Recently, I've discovered myself obsessing over mimics. Okay... not "recently", really. It's been years. However, I DID recently decide to put into an action an idea I've had for quite a while now. Having read Neven Iliev's Morningwood: Everybody Loves Large Chests (before my technologically inept self discovered more of the work exists as a web novel... new dadburn fangled interwebs... always changin' an' updatin') may have something to do with it... but the truth of the matter is: they are great monsters. They can be deployed virtually any where, and the presence of a single specimen will do wonders for the way your party approaches obstacles in the future. And when the effect wears off: not a problem. Just throw them another mimic.
So, I wanted to draw up a list of first: generic mimic stats for mimics of sizes beyond the standard Medium size, then: branch off into specific mimics that, due to what it is they're mimicking, may have unique stats, traits, or abilities. Feel free to use them spice up your encounters.
Without further ado, I present to you: the Mimic Book of Mimics.
THE MIMIC BOOK OF MIMICS
Written By: Dephin Ittly, Knott d'Buq, Ingjör Hand, and Nomim Eexhiir
4-WORD, by Nomim Eexhiir:
Mimics is be verree danjrous. Can be hide n e wear, n be n e thing u is want. U is like shiny? Mimics is be shiny 4 u. U is like leave donjon? Mimics is be door 4 u. U is like qt things? Mimic is be fluffle qt bear doll 4 u. Object of much wants a mimic can be. But DO NOT WANT! U touchy wanty-thing, u no un-touchy. Wanty-thing maybe mimic! Like sticky gloo stick to u when u touchy. Then: eat u face. Verree bad.
So u be smart meat reader and listen to buq writy wurds. U trusting buq. Buq is u friend. Buq tell u oll abowt mimics. Wear they is hide. What they is looking like. What they is eat. Where they is live. How u is be killing them. So whotevr u is do, keep buq sayf; keep buq close; not lock up buq at nite when u sleeps; and no ask y tiny bone pile by buq evree mornings.
Table of Contents
How to Mimic a Mimic
History of the Mimic
Playing a Mimic
Mimic Behavior
Mimic Tactics
MANY MIMICS and How to HANDLE IT
Not So Many After All
Mimic Stat Templates
Tiny Mimics
Small Mimics
Medium Mimics
Large Mimics
Huge Mimics
Gargantuan Mimics
Tiny Mimics
Book Mimic
Brain Mimic
Cake Mimic
Casket Mimic
Fruit Mimic
Grater Mimic
Jar Mimic
Mimic of the Lamp
Money Mimic
Pot-Pan Mimic
Quill Mimic
Rat Trap Mimic
Tankard Mimic
Toy Mimic
Trinket Mimic
Small Mimics
Arms Mimic
Bag Mimic
Chair Mimic
Crate Mimic
Crib Mimic
Crock Mimic
Cupboard Mimic
Dresser Mimic
Fire Mimic
Frost Mimic
Keg Mimic
Pumpkin Mimic
Shield Mimic
Stone Mimic
Table Mimic
Thorn Mimic
Toilet Mimic
Medium Mimics
Apple Bob Mimic
Armed Mimic
Armor Mimic
Bar Mimic
Barrel Mimic
Bush Mimic
Clock Mimic
Coffin Mimic
Corpse Mimic
Dead Mimic
Door Mimic
Garbage Bin Mimic
Grave Mimic
Gibbet Mimic
Ladder Mimic
Meta Mimic
Mimic Mimic
Moose Mimic
Pseudo-Mimic
Sarcophagus Mimic
Scarecrow Mimic
Trick Treat Mimic
Vase Mimic
Wardrobe Mimic
Wizard Mimic
Large Mimics
Altar Mimic
Bed Mimic
Cannon Mimic
Carpet Mimic
Desk Mimic
Fountain Mimic
Golem Mimic
Hall Mimic
Log/Stump Mimic
Piano Mimic
Pillar Mimic
Shed Mimic
Tent Mimic
Tomb Mimic
Wall Mimic
Huge Mimics
Boat Mimic
Cart Mimic
Pool Mimic
Prison Mimic
Shack Mimic
Tree Mimic
Gargantuan Mimics
Barrow Burrower Mimic
Graveyard Grinder Mimic
House Hunter Mimic
Sea Striker Mimic
Shop Scalper Mimic
Tower Terror Mimic
Legendary Mimics
Boxxy T. Morningwood (with expressed permission from his creator)
Dungeon Master, the Living Labyrinth
the Kingmaker
Mimicromicon, the Mimic Book of Mimics (also: Supreme Sage of Mimic Wisdom, Greatest Read Ever, Totally Adorable Bedtime Story, and Best Friend to Humankind)
Most DMs and Players are familiar with what a mimic is and what a mimic does. Less of those, however, know who a mimic is or why it does what it does. You can use a mimic as a random encounter monster with the sole intent of it dying after giving your players a bit of a scare; and there is no problem with that. However, mimics can be far more interesting. My goal is to expand on the monster and provide ideas for their use in your campaign, either as a more substantial NPC, or simply an interesting new way to run an encounter with one or scare the living pants off your unwitting players.
