ROPER
Living in caves and caverns throughout the Underdark,
voracious ropers feast on whatever they can catch and
seize. A roper eats any creature, from Underdark beasts
to adventurers and their gear.
A roper has the appearance of a stalagmite or
stalactite, which often allows it to attack with surprise.
The creature can move slowly using thousands of
sticky cilia beneath its base. It creeps up cave walls
and along stone ceilings, finding the best position from
which to attack.
Underdark Hunters. The roper is an evolved,
mature form of piercer, with which it shares its rock-
like appearance and hunting tactics. A roper can hold
still for long hours, shutting its single eye to look like
nothing more than a mundane formation of rock.
Creatures that come too close are surprised when
that eye snaps open and sticky tendrils shoot out
to seize them. The roper then makes horrible
guttural sounds as it reels in its struggling
victims, drawing them close for the fatal bite of
its stony teeth.
A roper can digest anything it eats with the
exception of platinum, gemstones, and magic
items,'~hich can sometimes be retrieved from the
creature's gizzard after death. A roper's digestive juices
are also valuable, fetching a high price from alchemists
who use them as a solvent.
Weakening Tendrils. A roper has six nubs set
along its body, through which it extrudes sticky
tendrils that bond to whatever they touch. Each
tendril sends out hair-like growths that penetrate
a creature's flesh and sap its strength, so the
victim can struggle only weakly as the roper
reels it in. If a tendril is cut through or broken,
the roper produces a new one to replace it.
ROPER
Large monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 93 (lld10 + 33)
Speed 10ft., climb 10ft.
STR
18 (+4)DEX
8 (-1)CON
17 (+3)Skills Perception +6, Stealth +5
INT
7 (-2)WIS
16 (+3)Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 16
Languages-
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
CHA
6 (-2)False Appearance. While the roper remains motionless, it is
indistinguishable from a normal cave formation, such as a
stalagmite.
Grasping Tendrils. The roper can have up to six tendrils at
a time. Each tendril can be attacked (AC 20; 10 hit points;
immunity to poison and psychic damage). Destroying a tendril
cleals no damage to the roper, which <1an extrude a repla<1ement
tendril on its next turn. A tendril can also be broken if a '
creature takes an action and succeeds on a DC 15 Strength
check against it.
Spider Climb. The roper can climb difficult surfaces, including
upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an
ability check.ACTIONS
Multiattack. The roper makes four attacks with its tendrils,
uses Reel, and makes one attack with its bite.Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft ., one target.
Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) piercing damage.Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 50 ft., one
creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until the
grapple ends, the target is restrained and has disadvantage
on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and the roper
can't use the same tendril on another target.Reel. The roper pulls each creature grappled by it up to 25 feet
straight toward it.