This article was originally written in 2000-01. It has never been published. It is a companion piece to Monstrous Tactics: Mimics.

The mimic has long been the bane of adventurers. Their penchant for using their natural shapechanging abilities to disguise themselves as desirable objects – most commonly, treasure chests – often serves as the lure which has led many to their doom. Tough, strong, tenacious, and crafty, the best way to beat a mimic is to simply keep your distance.

HELPFUL TIPS

• Find the mimic before it finds you
• Keep your distance
• Use ranged attacks to wear it down
• Don’t be afraid to bargain

PREPARATION

GRAPPLE: Mimics are coated in a thick, poweful adhesive which they will use to every possible advantage. If they succeed in hitting you with one of their pseudopods, you’ll quickly find yourself stuck fast in a slimy grapple. So if you know you’re entering the lair of a mage who loved his mimics, you’d better be prepared for grappling: This means spells with casting times less than 1 action, light weapons, and so forth. The Escape Artist skill is particularly invaluable.

SPELLS: Freedom of movement will help you free anyone who gets caught by the mimic. You’re also going to want to prep ranged attacks, while avoiding attack spells which require you to touch the mimic – shocking grasp becomes a serious liability when you’re dealing with the fantasy equivalent of a tar baby.

EQUIPMENT: Strong alcohol breaks down the mimic’s adhesive, so you might want to bring a couple of bottles along. If you don’t end up using them, you can always use them for the victory celebration afterwards, after all.

SKILLS: The best way to defeat a mimic is to detect their presence before they can surprise you. This means you’re going to need sharp eyes, and a high Spot skill.

TACTICS

USE THE ROGUE, LUC: As noted above, your best bet against a mimic is early detection with your Spot skill. Not only is this a class skill of the rogue, but the mimic’s preference for assuming the shape of a treasure chest makes it likely that you’ll be sending the rogue in to check for traps, anyway. The rest of the party should consider the rogue to be their first line of defense against a mimic – and the rogue himself should always make sure to run Spot checks on suspicious objects before closing in to detect the traps: It does you no good to know that the chest is really a mimic, if the mimic is already sitting three inches in front of your face.

BARGAIN: Mimics are more intelligent than many adventurers give them credit for, and are actually able to speak Common. If things are going badly – or if you just aren’t interested in facing off against a mimic at the moment – don’t be afraid to bargain with them. Most mimics are more than willing to let you walk away with your lives… in return for some food or treasure, of course.

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE: Mimics are at their most dangerous when they have you within reach – at a distance, their threat is negligible. Another factor to your advantage is the mimic’s relatively slow speed (about one third that of a human). Spread out, keep your distance, try to avoid or escape tight quarters, and pepper the mimic with ranged attacks.

AVOID SWORDS: The mimic is coated in a strong adhesive – if you hit it, your weapon will most likely become stuck fast. Instead, as has been said, you should keep your distance – peppering it with disposable range weapons (such as arrows) and spells. (Note that the adhesive will dissolve once the mimic is dead – allowing you to retrieve your ranged armament without any problems.)

This article was originally written in 2000-01. It has never been published.

The most basic of all mimic encounters (the mimic disguised as a treasure chest) is the ultimate moral message: Don’t be greedy. Used properly, though, mimics can be a constant and pervasive threat – and a DM who knows how to use them well will always have his players just a little bit unsure of whether or not what they see is truly what they see.

ORGANIZATION

Mimics were supposedly created by a wizard long ago with the sole purpose of guarding treasure. Although their creator is long dead, they live on – a solitary species, whose natural predilection for things precious have led them into many unusual circumstances. Mimics can be found anywhere and everywhere, as anything – literally.

PREPARATION

BASICS: A mimic’s basic tactics are simple enough: Assume a shape which will attract attention, wait for their target to draw near, ensnare them with adhesive pseudopods, and then pummel them to death. The most common shape for them to assume when adventurers are in the area is that of a treasure chest – coming to life when someone attempts to open them. Mimics are at a severe disadvantage in ranged combat, so they will typically prefer to lair in enclosed spaces.

