Buy me a coffee“Grimlock: Hunters of the Forgotten Depths”
“Blind and pale-skinned, Grimlocks lurk in the Underdark, hunting in shadow with jagged clubs and spears, their unnerving senses turning darkness into a deadly weapon.”
Blind predators of the Underdark, Grimlocks wield crude clubs and spears to hunt in shadowed tunnels, relying on uncanny senses to strike with lethal precision—perfect ambush hunters feared by all who dare enter their subterranean realm.
Appearance
Grimlocks are pale, hairless humanoids with milky, sightless eyes that reflect their life in perpetual darkness. Their sinewy bodies are adapted for agility in confined spaces, and they typically wear scavenged leather or hide armor, carrying jagged clubs, spears, or other crude weapons. Their overall presence is both alien and threatening, a silent testament to survival underground.
Behaviour
They are cunning, territorial, and highly social within their tribes. They communicate through guttural sounds, gestures, and vibrations, coordinating hunting and defense with eerie efficiency. They avoid unnecessary exposure to light, moving silently through tunnels and caverns.
Habitat
Grimlocks dwell in the Underdark, deep caverns, and labyrinthine tunnels where sunlight never reaches. They claim territories rich in prey and resources, often modifying their surroundings with traps or crude fortifications.
Modus Operandi
They prefer ambush tactics, striking from shadows with clubs and spears while relying on heightened hearing and smell to detect prey. They hunt in coordinated packs, overwhelming intruders through surprise, stealth, and relentless pressure rather than brute strength alone.
Motivation
Driven by hunger, survival, and tribal loyalty, Grimlocks fiercely defend their territory and resources. Their instincts favor efficiency and dominance, ensuring their continued reign in the dangerous depths they call home.
Grimlock 5e 2025
Grimlock Chieftain 5e 2025
Grimlock Seer 5e 2025
Grimlock, Pathfinder
Grimlock
Medium humanoid (grimlock), neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (hide armor)
Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 9 (−1) | 14 (+2) | 8 (−1) |
Saving Throws Wis +4
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +6, Stealth +5, Survival +4
Senses Blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 16
Languages Undercommon
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Traits
Blind but Not Helpless.
Its can’t see, but its other senses make up for it. It automatically succeeds on saving throws against visual illusions or any effect that relies on sight.
Keen Hearing and Smell.
The grimlock has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Stone Cunning.
The grimlock has advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect hidden doors, traps, or irregularities in stonework.
Pack Ambusher.
The grimlock has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the grimlock’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and isn’t incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack.
The grimlock makes two melee attacks.
Jagged Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Stone Spear (Thrown). Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Sonic Shriek (Recharge 5–6).
The grimlock emits a guttural shriek that disorients nearby creatures. Each creature within 15 feet that can hear it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be deafened and have disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of the grimlock’s next turn.
Bonus Actions
Scent Focus (1/Day).
The grimlock heightens its predatory senses. Until the end of its next turn, it has advantage on all attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Reactions
Echo Evasion.
When a creature the grimlock can hear moves more than 10 feet within its blindsight, the grimlock can move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Tactics and Combat Style
Grimlocks are stealthy, coordinated pack hunters that strike from absolute darkness. They begin combat with Sonic Shriek to disorient prey, then surge forward with clubs and spears. Using Echo Evasion, they reposition swiftly through tunnels, surrounding their targets. Grimlocks favor ambushes and close-quarters fights, relying on sound and scent to outmaneuver foes who depend on sight.
Grimlock
Source: Pathfinder d20pfsrd.com
A muscular humanoid stares with dark, eyeless sockets. It fingers a notched batleaxe and emits a low growl.
| Grimlock CR 1 |
| XP 400 NE Medium monstrous humanoid Init+1; Senses Blindsight 40 ft., Scent; Perception +9 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dexterity, +4 natural) hp13 (2d10+2) Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2 Immune gaze attacks, visual effects Weaknesses blind |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 30 ft. Melee battleaxe +4 (1d8+3/x3) |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 15, Dexterity 13, Constitution 13, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 8, Charisma 6 Base Atk+2; CMB +4; CMD 15 Feats Alertness, Skill Focus (Perception) Skills Climb +7, Perception +9, Sense Motive +1, Stealth +6 (+16 in mountains and underground), Survival +4; Racial Modifier +10 to Stealth in mountains and underground Languages Grimlock, Undercommon |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment underground Organization gang (2-4), pack (10-20), tribe (10-60 plus 1 leader of 3rd-5th level per 10 adults), war party (60-100 plus 1 leader of 3rd-5th level per 10 adults plus 1 medusa leader or 1 leader of 6th-8th level). Treasure standard |
Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can learn more about a Grimlock. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
| Knowledge (nature) | |
| DC | Result |
| 6 | Grimlocks are blind but extremely aggressive subterranean humanoids. |
| 11 | Although blind, a grimlock can see out to a range of 40 feet and has the normal chance to detect creatures beyond through hearing and smell. |
| 16 | Grimlocks rarely employ missile weapons. The best way to fight them is at range. |
| 21 | Large parties of grimlocks often possess a medusa or sorcerer leader. |
Foul, subterranean creatures, grimlocks form primitive societies and spend most of their time hunting for food, fighting amongst themselves or attacking other creatures for loot and pillage. When roused, grimlocks form small war parties to raid other humanoids in search of food or slaves.