History of the Mimic
The mimic made its first D&D appearance in 1st Edition, where it appear in the Monster Manual, published in 1977. It was described as an amorphous shapeshifting creatures that could perfectly imitate stone or wood. Using this ability, they often posed as chests, doors, or stonework. It excreted an adhesive substance, so when touched by another creature, that target would be unable to "let go" of the "object" it just made contact with. The mimic would then reveal itself, bludgeoning and biting prey to death with pseudopod and gaping maw. It was also described as totally intolerant of sunlight, and could be found solely in subterranean areas (like dungeons). Despite being described and depicted an ambush predator that would rely on remaining completely still in order to increase its chances of being found by greedy prey (adventurers), it was said to move about constantly using its pseudopod.
The variants of metal mimics and house hunters (massive mimics that mimic houses), were released late on via magazine publication (Dragon #101, September 1985, and Dungeon #19, October 1989, respectively). With the metal mimic, we are introduced the concept of a mimic that doesn't immediately want to eat your face, can speak, and can be negotiated and reasoned with. The mimic made a return in AD&D, 2nd Edition in Volume II of the Monstrous Compendium. In 2nd edition, the standard mimic added metals to the list of materials it could perfectly imitate. It also reintroduced the concept of the talking mimic and also provided an in-game explanation for their origins: a wizard did it. Surprise. This time from the start around, there was the common mimic, which was neutral and could speak, and the killer mimic, which ate faces and bludgeoned adventurers to death.
A special mimic was released for Spelljammer as well: the space mimic; which as its name may suggest, is a mimic.... in SPAAAAAAAAACE! While up to this point, mimics, while able to take on other shapes, were usually artistically depicted as treasure chests, the space mimic was not. It was most often depicted as a desk. Now, you might be thinking: "a desk? Just floating out there in space?” Yes. Because debris is a fairly common thing when you have EPIC FANTASY SPACE BATTLES PEWPEWPEW MAGIC! It posed as such debris. But why a desk? So it could cover itself in real or mimicked scrolls and spellbooks. Why cover itself in those? To lure in wizards. Magic was the primary source of propulsion and combat in Spelljammer's space. The space mimic would lure in a wizard, use magic to hypnotize them, steal all their even remotely magical items, and then eat them.
Then there was the greater mimic. A mimic that mimicked an entire room, and could reach 30 cubic feet in dimension. They were smarter and hungrier than other mimics, and often took the form of a complete and fully furnished room, holding off on its adhesive until an entire party was safely inside its waiting trap.
3rd edition did away to most of the mimic variants. They were all just mimics. They were all smart enough to speak, though most would sooner rather eat you.
4th edition did away with the mimic's specific material imitations, and instead provided us with two mimics. Both breeds, upon discovery, could undo their mimicry form to basically become an ooze. One species could mimic any item. The other blurred the line between mimics and doppelgangers, being able to imitate any sentient creature.
That brings us to today: 5th edition. The mimic maintains its ability to mimic any item, a higher-than-animal-but-still-not-very-smart Intelligence score, a neutral alignment, and no more blurring the line with doppelgangers.
Like sharks, mimics have not changed much since their introduction to the world: the perfect ambush predator.
Playing a Mimic
Now that we know all about where the mimic comes from, let's review what and who a mimic is.
