"Good morning," the Thing in the Well calls, "And how are we doing this morning Mrs. Westmen?" -- "Just wonderfully. How have you been keeping, Thing?" -- "Fine, fine. A little peckish, a bit in the mood for, you know, a nibble, a bite to eat. But don't worry yourself, perfectly fine." -- "It's quite alright Thing, I was just thinking I should bring by some lunch. How does a ham sound?" -- "You are too kind Mrs. Westmen, just too kind..." -- The Thing in the Well has lived in the village for longer than anyone can remember. It is traditional to fix regular meals for the Thing, and to present it with a sheep or pig on special occasions. Years ago a boy went down the well on a dare. He never returned. The subject has not been broached in the presence of the Thing. Instinct: To devour

• Politely collect tribute
• Leverage townspeople through secrets
• Purify water
• Hide in darkened waters

"The Old Ones, they knew much. Not the alchemy of man nor the sorcery of warlocks and the like. No, this is the magic of gears and pulleys, the sorcery of science. Watch your every step in the tower: be wary or you may call to life the ancient defense systems. You'll know the Defenders have awoken long before you face them, that's for sure; they're louder than a stomping giant and their hulls scrape the stone walls. You'll hear them coming, I'm sure you can avoid them, go on in the tower. Me? I... I'll stay out here. Got to have a lookout post, right?"

Instinct: Destroy all Intruders! *click* Defend the domain!

• Display immense and uncaring strength
• Soldier on, ignoring all damage until the last
• Reveal a hidden function from the depths of its gearworks

Each individual shadow is actually a swarm of tiny, dust-sized demons. No one is quite sure where they come from, or how to kill them, but it is known that children of every species on every plane of existence know to fear the darkness . . . Instinct: To spread

• Devour flesh
• Impersonate voices
• Absorb knowledge from those it kills

Scarabaeus pyractomena! What a delightful creature—see how its carapace glitters in the light of our torches? Not too close now, they’re temperamental, you see. The fire in their belly isn’t just metaphorical, no. Watch as I goad the beast. Aha! A spout of flame! Unexpected, isn’t it? One of these creatures alone, if it comes up from below, can be a hellish nuisance to a farmstead or village. A whole swarm? There’s a reason they call it a conflagration of fire beetles. Instinct: To enflame

• Undermine the ground
• Burst from the earth
• Spray forth flames

Some are wont to lump these little, rat-like dragon-men in with goblins and orcs, bugbears and hobgoblins. They are smarter and wiser than their kin, however. The kobolds are beholden slaves to dragons and were, in ancient times, their lorekeepers and sorcerer-servants. Their clans, with names like Ironscale and Whitewing, form around a dragon master and live to serve and do its bidding. Spotting a kobold means more are near—and if more are near then a mighty dragon cannot be far, either. Instinct: To serve dragons

• Lay a trap
• Call on dragons or draconic allies
• Retreat and regroup

Be careful not to wander deep into those mists, there be hunters within them. They move silently, strike from nowhere, and absorb back without a trace. Instinct: to capture

• Strike quickly from hiding
• Hide within the mists

A seemingly regular rattlesnake, with a tail covered in rat fur. It is always surrounded by a few regular rats. It hypnotizes the rats with it's shaking tail and uses them to fight for it. Instinct: To dominate lesser minds

• Command rats around it to attack
• Put small creatures under a trance

A 5-foot tall rat with pointed fangs. It's fur grows out of dark brown scales that cover it's body, showing it's heritage as a hybrid between reptile and mammal. Instinct: To feed

• Bite holes in armor

A 10-foot long brown serpent that lurks under sand all across the Reptilian desert. Doesn't attack unless you step on the sand surrounding it, but can hide itself incredibly well beneath your feet. Don't trust the ground you step on. Instinct: To defend

• Burrow underground for a surprise attack
• Hide in waiting under sand

If a gnole is lucky enough to survive a century or more, it undergoes a metamorphosis, transforming into a greater gnole. Greater gnoles typically stand 7’ tall, but can grow up to twice that size. Their bodies are oval in shape, with nodules of rubbery flesh protruding from their torsos and abdomens. Greater gnoles lose their coarse fur, revealing its naked, slate gray skin. Their arms become tentacles and their ears are grown over with folds of flesh, rendering them largely deaf. Even stranger, the eyes of a greater gnole transform into faceted gemstones and can be removed from their sockets. These gemstones are often magical and a Greater Gnole will regrow new eyes if his old eyes are lost and will often keep spare sets of "eyes". If these are stolen the Greater Gnole will hunt down the thief with his or her tribe to capture and devour all of the thief and all of his or her comrades. Instinct: Protect gem eyes

• Devour Humans
• Produce and protect gemstone eyes
• Lead a lesser gnole tribe
• Inspired by DCC Module Gnole House