Balhannoths are a subterranean type of aberration that are found in the depths of Khyber.[3]
Description[]
Balhannoths have an ovoid body with six tentacles and a large mouth of jagged teeth.[3]
Abilities[]
Balhannoth are blind creatures, but are capable of sensing magical energies from up to 120 feet (37 meters) away,[3] whether the energies are from spells or magical items. However, they cannot distinguish between the two types of energies.[4]
The most notable ability of balhannoths is warping reality around them in an area of up to 500 square feet (46 square meters) for around 10 minutes. However, this is limited in its scope as they are incapable of creating objects with moving parts or magical properties. Furthermore, balhannoths can only affect nonliving objects and close inspection of objects within a warped area would reveal them to be facsimiles.[5]
Balhannoths are capable of telepathically reading other creatures' minds. They use this ability to reach out towards any intelligent creatures that get within 1 mile of their lairs and learn whatever it is they desire most. A targeted creature then begins to feel as though they are close to that desire and this feeling will grow stronger they closer they get to the balhannoth's lair.[1] They then use their reality-warping abilities to make their lair resemble what the creature desired.[5]
Once it has lured a creature within its lair, a balhannoth will grapple and teleport them anywhere within 60 feet to begin their attack in earnest.[1] If a balhannoth is not yet ready to go on the offensive, their skin is capable of camouflaging with the local environment.[4]
Combat[]
Balhannoths are ambush predators.[4] They typically attack their prey by biting with their large jagged mouths or grappling and constricting with their tentacles.[1][3] While grappled, a prey is rendered incapable of casting spells and the properties of any magical items on their person are suppressed.[3][4]
Ecology[]
Balhannoths have no society and rarely assemble in large groups.[2] However, in areas where magical energy is plentiful, it's possible to find groups of up to six balhannoths.[4]
Balhannoths are a sexless species and mate with other balhannoths by intertwining their tentacles. The gestation period for a balhannoth egg is over a year, then after being laid it needs to be incubated for one month. During this time, the egg needs to be kept near some form of magical item or magic area of effect. Once a balhannoth is hatched, they reach maturity within three years.[4]
Diet[]
Balhannoths feed on both flesh and magical auras, such as from magical items. The stronger a magical aura that a creature feasted on possesses, the longer it will sustain them. They typically feed on one magical item at a time, absorbing its energies, with others being stored in their lairs for later, often hidden within ceiling cracks or beneath large boulders. Eventually, they grow tired of the taste a magical item gives off and will feel it necessary to seek out a new one.[4]
Habitats[]
Balhannoths are typically found living deep beneath Eberron in Khyber. They are most prevalent in the deep caverns beneath Xen'drik.[6]
Relationships[]
Drow and many other creatures within Khyber are known to venture in search of balhannoths to enslave as they are considered excellent guards.[2][5] Among some drow tribes in Xen'drik, their name is synonymous with being a skilled and cunning hunter.[6]
Some of the other Khyber races known to capture balhannoths for use as guards include mind flayers, aboleths, and even grimlocks. Besides capture, a few races raise balhannoths from birth, namely the kuo-toa.[2]
Though they can be trained to respond to spoken commands, balhannoths often respond best to telepathic communication.[2]
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Balhannoth article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 119. ISBN 978-0786966240..
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt (2008). Monster Manual (4th edition). (Wizards of the Coast), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-4852-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 (July 2006). Monster Manual IV. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 15. ISBN 0-7869-3920-6.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 (July 2006). Monster Manual IV. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 16. ISBN 0-7869-3920-6.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 118. ISBN 978-0786966240..
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 (July 2006). Monster Manual IV. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 17. ISBN 0-7869-3920-6.