here are the five queries that i worked up based off the recent poll for Forgotten Realms creatures. if you have any comments, questions, additions, removals, etc, feel free to comment.
1. "Magic Masters and Disasters"
Faerun is a place filled with magic, so it should be no surprise that magical creatures abound. There are a fair number of creatures that use magic, were created by magic, or just use magic in strange and different ways.
Blazing Bones
Undead (Fire), CR 4
This skeletal creature is crowned with a nimbus of flame, and has the ability to hurl fire at foes and can explode outward like a fireball spell. The blazing bones was created when a spellcaster prepared his contingency spell poorly and disaster resulted.
Originally found in Ruins of Myth Drannor
Calygraunt
Fey, CR 1
Also known as the feystag, this stag-antlered, feline creature is a woodland being with mastery over magic items. Chaotic neutral, it can activate and control other creatures' magic items and cause much mischief and chaos before detected.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 89
Magic Golem
Construct?, CR 6
The magic golem is made of iridescent yellow energy in the shape of a humanoid, and is the amalgam of a human merged with wild magic. The Zhentarim discovered this method of turning a living being into pure magical energy. A magic golem can absorb magic and release it in a flare of wild magic.
Originally found in Ruins of Zhentil Keep
Magebane
Aberration/Outsider?, CR 1
This mysterious, bat-like parasite feeds on the magical energy of arcane spellcasters. This pitch black creature inhabits dark places and other planes, and is invisible to all but its chosen target.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 140
Magedoom
Aberration?, CR 7
Created by the Zhentarim to destroy non-Zhentish wizards, looking like a large cone-shaped mound of yellowy brown sludge, and heavy arms that end in large eyeballs. They have the ability to drain spellcasting levels in a manner similar to energy drain.
Originally found in Ruins of Zhentil Keep
The Render
Magical Beast/Outsider?, CR 10
This huge, shaggy unique beast was created by the union of a human and a demon gone wrong in the experimental labs of Darkhold. It can fly into a berserk fury, rending foes with its terrible claws and biting. Its gaze causes paralyzing fear in foes, but the reality of this poor twisted soul is that its life is constant pain.
Originally found in Ruins of Zhentil Keep
Ring-Worm
Vermin, CR 1/10
This worm shimmers like gold and when it curls up and lays still it looks like a piece of jewelry. When someone mistakenly puts it on, the worm feeds on the creature's magical energy. Can be removed only with fire or dispel magic.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Volume 11
Wingless Wonder
Aberration, CR 1
This walking egg-shaped creature is highly resistant to magic, has a host of resistances, and can cause an effect like a rod of wonder (hence the name). Simply put, this creature is strange and generally misunderstood.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 40
2. Desert Creatures of Faerun
Though better known for its civilized areas, Faerun has its fair share of desert areas including Anauroch, Raurin, Calim, and others. Creatures like the brown dragon and asabi are not alone in the sands!
Dracosphinx
Magical Beast, CR 8
This variety of sphinx may be the result of red dragons breeding with sphinxes. They have a draconic breath weapon, a cone of flaming gas, and can cast spells as 12th-level wizards.
Originally found in Old Empires
Lybbarde
Magical Beast, CR 3
This great cat is legendary for its courage. It can slow on opponents on a successful touch attack with its tail, and is immune to mind-affecting effects and slow. It looks like a cross between a panther and a lioness.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 139
Orpsu
Aberration, CR 2
This crescent-shaped flying creature causes bleeding wounds and can paralyze foes to drain their blood. It is also called a night stirge, though it is not related to the stirge.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 101
Rhaumbusun
Magical Beast, CR 1/3
A distant relative of the basilisk, this small lizard is a timid herbivore, but can use a paralyzing gaze in self defense.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 52
Sand Cat
Animal, CR 1/3
This housecat-sized feline creature is sandy brown, with long pointy ears. It is extremely stealthy in the desert and can leap great distances. It can be trained.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 163
Skriaxit & Desert Wraith
Elemental (Air, Earth), CR 14 / Undead, CR 3
These evil living sandstorms attack as a pack and dispel magic on creatures caught within them. Creatures they kill become energy draining undead called desert wraiths. These creatures are not incorporeal like wraiths, but are desiccated corpses that attack at night.
Originally found in Old Empires
Yellow Dragon
(Not the same yellow dragon as the one from the purple, orange, and yellow dragon article slated to be in the Dragon Compendium...)
The yellow dragon was a chromatic dragon that was long ago theorized to exist, but was only recently discovered to be real. These solitary, secretive predators lay in wait for pretty to stumble into their traps. Its breath weapon is a high-velocity blast of scorching air mixed with sand (like a superheated sandstorm).
Originally found in Draconomicon (2nd edition AD&D)
3. Arctic creatures of Faerun
There are miles of unexplored, frigid wastelands in the northern reaches of Faerun. There, dangers untold await adventurers.
Calygraunt (see above)
Crag Cat
Magical Beast, CR 2
This large cat of the North is a many-fanged, sure-footed predator. It can affect magic with a spell turning effect, and nondetection keeps spellcasters from finding it.
Originally found in Volo's Guide to the North
Frost
Fey, CR 1
These mischievous blue-skinned winged sprites have an array of magical abilities. They can use icy hands (cold version of burning hands), cone of cold, and can control the temperature and fire a cold ray.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 33
Haun
Vermin?, CR 1/2
These tiny parasitic, psionic worms prey on haundar (see below).
