Shambling Mound (The Black Pits)

Shambling Mound
Record
Type	Monster[n1]
Gender	Summoning
Race	Elemental[n2]
Class	Earth elemental[n2]
Movement	111%
Alignment	LG NG CG LN TN CN LE NE CE
Involvement
Allegiance	Enemy
Chapter	Tier 3 – Battle 2
Quests	A History of Violent Beatings
Ability scores
Level	12
Hit points	96
XP value	0
Str	19
Str	19
Dex	14
Dex	14
Con	14
Con	14
Int	7
Int	7
Wis	13
Wis	13
Cha	8
Cha	8
Total scores	75
Morale	16
Break	1
Recovery	30
Combat basics
AC	2
Base THAC0	9
Base APR	1
Saving throws
Dth	7
Wand	9
Poly	8
Brth	8
Spell	10
Special
Special	Immune to normal and +1 weapons May detect illusions
AI scripts
Name	BPENEMY
Override	BPSIGHT
Race	BPFHT
Inventory
Gold	0
Items	None
Technical information
Creature codes	BPSHAMB

“	While subtlety can be deadly, who doesn't love a good, straightforward beating? And what beating isn't better with bigger brawlers?	”
— Baeloth the Entertainer

This shambling mound is a true neutral earth elemental.^[n2] The monster^[n1] will be summoned as one of six opponents, the other five being clay golems, in the second battle of the third tier in The Black Pits.

Main article: Shambling mounds

Locations

• One of six opponents in the 2^nd battle of the 3^rd tier

Gameplay

• The shambling mound in The Black Pits will stay until defeated during A History of Violent Beatings.
• It moves faster than the party, with a factor of 10 opposed to 9.
• It attacks once per round at a melee range of 1 ft and a speed of 0 with a THAC0 of 6, while dealing 4d8+7 crushing damage, strength modifiers included. This attack counts as being made by a magical weapon with an enchantment of 4; thus, it can hurt party members and summoned creatures that are immune to normal weapons and to those with an enchantment of only 3 or below.
• The shambler itself can also only be hurt by magical weapons, but already those with an enchantment of at least 2.
• Apart from this, the summoned mound has no particular resistances or immunities. Its effective armor class is 2, while having 96 hit points. Saving throws are similar to that of a fighter by the same level, namely twelve: 7, 9, 8, 8, 10.
• The creature's morale is fairly high, 16, while breaking very late and being restored within 2 sec.
• It is able to detect illusions.

Notes

• According to the Monstrous Manual, a sourcebook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, the ruleset which the Baldur's Gate series is based on, shambling mounds are plants. However, this creature type was only introduced to the games by a later update for the Enhanced Editions, and previously existing creature files were not adjusted.
• The race "shambling mound" also was introduced in an Enhanced Editions' update only; previously existing creature files were not adjusted and remain being classified as elementals from the earth plane.

External links

• Shambling mound on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.