Kara-Tur Monsters
Spirits, oriental dragons and monsters of folklore from a vast eastern empire and its island realms. 54 monsters, grouped by the book they come from.
- MC6 Kara-Tur Appendix (43)
- MC3 Forgotten Realms Appendix I (9)
- Dungeon33 (1)
- OA7 Test of the Samurai (1)
MC6 Kara-Tur Appendix
- Bajang A sneering jungle spirit bound to a single tree, the bajang slips into villages as a wildcat to carry off sleepers, and it can only truly die when its tree falls.
- Bakemono Mismatched, sake-crazed eastern goblins that never look alike, bakemono rob, raid, and squabble constantly under the rule of an oni or ogre mage.
- Bisan A tree spirit bound to a single camphor, teak or mahogany, the bisan hides as a buzzing insect and curses anyone who harvests her grove without an offering.
- Buso Lanky, one-eyed, ghoul-like eaters of the dead whose fear aura paralyzes and whose claws spread a disease that turns victims into nightly monsters.
- Chu-u A legless, wailing ghost that begs travelers to hear its sorrowful life story and testify for it in the spirit court, and patiently strangles anyone who refuses.
- Con-tinh The ghost of a maiden who died young, bound to a fruit tree, who drives the living mad with her laughter and steals their bodies by night.
- Doc cu'o'c A one-legged guardian spirit with a glowing woodsman's axe that protects a home or village from evil spirits, as long as the locals keep the offerings coming.
- Duruch'i-lin The towering, rainbow-coated unicorn of eastern legend, whose rare appearance heralds long life and good fortune, and whose blunt horn fires volleys of magic bolts when it must fight.
- Flame Spirit Savage little suns called out of the Elemental Plane of Fire, these spirits must be coaxed into a bonfire, candle or volcano vent before they can exist in the mortal world, and they burn everything they touch.
- Foo Creature Bug-eyed, lion-bodied guardians from the planes of good who eat gems and silver, slip in and out of the Ethereal at will, and fight hardest against evil, especially the lawful kind.
- Gaki Hungry ghosts of the wicked, gaki return as flesh-eaters, blood-drinkers, plague-bearers and floating fires, each damned shape matching the sins of the life it led.
- Giant Carp A massive golden cousin of the goldfish, the giant carp is usually a lazy bottom-feeder, but disturb its meal and it can swallow a swimmer whole.
- Goblin Rat A plague-carrying rat that can pass as a shifty little man, the goblin rat robs villages by night, hoards shiny loot and flees in terror from anything feline.
- Gohei P'oh Paper ghosts made from corrupted pages of evil lore, guarding a sorcerer's sanctum by folding into smothering sheets, slashing doves, or boxes that swallow intruders.
- Hai Nu Gentle, furred sea-folk under the protection of the ruler of the sea, hai nu prefer sabotage to slaughter, but trespassers who break their word face sharks, storms, and endless pursuit.
- Hannya Half withered crone and half great serpent, the hannya is an eastern hag who wears a kindly grandmother's face to lure the weak, then crushes and devours them.
- Hengeyokai Shapechangers who move between animal, half-animal and human bodies, hengeyokai live quietly at the edges of human lands, some as village guardians, others as tricksters best avoided.
- Hsing-sing Gentle, white-furred ape-folk of the forest canopy who live in peaceful harmony with nature, until each spring's war season sends their males raiding with poisoned blowguns.
- Hu Hsien A mischievous fox spirit who takes the form of a breathtaking maiden, enchanting men into love while she drains their life away one level per day.
- Human [Kara-Tur] Two of the most feared human foes of the eastern lands: the wako, fearless sea raiders who never surrender, and snow-camouflaged frost barbarians who slay all who stray near.
- Ikiryo Born unknowingly from one person's jealousy or hatred, the invisible ikiryo latches onto its target and grinds every ability score down, day by day, until the victim dies.
- Jishin Mushi A giant forest beetle that drums its belly on the ground to raise earthquakes, then drags its shaken prey off into the trees to eat.
- Kala Ravenous cannibal spirits of the frozen wastes, kala track prey for days, swing stone axes, and bite with a venom that builds to crippling agony.
- Kaluk A towering elephant-headed spirit of greed, the kaluk robs travelers of every coin and gem, devours its loot, and can be bought off only with a scrap of gilded paper.
- Kappa Small, shelled river goblins of astonishing strength, kappa drown the unwary, challenge travelers to deadly wrestling matches, and draw all their power from a bowl of water atop their heads.
- Korobokuru Shaggy, bowlegged eastern dwarves who shun outsiders, hate goblinkind and make giants miss, but may welcome a patient guest into their day-long incense rite.
