In many campaign setting

Campaign setting

A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...

s for 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...

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...

, Stalker is the goblinoid

Goblinoid

Goblinoids are a category of humanoid legendary creatures related to the goblin. The term originated in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, in which goblins and related creatures are a staple of random encounters. Goblinoids are typically barbaric foes of the various human and...

 deity of hate, death, and cold. This god has no true worshippers, and is an enemy of all things that live. Its symbol is a creeping shadow.

Publication history

Stalker was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology

Monster Mythology

Monster Mythology is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Released by TSR in 1992 and written by Carl Sargent, with interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra, John and Laura Lakey, and Keith Parkinson, Monster Mythology was released as a companion volume for...

(1992), including details about his priesthood.

Description

Stalker takes the form of a slow shadow, its size varying from two to twenty feet in length as the entity desires. It continuously radiates magical fear, and is especially proficient with cold-related spells.

Relationships

Stalker is related to the racial root stock of all goblinoid races (in this context, this includes orcs

Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...

 and other races as well). Stalker hungers for all lives and souls, but it is not powerful enough to oppose Gruumsh

Gruumsh

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Gruumsh, also known as Gruumsh One-Eye, is the patron deity of orcs, who regard him as the god of Conquest, Survival, Strength, and Territory. He is also considered a member of the default D&D pantheon of deities...

, Maglubiyet

Maglubiyet

Maglubiyet is the god of goblins and hobgoblins in the fictional setting of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. He was first described in the Nonhuman Deities chapter in the first edition of Deities and Demigods, by James Ward and Robert Kuntz published by TSR, Inc. in 1980...

, or the races under their protection, so for this reason it focuses its hate on bugbears

Bugbear (Dungeons & Dragons)

The bugbear is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.A bugbear is depicted as a massive humanoid distantly related to goblins and hobgoblins...

, kobolds

Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)

Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...

, urds, gnoll

Gnoll

A gnoll or gnole is a fictional humanoid creature - a cross between a gnome and a troll. They first appeared in Lord Dunsany's story in The Book of Wonder: How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art upon the Gnoles and subsequently reappeared in Margaret St. Clair's, The Man Who Sold Rope to the Gnoles...

s, and mongrelfolk. It particularly despises Meriadar

Meriadar

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Meriadar is a deity of patience, tolerance, meditation, and arts and crafts...

, who works to bring self-respect to the goblinoid races. Stalker occasionally strikes up an alliance with the bugbear god Skiggaret

Skiggaret

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Skiggaret is the half-mad bugbear deity of fear. Skiggaret's symbol is a black claw.-Publication history:...

, with whom it has a mutual tolerance. Stalker is sometimes considered by bugbears to be a member of their pantheon.

Stalker will send its single avatar to prey on weak communities or those damaged by war. Other goblinoid gods will often permit Stalker to take a share of souls after such conflict, for they find its stirring up of violence to be useful.

Realm

In pre-history, Stalker is said to have dwelled in a dark underground complex before being driven out by the intrusion of a goblinoid race. Ever since then, Stalker has wandered the world, searching for revenge. It is possible that Stalker is responsible for the pools of animated darkness haunting Darkpool; this is credited to an unnamed humanoid deity.

Dogma

Stalker and its hate are strengthened by the deaths of goblinoids, so it always seeks to inspire war, conflict, and death.

Worshippers

Stalker has no worshippers, but many fear it. It has no priests or shamans. Goblinoids usually do not bother to attempt to propitiate Stalker, as it seldom does any good. The only exception that has found to be effective is ritually dancing to death while promising Stalker a battle with deaths and souls to be devoured; this will sometimes satisfy Stalker enough to turn away from the rest of the community.