Grick
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT IS A GRICK?
The Gricks is a large worm-like monstrosity from the DnD 5e Manual of Creatures. The head of the Grick is composed of a sharp beak surrounded by four barbed tentacles: these features give it a special talent for hunting other creatures by camouflaging as a rock structure in the tunnels where it lives.
DESCRIPTION
An Adult Grick is generally 6 ft. (1.8 m) long, but if you want to add the tentacles, it becomes around 8 ft. (2.4 m) long. From these measurements, it becomes clear how big the head of this creature is: a couple of tiny eyes are positioned right behind its four musculus barbed tentacles.
If an adventurer meets a creature this way (if he/she manages to spot the monster in the first place), he/she will be safe to withdraw. In fact, the grick opens its tentacles only to attack and hunt, revealing a sharp bone beak capable of penetrating even a thin sheet of metal.
The portrait of this creature is completed by its rubbery and dark skin, with colorations that vary from green to blue depending on the environment in which the grick has lived. The skin of the monster is uneven, giving it incredible abilities to camouflage with rocks and shadows.
BEHAVIOUR
Folklore tells that gricks are always hungry: that is probably related to the fact that their environments are not very populated, and so they have to be always prepared to hunt their prey. Similarly to a snake, they will have few occasions to find large enough prey to feed their huge body, and so they will spend their lives waiting for the right moment to ambush their victims.
There are few situations, however, where gricks reveals to be more reactive: whenever their nest is manaced, they will fight ferociously to defend it.
Now, since these creature has evolved to be as effective as possible in the caves where they live: they can climb and slither up walls with ease.
Generally, you will find gricks only in caves and dungeons, where they can hide and ambush their preys with ruthless efficiency, but sometimes unlucky travelers have found these monsters outdoor, especially in situations where gricks did not find enough food and water in their natural habitats.
ECOLOGY
Gricks lives in dark caves, tunnels, dungeons and in general underground. They reproduce by laying greenish/bluish eggs with the dimensions of a human fist, creating a nest.
Young gricks are known by the name “grick wormlings“, which are considered a delicacy in many places and are generally served stuffed with rice pilaf and diced celery.
COMBAT
Gricks generally hunt in packs, combining their strengths to defeat any prey that enters their environment.
These creatures use their camouflage skills to ambush their target: when it gets close enough to a grick, it will rapidly reveal itself, trapping its victim with its barbed tentacles and biting it with its beak.
When they hunt in packs, they will try to flank their target, attacking it until it is dead or unconscious and then drag the creature to their nest, where they can feed in peace: due to the relatively small dimensions of their beak, they can only chew small pieces of meat at the time.
USEFUL TIPS
Since a Grick has to ingest large quantities of food and generally works together with other gricks, a smart strategy is to let them return to their nest to eat and then bury them inside and wait to let them starve to death.
GRICK CREATURE'S SHEET
Medium monstrosity, neutral evil
Base Statistics
- Armor class: 13 (natural armor)
- Hit Points (HP): 44 (8d8 + 8)
- Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Characteristics
- STR: 14 (+2)
- DEX: 15 (+2)
- CON: 13 (+1)
- INT: 7 (−2)
- WIS: 12 (+1)
- CHA: 8 (−1)
- Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +4, Survival +3
- Senses:darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
- Language: —
- Challenge rating: 11 (7,200 XP)
Abilities
- Spider Climb. The ettercap can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the ettercap knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
- Web Walker. The ettercap ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.
Actions
- Multiattack. The ettercap makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.
-
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
- Web (Recharge 5–6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one Large or smaller creature. Hit: The creature is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained creature can make a DC 11 Strength check, escaping from the webbing on a success. The effect also ends if the webbing is destroyed. The webbing has AC 10, 5 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage.
Support the Content Creator
USE CODE: ” ARKANEATLAS” to receive a 10% discount at checkout
CREDITS
- This creature was made in accordance with the OGL 5e
- Discover New Homebrew Creatures
- Creature’s sheet from the SRD 5e
- Description partially inspired by this wiki article about Gricks
Responses