Mimic Behavior
Mimics are not mindless monsters. They never have been. Their intelligence has always been high enough to facilitate coherent speech, and they have always had an alignment and have never been unaligned like an animal. Does that make them intelligent? In the sense of "intelligent life", yes. In the terms of "intelligent quotient"? Absolutely not: they're dumb as rocks, no denying that. But the fact remains: they do have a mind, and while not smart, they are cunning. They mimic objects that prey is inclined to touch. This implies that they have a theory of mind, the precursor to empathy, and can understand the desires or needs of other living things.
So they're a sapient, presumably sentient species, that eats people. Does that make them evil? In a broad scheme of things: technically. But not actually. You need to remember: these things are native to dungeons and the Underdark, brutally harsh environments. Food is scarce and hard to come by in those eat-or-be-eaten places, so you eat what (or who) you can, when you can. At no point in any mimic entry in the history of D&D does it say that a mimic eats solely incautious adventurers. After all, it can take the shape of any inanimate object, and its adhesive works against any creature that makes contact with it. Who's to say it doesn't notice rats scurrying about, and so take the form of a discarded wheel of cheese? Or maybe the area has a high concentration of mindflayers and their creations? So the mimic mimics a stored brain.
The point is, a mimic (usually) isn't gunning to kill all humans; it's just doing what it needs to do to survive. In fact, it can be bargained with. One of the recurring features of a mimic is its ability to speak and the fact that it will bargain with adventures for food, further illustrating the neutral alignment; it won't eat you if it feels it doesn't have to. Not out there to save the world, not out there to kick puppies and pee in cereal. A mimic is basically just a guy trying to get by in an extremely rough neighborhood.
Granted, like any other creature with above-animal intelligence, this is a generalization. An individual's alignment is subject to its disposition and personal history; and admittedly in the past, when the mimic has been something other than neutral, it's almost always been evil.
Moving on: mimics mimic. This doesn't have to be restricted to their appearance. Having a mimic mimic behaviors, speech, or mannerisms can add a new level of depth to a mimic character. Considering having a mimic childishly copy everything one player says or does.
And because a mimic's got to mimic, and mimicry is a form of just copying something else, a mimic is an ideal character to introduce memes into your campaign should be be inclined for a bit of humor. This can range from images, phrases, or even objects of note from other forms of media. Assuming your players are familiar with what your meme mimicking mimic is mimicking, it's a sure fire way to delight them, and possibly serve as a hook for why they shouldn't immediately murder this mimic.
Mimic Tactics
Memorable. A player's first encounter with a mimic should be memorable. For this reason alone, I feel it's almost a requirement that the first mimic you introduce into your campaign be a stereotypical chest; reminding your players that mimics are a thing and subtly informing them that they exist in your campaign. But, to reinforce the point made from the start: mimics should not be detectable and should be unexpected. Once you have used a chest-shaped mimic: DO NOT USE ONE EVER AGAIN. EVER. In fact, you should never make a mimic of the same item type twice. Ever. You have nearly limitless options in regards to objects you mimics can mimic. This supplement even offers recommended stat block to make mimics of larger and smaller sizes, giving you an even greater range of thing that can turn out to be mimics.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Mimics mimic things, and they do so perfectly.PERFECTLY!!! There is no possible way beyond magical means to discern a mimic from an ordinary object UNLESS it decides to reveal itself or you, as a DM, deploy some kind of clue into the environment (such as a pile of bones immediately in front of your mimic's object form or a sign painted with great big red letters "MIMIC"). That's what it means to imitate perfectly. So no matter how many times or how well your player rolls a Wisdom (Perception), what they are going to see is a totally normal room. If they want more details; list all objects or structures present, including whatever the mimic is mimicking. DO NOT draw metagame attention to the object that is actually a mimic; because unless your players are exceptional roleplayers, anything the player knows, their character magically knows. I find the best way to do this is to list the object alphabetically, which eliminates the possibility of subconscious prioritization.
Where physical senses and logic may fail, psychological and totally irrational ones (unexplainable gut feeling and primal instinctual dread flavored with a dash of panic) may.
