The ape maintained his grasp in Conan’s hair, dragging him toward the tusks that glistened in the moonlight. The Cimmerian resisted this effort, with his left arm rigid as iron, while the sword in his right hand, wielded like a butcher-knife, sank again and again into the groin, breast and belly of his captor. The beast took its punishment in awful silence, apparently unweakened by the blood that gushed from its ghastly wounds. Swiftly the terrible strength of the anthropoid overcame the leverage of braced arm and knee. Inexorably Conan’s arm bent under the strain; nearer and nearer he was drawn to the slavering jaws that gaped for his life. Now the blazing eyes of the barbarian glared into the bloodshot eyes of the ape.—Robert E. Howard, “Shadows in the Moonlight”
The carnivorous ape was a classic monster from the 1st edition AD&D Monster Manual. They were originally conceived as a race of fairly intelligent, man-eating apes with their own language. The pulp fantasy authors who were so inspirational to Dungeons and Dragons were fascinated by similar apes and ape-like creatures: Edgar Rice Burroughs alone created the Mangani, a sort of missing link between chimpanzees and gorillas, the Sagoths, a race of ape-like men native to Pellucidar, the four-armed white apes of Barsoom, and a race of man-apes inhabiting the lost city of Opar. H.P. Lovecraft would riff on this last one with his white apes in the short story “Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family.” Robert E. Howard also had his own snow apes and gray man-apes, as seen in “Shadows in the Moonlight.” This trope is so common in Frank Frazetta’s fantasy paintings that such a creature is sometimes called a “Frazetta Man.”
Over time, much of this pulp heritage was lost and the carnivorous ape became less and less intelligent, eventually becoming just a larger, tougher gorilla. The second edition’s Monstrous Compendium (1989) entry, for example, drops the Ape language and plays up many mundane gorilla behaviors, though the carnivorous ape still has an Intelligence score of 7. The Monstrous Manual (1995) doesn’t even give the carnivorous ape a full monster entry, just a line item under “Mammal” that doesn’t mention intelligence and omits the rending attack. By the time we get to 3e’s dire ape (2000) and Chainmail’s war ape (2002), the creature has reverted to animal intelligence.
The following man-ape for 0e, 3e, and 5e hearkens back to the original, pulp fantasy-inspired carnivorous ape. In the Great Dungeon, tribes of savage man-apes can be found in the Terrarium demiplane. A few have escaped those confines and dwell among the Long Death hobgoblins, their natural allies, on the Third and Fourth Levels of the Dungeon.
The following text is Open Game Content.
Man-Ape
This massive, ape-like creature, far larger than a man, has a bestial face with close-set ears and a great mouth with tusk-like fangs. It is covered with shaggy grayish hair.
Thews and Ferocity. A man-ape is an aggressive monstrous humanoid resembling a larger and stronger gorilla. They possess extremely keen senses.
Dwellers in Wild Places. Man-apes are normally encountered in warm forests, hills, and plains, often making their lairs in large trees. They are omnivorous, but are said to prefer human flesh.
Intelligence and Great Cunning. Man-apes speak their own, simple language. They occasionally ally with hobgoblins, and are sometimes found as guards to hobgoblin tribes.
An adult male man-ape stands over 7 feet tall and weighs over 600 pounds.
0e
Man-Ape CL 5 (240 XP)
If a man-ape hits with both claws, it will crush and rend the victim for an additional 2d4 points of damage. A man-ape can also throw rocks up to 60 feet, doing 1d6 points of damage.
HD 5; AC 5 [14]; Atk 2 claws (1d4), 1 bite (1d6) or rock (1d6); Move 12/9 (Climbing); Save 12; Al C; Special rend.
3.5e
Man-Ape CR 3
Often N Large monstrous humanoid
Init +1; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +7, Spot +7
Languages Ape
AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 13
(+1 Dex, +4 natural, -1 size)
hp 36 (5d8+16 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +5
Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +10 (1d4+6), bite +5 (1d8+3)
Ranged rock +5 (1d8+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks rend 2d4+12, rock throwing
Before Combat When attacking, man-apes stand upright to lash out with their claws and bite with their tusk-like fangs.
During Combat After dropping a foe a man-ape will issue a terrifying, victorious roar.
