Dragon magazine	-	Monster Manual III	-	Dragon #152
-	-	Gaming notes	-	-

The following was taken from Creatures
of the Earth?s Deeps,  by the sage and
wizard Archmyel:

The umber hulk is one of the more
powerful and dangerous underground
denizens. Although only infrequently
encountered, umber hulks have become
well known because of their distinctive
appearance and the ferocity of their at-
tacks on adventurers. I have heard numer-
ous stories of small bands of umber hulks
destroying larger parties of experienced
adventurers, leaving nothing but dropped
weapons and debris behind.

Umber hulks are extremely large, bulky
creatures often standing nearly three
yards tall and over one and a half yards
wide. Their powerful arms end in hands
with claws like iron that are capable of
ripping through solid stone quickly. The
rest of their stout bodies are very muscu-
lar, but because of their weight (1,500-
1,750 lbs.) and size, umber hulks are slow,
awkward creatures. Such a creature?s
mouth is filled with many small teeth, but
the major damage is inflicted by the um-
ber hulks two sets of mandibles.

In addition, the umber hulk has two sets
of eyes, one on the outside of its flat head
and the other in the middle of its fore-
head. The eyes on the outside of its head
are white with black irises, while those on
its forehead are purple with yellow or
amber irises. The creature lacks a nose
but breathes through gill-like structures
on its almost nonexistent neck, evidence of
a possible previous aquatic existence. It
can thus eat and breathe at the same time.
The color of the umber hulk?s tough hide
is black but lightens to a grayish or burnt
brown hue on the head and front. The
mandibles and claws are ivory colored.
Adventurers have been known to mistake
umber hulks for some other type of crea-
ture at a distance of 15 yards or more
because of their dark coloring.

Umber hulks are, as noted earlier, well
known for their ferocious attacks on
adventurers?particularly humans, which
are relished.. Using their powerful claws
and great strength to rend opponents,
they have been known to kill with a single
attack, literally ripping their foes in two.

These monsters usually prey on other
subterranean creatures like anhkhegs and
small purple worms, against which the
umber hulks developed their powerful
offensive array. It is said that umber hulks
allow themselves to be swallowed alive by
great purple worms for the thrill of ?tun-
neling out? and slaying the worms.

Umber hulks use their great claws and
strength to good advantage in the subter-
ranean areas they haunt. The area sur-
rounding an umber hulk?s underground
lair is crisscrossed with numerous tunnels
making it difficult for other creatures to
find the lair itself. Some of the tunnels are
dead ends, while others lead back to their
points of origin in very roundabout fash-
ion. All such tunnels are well known to
the umber hulk, which uses these pas-
sages to catch victims by outflanking
them.

The reverse also holds true, as the um-
ber hulk can use its many tunnels to elude
determined pursuit. While it is not impos-
sible to hunt down a fleeing umber hulk, it
is difficult even for experienced trackers
such as rangers to do so as it leaves few
tracks on rocky floors. The umber hulk
also could lead pursuers around in circles
long enough for others to join it and turn
the tables on its hunters. In dire circum-
stance, an umber hulk will go to an area
with a deliberately weakened ceiling, so it
may cause a cave-in and later escape.
Deliberately caused floods are also possi-
ble, as the umber hulk can breathe water
for short periods (up to 10 minutes).

The most dangerous aspect of the um-
ber hulk is its two sets of eyes. Should any
creature of even slight intelligence meet
the direct gaze of an umber hulk, it be-
comes instantly befuddled, often attacking
its companions or standing dazed as the
creature advances. This ?gaze of confu-
sion? is magical in nature and is constantly
in effect. Other umber hulks are immune
to the effects, which affect the victim?s
brain through the optic nerve in a manner
which I have yet to discover. The effect
seems to be created by the pair of eyes in
the forehead, for the vodyanoi, the umber
hulk?s marine cousin, lacks this set of eyes
and the peculiar gaze. The victim recovers
shortly, usually within a few minutes,
unless the monster has eaten him.

Both male and female umber hulks
appear the same externally, equal in size
and ferocity. However, female umber
hulks are much rarer than the male, with
only one umber hulk in four being female.
For this reason, the males are very pro-
tective of the females, often sacrificing
their own lives in the females? defense.

Little is known about how umber hulks
reproduce. The female bears her young
live a year after mating, producing one to
three ?hulklings.? The young are quickly
able to move about and defend them-
selves, developing all of their special
powers with great rapidity. The mother is
especially dangerous during this time, as
she will hunt down and kill as much food
as possible to feed her young, who eat
voraciously. After two years, the young
umber hulks learn to hunt at their moth-.
er?s side. Those that have survived this
long are considered mature adults in
every respect. After a few months more,
the young leave, and the mother may start
another litter. Male umber hulks live an
average of 50 years; females, 75 years.

Like most underground creatures, um-
ber hulks have more highly developed
senses of smell and hearing than eyesight,
and they use the former two senses when
searching for prey, tracking and fighting
without penalty for darkness. However,
their eyesight is not bad, and umber hulks
have no trouble seeing prey at normal
distances. Like most underground crea-
tures, umber hulks dislike bright light, but
they suffer ill effects only from the bright-
est sources. Umber hulks venture above
ground only at night and only when des-
perate for prey.

