• Walls or ceilings that move and also project sharp objects like spears or spikes
• Rooms that fill with sand
• Rooms that flood with water
• Vents that spray gas or dump acid and flaming oil
• Chutes that drop players to other levels of the dungeon
• Elevator rooms that move the whole party up or down a level or several levels
• Collapsing ceilings
• Stone blocks that drop from the ceiling
• Floors that are only an illusion
• Floors that tilt
• Pit traps

Of course this list is not all inclusive. There are many other types of traps one could find that might endanger all of those in a room.

Stair Case Traps in Dungeons and Dragons

One entering the dungeon for the first time should be cautious. One should not expect that entering such a place is safe. The way it could easily be trapped. Often such dark and dangerous places have multiple entrances. Those who dwell inside of the dungeon may well trap the more obvious places of entry and then use less obvious entry points for their own travel.

Some possible forms of staircase traps include:

• Collapsing stairs
• Stairs that turn into slides and drop the party immediately into combat (or into spikes waiting below)
• Hollow stairs that trap a single player or perhaps damage the leg of the trapped person
• Stairs that are actually only an illusion (and actually are a dead drop)

Hallway Traps in Dungeons and Dragons

The passages in the dungeon are not safe to travel without taking precautions. Someone in front of the party would be wise to be probing ahead with a ten foot pole. Failing to take such a simple precaution can quickly lead to disaster. Many a dungeon delver has met their doom for failing to do so.

Some possible hallway traps one might encounter could include:

• Pits
• Pits with spikes
• Pits with locking trap doors
• Walls that fire arrows, darts or spears
• Rolling boulders that are sitting on a ledge down some dark passage
• Passages which shift
• Portcullis which drop from the ceiling to block the way
• Trip wires and loose trigger stones in the floor which cause vents to dump oil or acid

Door Traps in Dungeons and Dragons

Sometimes even the doors one finds in the dungeon are not even safe. Sometimes they are trapped. Sometimes….they are the trap. Some possiblities:

• The door which is actually a mimic
• Doors which resist
• Doors which fall down when touched revealing some monster beyond the door which the adventurers would have preferred not to meet in this way (medusa perhaps?)
• One way doors which do not allow exit
• Springing doors which open and then slam shut on a delver
• A door which teleports the first person to touch it somewhere away from the rest of the party
• The guillotine doorway

Traps in Dungeons and Dragons have different purposes

Not every trap is intended to be a death trap to those who encounter them. There are many possible purposes for traps in Dungeons and Dragons. Some possible purposes might include:

• To wound or maim enemies and burn resources
• To capture intruders
• To sound an alarm that intruders are present
• To kill
• To channel enemies in a specific direction
• To protect treasures from theft
• To make a creative puzzle or obstacle

Traps in Dungeons and Dragons that wound or maim

Wounding, maiming and burning enemy resources is a basic purpose of the trap maker. When others enter a dungeon it is likely that they will have healing resources available to them. Causing them injuries may force the intruding dungeon delver to use up some of their healing spells and magic early and force them to leave the dungeon earlier than planned.

Such traps are often merely an annoyance rather than a serious danger. Some of these types of traps might include:

• Pits
• Vents
• Scything blades
• Arrows, spears, darts
• Poison gas (of all types)

Traps in Dungeons and Dragons that capture or confine

Sometimes the trap maker merely wants to capture intruders. Such intruders can be tortured, questioned or killed at leisure later. Many a dungeon has prison cells still filled with the bones of those who were taken prisoner.

• One way doors that allow entry but not exit
• Portcullis that slams down blocking the exit
• Cage traps
• Net traps
• Steel walls that slide down behind a door
• Teleporters that send delvers to a prison cell

Alarm Traps in Dungeons and Dragons

A trip wire, snare or a loose stone in the floor can be connected to something that does no harm at all to the delver but merely makes a very loud noise. Such traps alert guards that adventurers are present. The guards can then set up an appropriate ambush. Such noise traps might include:

• Gongs
• Rock slides
• Stone blocks falling
• Magic mouths which begin screaming when intruders arrive

Death Traps in Dungeons and Dragons

And of course…some traps are intended to kill. Why get one’s hands bloody when you can let the trap do the work for you? Sometimes it is just a good idea to set up some hazards that can be fatal to intruding adventurers who make a mistake.

Some possible death traps might include:

• Crushing walls and ceilings
• Deep pits with poisoned spikes
• Spheres of Annihilation in the mouth of a demon face on the wall (See Tomb of Horrors)
• Huge falling stone blocks
• Contact poison on treasure or coins

There are so many possible death traps one can put into a dungeon. Obviously players do not like seeing their beloved character slain by such traps. Even if it warms the heart of the dungeon master one should probably not put such traps in play without some possible way to escape from it.

