Monsters of the Bog [Monster Thursday]

This week, we are looking at creatures from the swamp! Swamp monsters if you will. There are a TON of swamp monsters, and probably literally as well. If we stacked the number of swamp monsters that have appeared in films, folklore, books, and more; it would be a lot. Like a lot a lot. I don't really have a favorite swamp monster, though I think will-o'-wisp are pretty neat, especially as they can be used in interesting ways.

It seems like swamps and bogs were full of terror, but now, there are hardly any 'new' swamp monsters here to scare us. Maybe the wetlands are no longer terrifying, and space monsters have replaced them. Here are a few monsters you can throw at your party, all from the bog! Maybe you can bring some fresh terror to them.

Grendel (CR 15) If we are going to do bog monsters, we have to do the biggest and baddest of them all. I remember actually enjoying Beowulf in High School and went out of my way to read the Grendel book written in 1971. I haven't really thought back to that until I was trying to decide on swamp monsters, but it just felt right. Grendel is a horrific monster from the swamps with a strange and mysterious past. Maybe its only a monster with killing, or maybe it is an individual cursed by the gods to wander the land, committing untold destruction on everything and everyone it finds.

Grootslang (CR 7) I hadn't actually heard of this mythic monster from South Africa until I was doing some research on this. I like borrowing from our myths and folklore, mostly so then I don't have to come up with names for stuff (I hate coming up with names). The Grootslang is a fascinating creature as it hides within underwater cave networks and tunnels, waiting for prey to come to it and try to steal it immense treasure piles of diamonds. It appears like an elephant and a snake, making this gargantuan monster a real treat to take on. 

Muck Monster (CR 6) What is a swamp but a portal to the Plane of Ooze? For those who have read through my post on the Para-elemental planes, you should know a bit about that horrific place, for those who haven't, I'll be brief. It's horrible. Sucking muck pulls at you as you attempt to traverse the land, its waters are better described as acid, and hundreds or thousands of unique diseases can be found within the plane. This monster is that plane given sentience and likes to reside in the deep swamps where it likes to destory all life and absorb it into itself. 

Rougarou (CR 4) There are a large variety of ways to spell this creature, like roux-ga-roux, rugaroo, or rugaru; but I'm going with rougarou since its fun to write. This creature is kind of akin to werewolves, though you retain a human body and just get a wolf's head on your shoulders. . . And you suck out blood. It's also not transmitted from biting, and the folklore around it makes it quite a mysterious curse that can just take someone out of nowhere. It's a pretty strange curse that comes and goes, and can make for an interesting investigation when you have few clues on how to properly track who ever is afflicted.

Swamp Pink (CR 2) I don't make enough plant monsters, or constructs or dragons or aberrations or pretty much anything, but I really don't make enough plants (or dragons). The Swamp Pink is actually a real flower, I've just gone ahead and made it horrific. It can shoot out seed pods with tremendous force, use its razor sharp leaves to cut you to bloody shreds, and then just hangs out with your corpse, feeding on all the delicious nutrients it needs that the swamp just can't provide for it. But! If you do survive your fight with it, it can actually be valuable to harvest its root, stems, flowers, and more as each can be used for different stuff. I've gone ahead and given information on the flower and roots, you can figure out what to do with the rest of the plant.

Swineling (CR 1/4) Here's a humanoid race of swinefolk who reside in the deep swamps. They are similar to catfolk in that they are bipedal animal-humans, but are influenced by boars, not cats. They are territorial to a fault, often not backing down from challenges or willing to give up things they see as theirs, including not letting their friends get to harm when they could protect them.