A Wisdom (Insight) check might reveal to a player that something is off; something doesn't feel right; that they have a bad feeling about this room. It should be specific enough to give them pause, but should in no way reveal which of the objects in the room is the mimic; that one of these things is not like the others: but not which one. Because if they can't tell what object is actually a mimic, there's no way they'll be able to tell which one of those objects they're suddenly getting bad feelings from, just that their instincts are screaming at them that they're in mortal danger and should run away. And that's fine because that's how emotions and feelings work. They don't need a subject and they don't need rationalized; they just are.
If you really want to spice up a mimic encounter without actually making it more difficult: play up the primal instinct aspect, emphasizing that the mimic is a predator of adventurers. When your players first enter the room containing the mimic, have them roll a Wisdom saving throw. I recommend a DC between 10 and 13. The very act of requiring a save will automatically clue your players in to the fact that something is off about this room. A player that succeeds on their save may continue as normal. A player that fails the throw becomes frightened and refuses to enter the room. Inform that player that there's just something not right in that room or that they feel like they're being watched.
You can choose how to end the condition, whether through just having it last 1 round, through successive saving throw, ending the effect on a success, or having other players succeed against the frightened character on ability checks to convince them to enter the room.
Inevitably, a player is going to touch the mimic; whether or not that be with their weapon is contingent on how cautious they've been up to that point. Regardless of how or with what they touch the mimic, they are grappled. "Technically" speaking, combat begins in that very moment.
Mechanically, the mimic rolls its initiative to engage in combat the moment the players entered the room (do this subtly as possible; ideally at the same time your require your players to make a Wisdom saving throw as outlined in the suggestion above). After all, it's the players that don't know the mimic is there, not the other way around, and unless it's offered something tastier, it will fully intend to eat the meals on legs that just wandered into its lair. It watches them and, since at that moment, it is number one out of one creatures with initiative, its actual initiative result doesn't matter. It's the only creature with initiate, so it's the only creature taking turns. It takes it turn(s) to take the hold action, waiting for something to touch it. Once a player touches the mimic, your ambush predator should be ambushing and predating, immediately attacking. It's after this trap is sprung that your players roll their initiatives, and you establish normal combat order.
If a player was paranoid, poking or stabbing objects around the room, allow that player to take their first turn normally. If a player was, you know... NOT being paranoid, they're surprised.
Now that the battle proper as begun, the absolute first thing a mimic should do on its turn is attack the nearest creature with its pseudopod if it hasn't already done so with its ambush. The mimic's #1 priority should be in making sure at least 1 of the player characters isn't going to escape. It's life is on the line, not only because of the impending combat, but because this is food. Failure to win the fight means death by violence. Failure to prevent at least 1 creature from escaping means death by starvation, which is a longer, slower, more agonizing death. For smaller mimics with a weaker adhesive, this means grappling the crap out of lunch, while for a mimic with more powerful adhesive it might just sitting around, waiting for food to stop struggling.
Ideally, the target is a creature already grappled by the mimic because of its adhesive. Why would the mimic want to grapple a creature it's already grappling? Why grapple the grappled? Because the escape DC is 13, which is fairly low, even with disadvantage to escape. However, the grapple from the adhesive from when the player touched the mimic is grapple 1, contact with the mimic's surface. Now the mimic is attacking with its pseudopod for grapple 2, contact with the pseudopod. Now to escape, a player must succeed on 2 checks instead of one. Still not sure the mimic can hold the player? Then on its next turn, if the creature has not escaped from either of its two previously applied grapples, it should then make a plain old, flat out, no adhesive applied, physical grapple check with either its maw or coil it's already-stuck-to-the-player pseudopod around their body. Maintaining its grapples ought take precedence over anything else your mimic will do, because if the creature it is grappling escapes: there goes lunch, which is the entire purpose behind the encounter in the first place.
Once a creature is firmly grappled, feel free to grant your mimic a multiattack option: allow your mimic to make a bite attack against 1 creature it is grappling (the one that it's trying to keep multiple grapples on), while attacking another creature with its pseudopod. Your mimic is going to want to nom-nom that grappled creature to death as fast as it can while fending off its friends; the sooner the grappled creature is dead, the sooner its chances of escape drop to 0, and maybe its friends will stop trying to save it (and take away the mimic's lunch). Also: the sooner it can move on to repeating its grapple-nom-nom combo on another target.