Traps in Dungeons and Dragons that channel adventurers

Sometimes the designs of a villain are to force the adventurers to travel in a direction that is more dangerous than the ones they might otherwise choose. Setting up traps can lead to this. Such traps might include:

• Portcullis that drops and blocks a path
• Falling blocks
• Shifting passages
• Teleporters
• Caltrops that drop (and might be poisoned) in a particular path
• Whirling blades (blade barriers)
• Rolling boulders
• Flooding rooms and passages

Protecting treasure with traps in Dungeons and Dragons

The purpose of adventurers in entering dungeons and catacombs and lost tombs is to find treasure. Gold, gems and magic items are what drive the adventuring trade. Without such treasures one would not risk life and limb to explore such places. There are many possible ways to protect treasure with traps. Some possible ways are:

• Poison darts firing from a chest or from some other point in the room
• Poison gas spraying from the lid of a chest
• Magical rune traps painted on the inside lid of a trap or on the first page of a spell book found
• Poison needles that prick the finger of the thief that is picking the lock of a treasure container
• Contact poison on the treasures themselves
• Jaw traps that snap shut on someone reaching into a chest
• Chests which are not really chests at all but are instead a mimic (or killer mimic)
• Vipers or cobras placed inside of a chest to bite anyone opening it

Traps in Dungeons and Dragons that are a puzzle or obstacle

In order to break up the monotony of hacking and slashing monsters in every room and stealing their treasures dungeon masters often like to place puzzles and tricks in their dungeons. Sometimes these puzzles come in the form of an obvious trap that must by bypassed in some way in order to advance the goals of the delvers. The trap is obviously a hazard. The solution to removing or disabling the trap is the real puzzle. And it is not open and obvious.

There are literally thousands of such traps in various documents available on the web and in published sources. My own favorite is, of course, Grimtooth’s Traps in the many different editions. I mentioned these wonderful books in a prior article on this site many months back. If you do not own one you should look into them. They are written to be not system specific. And they have many complex and elaborate traps to confuse, maim and kill your delvers.

Traps of this type might include:

• The heat induction hallway from White Plume Mountain
• Sconces in a hallway that flip upside down and dump flaming oil from them when a trigger stone is stepped on
• Metal walls which are actually an electro-magnet and literally rip the metal armor from adventurers walking down the hallway
• Rooms with floors that tilt towards the weight placed upon them but appear to have something valuable on the far side of the room (or perhaps just have another passage)
• Swinging ropes across a chasm in the dungeon
• Bridges across chasms in a dungeon that might be real and might be an illusion

There are so many possibilities of traps that could be puzzling or merely an obstacle that I cannot possibly list all of them.

Traps involving animals and monsters

Some traps might include animals or even monsters. Why use a blunt instrument when you can really have fun with your delvers? Some of these traps might include:

• Traps which are manually set off by monsters in a dungeon in ambush
• Pit traps with wolves, hell hounds or displacer beasts waiting below
• Trip wires which close off all of the exits but release horrible beasts in the room with the intruders
• Loose stones in the floor which open up gates in the dungeon and release many new wandering monsters to plague the adventurers
• A gelatinous cube or black pudding waiting at the bottom of a pit
• Green slime placed conveniently over an archway

One of my favorite encounters in my games has been when a party of my players had gotten rather powerful in level. They pretty much were at a point when they marched through dungeons kicking ass and taking names. Nothing was much of a danger to them any more. Until they met a small group of kobolds……

These kobolds were waiting at the far side of a room. A couple of them held torches. The others held swords. They were taunting the adventurers as they arrived and waiting for the delvers to close in and melee.

My adventurers were cocky. They had no fear of a few kobolds. So they charged in swords swinging. And fell into a thirty foot pit which stretched out in front of the kobolds. The pit was filled with oil. And the kobolds dropped their torches in.

The spell casters and others in the back row watched their friends burn in horror as another group of kobolds sprang on them from behind………

Triggers that set off a trap

Traps in Dungeons and Dragons are often triggered by some device. Often these triggers are unseen by the delvers as they pass through the dungeon and they inadvertently set the trap off. Some triggers might include:

• Trip wires
• Weighted levers
• Pressure plates
• Loose cobble stones
• Flawed support beams
• Scales

The Dreaded “Click”

No traps in dungeons and dragons are as terrifying to the player character as the dreaded “click.” The delvers have their thief picking a lock and suddenly hear a click from the treasure chest…..or from the lock….or from behind them…..

Sometimes less is more. The adventurers will desperately fear what this click might be. Or worse…they might hear grinding gears somewhere off in the dungeon and not know what this means.

Sometimes just to mess with my own players when they tell me that they are opening a door I will tell them that they hear a click……. pause for a bit…… and then tell them that the door opens. This drives them crazy. And it makes them paranoid about traps.

Magical Traps in Dungeons and Dragons

I personally am not that big a fan of traps that just magically zap a player for damage. I do use magic in some traps such as the teleporters. But those do not just magically damage individuals. Now magical runes in a book or a chest are certainly used by me. But one walking into a room and getting zapped by a lightning bolt are not really that exciting for the player or the dungeon master so I use that sort of thing very sparingly.

Some traps in Dungeons and Dragons are more deadly than they should be

Sometimes the unpredictable actions of your players can make a trap more deadly than it should be. Or it can make a deadly trap not deadly at all. The reality in a role playing game is that players do not always do what is expected.

That same high level group that I mentioned in my story about the kobolds earlier had another deadly encounter with a trap that involved no monsters. This trap was deadly. And I fully expected that perhaps one player might die from it if the party was not careful. But instead….the entire party died. From a single trap.

The party came upon a crypt in a dungeon. At this point the party was high level and very powerful. They feared very little in the dungeon. So they did not even bother checking for traps on the crypt. They had already encountered a vampire in a similar crypt earlier. So they just shoved the lid off of this one. But the lid was very heavy. So all of the party crowded around the crypt and shoved off the lid.