GUARDS: Mimics were created to guard treasure, and many of them continue to fulfill that role even today. Mimics can be found watching over the lich’s foul tomes of magic (disguised as a book or even an entire bookshelf), the king’s treasure (as one chest among many), or the weapon’s of an orc tribe (as a spear, perhaps). Mimics typically fall into this line of work as an effective way of earning “room and board”. Other mimics have been known to let their protective desires become covetous – amassing their own hordes, which they guard preciously s extensions of their own personality.

THE THREAT WITHIN: Once your PCs are familiar with mimics, you can begin throwing some curves at them. One of the simplest is a dislocation of the danger: Instead of having the mimic imitate the form of a chest, have the mimic place itself inside the chest – disguised as some ordinary object, or merely lying in wait for the first unfortunate to open their lair. Some of these chests have been known to have false bottoms – allowing the mimic to enter and leave the chest without disturbing the surrounding environs.

FALSE LURES: PCs are who see a treasure chest sitting unguarded in the middle of an empty room are instantly suspicious. Mimics, however, are aware that the unusually easy access to the wealth they promise sets many on their guard. Some mimics have taken to setting up false lures to set their prey at easy. For example, setting out actual chests in the middle of empty rooms – so that they are, again, merely one among many.

THE UNEXPECTED THREAT: While some mimics attempt to make their unusual appearance in plain sight merely seem like one unusual occurrence among many, other mimics choose to hide in plain sight without arousing suspicion: For example, it is relatively easy for a mimic to assume the form of the walls or floor. Let the PCs enter a small room, and then have the floor come to life beneath their feet!

NATURAL WONDER: Because they prefer enclosed spaces, mimics are typically found underground. However, some mimics have learned to enjoy the outdoors. Some go to the forests and disguise themselves as trees (waiting for prey to pass beneath their boughs before ensnaring them). Others will slip into farmer’s fields, disguise themselves as part of the crop, and wait to trap the farmer as he passes near them.

IT’S HUGE!: It is easy to forget that larger mimics exist. If the PCs can be surprised by a treasure chest coming to life, imagine their horror when the fifteen foot tall golden idol comes to life and flows towards them!

TACTICS

Mimics have a limited tactical repertoire – with their primary advantages as combatants coming in the preparation they put into their attack.

LURE THEM IN: The mimic’s primary tactic is to wait for someone or something to draw near, and then come to life – ensnaring them in their pseudopods. Mimics will attempt to time their assault so that they can trap as many of their foes as possible.

BARGAIN: If things are going badly for the mimic, it will not hesitate to bargain – often doing so while it can still maintain the appearance of superiority. If the bargaining fails it will attempt to escape.

NEXT: vs. the Mimic

This article was originally written in 2000-01. It has never been published. It is a companion piece to Monstrous Tactics: Ethereal Marauders.

The fearsome marauders possess every advantage of a natural predator, including a maw of unearthly, trilateral fangs. But to their fierce physical prowess, the marauders also adds the uncannily dangerous ability to shift at will between the material and ethereal planes – striking out at their prey from a universal hiding place of which few are aware, and fewer still can hope to detect. Their dangerous, ephemeral attacks can prove the bane of any who are not prepared for their assault.

HELPFUL TIPS

• Use see invisibility or invisibility purge to strip a marauder of its ability to surprise
• Use hold monster or dimensional anchor to trap the marauder on your own turf
• Stay together – don’t split your forces between the material and ethereal plains
• Pay attention to the marauder’s keening wail

PREPARATION

SKILLS AND FEATS: The ethereal marauder’s primary advantage is their ability to emerge spontaneously from the ethereal plane onto the material plane at will. As a result, you’re going to want to be prepared to detect and respond to the marauder as quickly as possible. The Spot skill (along with the bonuses conferred by the Alertness feat) will help you detect the marauder as he shifts into your area (preventing your from being surprised). Once the marauder has appeared, you’re going to want to be able to strike before he disappears again – so consider Improved Initiative to give you an advantage on that all-important second round. If your Dexterity score is high enough to make it worth your while, you may also want to consider Combat Reflexes.