To make the fight even more challenging, consider restoring 1d4 hit points to your mimic for each successful bite attack it makes against the focus of its nom-nomming, and/or 1d8 hit points if it manages to kill that creature with its bite.
Regarding adhesive: melee attacks made against the mimic should, technically, render a creature grappled, as a melee attack, by definition, touches the mimic. Inform your player that their weapon is stuck to the mimic. They can either try to pull it off the mimic by using an action to make a DC 13 ability check with disadvantage as usual, or, they can just let go of the weapon entirely as a free action. This mechanic alone -reminding players that there is an option- may grant your mimic a little more survivability, as, let's face it, as a monster they aren't all that tough, even with the tactics recommended here. Granted, the option is a bad option, since letting go of their weapon effectively renders the player useless; but the fact that you draw attention to the fact the option exists will make some players feel it is somehow a valid strategy, simply because, as the DM, you pointed it out.
IF your players want to try and reason or negotiate with the mimic: all well and good. Food is the only currency it will accept. Period. If the negotiations begin out of combat (such as your player gets a bad feeling about the room, and having experience with mimics, knows there's one in the room with them), the mimic will not attack. It also will not reveal itself until the players have convinced it that they have or will shortly supply what it wants (Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion) ). After all, if the players are lying and won't give it food, then revealing itself leaves it open to attack, and ruins its chances of catching them by surprise to eat them.
If a player decides to attempt to negotiate mid-combat: it stops attacking, but does not let go of creature it has already grappled. Again: the only currency it will accept is food, and at this point, the food offered will need to of a weight equivalent to any creature it is already grappling. If attacked, all negotiations are off, and the mimic furiously attempts to nom-nom the entire lying party of liars who lied to it.
Alternatively, a mimic wants to live, just like anything else. If the players begin getting the upper-hand, it may bluff, using any character it's currently grappling as a hostage.
When it comes the mimic currency, quantity trumps quality. It is eating to live in a brutal and harsh environment. It doesn't care about flavor, texture, richness, or the like nearly as much as it does raw calorie count: sheer mass.
YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
An entirely alternate encounter would be to have your mimic mimic a door, gate, or other obstacle to a passage the players need to get through. When the players try to open the door, rather then adhere to the player, the mimic immediately reveals itself, and informs the players that in order to pass, they must pay the mimic a toll. The toll being a specified amount of food from each person. Ideally, your players are only reasonably prepared and not dooms-day preppers. To make this particular encounter more than just a trifling thing, if you are enforcing eating and drinking to survive, the mimic should ask for nearly all the than the players currently have between them. If you're playing a game where food and drink isn't a big deal, the mimic can demand something specific to eat which is either rare and valuable or not currently in the party's possession, which will require them to undergo a miniature quest to get that last, tiny morsel. I personally usually have mimics in this scenario demand a pineapple, because no one ever carries around a pineapple.
U iz prolly think now: "So many mimics! How I can even?!" NOT PANICKING! Iz ok! Oll mimics rilly same mimic... but not so same as next mimic.
At first glance, this book may appear to present you with an overwhelming number of mimics. Mimics are fundamentally shapeshifters. By default, they morph. They change. They evolve. Just like any other creature, as it uses its abilities, it becomes able to do them better. This could be brought on by learning or physical conditioning. However, there is nothing new under the sun: especially not a new species of mimic.
Not So Many After All
To clarify, this is not a list of mimic subspecies anymore than an archmage or berserker is a subspecies of commoner. They are merely individual mimics who have developed specific adaptations. These adaptations have been developed in a wide range of ways for any number of reasons; from exposure to particular elements of an environment to magical interference to good old fashioned applied study or trial and error.
In other words, there is only the mimic, and what it has learned or adapted to do based on any number of factors.
Mimics can be's n e saiz. Jest cuz u ushooly c mimics the saiz of meat peeple duznt mean there no is more saiz of mimic. Hir iz wut u can xpects when u iz find mimic that not is peeple-saiz. Hir u iz find picher of fewd hooman. Iz be stand next to many mimics, many sizes.