The crypt released poison gas into the room. Everyone was close to the crypt so all needed to make a saving throw versus poison or die in 1D4 rounds. Poison in 1st edition was pretty brutal. Save or die is typical for 1st edition poison use. Naturally I assumed that one or two people might be close to the crypt when the trap went off. But all of them were clustered around it. All made their saving throw rolls. None rolled higher than a five. Total party kill. From sheer stupidity.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy these:

• Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons
• Torture Devices in Dungeons and Dragons
• Sieges in Dungeons and Dragons
• The Tax Man in Dungeons and Dragons
• Psionics in Dungeons and Dragons
• Illusions in Dungeons and Dragons
• Illusions in Dungeons and Dragons Part Two

Clerics in Dungeons and Dragons have been around since the publication of the very first book for the game. It is an original class. The cleric began life as sort of a hybrid between “fighting men” and “magic users.” The cleric could wear armor and use some melee weapons in combat but could not use edged weapons. This was considered to be against their religious restrictions. This restriction was eliminated in later editions.

Clerics in Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition

The cleric was a standard class in Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st edition. It was one of the listed core classes one could choose from. The only races eligible to be a Cleric in 1st Edition as player characters were humans, half-orcs and half-elves. All other races could only be clerics as NPCs. The only race that could not be a cleric at all was the halfling. Some races, however, were only able to achieve very low levels as a cleric. Only humans would choose to be a cleric only as they are not limited in level. Other races would likely choose to multi-class with cleric as one of their class options.

In 1st edition the cleric hit dice were improved to a D8 instead of a D6. A first level cleric could now cast one spell (instead of none at 1st level in Original D&D). Druids were considered a sub-class of the cleric in this edition. In 1st edition a high wisdom score gave the cleric additional bonus spells and a reduced chance of spell failure.

A cleric was required to have a minimum wisdom score of 9. With a greater than 15 wisdom score the cleric gained a bonus of 10% experience. A cleric in 1st edition could be any alignment except true neutral. This alignment was reserved for their sub-class (druids).

The 1st edition cleric had no need for a spell book. Their spells were received from their deity after meditation and prayer. Edged weapons were still forbidden to the cleric. Shedding blood was still considered something that a cleric could never do.

The primary functions of a 1st edition cleric are healing and turning the undead. Most of the spells available to clerics in 1st edition were healing related or defensive in nature. There were only a handful of damage dealing spells. However, the cleric could reverse many of the healing spells available to them to inflict damage. But alignment might restrict this kind of use of the spells.

Clerics in Dungeons and Dragons Basic

Clerics were available as a standard class in Basic. A more limited spell book was available to them than in 1st edition but the other general rules were very similar.

Clerics in Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition

Clerics in 2nd Edition were part of the “Priest” group of classes. Like in 1st edition they still could not shed blood and were required to use blunt weapons such as maces or flails. They could still wear heavy armor and engage directly in melee combat with more efficiency than magic users or thieves.

Both 1st and 2nd edition suggest that religious orders such as the Knight’s Templar were the inspiration for creation of this class. The complete priest’s handbook takes the class into further detail.

Unlike in first edition the cleric in 2nd edition received spells according to the deity that he or she worshiped and what that deity’s philosophy was. A healing oriented deity would be more likely to grant healing oriented spells than damage dealing ones for example.

Clerics in Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition

In 3rd edition the cleric no longer had to worship a specific deity in order to receive spells. Unlike in prior editions the cleric no longer obtained these spells from their deity directly.

Wisdom was still a key attribute for spell casting. The cleric was required to choose two domains to focus their training on. These domains had spell lists associated with them for the cleric to prepare.

Clerics no longer had the restriction against edged weapons in this edition. They could use heavy armor and shields. They could not, however, use tower shields. They often chose to wield the signature weapon of their deity.

Clerics in Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition

Like all classes in fourth edition the cleric a certain number of attack powers per level. The fourth edition PHB lists two possible builds for a cleric. One could play a battle cleric or a devoted cleric. The battle cleric focuses on offense. Prayers were strength or melee related. The devoted cleric was more of a support role.

Clerics in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

In 5th edition the cleric is one of the core classes offered. A cleric can choose from seven domains: knowledge, life, nature, tempest, trickery or war. Each of these domains gives different spell lists.

• Life Domain values healing
• Knowledge values learning and understanding
• Trickery values deception and disrupting
• Light values rebirth and renewal
• Nature values protection of the natural world
• War values fighting for one’s faith
• Tempest values the power of the natural world

The fifth edition cleric channels the divine power of their deity. The power of their gods flows through them. They are the divine agents of their gods on this world. They often begin their adventuring life because their gods demand it.

Clerics Turning Away the Dead

One consistent aspect of the cleric through all editions is the ability or power to turn away the undead (and sometimes even demons or fiends). In the early editions of the game the cleric began with this ability. In later additions, such as fifth edition, the cleric gains limited ability to turn undead at 2nd level. The ability to destroy some undead is achieved at 5th level.

In a sense the cleric was a kind of “Van Helsing” type of character. The cleric would display the holy symbol associated with their deity and use their faith in their god to force the foul creature of the night to flee.

At higher levels the paladin could also turn away the undead in early editions. In fifth edition a paladin with an oath of devotion could use his divine faith to turn away the unholy. One who has taken the oath of the ancients could turn away the faithless. Paladins of other oaths could do neither of these. Unholy encompasses undead and fiends. Faithless encompasses fiends and fey.

