Umber Hulk Monster Card art by Victor Sanchez

Umber Hulk Culture, Psychology, & Lore

by Kell Myers

“I spent more time in the Undermere than’s healthy for a man, and Umber Hulks was some of the worst bastards down there. They’d bust through solid rock like it was nothin’ an rip a mailed warrior clean in half. Now I see kids at the fair ridin’ those bloody bugs for a copper a go.”

–Iam Murham, retired adventurer

Culture & Psychology

Dirt. Rock. FOOD! Dirt. Rock. FOOD! Mages with the ability to read the thoughts of sentient beings report that the mind of an Umber Hulk is a shallow and mainly featureless pit. These creatures possess intelligence comparable to dimwitted humans, but that intelligence is geared toward burrowing, mating, fighting, and finding food. Umber Hulks are savants in these pursuits, but in other contexts they tend to struggle. Most lack higher-order reasoning, a fact that explains why these giant subterranean insectoids so frequently attack well-armed adventures, armies of Duergar, and seasoned Drow patrols.

Umber Hulks are solitary by nature, tolerating others of their own kind only to mate. A mated pair will stay close until the eggs hatch, and will defend the incubating eggs with their lives. After the hatch, the two adults and the new hatchlings go their separate ways. Umberlings can burrow through solid rock as soon as they emerge from their shells, and have the basic instincts in place to survive.

Should non-mated Umber Hulks cross paths, they posture for dominance by ramming chests, clacking mandibles, and snapping claws. These displays are noisy and appear violent, but Umber Hulks rarely kill each other. Instead, the victor marks the loser with pungent musk from its vent gland. The loser slinks away, and will not return to the lost territory for at least a year, during which time they will have molted and grown stronger.

Art or Instinct?

Those who explore Umber Hulk burrowings will eventually come across etchings in stone rendered by the creature’s diamond-hard claws. Sages debate the significance of these marks as emphatically as theologians argue the mysteries of lost religions. Some claim the etchings are proof that Umber Hulks possess not only intelligence, but creativity. Others argue the markings are no more an indicator of intelligence than a wasp’s nest is a sign that insects are architects. Nevertheless, a genuine and intact Umber Hulk marking is worth a tidy sum to many alchemists and art collectors.

Domesticated Umber Hulks

Umber Hulks can be tamed if captured within a month of hatching. Using food as a reward–worms and old meat do fine–is the preferred method of training. Umber Hulks can be trained for many tasks. They can trim hedges, excavate basements, and guard doorways from intruders, however, once a task is learned, there is little room for variation.

Circuses, carnivals, and royal zoos sometimes buy trained Umber Hulks for use in their acts. The sight of a monstrous beast pedaling a tricycle or gently rocking a baby draws a coin in the rural districts, but city folk require more spectacle. Umber Hulks will lift paying audience members and twirl them about, perform acrobatic feats of climbing and leaping, and engage in staged wrestling matches with the strongmen. Some even perform dance routines –though no one would call an Umber Hulk graceful.

Siege warfare has long been the most profitable option for Umberling trainers. War-trained Umber Hulks make short work of even the strongest walls, either by digging straight through them, or by excavating the earth upon which they were built. On the battlefield, platoons of Umber Hulks fitted with iron War Plows charge through enemy lines, upending troops and rending holes in the opponent’s defenses. Less chivalrous warlords release starving War Hulks into battle, trained to eat enemy soldiers as their reward.

Domesticated Umber Hulks can shape stone blocks and pave roads with the ease. Watching this feat firsthand has given many the impression that Umber Hulks are flexible thinkers. They are not. Training an Umber Hulk for more than one task is usually a bad idea. The best outcome is that the Umber Hulk loses proficiency at the original task. The worst outcome is the overstimulation of the creature’s mind, snapping it back to a feral state. Overstimulated Umber Hulks are aggressive and attack without warning.

Special Units

War Umber Hulk. Trained for battle and for breaking walls, War Umber Hulks learn to follow simple orders and mimic basic discipline. They understand how to hold the line before charging, and wait until the drums sound before digging apart a wall’s foundations. The combat training War Umber Hulks receive teaches them to better utilize their natural armor and other defenses. (+1 AC.)

Circus Umber Hulk. The tamest of all Domesticated Umber Hulks, these specimens do tricks and take part in performances as long as they are well fed. Some Circus Umber Hulks grow attached to their trainers and will fight to defend them. Circus Umber Hulks gain the Performance skill (+3). The novelty of seeing a performing Umber Hulk for the first time often imparts Advantage on the Performance skill check.

Nesting Umber Hulk. When tending their eggs, Umber Hulks release a pungent pheromone. This musk reeks of rotting meat and induces bloodlust when the eggs are threatened. While in bloodlust, Umber Hulks are stronger, faster, tougher, and willing to fight to the death. Nesting Umber Hulks are hypervigilant and gain Advantage on all Perception checks. If the nest, themselves, or their mate is threatened, they enter a rage and gain +2 to STR, +2 to CON, and +10 to Move until they are killed or the threat is ended. Nesting Umber Hulks are reluctant to move more than 100’ from their nest.

Umberlings. Newly hatched Umber Hulks grow no larger than a Goblin during their first month of life. Newly hatched doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. More than one careless fortune seeker has had their throat ripped while picking one up. Umberlings attack 3 times per round: 2 Claws and 1 Bite. Damage: Claws 1d6 +2 (Slashing). Mandibles 1d8 +2 (Piercing). Defensive Defecation: When attacked, Umberlings empty their bowels. Any bipedal creature moving through affected squares must make a DC 13 DEX Save or fall Prone.

