D&D 5E (2014) Building a Better Ankheg
- Thread starter el-remmen
- Start date
Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad
We are in session 6 of an ankheg mini adventure, and they're terrifying, complex and tough. Their acid spray is really nasty for a CR 2 creature, making AC useless against the spray. The burrowing usually leads to us being surprised. The tremorsense makes a lot of PC abilities nullified or a negative for the party. They grapple their targets well and with no additional action. Their HP is 45, which again for CR is no slouch.
These guys are scary and tough for a CR 2 creature.
These guys are scary and tough for a CR 2 creature.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
No doubt. I guess I my issue is that I always imagined them more as a CR 5 or 6 creature, which admittedly is my own thing. But I think your post brings up the good point that the tactics it employs and making use of the environment are crucial to making it a challenge at any CR.
Swedish Chef
Adventurer
I used them very successfully in 2nd ED and 3rd ED adventures. They are long, and considered Large, but their tunnels are not overtly large - about 5 foot in diameter. One or two would strike a low level party during a rest, and usually manage to drag at least one character back into a tunnel. Usually a halfling, gnome or elf. The party hated those tactics, as only a single character could crawl in after the captured character, and had to roll to avoid hitting the grappled character while attacking the ankheg. Even just one CR 2 ankheg against 5 lvl 4 characters could cause considerable harm on a successful snatch and grab. For quite some time after the 2nd such encounter, players would never have their characters sleep on the ground for months. Different adventures, different characters - it didn't matter. All felt the need to sleep in wagons or trees or on top of rock outcroppings. 
There's also a version for Draw Steel, where the Arixx is a true solo monster that's featured in the Delian Tomb starter adventure.
plecostomus
Explorer
Follow-up on the Flee Mortals! ankheg vs. my Level 3 party...
The ankheg appears in a module meant for 4 players (Quests From the Infinite Staircase - The Lost City). My 2024 game has 3 players and 1 of them was out today, leaving 2 PCs and their sidekick. I was tempted to return to the 2024 ankheg, but I really wanted to know how the FM! version would do, so I subjected my remaining PCs to it, for science.
This ankheg was great. There was a constant mix of giggling, oh's, and "oh no!"s as it showcased each of its abilities. It used all 3 of its legendary actions, even the one which requires it to be grappled first.
I did not spend both of its legendary resistances because I didn't want to spend them on the same PC action twice, but I liked the mechanic attached to that for the FM! version, which takes away its Earth Eruption bonus action if it spends a resistance.
My first Claw attack knocked out a PC at the start of the fight, so it was quite the introduction. The Bite attack with the automatic grapple is more zany and does less damage, so I leaned towards that, and Acid Spit when it was available. Acid Spit took out the sidekick with its initial damage + 1 turn of lingering acid damage.
The Skitter reaction and the ankheg's burrowing both increase its survivability and gives these low-level PCs some space to plan out their moves, especially if someone goes down. The fight really came together very gracefully.
The only thing I could not convince the PCs to try was following the ankheg down one of its burrows. Towards the end of the fight it grappled the sidekick (their dog) and was taking her away. Had the ankheg survived to go down a burrow with the dog, I think then they would have followed. Alas!
As mentioned up-thread, ankhegs should not be able to burrow through stone without Tunneler. I'm not sure if it's an oversight or intended that the ankheg is in this module without that trait. I let it burrow anyway because it was fun and made players terribly nervous.
This was a really flavorful monster. When the absent player's PC departed the scene by magical means, I had the ankheg waste a reaction trying to opportunity attack his departure. When its attack failed, I mentioned its heavy front claws coming down on the stone and denting it easily. I described bubbling green froth dribbling from its jaws and leaking from its wounds. To convey its tremorsense, when PCs got in melee range, I described them as hearing it humming and constantly tapping its many legs on the stone to generate echoes.
That first turn when it burrowed and disappeared from the map made for some great anxiety. Players actually spent actions listening for it and were able to move out of its way to avoid its Earth Eruption on its next turn.
I will say that as an enemy that just appears in a room in the middle of a combat-heavy dungeon floor, it's very strong. My players immediately cried for a Long Rest upon victory. I actually forgot they needed to spend 16 hours doing stuff before they could Long Rest again under 2024 rules (first time DM btw), but since the party was down a player I didn't feel too bad when I realized.
Other options are to have the ankheg skirmish and disappear at different health points and try to ambush the party elsewhere in the dungeon- had all my players been here, I would have tried that. Especially with the FM! Earth Eruption ability, the ankheg can do a lot to change a battlefield wherever it appears.
The ankheg appears in a module meant for 4 players (Quests From the Infinite Staircase - The Lost City). My 2024 game has 3 players and 1 of them was out today, leaving 2 PCs and their sidekick. I was tempted to return to the 2024 ankheg, but I really wanted to know how the FM! version would do, so I subjected my remaining PCs to it, for science.
This ankheg was great. There was a constant mix of giggling, oh's, and "oh no!"s as it showcased each of its abilities. It used all 3 of its legendary actions, even the one which requires it to be grappled first.
I did not spend both of its legendary resistances because I didn't want to spend them on the same PC action twice, but I liked the mechanic attached to that for the FM! version, which takes away its Earth Eruption bonus action if it spends a resistance.
My first Claw attack knocked out a PC at the start of the fight, so it was quite the introduction. The Bite attack with the automatic grapple is more zany and does less damage, so I leaned towards that, and Acid Spit when it was available. Acid Spit took out the sidekick with its initial damage + 1 turn of lingering acid damage.
The Skitter reaction and the ankheg's burrowing both increase its survivability and gives these low-level PCs some space to plan out their moves, especially if someone goes down. The fight really came together very gracefully.
The only thing I could not convince the PCs to try was following the ankheg down one of its burrows. Towards the end of the fight it grappled the sidekick (their dog) and was taking her away. Had the ankheg survived to go down a burrow with the dog, I think then they would have followed. Alas!
As mentioned up-thread, ankhegs should not be able to burrow through stone without Tunneler. I'm not sure if it's an oversight or intended that the ankheg is in this module without that trait. I let it burrow anyway because it was fun and made players terribly nervous.
This was a really flavorful monster. When the absent player's PC departed the scene by magical means, I had the ankheg waste a reaction trying to opportunity attack his departure. When its attack failed, I mentioned its heavy front claws coming down on the stone and denting it easily. I described bubbling green froth dribbling from its jaws and leaking from its wounds. To convey its tremorsense, when PCs got in melee range, I described them as hearing it humming and constantly tapping its many legs on the stone to generate echoes.
That first turn when it burrowed and disappeared from the map made for some great anxiety. Players actually spent actions listening for it and were able to move out of its way to avoid its Earth Eruption on its next turn.
I will say that as an enemy that just appears in a room in the middle of a combat-heavy dungeon floor, it's very strong. My players immediately cried for a Long Rest upon victory. I actually forgot they needed to spend 16 hours doing stuff before they could Long Rest again under 2024 rules (first time DM btw), but since the party was down a player I didn't feel too bad when I realized.
Other options are to have the ankheg skirmish and disappear at different health points and try to ambush the party elsewhere in the dungeon- had all my players been here, I would have tried that. Especially with the FM! Earth Eruption ability, the ankheg can do a lot to change a battlefield wherever it appears.
Similar Threads
