Al-Qadim Monsters
Genies, desert beasts and night terrors from a land of sultans, sand seas and enchanted cities. 90 monsters, grouped by the book they come from.
- MC13 Al-Qadim Appendix (49)
- City of Delights (11)
- Other sources (9)
- Monstrous Compendium, 1994 Annual, Volume 1 (7)
- Monstrous Compendium, 1995 Annual, Volume 2 (5)
- ALQ4 Secrets of the Lamp (4)
- Corsairs of the Great Sea (2)
- Dungeon57 (1)
- MC2 Volume II (1)
- Monstrous Manual (1)
MC13 Al-Qadim Appendix
- Ammut Bloated crocodile-lion-hippo devourers of the damned, ammut lurk beneath deserts and necropolises, hunting wicked spirits, swallowing small intruders whole, and roaring loud enough to deafen.
- Architect/Builder Genie [Tasked] Dao reshaped by ages of construction, builder genies raise cities overnight, double the strength of anything they build and know exactly which stone to pull to bring a building down on your head.
- Artist Genie [Tasked] Poets, sculptors, potters and goldsmiths of uncanny skill, artist genies create masterworks with frightening speed, but only for patrons who treat them well, and they never forgive a fool's criticism.
- Ashira Giggling, restless faerie spirits of fruit orchards, ashira charm their way out of trouble, yet the whole grove turns fierce and thorny the moment someone threatens its trees.
- Asuras Flame-winged heralds of the good powers, asuras bring prophecy to the faithful and doom to the wicked, swooping on ruby talons while their war trumpets break evil hearts.
- Black Cloud of Vengeance A living thunderhead of soot, red lightning and firestorm winds that moves against the breeze to raze godless desert cities, leaving only ash behind.
- Camel Ill-tempered but indispensable, camels haul the caravan trade across burning sands, and a spooked herd can stampede right over anyone caught in the open.
- Camel of the Pearl Elephant-sized white camels with eyes like pearls, these gentle, talking healers carry the righteous, cure the sick with a lick, and quietly undermine anyone who abuses power.
- Copper Automaton A clockwork warrior of copper and bronze whose fists grow searing hot as it fights, built by desert wizards to toil tirelessly or guard their treasures.
- Debbi Spiteful baboon-hyena scavengers of the desert that stamp up crackling waves of magical fear to drive bigger beasts and travelers away from water and food.
- Desert Centaur Lean, swift night raiders of the sands, desert centaurs harry their foes for days with arrows from ambush before closing with a thundering lance charge.
- Desert Giant Veiled nomad herders under a slow curse of stone, desert giants ride monstrous mounts, vanish against the sand, and can call petrified ancestors back to fight once more.
- Elephant Bird Green jungle birds that rise in screeching flocks, bombarding prey with stones they have heated red-hot inside their own gullets, and earning their name by bringing down elephants.
- Ghost Mount A tireless spectral steed that can carry a rider 180 miles a day across any desert, if it does not first bolt into the wastes or drain that rider into a wraith.
- Ghul Donkey-footed undead cousins of the genies, great ghuls are shapechanging seducers who join caravans, lead them astray into the desert, and feast on the dead.
- Giant Mason Wasp A glossy black wasp the length of a man, with glowing red-hot jaws, a fever-bringing sting and fiery breath, revered as a messenger of the gods and a bringer of luck.
- Giant Overview [Al-Qadim] Proud, literate and bound by ancient protocol, the giants of the desert lands trade, scheme and judge by their own law, slowly reclaiming influence over the smaller races that eclipsed them.
- Guardian Genie [Tasked] Ten-foot, four-armed, two-faced efreet remade as sleepless sentinels, guardian genies cannot be surprised or bribed and breathe green fire on anyone who tries to take what they protect.
- Half-Genie Foot-tall elemental genies of wind, fire, sea and sand, half-genies serve genie-caller mages as familiars, scouring the elemental planes for the magic their masters need to cast every spell.
- Hama A glowing spirit bird born from a soul that cannot rest, the hama lingers among the living until its vengeance, vigil, or unfinished duty is finally settled.