Special Abilities

Rend Armor. Umber Hulks use their claws and mandibles to rip apart an opponent’s armor (natural or worn but not protection gained from spell effects or magic items like rings). Each successful Rend Armor attack reduces the armor bonus by two. Rend Armor takes the place of the Umber Hulk’s Multi-Attack action. Armor may be repaired as normal until its armor bonus is reduced to zero.

Vibration Sense. Umber Hulk can detect creatures through 60′ of earth or stone. While underground, all Stealth rolls vs. Umber Hulks are made at Disadvantage.

Absolute Direction. Umber Hulks always know which way is North. Umber Hulk burrows are made of twisted passages, tangled as a ball of yarn. PCs navigating these warrens are at Disadvantage on checks to orient or find their way.

Cave-in Artists. Umber Hulks riddle their burrows with cave-ins and deep pitfalls. For each round spent navigating an Umber Hulk burrow, the party rolls d100. On rolls 90-00, the lead two PCs must Save DC 16 DEX or trigger either a cave-in or a pitfall. These natural traps range from annoying to deadly, and sometimes result in the PCs falling or sliding long distances, often dropping into unknown dungeons, long-abandoned underground cities, or subterranean lakes.

Weaponry

Wild Umber Hulks attack with their claws and mandibles, which are more effective for them than the best steel. Domesticated Umber Hulks receive training with other tools and weapons, specific to their tasks.

Melee 1. War Plows. War Umber Hulks are sometimes outfitted with War Plows. War Plows are typically made from iron, spiked, and mounted on a wheel. Most of the Umber Hulk’s mass is hidden by the plow except for a slit for the creature’s eyes (three-quarters cover, +5 AC). When Umber Hulks charge with their War Plows they can break a line of elite shieldsmen. An attack with a War Plow can strike up to three Medium-sized targets for 2d10 + 5 Bludgeoning damage. Anyone hit with a War Plow must make a DC 15 STR Save or be knocked back 15 feet.

Melee 2. Great Hammers & Clubs. 1 Attack per round, 2d6 +5 bludgeoning damage. Nefarious traveling shows who stage Umber Hulk fights with local toughs typically allow their fighters to make use of their natural weapons. A hammer or club in the grip of an Umber Hulk is not as effective as its mandibles and claws. However, when the city guards find a bludgeoned victim the next morning, rather than a lacerated and half-eaten corpse, they may chalk it up to a tavern brawl and drop the investigation.

Ranged 1. Boulders. On occasion, Umber Hulks heave boulders into groups of travelers in the hopes of crushing one or two of them. 4d6 damage. Half damage on a successful DC 13 DEX Save.

Ranged 2. Sonic Blast. Once per day, whenever 2 or more Umber Hulks are within 20′ of each other they may both spend their action to emit a dual sonic blast that causes 4d6 total sonic damage to all non-Umber Hulks within 60′, Save DC 15 CON for half damage.

Special Tactics

Ambush. Umber Hulks are masters at the ambush. Their attacks can come from any direction: Above, below, or from the side.

Cave-ins and Pitfalls. Instead of a straight on fight, Umber Hulks sometimes create cave-ins and pitfalls to bury their prey. Umber Hulks employ this tactic when there are numerous opponents or if a small group is too vigilant for their liking. Unsuspecting groups may hear Umber Hulks scraping and digging, but never see one appear. Often it isn’t until the ceiling collapses or the floor gives way that they realize what was afoot.

Bomb Layers. Umber Hulks trained for siege warfare can be taught to bury bombs at strategic locations. Employing this tactic without the aid of an Umber Hulk trainer is not recommended. Typical Bomb Damage: 5d6.

Qualities

Single Mindedness. Wild Umber Hulks devote their energy to finding food in the wilds of the Undermere. Domesticated Umber Hulks focus solely on the jobs that feed them. What matters most to an Umber Hulk is what fills its stomach. What doesn’t feed them is ignored. What blocks access to food is attacked.

Rigid Cunning. The Umber Hulk mind functions differently from that of most humanoids. The creature is capable of executing complex ambushes and can learn to undermine hardened defenses. But stimuli that invite them outside their feeding routines and subjects that steer them from their well-worn tasks can cause confusion. Adventurers report mixed success with unorthodox responses to Umber Hulks. The sight of a Paladin running in circles while singing, for example, may temporarily set an Umber Hulk back on its heels.

Indiscernible. Umber Hulks betray almost no behavioral cues through sound or body language. Their countenance remains fixed, whether they’re standing like a statue in a cage or ripping apart a screaming humanoid. Umber Hulks would be stellar card sharks, if only they could be taught to play cards.

Fearless. Few creatures in the Undermere can stand in direct opposition to an Umber Hulk. As a result, they enter combat with the confidence of apex predators certain of their next meal.

Movement

Run. Average. Umber Hulks are ambush predators that have few natural enemies. Additionally, their physiology is optimized for burrowing, not for traversing open ground.

Climb. Good. An Umber Hulk’s claws can grip nearly any surface. Survivors of Wild Umber Hulk attacks report that the creatures charged, not only along the ground, but along the walls and ceilings, skittering toward them on all fours.

Swim. Terrible. Umber Hulks sink like stones due to their dense bodies.

Burrow. Excellent. Not only can Umber Hulks burrow through nearly any material, they can do so at an astounding pace.

Fly. n/a

Grudges

Umber Hulks remember their enemies by smell. They have a dislike of Duergar and Drow, born from competition over food rather than any ancient slight. The two dominant races of the Undermere either eat the Umber Hulk’s food or have learned to fight the Umber Hulks off, depriving them of food.

Umber Hulks