Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing — Corpse-Lure Forest Predator
A rooted-looking forest aberration that kills a small animal, puppets the corpse as bait and waits for something larger to come close enough to seize.
The Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing is a patient ambush predator that resembles an old tree stump surrounded by harmless roots. The disguise is biological rather than magical. Its “roots” are muscular tentacles, its split bark conceals a feeding maw, and the small animal apparently sitting on top may already be dead.
At a Glance
Run It Tonight
Show the bait first. A rabbit sits too calmly beside an old stump. A wounded bird twitches without trying to fly. The monster should not reveal itself until someone steps into tentacle reach. The moment works because the party chooses to approach.
Rules by Edition
Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing
Medium Aberration, Unaligned
AC 18; Initiative +0 (10)
HP 152 (16d8 + 80)
Speed 10 ft., Burrow 5 ft., Climb 10 ft.
18 (+4)
10 (+0)
20 (+5)
6 (−2)
14 (+2)
8 (−1)
Saving Throws Con +8, Wis +5
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +6
Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 15
Languages —
CR 8 (3,900 XP); PB +3
Traits
All-Around Vision. The creature can’t be Surprised by a creature it can see and has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
False Stump. While motionless, the creature is indistinguishable from a dead or damaged tree stump except by magic or a successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check made from within 10 feet.
Corpse Lure. The creature can attach a Tiny corpse to its upper surface and animate it with fine filaments. The lure can make simple animal movements but can’t leave the monster. A creature examining the lure can recognise that it is dead with a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Medicine) or Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Actions
Multiattack. The creature makes three Root Tentacle attacks and one Maw attack.
Root Tentacle. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 15 ft. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) Bludgeoning damage, and a Large or smaller target is Grappled (escape DC 15). The creature can grapple up to three targets this way.
Maw. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) Piercing damage. The attack has Advantage against a creature Grappled by the monster.
Constrict. Each creature Grappled by the monster takes 9 (1d10 + 4) Bludgeoning damage.
Implant Parasite (1/Day). One Incapacitated or Grappled creature within 5 feet makes a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a parasitic egg is implanted. The infestation develops over several days and can be ended by lesser restoration, remove disease, heal or equivalent magic before emergence.
Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing
Medium aberration, unaligned
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 152 (16d8 + 80)
Speed 10 ft., burrow 5 ft., climb 10 ft.
18 (+4)
10 (+0)
20 (+5)
6 (−2)
14 (+2)
8 (−1)
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages —
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Traits
All-Around Vision. The creature has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight and cannot be surprised while conscious.
False Appearance. While motionless, the creature is indistinguishable from an ordinary dead tree stump.
Corpse Lure. The creature can manipulate a Tiny corpse fixed to its upper surface, making the dead animal appear to look around, shiver or struggle weakly.
Actions
Multiattack. The creature makes three root-tentacle attacks and one bite attack.
Root Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and a Large or smaller target is grappled (escape DC 15).
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) piercing damage. The wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing has advantage on this attack against a creature it is grappling.
Constrict. A creature grappled by the monster takes 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing CR 8
XP 4,800
N Medium aberration
Init +3; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18
Defense
AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (+3 Dex, +9 natural)
hp 110 (13d8+52)
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +10
Offense
Speed 5 ft., burrow 5 ft.
Melee 7 tentacles +13 (1d4+4 plus grab), bite +11 (2d6+2)
Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks constrict (1d4+4), implant
Statistics
Str 18, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 8
Base Atk +9; CMB +13 (+17 grapple); CMD 26 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (tentacle)
Skills Disguise +11 (+19 with corpse lure), Perception +18, Stealth +9 (+17 in forests)
SQ corpse lure
Special Abilities
Corpse Lure (Ex). The creature can fasten a Tiny or smaller corpse to its upper body and manipulate it as a crude puppet. The lure can’t leave the stump or perform complex actions, but it greatly improves the deception.
Implant (Ex). A creature that consumes the corpse lure becomes infected by a parasitic egg. Once per day, the monster can also attempt to implant an egg into a helpless or pinned creature. A successful DC 19 Fortitude save resists deliberate implantation. Remove disease or equivalent magic destroys the egg before emergence.