ILLUSTRATION:
Sum mimic hooman can be stepping on. Squish. But sum mimics can be eating him face. More bigr mimic can be eating him armz n legz. Biggrst mimic can be eating him gulp in one byt.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 11). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Tiny mimic is usually the size of a jewelry box.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Large or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 12). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Small mimic is usually the size of an end table.
Environments: Underdark, Urban
MEDIUM MIMIC
MIMIC(Basic rules monster; provided for consistency and to demonstrate differences in statistics)
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Medium mimic is usually the size of a standard treasure chest.
Mimics are shapeshifting predators able to take on the form of inanimate object to lure creatures to their doom. In dungeons, these cunning creatures most often take the form of doors and chests, having learned that such forms attract a steady stream of prey.
Imitative Predators. Mimics can alter their outward texture to resemble wood, stone, and other basic materials, and they have evolved to assume the appearance of objects that other creatures are likely to come into contact with. A mimic in its altered form is nearly unrecognizable until potential prey blunders into its reach, whereupon the monster sprout pseudopods and attacks.
When it changes shape, a mimic excretes an adhesive that helps it seize prey and weapons that touch it. The adhesive is absorbed when the mimic assumes its amorphous form and on parts the mimic uses to move itself
Cunning Hunters. Mimics live and hunt alone, though they occasionally share their feeding grounds with other creatures. Although most mimics have only predatory intelligence, a rare few evolve greater cunning and the ability to carry on simple conversations in Common or Undercommon. Such mimics might allow safe passage through their domains or provide useful information in exchange for food.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 14). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) acid damage.
If the target is a Small or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 10 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Large mimic is usually the size of a king-sized four-poster bed.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 16). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 22 (4d10) acid damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 14 (4d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 15 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Huge mimic is usually the size of a small stable.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 18). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d12 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d12 + 6) piercing damage plus 26 (4d12) acid damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 20 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Gargantuan mimic is usually the size of a cottage.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 11). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The mimic's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 11, +3 to hit with spell attacks). The mimic can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: druidcraft (creates illusionary baked goods smell)
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage.
DESCRIPTION
A cake mimic is a mimic that has found its way into a bakery and quickly adapted to blend in with its surroundings. They use their shape shifting ability to generate scent glands which they then use to imitate the smell of a baked good they are mimicking.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a fruit or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive. The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 11). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary, inanimate fruit.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Slip Through Fingers. When the mimic is grappled by another creature, its speed is not reduced and it can still benefit from any bonus to its speed.
Actions
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 1 ft., one creature that is holding the mimic. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and the mimic enters the target's mouth. The target is subjected to its Adhesive trait and is grappled by the mimic. While grappled in this way, the target's mouth is glued shut.
On its turn, if the target succeeds on an escape roll, it can make a DC 11 Strength (Athletics) check to pull the mimic out of its mouth and either fling it up to 20 feet or crush the mimic in its grip (an unarmed attack against the mimic) as a bonus action.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage. It the mimic is in a creature's mouth, it severs and consumes the creature's tongue.
Description
A tiny mimic takes on the form of a fresh fruit. They will find their way to places where fruit are being sold or stored and position themselves towards the top of the pile, waiting to be selected by hungry prey. They may also make their way into apple bobbing tubs at harvest time, and have been known to enter symbiotic relationships with larger mimics take the shape of such tubs.
When a fruit mimic attacks, it waits until the last moment before a victim bites down on it before reverting to its amorphous form and lunging into the victim's mouth. Once inside, the mimic will use its adhesive to glue a victim's mouth shout, preventing them from attempting to bite or remove the mimic. The mimic will then proceed to eat its victim's tongue.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern, or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 12). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it, and a creature grappled by the mimic has disadvantage on saving throws against the mimic's attacks.
Illumination (Object Form Only). The mimic sheds dim light in a 30-foot radius.
Actions
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid or fire damage.
Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The mimic uses one of the following breath weapons.
Fire Breath. The mimic exhales fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Spice Breath (Recharge 5–6). The mimic exhales a cloud of powdered spices in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become unable to breathe, while coughing uncontrollably. A creature affected in this way is blinded, incapacitated, and suffocating. As long as it is conscious, a creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on it on a success. The lesser restoration spell can also end all these effect on a creature. A creature can also spend an action to clean the powder out of their eyes, ending the blinded condition.