Clerics as Healers in Dungeons and Dragons

In all editions of the game the cleric is often the provider of healing. All editions of the game provide some healing in the spell lists available for the class. Some editions provide paths for a cleric to take which might make the character less inclined to be the healer. But that is a matter of choice for the character in question.

Ultimately most adventuring parties need healing available to them in the course of an expedition into some dungeon or tomb. Without such healing the party is at great risk. Clerics have not always been the most popular class for players in Dungeons and Dragons. In many MMORPGs the Cleric class is so uncommonly chosen that other players are desperate to invite them to their groups. Healing (and turning the undead) are just not that exciting. As a result many Dungeons and Dragons groups chose to hire an NPC cleric to travel with (in the editions where this was possible).

Clerics are a necessity in the dark places where adventurers go to explore

Without healing an expedition is often doomed to failure. Without the ability to turn away the undead a group is in severe danger in a tomb or crypt environment. In early editions of Dungeons and Dragons some types of undead had the terrifying ability to drain away the life force (experience levels) of characters that they could touch. Naturally having a cleric along to make these horrors flee was of paramount importance to success.

Ultimately any group can benefit from having a cleric with them. Healing spells and turning the undead are certainly helpful. And in later editions the cleric could become a successful damage dealer with their spells as well.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy these:

• Druids in Dungeons and Dragons
• Rangers in Dungeons and Dragons
• Illusionists in Dungeons and Dragons
• Bards in Dungeons and Dragons
• Paladins in Dungeons and Dragons
• Monks in Dungeons and Dragons

The Underdark in Dungeons and Dragons is a place deep below the surface of the world. It is a dark place where evil things lurk. It is a dangerous place where terrifying creatures live in cities beneath the planet surface.

The Underdark in Dungeons and Dragons first made it’s appearance in a AD&D publication called “Descent into the Depths of the Earth” in 1978. This module was part of Gary Gygax’s Greyhawk Campaign. The D series of modules were an extension of the earlier G series (Against the Giants) modules. The uprising of hill giants, frost giants and fire giants was the result of instigation by the Drow. After the players defeat the fire giants in G3 they will likely find themselves in pursuit of a group of Drow which retreat down a tunnel deep into the Underdark. The D series then expands upon this new place with three modules that expand upon this wondrous place. The series comes to a conclusion with module Q1 “Queen of the Demon Web Pits.”

A Vast Subterranean Realm

The Underdark is massive. It is deep beneath the surface. And it is so large that many entire cities of different races live in these dark places. It is a dark and dangerous place. The creatures that dwell there tend to have the ability to see in the darkness. But those from the surface may not have this natural ability. There are alien things in this underground world. There are fungus and lichen which may give light. Some of these things might even be eaten. But some may very well be poisonous instead.

Water sources beneath the surface may not be readily available to a surface dweller traveling in the Underdark. One can be certain that the creatures that live there will know where water can be found and will have it well guarded from others who might wish to use some of it. Food sources might be equally as scarce.

The Underdark in Forgotten Realms

Greyhawk was not the only published campaign to have elements involving the Underdark. The Forgotten Realms also included this mysterious place. The Forgotten Realms actually expands upon the Underdark and divides it into three areas. The Upper Dark is closer to the surface. There are many tunnels leading to and from the Underdark and the surface at this level. The creatures here are less dangerous, generally, than deeper levels. The Middle Dark is more dangerous. Great cities of Drow and other creatures are believed to be located here. And the Lower Dark is a virtual mystery even to many of those who live in the Underdark. What lives at this lowest level is unknown. It is believed that cities of some of the most dangerous Underdark dwellers may be found there.

The Underdark in Literature

R.A. Salvatore wrote about the Underdark extensively in his series involving the Drow hero Drizzt Do’Urden. This character was then included in the Forgotten Realms campaign as an important Non Player Character. Drizzt furst appeared in the Icewind Dale trilogy. He is an unusual Drow. Unlike his brethren he is not evil. In fact he is against the evil tendencies of his race and becomes an outcast from his people. He ends up traveling to the surface and living in the light.

Who lives in the Underdark in Dungeons and Dragons?

Who lives in this underground world? Who would even want to live there? There are creatures in Dungeons and Dragons that prefer darkness to light. And some that prefer to dig beneath the surface rather than create structures above ground for dwelling. Naturally all of these types of creatures can be found in the Underdark:

• Aboleths
• Beholders
• Derro
• Driders
• Drow
• Duergar
• Dwarves
• Fomorian Giants
• Gnomes
• Hook Horrors
• Kuo Toa
• Mind Flayers
• Myconids
• Troglodytes
• Many other subterranean races

Some of these creatures have built massive cities beneath the surface. Most of them are evil. A few are not. All live in competition there in this world beneath the surface. Wars are fought for space and resources in this dark place.

Dwarves in the Underdark

There are three types of Dwarves living in the darkness below. Good aligned Dwarves have cities that the have built here and have fought to protect for centuries. Duergars are known as the Gray Dwarves. They are an evil aligned group that dwells under the land. Derro is another evil race of Dwarves that lives here. Dwarves are natural miners and diggers. To find them in a place like this is to be expected. But they often must fight with other races to protect their homes and resources from others.