It is not uncommon for grimlocks to raid surface communities in the mountains or near entrances to the underdeep. It is said they prefer human meat above all others. This has led some scholars to assume grimlocks descend from surface dwellers who lost their way in the lightless depths and eventually had to resort to cannibalism to survive. Since sight was not required in such an environment, grimlocks developed other senses at the cost of their eyes.
Both genders are muscular, gray in color (hence their natural camouflage), smelly, and hard to distinguish with a casual glance. Their primitive nature means grimlocks cannot form large or complex societies. Even if they did, their natural aggressiveness would soon turn them on each other. Rarely, a powerful warlock or medusa will organize several small tribes into a larger force but only for a short time.
The Blindsight ability allows a grimlock to ‘see’ normally to a range of 40 feet. Beyond that, they treat all creatures as if they had total concealment. This means grimlocks prefer melee to ranged combat but they will make use of short-ranged missile weapons such as knives, axes, and stones. They rely on hearing and smell to detect their environment. If either sense is negated, a grimlock fights as if it had the Blind-Fight feat. A grimlock without either sense takes penalties as if it were blind.
Grimlocks with class levels are almost always barbarians, rangers or rogues, and very rarely sorcerers who usually possess the aberrant bloodline.
Section 15: Copyright Notice – Forgotten Foes
Forgotten Foes © 2010 Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.; Authors Mark Gedak and Stefen Styrsky.
Grimlock Chieftain
Medium humanoid (grimlock), neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (chain shirt, natural toughness)
Hit Points 84 (13d8 + 26)
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 12 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws Str +6, Wis +4
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +6, Stealth +5, Survival +4, Intimidation +2
Senses Blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 16
Languages Undercommon, Terran (rough dialect)
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Traits
Blind but Not Helpless.
The chieftain automatically succeeds on saving throws against visual illusions or any effect that relies on sight.
Keen Hearing and Smell.
The chieftain has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Stone Cunning.
The chieftain has advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect hidden doors, traps, or irregularities in stonework.
Pack Leader.
Allied grimlocks within 30 feet of the chieftain deal +2 damage on melee weapon attacks while at least one ally is adjacent to the same target.
Echo Command (Recharge 5–6).
As a bonus action, the chieftain emits a resonant growl. Each allied grimlock that can hear it can move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Actions
Multiattack.
The chieftain makes two melee attacks.
Stone Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Hurl Spear. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage.
Roar of Dominance (Recharge 5–6).
The chieftain unleashes a thunderous roar. Each creature of the chieftain’s choice within 20 feet that can hear it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of the chieftain’s next turn.
Bonus Actions
Scent Focus (1/Day).
The chieftain heightens its predatory senses. Until the end of its next turn, it has advantage on all attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Reactions
Echo Evasion.
When a creature the chieftain can hear moves more than 10 feet within its blindsight, the chieftain can move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Tactics and Combat Style
Grimlock Chieftains rule through strength and precision. Before battle, they coordinate ambushes, using Echo Command to synchronize their pack’s movements. In combat, they open with Roar of Dominance to scatter weaker foes, then close in to crush the strongest threat. When pressed, they fall back into darkness, regroup, and strike again from echoing tunnels, always unseen yet ever-present.
Grimlock Seer
Medium humanoid (grimlock), neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 11 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) |
Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +5
Skills Arcana +2, Insight +5, Perception +7, Religion +2, Stealth +3
Senses Blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Tremorsense 30 ft., Passive Perception 17
Languages Undercommon, Terran
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Traits
Blind but Not Helpless.
The seer can’t see, but it automatically succeeds on saving throws against visual illusions and any effect that relies on sight.
Keen Hearing and Smell.
The seer has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Stone Oracle.
By touching stone or earth, the seer can sense vibrations, movement, and living creatures through up to 30 feet of solid rock.
Spellcasting.
The grimlock seer is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks), and it requires no material components to cast its spells. It has the following spells prepared:
- At will: thaumaturgy, guidance, resistance
- 2/day each: inflict wounds, shield of faith
- 1/day each: command, detect thoughts, earth tremor, sanctuary, shatter
Actions
Multiattack.
The seer makes two melee attacks.
Stone-Tipped Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) psychic damage.
Echo Pulse (Recharge 5–6).
The seer slams its staff into the ground, unleashing a burst of resonant energy. Each creature of the seer’s choice within 15 feet must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) thunder damage and being pushed 10 feet on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success.
Bonus Actions
Predictive Sense (1/Day).
The seer glimpses a fleeting vision of the immediate future. Until the end of its next turn, attack rolls against it have disadvantage, and it has advantage on saving throws.
Reactions
Resonant Counter.
When the seer takes thunder or psychic damage, it releases a reactive psychic pulse. Each creature within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 5 (1d10) psychic damage.
Tactics and Combat Style
The Grimlock Seer serves as a subterranean prophet and battle oracle. It uses shield of faith and sanctuary to protect itself or its chieftain before unleashing Echo Pulse or shatter to scatter clustered foes. From behind stronger warriors, it reads the ground’s vibrations like scripture, using detect thoughts to anticipate movements and earth tremor to unbalance intruders. Revered and feared by its kin, the seer channels the whispers of the deep stone to guide grimlock tribes through darkness and war.