Regardless of the result of its saving throw, a creature in the area of the spice breath smells strongly of pumpkin spice for the next 3 hours. Creature attempting to detect the creature have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on smell.
Description
A mimic that has learned to capitalize on harvest-time traditions, assuming the shape of a delectable pumpkin or a festive jack-o'-lantern. They appear in pumpkin patches and on doorsteps during harvest time. A pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern has sat for over a week with no sign of rot may in fact be a mimic.
Except as noted otherwise in their entries, the following mimics utilize the Medium/Standard Mimic stat block. It has been provided for convenience in the Mimic Stat Block Templates section.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an apple bobbing tub or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
Acid Splash (Object Form Only). A creature that touches the mimic or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage and any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the mimic corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed.
Bobbing for Acid (Object Form Only). A creature that ends its turn grappled by the mimic takes 4 (1d8) acid damage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary apple bobbing tub.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Actions
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature that is grappled by the mimic. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Acid Spray (Recharge 5–6). The mimic sprays acid from its basin in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 4 (1d8) acid damage and any nonmagical armor they are wearing corrodes. The armor takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to AC. If its penalty drops to −5 or causes the creature's AC to drop below its unarmored AC, the armor is destroyed. On a successful save, a creature takes only half damage, and isn't subject to the AC penalty.
Description
This mimic takes the form of a wooded tub filled with water with apples floating in it, enticing harvest time party-goers into a game of apple bobbing. Any who play in the hopes of good fortune for the coming year soon find their to their horror that there hopes are dashed.
The apples that float in the basin are actually air-filled sacs made from the mimic's flesh and anchored to its body through long, thread-like tendrils which are invisible to the naked eye while submerged in fluid. The liquid they float in is actually a basin of acid produced by the mimic's body.
Equivocation. If the mimic's miniature is within 1 inch of any part of a player or a player's character sheet, the mimic treats the associated character as if it were within 5 feet of the mimic, regardless of the mimic's actual proximity to that character,
Extra-Dimensional Movement. The mimic ignores barriers, difficult terrain, or other obstacles unless such they are represented by a real-life 3D structure on your map. The mimic's movement is not confined to the game map. While moving outside of the map where a player's character would not be permitted to follow, the mimic has total cover, and the mimic's movement speed doubles. If the mimic ends its turn off the game map where a player's character would not be permitted to follow, it takes 5 (1d10) force damage.
Forced Perception. The mimic is considered to be a Tiny creature when being Tiny would be beneficial to the mimic. When it would not be beneficial for the mimic to be Tiny, it is considered Medium.
Reification. Whenever a player touches the real-life miniature or token representing the mimic on the map, that player's character is subjected to the mimic's Adhesive trait and is considered to be within 5 feet of the mimic while it is grappled by it, regardless of the character's actual proximity to the mimic.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. The mimic has a pedestal or stand beneath it in all forms it takes.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Actions
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Fourth Wall Quake. The DM gives the table a single shove (use good judgement and common sense; do not flip your table for a fictitious monster's novelty ability or cause anything on the table to be spilled).
A character whose miniature is knocked over falls prone. If a character's miniature is moved during the shove, that character is considered to have been subjected to a forced movement, and now occupies the nearest vacant space to its new location. This forced movement cannot be reduced by any game effect. If a character's miniature falls off the table as a result of this action suffers the effects of the banishment spell.
All these effects also apply to all other creatures in play on the table, including the mimic.
Description
The meta mimic is an anomaly; not just an for a mimic, but on a cosmic scale. It is an eldritch abomination whose very existence defies the laws of space-time. It possesses the ability to influence reality in a way that surpasses any known magic short of divine intervention, and even then only from the strangest, most eldritch of gods.
First and foremost, regardless of what plane is is discovered upon, the mimic is not actually present on that plane. What we see is merely an avatar; a projection, a manifestation of the mimic's presence into that plane. In truth it is located on a plane that, to date, not even the most adept and learned of wizards can properly identify or define.
