Lamia (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, the lamia is a magical beast
. The lamia was introduced in the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game's original Monster Manual
sourcebook. The lamia also appeared in subsequent editions of the game.
(1977), where it is described as having the upper torso, arms, and head of a human female, and the lower body of a beast, whose touch drains a creature's wisdom. The illustration was by David C. Sutherland III
.
The lamia noble first appeared in the Fiend Folio
(1981).
A lamia named Feyodena allied with a gynosphinx featured prominently in the adventure "The Ruins of Andril" in Dragon
#81 (January 1984).
(1986), and the Creature Catalog (1993).
(1989), and are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).
The lamia was detailed in Dragon
#192 (April 1993), in the "Ecology (Love-Life) of the Lamia". This article also described a relative of the lamia, the sa'ir.
The lamia noble appears again in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
(2007).
, eladrin
(an elf-like race), and gnomes
), devouring their internal organs and using the hollowed-out bodies as a disguise. Every single insect is in the swarm is formed from the devoured soul of a sentient being.
Bestiary describes lamia as "hate-filled inheritors of an ancient curse", and depicts them as a lion/woman hybrid much like in versions of Dungeons & Dragons prior to 4th edition. It also mentions that other lamia, with serpentine, avian, and other forms, also exist, but it does not include game rules for such creatures.
, resembling animals such as lions, goats and deer, with a human torso and head coming up from where the animal's head would usually be. The upper body is fully humanoid, however, not bearing animalistic features such as scales, horns or fur.
s, ruined cities, or caves. They sustain themselves by drinking human blood and eating human flesh. To bring prey to them, they use a variety of abilities, including seduction, disguise, ventriloquism, illusions, mirage
s, and mirror images. With these they lure, entice and confuse those who wander into their midst into dangerous situations. Lamias do not wear any form of clothing or adornment. They seem devoted to chaos and destruction in their native habitats. They never venture more than 10 miles from their lair
s. Lamias also have the ability to drain wisdom with their touch.
The lamia noble is a rarer type of lamia. These beings rule over other lamias and the locations they inhabit. Unlike normal lamias, they have the lower bodies of serpents. Males fight with curved swords and magic, while females only with magic. Lamia nobles are also capable of venturing further from their lairs than other lamias, and prefer to go into urbanized areas in the guise of a human to infiltrate human and demihuman societies. Lamia nobles are given to outbursts of senseless violence. They can speak all forms of human and demihuman language.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, the lamia is a magical beast
Magical beast (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, magical beast is a type of creature, or "creature type". Magical beasts are similar to animals in many ways, but usually have a higher intelligence, and possess supernatural or extraordinary abilities....
. The lamia was introduced in the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game's original Monster Manual
Monster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
sourcebook. The lamia also appeared in subsequent editions of the game.
Publication history
The lamia was introduced to D&D in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The lamia appears in the first edition Monster ManualMonster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
(1977), where it is described as having the upper torso, arms, and head of a human female, and the lower body of a beast, whose touch drains a creature's wisdom. The illustration was by David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
.
The lamia noble first appeared in the Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio is the title shared by three products published for successive editions of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
(1981).
A lamia named Feyodena allied with a gynosphinx featured prominently in the adventure "The Ruins of Andril" in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#81 (January 1984).
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the lamia, known as the lamara, in Creature CatalogueCreature Catalogue
AC9 - Creature Catalogue is an "Official Game Accessory" for Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert/Compainon/Master Sets.-Contents:...
(1986), and the Creature Catalog (1993).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The lamia and lamia noble appear first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume TwoMonstrous Compendium
The Monstrous Compendium is a series of accessories for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Volumes:MC1 Monstrous Compendium, Volume One was published by TSR in 1989...
(1989), and are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).
The lamia was detailed in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#192 (April 1993), in the "Ecology (Love-Life) of the Lamia". This article also described a relative of the lamia, the sa'ir.
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The lamia appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The lamia appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).The lamia noble appears again in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
Expedition to the Demonweb Pits is a super-adventure module for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The adventure is designed for characters of levels 9–12...
(2007).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The lamia appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), where it is described as a swarm of insects that inhabits the dead bodies of sentient fey (including elvesElf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
, eladrin
Eladrin
The Eladrin are a fictional race of creatures appearing in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Introduced in the Planescape setting of AD&D 2nd edition and D&D 3rd edition, Eladrin were described as a type of celestial of chaotic good alignment and hailed from the plane of Arborea...
(an elf-like race), and gnomes
Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. Some speculate that they are closely related to dwarves; however, gnomes are more tolerant of other races and of magic, and are skilled with illusions...
), devouring their internal organs and using the hollowed-out bodies as a disguise. Every single insect is in the swarm is formed from the devoured soul of a sentient being.
Other games
Lamia have also appeared in other roleplaying games which were inspired by Dungeons & Dragons. The Pathfinder Roleplaying GamePathfinder Roleplaying Game
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 2009 by Paizo Publishing...
Bestiary describes lamia as "hate-filled inheritors of an ancient curse", and depicts them as a lion/woman hybrid much like in versions of Dungeons & Dragons prior to 4th edition. It also mentions that other lamia, with serpentine, avian, and other forms, also exist, but it does not include game rules for such creatures.
Description
Lamia are hybridsHybrid (mythology)
Hybrids are mythological creatures combining body parts of more than one real species.They can be classified as partly human hybrids , and non-human hybrids combining two or more animal species...
, resembling animals such as lions, goats and deer, with a human torso and head coming up from where the animal's head would usually be. The upper body is fully humanoid, however, not bearing animalistic features such as scales, horns or fur.
Characteristics and habits
Lamias are chaotic evil creatures that prefer to dwell in desertDesert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s, ruined cities, or caves. They sustain themselves by drinking human blood and eating human flesh. To bring prey to them, they use a variety of abilities, including seduction, disguise, ventriloquism, illusions, mirage
Mirage
A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French mirage, from the Latin mirare, meaning "to look at, to wonder at"...
s, and mirror images. With these they lure, entice and confuse those who wander into their midst into dangerous situations. Lamias do not wear any form of clothing or adornment. They seem devoted to chaos and destruction in their native habitats. They never venture more than 10 miles from their lair
Lair
Lair may refer to:*An animal's lair or home; see :Category:Shelters built or used by animals*Lair , a 2007 video game*In Scots language, lair refers to a burial-plot in a graveyard...
s. Lamias also have the ability to drain wisdom with their touch.
The lamia noble is a rarer type of lamia. These beings rule over other lamias and the locations they inhabit. Unlike normal lamias, they have the lower bodies of serpents. Males fight with curved swords and magic, while females only with magic. Lamia nobles are also capable of venturing further from their lairs than other lamias, and prefer to go into urbanized areas in the guise of a human to infiltrate human and demihuman societies. Lamia nobles are given to outbursts of senseless violence. They can speak all forms of human and demihuman language.