Beholders in the Underdark

Beholders in all of their many variations can be found here. The massive Eye Tyrants often lead cities deep beneath the surface. This species is highly intelligent but also highly aggressive. They do not work well or play well with others in the Underdark. They have fought wars against the Drow and others in this place.

Gnomes in the Underdark

Deep Gnomes known as the Svirfneblin live in the Underdark. These deep gnomes have the ability to listen to the earth and stone. They do not communicate with it but they learn many things from it. Unlike other gnomes this race tends towards neutrality.

Mind Flayers in the Underdark

The Illithid have massive cities beneath the planet surface. They sometimes cooperate with other races below but often merely dominate those other races. They have sometimes fought wars against other races that did not wish to accept their rule. It is said that Elder Brain Mind Flayers rule massive cities of the Illithid. These terrifying creatures have powerful psionic abilities as well as tentacles that can rip the brain out of a victim’s head for devouring.

Giants

A few giants are known to be found in the Underdark. Fomorian giants, stone giants and even fire giants might be found here.

The Drow

The Dark Elves are known to have many cities beneath the surface. Many of their great houses have become incredibly powerful and compete for control of their society. Some worship the Demon Princess Lolth. Others do not. But all are generally evil with very few known exceptions.

The Nature of the Underdark

The Underdark in Dungeons and Dragons is a place filled with caverns. But these are no ordinary caverns. These are massive. And these caverns follow an enormous tunnel descending steadily deeper into the earth. Entire cities are carved out of these tunnels and caverns at different places along the way.

There are few sources of light in this world. Some fungi and luminous rocks give off a little light. Most of the creatures dwelling beneath the surface have little need for it. Most have infravision or ultravision. Surface dwellers traveling in this world must bring their own sources of light or find themselves at a severe disadvantage in combat.

The temperature of the Underdark is typically chilly or clammy. But thermal activity beneath the surface can make some parts of the Underdark quite warm.

Sound in the Underdark is often absent. These tunnels and caverns are almost tomb like in many places. There are often miles of empty tunnel before encountering any group of dwellers in this land.

In some places the air beneath the surface is stale and nearly unbreathable by surface dwellers. Gasses may build up in places from geothermal activity. Sometimes these gasses pool up in tunnels (particularly those tunnels trapped by water). Sometimes these gasses might even be explosive.

Getting lost in the Underdark is quite easy for surface dwellers who are not familiar with these lands. One would do well not to get lost in this alien world. For to do so would invite tragedy.

Who rules the Underdark in Dungeons and Dragons?

No single government or entity rules the entire Underdark. But there are many powerful groups there that control significant parts of it. Wars are fought constantly beneath the surface for control of geography and valuable resources. Water and food are scarce. And there is always conflict over control of such things.

There are many city-states beneath the surface. Each of these entities rules itself. But there are alliances of these cities and states which prevent others from taking total control over an area.

Many of these races are not even ruled by one single ruler. There are competing cities of Drow. There are many cities of beholders and mind flayers and dwarves. No single government or king rules all of them.

The Underdark in Dungeons and Dragons is a grim and dreary place for those that live there

But for players and dungeon masters it is a fantastic world to adventure in. This place is so alien and different to the surface that a great deal of time could be spent exploring it. But clearly this is not a place to be visited by some low level adventurers. It is a dangerous and volatile place. Even without the races and monsters living there the environment itself is hostile to survival of surface dwellers traveling there. One should use great caution before embarking on any expedition to this dangerous place.

If you would like an excellent reference on the Underdark which is not system specific you might try this product:

• Drizzt Do’Urden’s Guide to the Underdark

This fine book was written for 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons but contains no system specific statistics. It is an extremely detailed guide to every detail that a dungeon master might want to know in order to create an Underdark adventure for players. It is available on Drivethrurpg for download (or printing).

If you enjoyed this article then perhaps you might enjoy these:

These are some other articles from this site which you may enjoy:

• Beholders in Dungeons and Dragons
• Mind Flayers in Dungeons and Dragons
• Undead in Dungeons and Dragons
• Intellect Devourers in Dungeons and Dragons
• Displacer Beasts in Dungeons and Dragons
• The Astral Plane in Dungeons and Dragons

Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons were first introduced in the 1975 Greyhawk Supplement. The character class was a fan created one. While it is clear that Gary Gygax, and the others involved in the early Dungeons and Dragons creative effort, had ideas regarding a thief class they did not include it with the first classes available. But a dungeon master who was playing the early game, by the name of Gary Switzer, had been using a home brewed version with his own group. He then shared this information with Gary Gygax over the phone and it was included with the Greyhawk Supplement. Unlike the later version of this class it began with only a four sided hit dice.

The class was immediately popular. It has been included in virtually ever edition of the game since. In third edition the thief class was renamed as the rogue. But the concept is still the same. The thief is a burglar. A scoundrel. Or a rogue. The thief is not a melee fighter. She wants to stand in the back of the party or backstab someone from the shadows.

One of my favorite images of the thief class is the Malak character from Conan The Destroyer. He is the guy prying gems out of the wall while the others are reading hieroglyphics or are looking for a way out of the tomb. He is the guy who uses two small daggers to backstab a warrior attacking Conan. And he is the one who throws a small dagger at the sleeping god when it has Conan in it’s embrace.