- Herdsman Genie [Tasked] Wiry, sun-weathered genies who run all day beside their flocks and drink their blood and milk, herdsman genies will defy any master who orders their animals into danger.
- Heway A pale, slimy desert snake that seeps poison into wells and oases and then waits for the dying to come drink, the heway is loathed by every creature that depends on water.
- Jungle Giant Tall, thin, green-haired hunters of the rain forest, jungle giants loose six-foot poisoned arrows from the canopy and can empty a whole region of game.
- Living Idol Weathered stone statues left behind by forgotten faiths, living idols demand weekly sacrifices, charm passersby into cults, and repay devotion with protective auras and potent miracles.
- Markeen Exiled genies cursed to live as perfect look-alikes of famous humans, hiding in secret communities and swindling mortals with what little magic they kept.
- Maskhi Shy, six-fingered desert shapechangers who wait at oases disguised as trees or boulders, then spring ambushes that even plant and stone magic cannot detect.
- Nasnas Half-bodied, one-legged warriors born from cursed fruit, nasnas hop tirelessly through the halls of evil sorcerers, hooting a scream that freezes enemies with terror.
- Noble Dao [Genie] Squat, scheming aristocrats of elemental earth, noble dao rule vast slave-dug labyrinths, bribe and ambush rather than fight fairly, and answer only to a gluttonous khan who hides behind mirrors.
- Noble Djinni [Genie] Haughty sky-lords who refuse to let their feet touch the ground, noble djinn rule the realm of elemental air from a hurtling glacier palace and grant three wishes only under protest.
- Noble Efreeti [Genie] Bare-chested warlords of the City of Brass, noble efreet scheme like fiends, hunt slaves from chariots drawn by nightmares and answer only to a sultan wreathed in scorching flame.
- Noble Marid [Genie] Twenty-two-foot sea lords with skin like pearl, noble marids command the strongest genie magic of all, ignore lesser beings entirely and can sink fleets when they finally want something.
- Pahari Shy, shapeshifting sea nymphs and gifted water wizards who are endlessly curious about the surface world, sometimes to the point of marrying into it.
- Reef Giant Copper-skinned divers and pearl traders of the island reefs, reef giants wield tridents, sink unwanted ships with boulders, and can churn up a drowning whirlpool.
- Rom Undead giant herdsmen who sealed themselves alive in granite cairns rather than fade from the world, and who drain the strength of any rude intruder.
- Sabu Lord A vain giant lion who rules every cat within fifteen miles, deafens foes with a shattering roar, and sends an army of great cats after travelers who forget to ask permission.
- Sakina Invisible, whimsical air sprites of the desert lands who dine on scents, ferry friends across the sky, and send enemies drifting helplessly away on the wind.
- Serpent Lord A fifty-foot white cobra with a kindly human face, a great healer and sage who rules every snake for miles and can crush eight foes at once in its coils.
- Silat Ram-horned shapeshifting hags who wander cities and deserts in disguise, rewarding the courteous, turning the rude into donkeys, and sometimes eating the unwary.
- Simurgh A gentle, human-faced king of birds with four golden wings and a rainbow tail that can hold whole crowds spellbound while it slips away.
- Slayer Genie [Tasked] A four-armed, three-eyed genie driven mad by endless labor, the slayer kills quietly when it can and in a berserk frenzy when it is caught.
- Stone Maiden A shy, veiled beauty bound to a desert rock formation who slips into solid stone at will and, if truly threatened, sends a man-sized boulder to crush intruders.
- Vishap A flightless, chameleon-scaled desert dragon with no breath weapon, the vishap stalks and studies its prey for days, bullying the weak and ambushing anyone brave enough to resist.
- Warmonger Genie [Tasked] Short, fat, and dripping blood from every hair, the warmonger genie is a brilliant general that never lets a war end and will start one where none exists.
- Werehyena [Lycanthrope] Laughing, magnetic strangers who hide a second mouth beneath their hair, werehyenas befriend whole villages with magic, then lead the trusting out into the desert where the pack waits.
- Werelion [Lycanthrope] Lean desert shapechangers who hunt as a coordinated pride, herding travelers into ambushes and pouncing from hiding as oversized, bright-eyed lions.
