Dark creepers are thieving bandits who dwell deep withing the pitch blackness of the underdark. Inscrutable and furtive, they gather small magical items, jewelry, and gems, often from passing adventurers. They are unclean creatures, wrapped in layers of rotting rags.
Dark creepers are lead by dark stalkers, and together they are known as dark ones.
Gallery[]
Dark Creepers in Different Editions[]
AD&D 1e[]
Dark creepers made their first appearance in the Fiend Folio. They are dwarf-sized, dagger-wielding creatures with the skills of a 4th level thief, and the ability to detect magical items (out to 15') and create darkness (extinguishing illumination for an hour). If killed, the creature's body explodes in blinding light, which has a chance to destroy any items they are carrying.
These creatures are described as normally solitary, but occasionally gathering together in villages of about 80 members, ruled by a dark stalker.
AD&D 2e[]
Dark creepers were updated in the Monstrous Compendium: Fiend Folio Appendix. They exist much the same as their earlier incarnations, though their thief skills are given a specific breakdown, and their villages are described in greater detail - the dark creepers apparently use their ability to detect magic to supplement their sight in the darkness, placing magic items as trail markers.
These creatures are ruled by dark stalkers - one dark stalker is found for every 25 dark creepers.
D&D 3e[]
In the third edition Fiend Folio, dark creepers make their 3e debut. They are significantly changed, more closely resembling 3e rogues, complete with Sneak Attack and Evasion abilities. They are given soft, black hooves in place of feet, and lose their blinding death throes. Instead of being able to create darkness, the 3e dark creeper can shroud itself in a shadow cloak, gaining concealment.
D&D 4e[]
In fourth edition's Monster Manual, the death throes of the dark creepers returned, though now it was a cloud of blinding darkness rather than blinding light. It retained its sneak attack (dealing extra damage with combat advantage), and picked up a new ability, Dark Step. This ability let them move a short distance (less than their normal speed) to gain a higher AC against opportunity attacks and to gain combat advantage (and thus extra damage) aginst a creature it ends its movement next to.
Dark creepers featured in the adventures Scepter Tower of Spellgard, Keep on the Shadowfell, and Pyramid of Shadows.
D&D 5e[]
In fifth edition, dark creepers are called "darklings", and are detailed in Volo's Guide to Monsters. In this version, they are classified as Fey creatures, and given a backstory. Supposedly, they committed some crime against the Summer Queen, who cursed them with a form that could not bear light. A darkling's flesh absorbs light, but also causes it to wither. The explosion upon its death is a release of all that absorbed light.. Again, their death throes is a blinding flash that can blind foes, and they have some rogue skills, including Acrobatics, Deception, Perception, and Stealth. Dark stalkers are called "Darkling elders", and are created via a ritual done by a standard darkling with the aid of existing darkling elders. Regular darklings have no ability to create magical darkness, but elders can use a darkness spell without components, needing at least a short rest after doing so to recharge.
Sources[]
- Fiend Folio (1e)
- Monstrous Compendium: Fiend Folio Appendix (2e)
- Fiend Folio (3e)
- Monster Manual (4e)
- Volo's Guide to Monsters (5e)