SIGHT SPELLS: Prepare spells which will allow you to see onto the ethereal plane, stripping the marauder completely of its ability to surprise you. See invisibility, true seeing, and invisibility purge are your best options here (particularly the last, as it will grant everyone in your party the ability to see the marauder if it draws near the spellcaster).

ATTACK & DEFENSE SPELLS: Its important to remember that force effects, gaze effects, and the entire abjuration school of magic extends onto the Ethereal Plane – and can affect a marauder there. Spells like magic missile have an obvious usefulness, therefore – as does wall of force. It can be easy to overlook the usefulness of dimensional anchor (trapping the marauder either on the ethereal plane — where he can’t harm you — or the material plane – where you can kill him), so don’t.

ETHEREAL MOVEMENT: It should go without saying that spells like ethereal jaunt and etherealness may be useful. Similarly, magic items which allow travel between planes (or simply the assumption of an ethereal form) should be invaluable to the party when confronting or hunting a marauder.

TACTICS

SEE YOUR ENEMY: As long as the marauder can see you – and you can’t see it – it’s going to have the advantage. So, once you become aware of the marauder’s presence (and presumable interest in making you a quick snack), the first thing you’re going to want to do is have your spellcaster bring out his anti-invisibility spells. Even if its only the spellcaster who can see the marauder, that can still be useful – he should be able to communicate enough information to the rest of the party so that the marauder’s sudden appearances are no longer taking you by surprise.

AFFECT YOUR ENEMY: Next, you’re going to want to find ways to hurt the marauder. This is where your spellcaster’s force effects are going to come in handy – since it can take the attack to the marauder no matter where it’s lurking. On the other hand, you don’t want to neglect the ability for the other members of the party to take their shots when the marauder visits the material plane.

If you spread out, the marauder is going to able to pick you off one at a time. The best formation, therefore, is a tight circle – probably with your spellcaster at the center. When the marauder appears to make his attack, he should be within reach of at least two or three attackers: A few solid blows and your troubles will be over before they began.

TRAP YOUR ENEMY: If you can use force effects or dimensional anchor to trap the marauder (either where you can hurt it, or where it can’t hurt you) you will have essentially stripped the marauder of its primary advantage – making things far easier for you. At that point, you will either have completely eliminated the threat (by trapping it where it can’t hurt you) or reduced it to little more than a common wolf.

PURSUE YOUR ENEMY: If the marauder escapes death, he may come back later to trouble you again. Pursuing a marauder onto the ethereal plane may be the only way to finally rid yourself of its threat. However, an important cautionary note should be made here: It can be very tempting for someone who can move in the ethereal plane to do so the minute the marauder shows up. In doing so, however, you need to be aware that you are – in fact – dividing your forces. If you’re a spellcaster, in particular, isolating yourself on the ethereal plane may not accomplish anything more than making yourself the marauder’s next meal.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE WHINE: Ethereal marauders have an unearthly, high-pitched wail or whine which they emit almost constantly. Its quality and pitch varies depending on its physical health – so keep at least one ear trained on it.

This article was originally written in 2000-01. It has never been published.

As a DM, using ethereal creatures like the marauder can be something of a challenge: Keeping track of one plane is difficult enough, after all. However, the rewards of doing so can be quite large – particularly against neophyte players or characters who lack the experience to figure out where the lumbering blue behemoth which attacked them appeared from, and where it disappeared to again. In fact, you can use an encounter such as this to introduce your players to the concept of planar travel – perhaps paving the way for future adventures.

ORGANIZATION

According to the Monster Manual, Ethereal Marauders are solitary creatures. However, there are certain times when this may not be true. For example, marauders form mating triplets on a semi-annual basis – and this occasionally leads to the formation of temporary pride structures (particularly in situations where triplet compositions are unstable). So don’t be afraid to have higher level PCs run into a pride of marauders – particularly if they are already familiar with ethereal combatants: It can provide an interesting twist on an already complicated situation.