- Winemaker Genie [Tasked] A cat-headed, trunk-nosed genie devoted to grapes and vintages, the winemaker is a jolly traveling vintner whose angry trunk can still blind and crush.
- Winged Serpent A jewel-bright, hummingbird-winged snake whose acid bite liquefies fruit and flesh alike and whose buzzing wings build a static charge it spits out as a shower of sparks.
- Zaratan A turtle so vast that sailors mistake it for an island, the zaratan sleeps for centuries with its mouth agape, and woe to anyone who wakes it hungry.
- Zin Shapeshifting river serpents with a bard's talents and a prankster's heart, zin bands play enchanted music that can delight a gracious host or torment a rude one for weeks.
City of Delights
- Afanc A whale-sized fish mistaken for a harmless whale, the afanc circles ships until its magic-driven whirlpool drags them under, then devours the swimmers one by one.
- Al-Jahar Glittering spirits of heat-shimmer and light that pose as lovely city folk, al-jahar stir up brawls, greed and lust in crowded streets so they can drink the emotions.
- Crypt Servant Dried corpses bound to tend a dead master's tomb forever, polishing his treasures and challenging intruders, then rising together in mindless fury against any who disturb him.
- Elemental Vermin Little humanoid pests from the elemental planes that slip through gates and raid human homes for perfume, gems, silk and wine, fighting viciously when cornered or interrupted at a meal.
- Ogre [Al-Qadim] In the desert lands ogres are not raiders but respected citizens, groomed, perfumed and honorable, prized as soldiers and laborers while they hunt their own brutish half-mage kin.
- Opinicus A prankish, camel-bodied desert guardian with eagle wings and a monkey's face, whose clerical magic, psionics and sun-bright gaze make it a terror to undead.
- Parasite Five strange hitchhikers, from a ring-shaped worm that sips blood to a louse that eats memorized spells, each feeding quietly on a host who may never know it is there.
- Pasari-Niml Giant black ants with leering human faces, pasari-nimal paralyze foes with terror, dig pits under armored knights, and pry open their plate so a single mant can feed at each hole.
- Singing Tree A beautiful, chorus-voiced tree that sings passing animals to sleep in its shade, then sends its leaves down to drink their blood.
- Tatalla A scrawny one-eyed guild assassin, barely two feet tall, that creeps into its target's bedroom night after night until its venomous bites finish the job.
- Winged Cat Furred wings carry these prized cats aloft, from the great winged cat that hunts from the sky and nurses grudges for years to the playful little fluttercat.
Other sources
- Dao Genie [Al-Qadim] Greedy, brutish genies of elemental earth, dao tunnel through rock, run sprawling slave markets and grant wishes that always curdle, yet they keep an honor of their own and build like no one else.
- Djinni Genie [Al-Qadim] Tall, silk-clad lords of the open sky, djinn ride living whirlwinds, play elaborate pranks on mortals and serve more willingly than other genies, but never forgive a betrayal.
- Efreeti Genie [Al-Qadim] Hulking genies of basalt, bronze and living flame, efreet grant up to three wishes a day, and every one is audited by their sultan to make sure it hurts the mortal who asked.
- Island Giant Horned, hideous wreckers of the coast, island giants sink ships with boulders and stock living larders, while their shapeshifting females lure lovers to be eaten.
- Janni Genie [Al-Qadim] Desert-born genies who could pass for statuesque humans, the jann herd camels between oases, guard the wild sands for their genie lords and turn resistant to magic whenever open desert lies near.
- Marid Genie [Al-Qadim] Towering, sea-hued genies who all call themselves royalty, marids wield the strongest magic of the common genie races, lie with creative flair and punish any lesser being who dares interrupt them.
- Ogre Giant Shaggy, elephant-eared brutes twenty feet tall, ogre giants lob two boulders a round, guard reclusive masters, and fly into destructive rages when crowds or lies confuse them.
- Roc [Al-Qadim] Brilliantly plumed giant raptors of the desert lands in three breeds, from the common roc to the ship-sinking great roc and the scheming, evil two-headed roc.
