Remorhaz
Encyclopedia
The remorhaz is an iconic magical beast
in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
. It is vaguely similar to the frost worm
.
#2 (August 1976).
The remorhaz appeared in first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the original Monster Manual
(1977). The remorhaz was further detailed in Dragon #114 (October 1986).
The remorhaz appeared in second edition in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The undead remorhaz appeared in Dungeon
#70 (September 1998).
The remorhaz appeared in the third edition Monster Manual
(2000), and in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual (2003).
The remorhaz appeared in the fourth edition Monster Manual 2 (2009).
, only with longer legs. It is segmented, and each segment is jagged and heavily armored. The lower segments of its body bear legs, while the uppermost ones have webbed spines which look like a cobra
's fan. Protruding from the back, with two on each segment, are big, red, jewel-like lumps which radiate extreme heat. The jagged, bladed head of the Remorhaz has four antenna-like growths, two coming from the chin/cheeks and two from the forehead. The Remorhaz is bluish-white in color, but has a reddish glow caused by its extreme body heat. The remorhaz has two little wings on its back that can hold the upper part of its body in the air, while the lower remains on the ground.
and many other D&D beasts, attacks by waiting beneath the ground (or in the remorhaz's case, the snow) until it can sense prey walking above. It uses its body heat to melt the snow above it and then bursts up and ambushes the victim. It can be perfectly deadly by using its claws, grabbing and grappling with opponents, and swallowing foes whole, but because it is so hot, merely touching the creature causes fire damage.
Remorhazes cannot speak.
Being of only animal intelligence, they are regarded as neutral in alignment.
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....
in the Dungeons & Dragons
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...
. It is vaguely similar to the frost worm
Frost worm
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game the frost worm is a fictional magical beast that lives in cold and ice filled places.-Publication history:...
.
Publication history
The remorhaz first appeared in DragonDragon (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...
#2 (August 1976).
The remorhaz appeared in first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the 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...
(1977). The remorhaz was further detailed in Dragon #114 (October 1986).
The remorhaz appeared in second edition in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The undead remorhaz appeared in Dungeon
Dungeon (magazine)
Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
#70 (September 1998).
The remorhaz appeared in the third edition 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...
(2000), and in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual (2003).
The remorhaz appeared in the fourth edition Monster Manual 2 (2009).
Physical description
A remorhaz resembles a gigantic (5 feet (1.5m) wide and 20 feet (6m) long) centipedeCentipede
Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
, only with longer legs. It is segmented, and each segment is jagged and heavily armored. The lower segments of its body bear legs, while the uppermost ones have webbed spines which look like a cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
's fan. Protruding from the back, with two on each segment, are big, red, jewel-like lumps which radiate extreme heat. The jagged, bladed head of the Remorhaz has four antenna-like growths, two coming from the chin/cheeks and two from the forehead. The Remorhaz is bluish-white in color, but has a reddish glow caused by its extreme body heat. The remorhaz has two little wings on its back that can hold the upper part of its body in the air, while the lower remains on the ground.
Combat
The remorhaz, like the frost wormFrost worm
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game the frost worm is a fictional magical beast that lives in cold and ice filled places.-Publication history:...
and many other D&D beasts, attacks by waiting beneath the ground (or in the remorhaz's case, the snow) until it can sense prey walking above. It uses its body heat to melt the snow above it and then bursts up and ambushes the victim. It can be perfectly deadly by using its claws, grabbing and grappling with opponents, and swallowing foes whole, but because it is so hot, merely touching the creature causes fire damage.
Remorhazes cannot speak.
Being of only animal intelligence, they are regarded as neutral in alignment.