Buy me a coffeeDire Lamprey
“Nightmare Unleashed: Dive into the Abyssal Depths to Face the Dreaded Dire Lamprey, a Terror from the Dark!”
Appearance: The Dire Lamprey, a grotesque denizen of shadowed waters, is a nightmarish fusion of aquatic horror. Its elongated, eel-like body stretches up to ten feet, encased in slimy, mottled scales that shift between shades of abyssal black and sickly gray. Its mouth, lined with razor-sharp teeth, opens into an unsettling void revealing a seemingly endless, bioluminescent abyss. Appendages resembling tattered fins and tendrils protrude from its sinuous form, pulsating with an otherworldly glow.
Behavior: A creature of relentless hunger, the Dire Lamprey prowls the depths with a predatory cunning. Preferring the cover of darkness, it stalks its prey using the faint glimmer of its bioluminescence to disorient and lure unsuspecting aquatic creatures. Solitary by nature, it emerges from the depths only during its insatiable feeding frenzies, leaving an eerie trail of phosphorescent remnants in its wake.
Habitat: The Dire Lamprey is at home in the lightless abyssal realms, lurking in the deepest, most foreboding waters. It gravitates towards underwater caves, sunken ruins, and the shadowed recesses of subterranean lakes. Rarely venturing into shallower waters, it remains a mythical terror to sailors and underwater explorers who fear the unseen horrors of the abyss.
Modus Operandi: With an uncanny ability to sense the electrical impulses of its prey, the Dire Lamprey employs stealth and ambush tactics. It coils in hidden crevices, waiting patiently for the approach of unsuspecting aquatic life. When the moment is right, it launches itself with startling speed, clamping onto its prey with a vice-like grip. The Lamprey’s bioluminescence then intensifies, mesmerizing its victim and rendering escape nearly impossible.
Motivation: Driven solely by the primal instinct to feed and survive, the Dire Lamprey exists as an embodiment of the relentless hunger that pervades the abyssal depths. Its motivation is an insatiable need for sustenance, guiding its relentless pursuit of prey. It plays a vital role in the underwater ecosystem, ensuring a delicate balance by culling the weak and maintaining the dominance of the fittest in its dark, watery domain.
Dire Lamprey 5e
Dire Lamprey 3.5
Dire Lamprey
Large aberration, chaotic evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 93 (11d10 + 33)
Speed 0 ft., swim 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 2 (-4) | 12 (+1) | 4 (-3) |
Skills Perception +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages —
Waterborne. It can breathe underwater and move through water without impediment.
Blood Scent. It has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell to detect creatures with blood within 120 feet.
Multiattack. The Dire Lamprey makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage as the Dire Lamprey drains its blood. On a successful saving throw, the target takes half damage.
- Tail Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Luminescent Hypnosis. As a bonus action, the Dire Lamprey intensifies its bioluminescence. Creatures within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the start of the Dire Lamprey’s next turn. While charmed, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
Reactions
Savage Grapple. When a creature misses the Dire Lamprey with a melee attack, the lamprey can use its reaction to make a bite attack against that creature.
Amphibious Ambush. When hidden in water and a creature approaches within 5 feet of the Dire Lamprey, it can make a bite attack as a reaction.
CR Level: 5
XP: 1,800
A large eel-like creature darts into view, its head ending not in jaws, but in a circular toothy sucker.
Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.
On this Thread
Like their smaller cousins, dire lampreys are parasitic marine animals with toothed, funnel-like sucking mouths. They are often viewed as a plague by lake-dwelling races, for the are an invasive species that feeds on the local fish population.
Dire lampreys return to fresh water to reproduce. They then build a nest, spawn, and invariably die.
Dire lampreys are a prized delicacy among some humanoid races, for their taste is much meatier than that of most true fish. The danger of catching one surely adds to their appeal.
| Lamprey, Dire | |
| Medium animal (Aquatic) | |
| Hit Dice | 5d8+15 (37 hp) |
| Initiative | +5 |
| Speed | Swim 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class | 14 (+1 Dexterity, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +3/+10 |
| Attack | Bite +6 melee (1d6+4 plus attach) |
| Full Attack | Bite +6 melee (1d6+4 plus attach) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Attach, blood drain |
| Special Qualities | Low-Light Vision, Scent |
| Saves | Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +5 |
| Abilities | Strength 17, Dexterity 13, Constitution 16, Intelligence 1, Wisdom 12, Charisma 2 |
| Skills | Hide +12, Swim +11 |
| Feats | Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Hide) |
| Environment | Temperate or warm aquatic |
| Organization | Solitary or tangle (2-5) |
| Challenge Rating | 3 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always neutral |
| Advancement | None |
| Level Adjustment | – |
COMBAT
A dire lamprey simply latches onto a warm-blooded creature with its toothy maw, then drains blood until it is sated.
Attach (Ex): A dire lamprey that hits with its bite attack latches onto the opponent’s body with its powerful jaws. An attached dire lamprey loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and thus has an AC of 13. Dire lampreys have a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).
An attached dire lamprey can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached dire lamprey through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature.
Blood Drain (Ex): A dire lamprey drains blood for 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round it remains attached.
Skills: A dire lamprey has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Originally appeared in Monster Manual (1977) as “giant lamprey”.