Thieves in Other Movies and Literature

Some of the inspirations for the thief class finally included in the Greyhawk Supplement were Bilbo Baggins from the Hobbit, Fritz Lieber’s Gray Mouser and Jack Vance’s Cugel the Clever. But movies and literature have provided many other examples of the thief class. In my earlier discussion of Conan the Destroyer I mentioned Malak. But in the earlier Conan movie (The Barbarian) Conan himself identifies as a thief. As does his two companions. Most of us would see Conan himself as being a warrior but clearly he sees no distinction between the two.

Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition

The thief was a standard class in 1st edition. Unlike the previous edition the thief now had a six sided dice for hit points. Unlike other classes the thief class had an extremely low barrier for entry. The only required statistic was a dexterity of 9. Virtually anyone could become a thief. And that was the point. The thief was the catch all tomb robber, adventurer, grave robber, thug, pickpocket and burglar.

The thief had special skills. These skills were also available (in more limited form) to some other classes in 1st edition including the monk, bard and assassin. But the thief did them better than anyone else. These special skills were:

• Picking pockets
• Picking locks
• Finding traps
• Removing traps
• Moving silently
• Hiding in shadows
• Listening at doors
• Climbing
• Back stabbing
• Reading languages

Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons 1st edition could be any race. Unlike other classes non-human thieves could rise to unlimited levels with the exception of Half Orcs which were restricted to 8th level. Different races were better at different thief skills. Some gained significant bonuses to certain skills as a racial bonus.

At 10th level the thief could even read and understand some magical writings. They could even cast spells from scrolls (excluding clerical).

The class was further modified in Unearthed Arcana to include a thief acrobat class. This class had more restrictions than the normal thief class but gave the character more gymnastic type abilities than the normal thief class.

Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons Basic Edition

In basic Dungeons and Dragons (in it’s different incarnations) the thief was required to be human. Individual races that were not human were considered their own class for purposes of this edition. An elf was just an elf. A dwarf was just a dwarf. Like AD&D the thief can read languages and even use scrolls at higher levels.

Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition

In Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition the thief is included as part of a rogue group. Later it is greatly expanded upon in the Complete Thief’s Handbook. That was one thing that 2nd edition did which was really rather cool at the time. They came out with a separate book which expanded upon the rules of each of the available classes. This allowed one to develop their character further than ever before.

Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition

In 3rd edition the thief was renamed the rogue. They were still the class that could find traps and pick locks. They were still the class that could sneak up and stab someone from behind. This edition removed the percentage rolls needed in earlier editions for the thief to succeed in their special skills. Now there was a “Difficulty Class” check which has been included for nearly everything in later editions. The sneak attack for 3rd edition replaced the backstab attack from earlier editions. This type of attack recognizes a flank attack as being something that a rogue could achieve. This type of attack resulted in a potential critical hit instead of a damage multiplier from earlier editions.

Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition

Fourth edition continues with the rogue class but later re-added a thief class as well. The thief and rogue are more skirmish fighters in this edition. Each rogue has the ability to specialize as either an artful dodger or a brutal scoundrel. Which path is chosen determines the special types of abilities that are gained later.

Thieves in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

This edition goes back to the generic rogue as a standard character class. The player can choose one of three paths to follow to develop their character:

• Thief
• Assassin
• Arcane Trickster

The thief focuses on stealing. Skills involving climbing and sneaking are developed. The Assassin focuses on killing and murder. Skills involving poison and disguise are developed. Arcane trickster focuses on magic.

Other supplements provided two more paths one could follow. These include:

• Swashbuckler
• Inquisitive

The swashbuckler was a swordsman. The Inquisitive was more like a detective.

Thieves are an essential class in Dungeons and Dragons

The thief, or rogue, is a necessary class in some editions. Without the thief one has great difficulty finding traps or opening doors. In later editions this distinction is blurred. Other classes can perform some of those skills so the thief is no longer as essential.

In the earliest editions the thief was the easiest class to qualify for. The implication was that a party might have multiple thieves but only one cleric or wizard might be with the group.

Even the iconic cover of the First Edition Player’s Handbook seems to support this idea. If you look at the great demon idol picture you will notice several people doing different things in the image. A wizard stands near a fighter who is sharpening his sword. Two more fighters (or perhaps one is a cleric) are looking at a map. Behind them two thieves are stealing the gems out of the demon idol while their friends seem to not notice what they are doing. On the back cover two more thieves are carrying off a treasure chest (one of these might be a fighter). Another thief is dragging a lizard man away. And another thief is rolling a barrel away. This party seems to have about half thieves and the other half are other classes. None, strangely, appear to be demi-humans.

In any case what is clear is that the thief, or rogue, class is an essential class for Dungeons and Dragons. Every edition has included it. And more than likely so will the next edition if there is one.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy one of these:

• Rangers in Dungeons and Dragons
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• Monks in Dungeons and Dragons
• Illusionists in Dungeons and Dragons
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The Intellect Devourer in Dungeons and Dragons is an unusual looking creature. It’s very appearance is terrifying. It looks like a brain with legs. And it’s abilities are equally frightening.

The Intellect Devourer in Dungeons and Dragons made it’s first appearance in in the Eldritch Wizardry supplement for Original Dungeons and Dragons in 1976. It has been present in most of the later editions including second, third, fourth and fifth.

These creatures are chaotic. And they are very evil. They are masters of psychic powers and often dominate their enemies by controlling their minds. They could consume an opponent’s mind and then use their body as a host.