Morale Man-apes fight until reduced to 18 hp or half their numbers are killed.
Str 23, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +5; Grp +15
Feats Alertness B, Toughness (2)
Skills Climb +14, Listen +7, Spot +7
Environment warm hills, forests, and plains
Organization solitary, pair, or company (3–8)
Treasure standard
Advancement by character class; Favored Class barbarian
Level Adjustment +3
Rend (Ex) A man-ape that hits with two claw attacks latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an extra 2d4+12 points of damage.
Rock Throwing (Ex) A man-ape can hurl rocks weighing 20 to 30 pounds (Tiny objects) up to five range increments. The range increment is 60 feet for a man-ape’s thrown rocks.
Skills Man-apes have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
Man-Apes as Characters
Man-ape characters possess the following racial traits.
- +12 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence (minimum 3), +2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma.
- Large size: -1 penalty to Armor Class, -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters.
- Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
- A man-ape’s base land speed is 30 feet. Man-apes also have a climb speed of 30 ft.
- Low-light vision.
- Racial Hit Dice: A man-ape begins with five levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 5d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +5, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4.
- Racial Skills: A man-ape’s monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 8 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Listen, and Spot. Man-apes have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
- Racial Feats: A man-ape’s monstrous humanoid levels give it two feats. It also gains Alertness as a bonus feat.
- Weapon Proficiency: A man-ape is proficient with all simple weapons.
- +4 natural armor bonus.
- Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d4) and 1 bite (1d8).
- Special Attacks (see above): Rend, Rocking Throwing.
- Special Qualities (see above): Scent.
- Automatic Languages: Ape. Bonus Languages: Goblin.
- Favored Class: Barbarian.
- Level adjustment: +3.
Advanced Man-Ape
The following is an example of a man-ape advanced by barbarian levels. The man-ape had the following ability scores before racial adjustments, equipment bonuses, and Hit Dice ability score increases: Str 14, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13.
Man-Ape King CR 13
Man-ape barbarian 10
N Large monstrous humanoid
Init +4; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +10, Spot +8
Language Ape
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 18
(+3 armor, +2 deflection, +4 natural, -1 size)
hp 181 (5d8+30 plus 10d12+60 HD); DR 2/–
Fort +17, Ref +10, Will +12
Special Defences improved uncanny dodge
Spd 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +19 (1d6+13/19–20), bite +14 (2d6+8)
Ranged rock +14 (1d8+9)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks rage 3/day, rend 2d6+18, rock throwing
Str 28, Dex 10, Con 22, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +15; Grp +28
Feats Alertness B, Cleave, Improved Critical (claws), Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Improved Natural Attack (claws), Power Attack
Skills Climb +19, Intimidate +12, Listen +10, Spot +8, Survival +10
SQ fast movement, trap sense +3
Combat Gear potion of cure serious wounds; Other Gear bracers of armor +3, ring of protection +2, cloak of resistance +3, gauntlets of ogre power +2, amulet of health +2
Rage (Ex) A man-ape king can fly into a rage 3 times per day for 11 rounds. The following changes are in effect as long as the man-ape king rages: AC 16, touch 9, flat-footed 16; hp 211; Fort +18, Will +14; Melee 2 claws +21 (1d6+15/19–20), bite +16 (2d6+9); rend 2d6+22; Str 32, Con 26; Climb +21. After raging, it is fatigued (Str 26, Dex 8, can't charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. The man-ape king can fly into a rage only once per encounter. Entering a rage takes no time by itself, but the king can do it only during its action, not in response to someone else's action.
5e
| Large monstrosity, unaligned | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armor Class 14 (natural armor) | |||||
| Hit Points 76 (8d10+32 HD) | |||||
| Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. | |||||
| Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha |
| 18 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 6 (-2) | 12 (+1) | 7 (-2) |
| Skills Perception +3 | |||||
| Senses darkvision 60 ft.; passive Perception 14 | |||||
| Languages Ape | |||||
| Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) | |||||
| Actions | |||||
| Multiattack. The man-ape makes 3 attacks: 2 claw attacks and 1 bite attack. | |||||
| Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage. | |||||
| Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) piercing damage. | |||||
| Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, r50/100 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (6d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. | |||||
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
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