- Segarran Crocodile-headed servants of a vengeful jungle goddess, ranging from scaly warrior-zealots to high priestesses who walk among humans and shed their skin for a towering reptile form.
Monstrous Compendium, 1994 Annual, Volume 1
- Administrator Genie [Tasked] Genie bureaucrats descended from djinn and marids, administrators run offices for genies and mortals alike, always seem to have a cousin who can help and can wreck a city's paperwork if slighted.
- Deceiver Genie [Tasked] Gaunt, mismatched-eyed djinn twisted into living lies, deceiver genies wrap the world in illusion for sheer cruel amusement and lie shamelessly even under the strongest charm.
- Harim Servant Genie [Tasked] Fatherly giants who guard, pamper and entertain the women in their care, harim servant genies obey their master's words but quietly serve their charges first.
- Messenger Genie [Tasked] A restless courier genie, once a djinni, that races between the planes with sealed letters and treaties and would sooner die than let a stranger read them.
- Miner Genie [Tasked] Squat, clawed, and bitter, the miner genie is a dao warped by wizards into a living drill, able to bring an entire tunnel down on anyone standing in it.
- Oathbinder Genie [Tasked] A black-skinned efreeti wreathed in white flame that exists only to enforce sworn oaths, appearing within moments of a broken vow to burn the oathbreaker and imprison their ghost.
- Tasked Genie Overview Genies sculpted over ages by a single profession, tasked genies build palaces overnight, guard treasures for a thousand years or kill on command, and they judge mortals by skill rather than birth.
Monstrous Compendium, 1995 Annual, Volume 2
- Addazahr Tiny straw-colored biting flies of the desert grasslands, addazahr are harmless to fight but ruinous to caravans, their bite crippling the backs of camels and horses for weeks.
- Amiq Rasol Drowned, murdered or marooned corsairs who rise as pale, green-eyed undead, amiq rasol charm sailors ashore and drain their lives, though a rare few only want proper burial.
- Ghul-Kin Undead genies who wear stolen faces, ghul-kin slip into cities as charming neighbors and patrons while they quietly breed cults, possess the unwary, and wait for the day they can rule.
- Vizier's Turban A living turban with jewel eyes that bonds to a wizard, trading extra spells and magic resistance for a permanent share of its partner's hit points.
- Yak-Man Sullen, yak-headed priest-tyrants of the high peaks who enslave earth genies, sacrifice slaves daily, and slip into mortal bodies to spy on the lowland kingdoms.
ALQ4 Secrets of the Lamp
- Chaggrin [Elemental Grue] A skull-faced, absurdly heavy hedgehog from the plane of earth, the chaggrin hides in soil, latches onto prey with razor claws, and unravels any earth magic cast near it.
- Harginn [Elemental Grue] A leering, black-eyed fire grue whose body ends in flames below the waist, the harginn blinks about the battlefield spraying fire, and its pirate clans raid the seas of flame for slaves.
- Ildriss [Elemental Grue] An invisible, three-eyed wind spirit that drifts about sowing misfortune, the ildriss turns into a grit-laden fog to flay its victims and snuffs out any air magic around it.
- Varrdig [Elemental Grue] A translucent green jelly bristling with hoses and clawed legs, the varrdig blinds and drowns victims with jets of water, and three of them can fuse into a single hulking horror.
Corsairs of the Great Sea
- Firethorn A low, scarlet-blossomed coastal rose whose heady perfume confuses passersby into its thorns, which burn, poison, and can kill outright; by night its flowers glow like embers.
- Sea Wyrm A serene, legless sea dragon that ignores passing ships until one crosses its territory, then coils around the hull, rolls it over and drags it under.
Dungeon57
- Kada An invisible shadow of strong emotion left behind at a death, a kada haunts the place it was born, hurling one kind of object as it chases a single unfinished goal.
MC2 Volume II
- Swanmay A secret sisterhood of ranger women who take swan form through a magical token, guarding forest and wildlife, with feathered priestess cousins in the high desert valleys.
Monstrous Manual
- Winged Snake A hummingbird-winged jungle serpent, also called a spark snake, that bites with acid and breathes a crackling cloud of static sparks that can set hair and clothes alight.