The Intellect Devourer in Combat

These foul creatures are able to attack with their claws if they choose to do so. But their primary form of attack is with psionic energy. In fact they live off of this energy. And they consume this energy from their victims.

In early editions of Dungeons and Dragons, which include psionic combat and abilities for player characters, this creature was a danger to those with psychic powers. The creature could sense the use of psionic abilities nearby and would stalk the user of them. The creature would wait for an opportune moment to attack such as when the user was engaged in combat with something else. It would then attack by surprise. It would leap upon it’s victim and tear with it’s claws while simultaneously using psionic attacks such as ego whip or id insinuation. The Intellect Devourer would then insert itself into the body of the victim and make them it’s host. Using this new body it would look for new victims to devour in the same manner.

In fifth edition the creature has changed. Psionics are not a part of the core of this edition of Dungeons and Dragons but the creature has been included nevertheless. So the nature of the beast has been modified for this edition. Instead of using a psionic attack it makes an attack on the intelligence of it’s victim. Anyone that the devourer sees that has a brain is potentially a target. This target must make a DC 12 intelligence saving throw or take 2D10 psychic damage. Additionally the victim must roll 3D6 and if this number exceeds their intelligence score than the intelligence score is reduced to zero. The target remains stunned until regaining at least one point of intelligence. The fifth edition Intellect Devourer can initiate an intelligence contest with an incapacitated humanoid within five feet of it. If it wins the contest it will devour the target’s brain and then teleport itself in it’s place.

The Host of the Intellect Devourer

When the creature places itself into the body of a victim it is safe from the dangers of the outside world. It’s host will take the damage from anyone attempting to attack it until the host is reduced to zero hit points. At this point the creature must leave the body of it’s host and is again at risk.

While in a host body the Intellect Devourer in Dungeons and Dragons gains the knowledge of the person it has taken over. It knows their spells and languages (in fifth edition at least).

The Intellect Devourer in Dungeons and Dragons likes places in the dark

These creatures lurk in the shadows in places deep beneath the earth. They are inhabitants of places like the Underdark. Different forms of Dungeons and Dragons have stated different things about the origins of these creatures. The Fifth Edition Monster Manual states that they are creatures of the Illithids. This edition holds that the Mind Flayers breed these creatures .

In Advanced Dungeons and Dragons First Edition these creatures were found in other places. The Monster Manual for this edition mentions nothing about any connection to the Mind Flayer. Instead it says that the Devourers often travel the ethereal and astral planes.

The Intellect Devourer had special abilities involving darkness in 1st edition as well. The creature had the natural ability to hide in the shadows as a 10th level thief. Normal weapons could not hit the creature. One had to use a magical weapon of +3 or better to hit the creature and do damage. When struck with one of these weapons they would take only 1 point of damage. But bright light would drive them off.

Killing an Intellect Devourer in Dungeons and Dragons

These special defenses made the 1st edition Intellect Devourer difficult to kill. But certain spells would harm it nevertheless. A fireball would do it no damage but the brightness of it would scare the creature away. A lightning bolt would do only one point per dice of damage. A death spell would work against the creature 25% of the time. But a power word kill would instantly slay them.

The Fifth Edition variety is considerably weaker. They are only a CR 2 creature. They have none of the special defenses that First Edition gave them other than protection from normal weapons.

The Ustilagor

The Monster Manual II for 1st edition added a variant of the Intellect Devourer called the Ustilagor. In fact these creatures are not really Intellect Devourers at all. But their appearance makes them look rather similar. The Ustilagor is a fungi that appears to be a brain like growth with coral like appendages.

These creatures existed in first, second and third editions of Dungeons and Dragons but was not included in the later editions.

Like the Intellect Devourer they could attack psionically but only with id insinuation. They could only be psionically attacked in turn with psionic blast.

The Ustilagor could be physically attacked and had a rather high armor class (bad in first edition). It’s psionic abilities made it immune to most magic.

The Intellect Devourer in Dungeons and Dragons was a creature of nightmares

These creatures live the dark and hide in the shadows. They find a victim and stalk that victim until an opportune moment and then pounce. When they do attack they will attempt to do so by surprise. They will prefer opportunities when no one else will be aware that the attack has taken place. They will take over the body of their victim and will use this new host as a place to launch their next attack. Obviously the early edition versions of the Intellect Devourer were more dangerous. But even the Fifth Edition Intellect Devourer is capable of causing serious harm. One should be careful traveling the dark places beneath the earth for one of these creatures might be lurking just a little too close.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy one of these

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Rangers in Dungeons and Dragons began with an article in The Strategic Review Volume 1, Number 2. The ranger was based upon Tolkien’s Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings. Rangers have been in every edition of Dungeons and Dragons since that time with the single exception of Basic Dungeons and Dragons. A later article in the Dragon offered variant rules for adding the Ranger class to Basic as well.

Rangers in Dungeons and Dragons First Edition

In Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st edition the ranger was offered as a sub-class of the fighter. First edition offered three fighter classes including the fighter, the paladin and the ranger. The ranger began life with more hit dice than the other two fighter classes (two) but only earned an eight sided dice for hit points as opposed to the ten sided dice for the other two classes. The ranger also could ultimately attain 11 hit dice at the highest levels as opposed to the 9 hit die maximum of the fighter and paladin.