All-Around Vision (Ex). Eyestalks allow the creature to watch in every direction and prevent it from being flanked.
Ecology
Environment any forest
Organization solitary
Treasure incidental
Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice 9d8+18 (58 hp)
Initiative +3
Speed 5 ft.
Armor Class 16 (−1 Dex, +7 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple +6/+9
Attack tentacle +10 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack 7 tentacles +10 melee (1d4+3) and bite +7 melee (2d4+1)
Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks improved grab, constrict, tear
Special Qualities all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., lure-growth
Saves Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +8
Abilities Str 17, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills Hide +7 (+15 in forests), Listen +10, Search +2, Spot +14
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (tentacle)
Environment temperate land and underground
Organization solitary
Challenge Rating 8
Treasure none
Alignment always neutral
Special Abilities
Improved Grab (Ex). A tentacle hit can begin a grapple without a separate touch attack. A successful hold allows constriction.
Constrict (Ex). A successful grapple check deals 1d4+3 damage.
Tear (Ex). The creature automatically hits a held opponent with its melee attacks while maintaining the hold.
Lure-Growth (Ex). This older version grows a small animal-like lure directly from its body rather than puppeting a corpse.
All-Around Vision (Ex). Its eyestalks grant broad visual coverage and prevent flanking.
Behaviour
The wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing is built around patience. It does not need to chase prey if it can make prey walk into reach. Older specimens can remain dormant through encounters with dangerous groups, waiting for a lone traveller, curious child, scavenger or predator to investigate the lure.
Signs Before Initiative
- A rabbit remains beside the same stump for hours without eating or leaving.
- The apparent animal moves its head, but its chest never rises with breath.
- Roots around one stump disturb leaf litter despite there being no wind.
- Small bones are scattered behind the stump rather than around a den.
- Tracks approach the clearing but rarely leave it.
- One “wounded” animal has no fresh blood despite obvious damage.
If Violence Starts
The monster reveals its reach all at once. Several tentacles seize different creatures, pull them inward and keep them close enough for the mouth. It has almost no reason to pursue anyone who escapes the initial trap; its strength is the ambush, not speed.
Counterplay
Study the bait from outside tentacle reach. Ranged examination, divination, scent, Medicine checks or simply watching long enough can expose the corpse-lure trick. Once the creature is revealed, staying beyond its reach removes much of its threat.
Fire may force it to retreat into soil, but burning the surrounding forest can create a larger problem. Parties that know the creature exists are better served by ranged attacks, digging it out or denying it fresh bait.
Corpse Lure and the Older Lure-Growth
The Pathfinder-era form uses a genuine corpse threaded with fine living filaments. The older 3.5e-style incarnation grows a small furry lure directly from its own body. Both create the same encounter logic—something apparently harmless draws attention—but they are biologically different and should not be blended into one rule.
Growth and Ancient Specimens
Most adults remain Medium, resembling a broad rotten stump. Very old examples can become substantially larger, with thicker root-tentacles and genuine moss, fungi or ivy growing across the hide. A Large specimen should be rebuilt rather than simply given more Hit Points, because size changes reach, grappling and the scale of the lure.
Using a Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing in an Encounter
The tame rabbit. A strangely calm rabbit sits beside a path where several hunters vanished.
The rescue trap. A child insists an injured fox is trapped beside a stump just beyond the village boundary.
The old clearing. Woodcutters remember the same stump being there when their grandparents were young.
The wrong bait. The corpse on top is not an animal but the familiar of a missing spellcaster.
Related Creatures
Compare this predator with the Mimic, Executioner’s Hood and Trapper, all of which turn apparently ordinary surroundings into bait.
Rules Sources and Licensing
The Pathfinder 1e Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing appears in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011 Paizo Publishing, LLC, and provides the open rules anchor for the corpse-lure incarnation.
The 5.5e/2024 and 5e/2014 panels are original compatibility adaptations. The D&D 3.5e panel preserves the older lure-growth interpretation as a compatibility version rather than presenting it as an official SRD monster.
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