Cute but Dangerous - Beware the Sneaky Zeebles

The term monster in Dungeons and Dragons has always meant anything a group of players could fight and destroy in a combat encounter. This leads us to imagine grim things. Stuff of nightmares. Horrors from the secret groves of faeries or many fearsome dragons. The term monster can also mean something kindly that aid and befriend a group of players. They need in game statistics as enemies won't take kindly to those who help the heroes. Or, the more likely, your players are monsters who will gladly kill something sweet and fluffy because the world is cruel.

What about the unlikely common ground? I like the idea of a monstrous and fearsome aide to the players. My usual table still cannot forgive me for the fate of a certain goblin. But what about the opposite? What about an unintentionally creature was wrapped in the cuddliest, friendliest shell?

Adventurers look on at the source of the chirping - Sneaky Zeebles by Dao Le

Zeebles

On the slopes of the highest mountains, live myriad troubles for those adventurers on their climb. Dragons and other beasts accustomed to the ice are around each peak, and the howls of banshees and yetis cut through the snow. One such noise may still catch a wanderer's attention.

Zeeble statblock generated with Homebrewery.naturalcrit.com

In calmer spots up a mountainside, where the air is calmer and land has flattened with travel, adventurers may find themselves in a raft of zeebles.

Sky Otters

Zeebles resemble large otters, commonly found on the surface in places where woodland and water mix. Zeebles are similar, mixing in an area of wood and air – particularly where the air is clearest from the pollution of humanoids and the natural magical energy found in the upper atmosphere. Their purple fur and thick plumage make them well suited to the life in the alpine heights.

Zeebles are omnivorous like otters from ground level. They keep to family groups of around 6, hibernating in dens in the winter.

Mischief Makers

Zeebles spend the majority of their time, aside from roosting and drifting from peak to peak, causing mischief for anything and anyone travelling the mountainside. Zeebles have very slight psychic energy. The ability to move items and speak into thinking minds is tough for a master of mental magic, but child's play for a lone zeeble.

They never play any of their tricks with real malice. For a zeeble, the true motivation is definitely play. They see humanoid explorers as upright walking, hairless zeebles. Throwing enormous rocks or bringing down tonnes of snow onto travellers is fair game. Stealing provisions is an unthinkable disaster for a mountaineer, but a zeeble would relish the unexpected treats.

Zeeble Mischief by Kudos Productions

Zeebles are particularly hard to domesticate, given their tight knit family structure. One raised from near birth makes for a high-maintenance pet for the immensely rich. Upon seeing somewhere of high altitude though, the zeeble will be instinctively drawn back to the mountain.

Coming to the Ground

The cute and cuddly mean well, but can spell doom for a party. You'd be a monster to slay one in combat, but who could put sword or spell to something so cute? Now we want to hear from you. What strange creatures lurk in the fringes of your setting. How would you use or amend the zeeble in your games? Let us know in the comments below or talk to us on Discord.

Adam Ray contributes much for adventurers here on Apotheosis Studios. As co-founder of fantasticuniverses.com, he writes about card gaming and PC gaming to a corner of the internet he carved out himself. On Youtube, he can be found game mastering for No Ordinary Heroes, or editing the antics on The Hostile Atmosphere. Follow his Twitter @IzzetTinkerer.