A ranger in dungeons and dragons first edition was a sneaky opponent. The ranger could surprise an opponent on a 1-3 out of 6. But they themselves were hard to surprise (only on a 1 out of 6).

In 1st edition the ranger was the bane of “giant classed creatures.” The ranger considered these creatures their natural enemy. As a result when fighting against these types of creatures the ranger scored an additional point of damage per level of the ranger. A giant class creature included the following types of humanoids:

• Bugbears
• Kobolds
• Orcs
• Ogres
• Ogre magi
• Gnolls
• Giants (all types)
• Goblins
• Hobgoblins
• Trolls
• Ettins

That is a pretty impressive list when you think about it. Particularly at low levels when Orcs and other low level humanoids would likely be frequent opponents.

The 1st edition ranger was a woodsman and tracker. Even indoors the ranger had a chance to track and hunt down an enemy. But outdoors the probabilities were much higher.

At higher levels the 1st edition ranger acquired spell casting abilities. At 8th level druidic spell ability began. At 9th level magic user spell ability began. The ranger could use any weapons and any armor.

The 1st edition ranger did have some restrictions. Those restrictions included:

• The ranger was required to be of good alignment. That alignment could be chaotic, neutral or lawful. Losing this good alignment resulted in losing all ranger benefits and the character would from this point merely be a fighter (continuing with only 8 sided dice for hit points).
• The ranger could have no hirelings (until 8th or higher level)
• Only three rangers could ever work together in the same group
• A ranger could only own goods and treasure that they could carry with them. All excess had to be donated to a worthy cause, church or institution (not another player)
• A ranger could only be human or half elf. A half elf could only advance as high as 8th level.

The Ranger in Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition

Second edition changed the class substantially. No longer did the ranger have smaller hit dice than the fighter or paladin. Rangers gained thief like abilities and the ability to wield two weapons. But these additions came at a cost. That cost was the ability to wear heavy armor. The ranger could still wear heavy armor but lost these new abilities if they chose to.

The ranger was still a tracker. The mechanics of tracking, however, changed to an ability check instead of percentile checks. The ranger also gained the ability to calm frightened or hostile animals.

The second edition ranger was no longer the bane of all “giant classed creatures.” Instead the ranger focused on a specific type of creature and it no longer needed to be one from that list.

Spell casting was limited in 2nd edition to priest spells from the plant and animal spheres. But the higher level rangers had the ability to recruit woodland creatures, including treants, as followers.

Rangers in Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition

Third edition changed the ranger class even further. The ranger now had a “favored enemy” instead of the “giant class” and gained further “favored enemies” as they progressed in level. In 3rd edition the ranger still could cast spells but acquired them earlier. The ranger now had it’s own specific spell list to draw upon. The ranger now no longer needed to be good in alignment. Evil rangers were possible in this edition. Instead of gaining followers the ranger in 3rd edition gained a single animal companion.

Rangers in Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition

In fourth edition the ranger could become an archery specialist or a two handed fighter. The ranger in fourth edition was more of a hit and run fighter than a melee brawler. The special abilities of the 4th edition ranger supported this kind of combat role.

Rangers in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

Rangers are one of the core classes offered for 5th edition. At early levels the ranger character makes a choice between being a hunter or a beast master. The beast master gains an animal companion to control. A hunter gains combat abilities. The ranger in 5th edition is much more of a spell casting class than in prior editions. The ranger gains these spell casting abilities earlier and more often than in other editions.

Unlike first edition the 5th edition ranger could be any race or any alignment. The ranger in 5th edition has it’s own spell list. And the fifth edition ranger was not restricted from working with other rangers. In fact the 5th edition PHB suggests that secret communities of rangers work together to protect the outskirts of civilization from the ravages of humanoid hordes.

The 5th edition ranger is an independent sort that lives for adventuring. The need no comfortable beds. They do not like the big city. They are likely to be found as members of a druid circle.

Like the 3rd edition ranger this version has a “favored enemy.” They gain new ones at 6th and 14th level. This knowledge of an enemy gives them advantage on tracking them and knowledge about their abilities and ways. They also gain the ability to learn the languages of these enemies.

The 5th edition ranger also has a “favored terrain.” This gives the ranger more ability in these areas to track, find direction, move quickly, move stealthily, scout enemies in this type of terrain.

At early levels the ranger must make a choice about what kind of fighter he or she will become:

• Two handed fighter
• Archer
• Defensive fighter
• Duelist

Rangers in Dungeons and Dragons

Rangers in all editions are outdoor survivalist types. They will adventure with others but they are just as happy being alone. They are able to survive in places where others might not. They are comfortable in places where non rangers would be highly uncomfortable. They are in tune with nature. And they are likely to be found in the company of druids or rangers instead of others.

Many sources have been claimed to be the inspiration of the ranger class. Obviously the Aragorn reference at the beginning of this article is the primary inspiration. But in the 2nd edition PHB other sources were mentioned including Robin Hood and others.

What you can be sure of is that a ranger is likely to see you coming before you see him or her. This is especially true in the wilderness. The wilderness is their home. Be mindful of it before setting fires or burning trees. You might find an arrow in your back if you are not careful.

Other Class Articles

If you enjoyed this article then you may enjoy some of the others in this series:

• Druids in Dungeons and Dragons
• Paladins in Dungeons and Dragons
• Monks in Dungeons and Dragons
• Illusionists in Dungeons and Dragons
• Bards in Dungeons and Dragons