- Krakentua A hundred-foot demon spirit with a kraken's head and a lord's silk robes that tramples cities, spits blinding cherry milk and demands slaves who worship it.
- Kuei The restless ghost of someone slain by violence and left unburied, a kuei slips into the body of a strong victim and wears it until its unfinished business is done.
- Memedi Mischievous lesser spirits of the southern islands, from harmless funeral mourners and tomb companions to shapeshifting pranksters who spirit people away into the ether with a sweet cake.
- Men-shen Golden-skinned celestial generals who stand invisible watch over doors and tombs, wielding red swords that weaken the longer they stay away from heaven.
- Nat Squat, fanged, brightly colored house and village spirits, nats bless the families who feed them and bring ruin, curses, or plague on those who forget their offerings.
- Nature Spirit Spirits of trees, stones, streams and mountains that walk as lovely youths or children, gentle or vicious by turns, and that die when their home is felled or broken.
- Ningyo Gentle, red-haired merfolk of eastern seas who cast priestly and sorcerous spells, ningyo shun the surface world yet watch over storm-tossed sailors.
- Oni Hulking, horned spirit-brutes of the east who shapeshift, fly and turn invisible to waylay travelers, carouse with flutes after a kill, and serve heaven's armies in their mightiest forms.
- P'oh A pint-sized, insufferably arrogant spirit that settles near farming villages, demands tribute, and withers crops with drought whenever the offerings displease him.
- Shan Sao Foot-tall, fearless forest folk who curse intruders with disease, take the shape of crows, call tigers to their side, and let those tigers judge their kings.
- Shirokinukatsukami A gentle patchwork spirit with a lion's face and elephant's trunk who guards worthy sleepers from evil spirits at night and feeds on their dreams.
- Spirit Centipede A nine-eyed, human-faced centipede that serves as heaven's punisher, the spirit centipede shifts among five venomous forms, each breathing a different poisonous black fog.
- Spirit-Blooded Folk Graceful descendants of humans and nature spirits whose very lives are bound to a bamboo grove, a river or the sea, and who answer to spirit lords before any human master.
- Stone Spirit Evil little spirits that move into statues of frogs, dogs, dancers and faceless samurai, guarding tombs and temples by hurling their stone bodies at intruders.
- Tengu Reclusive bird-folk of the mountain wilds, crow-headed swordsmen led by long-nosed tricksters with magic fans, perfect mimicry and a cruel streak toward humans.
- Wang-Liang Long-lived, shapechanging cousins of the oni who blame humanity for their slow extinction, wang-liang live by honor and vengeance and trade cursed gifts crafted by their elder sorceresses.
- Yuki-on-na A breathtaking snow spirit in billowing white robes who hunts lone human travelers through blizzards, freezing them with her gaze and her icy touch.
MC3 Forgotten Realms Appendix I
- Carp Dragon [Yu Lung] The shy, fish-bodied youngest stage of eastern dragonkind, a gentle river scavenger that heals with its breath until a thunderclap on its 101st birthday transforms it.
- Celestial Dragon [T'ien Lung] A golden, blossom-scented sky dragon of cloud castles that commands the weather, warns intruders off with fire, and is said to be heaven's favorite official.
- Coiled Dragon [Pan Lung] A long, oily-scaled eastern dragon that guards tombs and temples for millennia, staffed by unfaithful spouses the gods have sentenced to serve it.
- Earth Dragon [Li Lung] A lion-bodied, human-faced eastern dragon that burrows through solid stone, roars like grinding metal, and buries its enemies under earthquakes of its own making.
- Oriental Dragon Overview The wingless dragons of eastern lands are spirit-officials of a heavenly court, mind-reading, invisible at will, and flying by the power of magical pearls set in their skulls.
- River Dragon [Chiang Lung] The serpentine rain-bringer and guardian of every river and lake, ruling from a sunken palace and often walking among mortals as a wealthy noble.
- Sea Dragon [Lung Wang] A turtle-shelled eastern dragon that rules the sea, tips over ships that fail to pay tribute, and boils their crews with steam above or below the waves.
- Spirit Dragon [Shen Lung] A horned, spike-tailed river guardian revered by villagers as a messenger of the gods, wielding water fire, ice storms, and command over every scaly thing nearby.
- Typhoon Dragon [Tun Mi Lung] The largest and most malicious of the eastern dragons, a heaven-appointed storm bringer that often ignores orders to ravage warm coasts with hurricane winds for fun.
Dungeon33
- Kitsune Kasumi Silent white mist foxes that guard groves of dead trees, breathing pale blue foxfire and melting into fog between bites.
OA7 Test of the Samurai
- Feng Huang The vain, gloriously plumed phoenix of the east, a hundred-foot fire-bird whose firestorms can burn a mile of country and whose wings can heal any disease.