PREPARATION

STALKING: Although strong, the tightly compact forms of the marauder result in a low constitution. As a result, although they are able to hold their own in physical combat, they typically prefer to rely on their wits – particularly when hunting more dangerous prey (such as sentient humanoids, like the PCs).

Marauders will stalk their chosen target for as much as three days – presumably unseen upon the ethereal plane – waiting for the right moment to attack. Let the encounter simmer (you can think of it like a horror flick), and don’t be afraid of letting the marauder wait until a PC is in the worst possible conditions (fleeing a dungeon while badly hurt, separated, trapped in an isolated location away from the other PCs, etc.) to attack.

If the PCs are hunting the marauder for some reason (perhaps it has been preying on the local village), they may be entirely unaware that the marauder has already begun hunting them.

UNSEEN KILLER: One common trick of the marauder is to attack while its prey is sleeping. It will shift onto the Material plane, bite its victim once, and then shift back to the Ethereal before the victim has time to awake and see what’s attacked it. If the marauder is quick enough and clever enough, it may be a long time before the PCs figure out what’s whittling them down every night.

TACTICS

HIT AND RUN: Once combat is engaged, ethereal marauders rarely stand their ground for long. Shifting to the Material Plane is a free action for them, and shifting back to the Ethereal is a movement-equivalent action (or part of a movement-equivalent action). This allows them to, essentially, appear, attack, and disappear again before anyone can do anything about it.

Note that if the marauder always does this, it will essentially be invincible against a party which doesn’t possess the right magical effects. Fortunately, marauders will occasionally become overzealous – prolonging their presence on the physical plane to finish a kill (particularly if they have successfully separated one target from the rest of the group). On the other hand, don’t be afraid of forcing the PCs to think their way through this one if they do have the proper magic at their disposal.

If the PCs successfully figure out a way to track the marauder on the Ethereal Plane (or follow it there), the marauder will adjust its tactics accordingly. If the PCs have split their numbers between the Material and Ethereal Planes, it will typically choose the easier target – and attempt to isolate the ability for one group to help the other (typically by drawing its Ethereal opponents below the surface of the earth). If things look particularly bad, it will abandon the hunt.

RECOVERY: If the PCs successfully hurt the marauder upon the Material Plane, it will withdraw to the Ethereal Plane. This doesn’t mean, however, that it will simply give up the hunt. To the contrary, one of the marauder’s primary advantages is its ability to continue tracking – and harassing – its prey, even when badly injured itself. So long as the PCs cannot pursue or affect the marauder upon the Ethereal Plane, the marauder will stay in the area – recovering as it continues to pursue.

WHINE: Ethereal marauders emit an eerie, high whine that varies in pitch depending on the creature’s speed and health. Here’s a good rule to follow: The faster it goes, the higher the pitch. The more injured it is, the lower the pitch.

TAKING THE BODY: Although the marauder cannot take living creatures with it using its ethereal jaunt ability, once its prey is dead it can take the body with it. Once the marauder has successfully killed someone, it will attempt to grab the body and then return to the Ethereal Plane to finish its meal in peace. Realize that this is, essentially, permanent death if the other PCs don’t have some means of pursuing the marauder and recovering the body.

DISGUISE TRUE NUMBERS: As noted above, marauders seldom form prides. However, when they do they will typically take advantage of their ability to shift at will between the planes to disguise their true numbers. Their first step when approaching large groups (such as a party of PCs), is to draw the individual members apart from one another – typically by making large noises just out of sight in multiple directions. Once their targets have separated, the pride will then begin its attack – rarely revealing more than one of its number at a time, but striking at each of its chosen targets as often as possible (attempting to drive them even farther apart if possible).

If done successfully, it can appear to the PCs that they are facing some horrible creature which is capable of popping into and out of existence (and attacking!) three or four or half a dozen times a round. It might even appear that the creature is capable of magically regenerating damage (since wounded pride members will withdraw from combat, while the uninjured ones remain).

NEXT: vs. the Ethereal Marauder