Umber hulks are reasonably intelligent
creatures and have developed their own
spoken tongue. The language is fairly easy
to learn and understand as it conveys only
limited information, but only magical
intervention  (clairaudience  or spying while
invisible)  permits anyone to hear the lan-
guage used. However, ?Hulkish? is difficult
to actually speak as umber hulks make
some sounds that are impossible for hu-
mans to duplicate. It is a very direct, con-
crete, brutal tongue as befits their nature.
The umber hulk also uses various grunts,
hisses, and gestures for added emphasis
when speaking, as well as mouth, mandi-
ble, and eye movements.

Though umber hulks are basically lon-
ers, they will sometimes cooperate with
other evil creatures, including evil hu-
mans, if paid in gold and platinum or,
possibly, human victims. They will serve in
any capacity?as guards, part of a main
attack force, even as manual labor?as
long as they receive their gold and are not
expected to risk their own lives in vain.
They will not venture above ground for
any price and are therefore of limited use.
Their fickle nature causes them to turn on
their ?masters,? often for no reason.

This begs the question, of course, of
what umber hulks do with their monetary
gains. No one knows, though not all umber
hulks seem to value precious metals. It
may be that they use their gains as part of
their economy, if the rumors of their cities
beneath the earth are true, or it may be
that the umber hulks consume such
metals for dietary reasons (finding coins to
be excellent gizzard stones). None can say.

The lair of an umber hulk is a large,
spacious cavern or room, the walls of
which are always covered by marks from
the umber hulk honing its claws or possi-
bly from having carved the cave from the
stone itself. Attached to the large cavern
are numerous smaller rooms of storage
for what few personal items, such as
treasure and food, such monsters accumu-
late. All the rooms will be littered with the
remains of previous victims brought here
for leisurely consumption. The treasure
cave is usually hidden by rocks and debris,
with simple but deadly traps such as rock-
slides. Small items can be found scattered
throughout all rooms?curios that caught
the monster?s interest, such as peculiar
gems or devices from a past victim.

Dead umber hulks (the only good ones,
some say) have numerous uses. The hide
of an umber hulk is extremely tough and
damage resistant. Some underground
races, notably kobolds and goblins, cure
the hides of umber hulks and make ar-
mors and shields out of them. (Although
they would not dare to attack a living
umber hulk, these races recover their
prizes from beasts slain by disease, age, or
adventurers.) The hard mandibles are
used as hand-held weapons, and the claws
are turned into spiked clubs and maces.
The eyes from the forehead are often
needed by magic-users for potions and
magical inks, and they can be sold for a
profit to alchemical shops or wizards’
guilds.

Though it poses little threat to normal
human existence, the umber hulk is a
notable danger to those who venture
beneath the earth in search of adventure
and riches. It makes the life of a farmer
much more attractive.

Gaming notes
Most umber hulks have strengths of  19,
equal to a hill giant, but one in 20 has a
strength of 20 and does  1d6  + 6 hp damage
with each claw, rather than the 3d4 hp
damage listed in the  Monstrous Compen-
dium.  If the umber hulk’s strength should
be reduced, claw damage should be re-
duced accordingly. Damage done by the
mandibles remains the same.

The effects of an umber hulk’s gaze are
like the effects of a  confusion  spell lasting
3d4 rounds, affecting as many victims as
are looking at it within 40’ of its front.
Umber hulks themselves are immune to
the effects of the gaze, as are vodyanoi,
creatures already suffering from  confu-
sion,  and  mind-barred  victims. Use the
following chart (from the description of
the dracolisk in the  Monster Manual II,
page 55) to determine the chances of meet-
ing an umber hulk’s gaze:

* Chances of meeting the gaze of a dracolisk or any large creature using a breath weapon are as follows
(add 1 if the creature is man-sized, such as a medusa, and 3 if the creature is small):

Character is --

Completely surprised	9 in 10
Surprised	7 in 10
Viewing monster	5 in 10
Attacking normally	3 in 10
Avoiding gaze	1 in 10

<updated: the article is Now proceeded by the size modifiers>

When born, umber hulks are helpless,
but by three months of age they have  1 + 1
HD, are 1’ tall, and do 1d4/1d4/1d2 hp
damage with claws and mandibles. They
grow thereafter at the rate shown in the
Umber Hulk Growth Table.

Umber Hulk Growth Table

Age	Hit dice	Claw damage	Mandible damage	Duration in rounds of confusion gaze
0-2 months	1-1	-	-	-
3-5 months	1+1	1d4	1d2	1d4
6-8 months	2+2	1d4	1d3	1d4
9-11 months	3+3	1d6	1d4	1d4
12-14 months	4+4	2d4	1d6	2d4
15-17 months	5+5	2d4	1d6	2d4
18-20 months	6+6	2d6	1d8	2d4
21-23 months	7+7	2d6	1d10	2d4
24+ months	8+8	3d4	1d10	3d4

Extremely bright light, such as sunlight
causes the umber hulk to take a - 1 pen-
alty to hit and to saving throws.

The claws and mandibles of dead umber
hulks do 1d4 hp damage per blow when
used as weapons. Armor made from the
hides of umber hulks is AC 4 and resem-
bles a suit of plate armor. The eyes from
the forehead can be worth 100-400 gp
apiece to the right people.