Shriekers are a classic creature in Dungeons and Dragons. They are seemingly harmless mushrooms growing underground. They can range in size from small to large. They come in a variety of colors. Many may look similar but some may look very different. When they are encountered by parties of adventurers these mushrooms do not seem to cause any concern. Why would they? They are just mushrooms right?
And then they begin wailing. Everyone and everything in the dungeon now knows that you are there and exactly where to find you!
Shriekers in Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition
I went back and scoured the original Dungeons and Dragons booklets and could find no reference to them. This surprised me. I expected to find them in the original version of the game. But I could find no reference to them. It is possible, I suppose, that it might have appeared in one of the periodicals of the time. But the earliest version that I have found so far is in the 1st Edition Monster Manual.
Many of the monsters in the Monster Manual did come from OD&D. But the Monster Manual did add quite a few new ones.
The Shrieker is basically an alarm system for dungeons. They are harmless on their own but they are a popular delicacy. Some creatures find the Shrieker as a favorite source of food. When they hear the wailing of the Shrieker they will immediately rush to the sound of them. The Shambling Mound loves to eat Shrieker and will virtually never pass up an opportunity to find them. This makes an excellent combination in a cavern system where both might be found. Purple worms are also known to love Shriekers.
The First Edition Shrieker is capable of movement. But movement is very slow. They have only a few hit dice and are easy to kill as they do not fight back in any way. It is their wailing that makes them a danger.
Shriekers live in dark places. Caves are a likely place to find them. They are mindless creatures that a normally quiet. They only begin their wailing when they sense movement or light in close proximity.
Shriekers in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition
The Shrieker is one example where 1st and 5th Edition work very much the same. The creature is still basically a dungeon alarm system. Shriekers have only a few hit points and are quite easy to hit.
They can only see out to about 30 feet. Beyond this range they are virtually blind. When they are motionless one can not easily tell that there is a danger from them. They seem like a normal mushroom. When light or movement draws their attention, however, the wailing begins. The Shrieks of the creature can be heard up to 300 feet away. And this draws other creatures to the area to investigate.
Placing a Shrieker in Dungeons and Dragons
A Dungeon Master deciding to place a Shrieker in an adventure has some decisions to make. Is the creature going to be found alone? Is it going to be found in conjunction with other creatures? Is it used as an alarm or a trap?
It is certainly possible for adventurers to find a patch of Shriekers in a cavern system somewhere alone. But more likely, than not, other creatures will be lurking nearby. Purple Worms and Shambling Mounds love them for food and will come running when they hear one. But other, more intelligent creatures, may use them with a purpose. Humanoids such as goblins, orcs, or bugbears might allow these creatures to live nearby so as to give them an alarm when intruders are near.
They can also be the stuff of dirty tricks. In the First Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide Gary Gygax has an entry on page 217 for some Shriekers surrounding a pedestal. Presumably the pedestal has something interesting on it. Some treasure perhaps may rest upon it. But these are not ordinary Shriekers. For these are covered in Yellow Mold. Striking the Shriekers will release the mold spores everywhere in the cave. Not doing so, however, may result in dangerous creatures coming to investigate.
As Shriekers prefer dark places it is not likely that they will be found in a lighted room. As they Shriek whenever they sense movement or light it is likely that they will be found in cavernous places and away from busy places.
Pairing them with dangerous encounters nearby is a good way to test your players intelligence and strategies. Those who rush in foolhardily will pay a dear price when they bring that purple worm nearby upon them.
Shriekers are known to sometimes live among Violet Fungi. This is a dangerous combination as the Violet Fungi strongly resemble the Shrieker. But instead, the Violet Fungi, has branches which flail out an anything that passes within a few feet of it. The touch of this creature causes flesh to rot. Naturally the Shrieker is immune to this.
But taking this a step further there are other potential things that might ignore a Shrieker and which a Shrieker might also ignore in a dungeon. These things might live together in some sort of symbiotic relationship. Some things that come to mind:
- Any type of mold or fungus
- Myconids
- Gas Spores
- Any intelligent or semi-intelligent creatures that want an alarm system
- Small bird like creatures such as stirges or bats
- And creatures that might farm these things for the food value (even if they are not intelligent)
Shriekers are a Classic Creature in Dungeons and Dragons
Both low level and high level adventurers can encounter them. And either could find them dangerous if placed properly to attract the attention of creatures that are truly dangerous. This is the kind of creature that gives an old school flavor even to a later edition version of Dungeons and Dragons.
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Pretty sure Shriekers were in Holmes Basic….
Shriekers first appeared in Strategic Review #3 so they are OD&D critters
Yeah I mentioned somewhere in the article that I was surprised to find no reference to them in any of the core books for OD&D but that they might have appeared in one of the periodicals. I did not go check the Strategic Review. I guess I should have.