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Volume 11
Haundar
Vermin, CR 12
These gargantuan slugs live on iceburgs and spit acid.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Volume 11
Kupuk
Magical Beast?, CR 2
These dog-like pack animals are covered in a hairless, walrus-like hide. When its young are threatened, it enters a frenzy that ends when the threat ends.
Originally found in Great Glacier
Scythetail
Magical Beast, CR 1
This mammalian predator has a lizard-like appearance, and it can slash or stab with its tail. It can rake opponents, and it can cause objects to magically trip opponents.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 140
Sha'az
Monstrous Humanoid, CR 1/2
These creatures have tauric insectoid bodies, and insectoid faces. Their bite inflicts a poisonous frost in foes.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Volume 11
Tirichik
Magical Beast, CR 9
This enormous insectoid creature has a head like that of a white dragon, and is one of the most feared predators of the arctic plains. Its tentacles stab like daggers, and it can detach its head from its spine to attack like a snake.
Originally found in Great Glacier
4. Undead Creatures of Faerun
Faerun has many unique undead creatures all its own.
This article would contain a number of templates, so it might be cut down to just a few creatures.
Baelnorn*
Undead Template
These are elven liches who have sought undeath to become the backbones of their families. Unlike common liches, they are usually not evil.
Originally found in Ruins of Myth Drannor
Blazing Bones (see above)
Doomsphere*
Undead Template
These are the ghosts of beholders. They have eye rays like living beholders, but with effects more appropriate for undead.
Originally found in Ruins of Myth Drannor
Inquisitor
Undead, CR 5
This shambling, rotting horror frightens creatures with its presence, and tortures victims to extract information for its master (or just for fun). It attacks with a whip, or with its disease-ridden claw, and its gaze causes paralysis.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Volume 11
Night Rider
Undead Template
These creatures were created by Myrkul during the Time of Troubles to be guardians or servants. They appear as zombies, but have a chill touch power. They ride skeletal horses called Gaunts that deal Strength damage with their breath.
Originally found in the module FRE3 Waterdeep
Shee
Undead, CR 7
The elven "Banshee Rider" release a death wail when harmed, and can cause Strength damage. She appears as a translucent white armored lady on a horse, and can trample foes.
Originally found in Halls of the High King
Skuz
Undead, CR 10
This horrifying monster lives beneath the water, enticing victims to come unto its energy draining grasp. It appears on the surface of the water as algae, and can form its green gooey form into a humanoid-like shape.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Volume 11
Spectral Harpist*
Undead Template
These are the ghosts of Harpers that died while engaged in Harper business. One of the Seven Sisters became a spectral harpist upon her death.
Originally found in Code of the Harpers
Watchghost*
Undead Template
These undead guardians are created by a special spell to hold them to a specific location.
Originally found in Ruins of Undermountain
* These creatures were briefly described in the 3.0 book Monsters of Faerun in the template section. Much like the Alhoon was in Lords of Madness, I would like to expand them and flesh them out in a new article.
5. "Things are not what they seem..."
The Forgotten Realms have a preponderance of creatures that appear like other things. Some of them take different forms to fool prey, while some are merely looking for stealth or just to create confusion.
Duleep
Ooze, CR 1
These creatures, also called living webs, appear as ambulatory spider webs. They can fire an electricity ray, or shock with their touch. When damaged, they split into smaller creatures.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 89
Gambado
Aberration, CR 3
These "springing skulls of doom" are cylindrically-shaped creatures that hide their heads inside a humanoid skull. They normally rest somewhere in hiding, with only the skull showing, then spring out with their tremendous jumping ability to surprise their foes.
Originally found in the original Fiend Folio
Lock Lurker
Aberration, CR 1
This disc-shaped creature appears to be a metal coin sitting on top of a treasure pile. It can become partially ethereal, and its stinger has a venom that paralyzes living creatures.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 139
Magebane (see above)
Monkey Spider
Magical Beast, CR 1/10
These are 1-inch long simians that look like spiders because of their size. They are prodigous leapers, and their only attack is an eye bite that can blind foes.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Volume 11
Palimpest
Aberration, CR 1/2
This looks like a sheet of magical, carnivorous parchment. It will contain writing that looks beneficial to a character, but when a victim touches the palimpest it will be pulled in through the surface and drained of its life energy.
Originally found in City of Splendors?
Peltast
Aberration, CR ½
This creature looks like an ordinary item (a leather satchel or glove), but it is a parasite that feeds on the blood of its host. Greater peltasts look like gems instead of leather items, and can Summon Monsters to feed on.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 89
Ring-Worm (see above)
Skuz (see above)
Steel Shadow
Aberration, CR 3
These small worm-like creatures can merge with metal, and normally appear to be nothing more than a shadowy black patch on the surface of the metal. They can also animate metal objects to do their bidding.
Originally found in Ruins of Undermountain
Wingless Wonder (see above)
Xaver
Aberration, CR 2
This odd little creature is shaped like a sword or other bladed weapon, and can eat metal by corroding it like a rust monster. They lair in treasure swords, feeding on the treasure there and hoping to get picked up by adventurers carrying metal items.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 94