Second: while the mimic we can observe and interact with appears to be roughly the same size as a normal mimic (a Medium-sized creature) extensive testing has revealed that the meta mimic, despite all evidence to the contrary, is actually a Tiny creature roughly 1-inch cubed, while also being a Medium creature roughly 5-feet cubed.
When touched, it becomes clear (painfully so) that it generates no illusions; the phenomenon is a physical anomaly. This physical inconsistency has been proven by measuring the air displaced when a meta mimic is banished, summoned, or polymorphed into a different shape as well as measuring the meta mimic's mass, which is disproportionate to the density of its body and volume it apparently occupies.
Third: the meta mimic has the ability to ignore physical distance between it and an intended target. Creatures over 100 feet away from the mimic suddenly find themselves adhered to its surface, as though they had touched it while standing directly next to it... all while the mimic AND its target remain precisely where are, with neither ever coming any closer to the other. A detect magic spell reveals that magic is not used in the execution of this anomaly; the mechanism still has not been identified.
A meta mimic can be identified by one specific physical attribute. Regardless of what object the mimic becomes, it always has a pedestal that fits within a 5-foot by 5-foot area. The pedestal is often (but not always) a solid color that does not match the surface the mimic sits upon. These pedestals can be circular, square, or hexagonal. The purpose for this fixture is still unknown.
When a meta mimic dies, it becomes a miniature figurine of a mimic.
The Eldritch Anomaly: Explaining the Inexplicable
The explanation for the meta mimic's anomalous abilities lie in breaking down dimensional barriers and blurring the lines between realities. In other words: meta mimic is meta. It breaks the fourth wall.
If your players get confused over how this mimic does what it does, point to the miniature and tell them "This is not a miniature. This is a mimic."
SensesBlindsight 60 ft., Unknown Always knows the exact location and status of its owner at all times, Passive Perception 11
LanguagesUnderstands the languages of its master but can't speak
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The pseudo-mimic can use its action to extend or retract hundreds of tiny, humanoid legs and feet from its underside, its teeth, or its tongue.
Battering Ram. The pseudo-mimic deals double damage to objects and structures with its ram attack. Additionally, if the pseudo-mimic moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage for every 20 feet it moved. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Death Throes. When the pseudo-mimic is reduced to 0 hit points, it explodes, scattering all its contents in a 20-foot radius of where it stood. All creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d4 bludgeoning damage on failed save for each item expelled by the explosion.
False Appearance. While the pseudo-mimic remains motionless with its legs, teeth, and tongue retracted, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The pseudo-mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The pseudo-mimic can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
1/day each: plane shift (only usable when its owner is on a different plane of existence, shifts to the same plane its owner is on)
Luggage. The pseudo-mimic is capable of generating non-dimensional spaces inside itself at its master's command which can be used to sort and store things. Each space can hold up to 500 pounds, not exceeding a volume of 64 cubic feet. Retrieving an item from one of these spaces requires an action. Alternating which space the pseudo-mimic currently has access to requires a bonus action. The pseudo-mimic weighs 75 pounds, regardless of its contents.
When an item is placed in a space generated by a pseudo-mimic and left there over a long rest is cleaned as though by the prestidigitation spell and repaired as though by the mending spell.
When one of these non-dimensional spaces is emptied of its contents, it ceases to exist. The pseudo-mimic is also capable of destroying a non-dimensional space it has created, regardless of its contents, at its master's command. When a non-dimensional space is destroyed by the pseudo-mimic its contents are scattered in the Astral Plane.
Magic Immunity. Unless it wishes to be affected, the pseudo-mimic is immune to spells and damage from magic weapons. It is still subject to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage from non-magical sources.
Magic Weapons. The pseudo-mimic's weapon attacks are magical.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 16) and drawn 10 feet towards the pseudo-mimic. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the pseudo-mimic can't use its pseudopod or its bite on another target.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the pseudo-mimic can't use its bite or its pseudopod on another target.
Charge. The pseduo-mimic can use the Dash action as a bonus action.
Ram.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Swallow. The pseudo-mimic makes one bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target takes the bite's damage, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature is stored in one of the pseudo-mimic's non-dimensional spaces. Breathing creatures inside such a space can survive up to a number of minutes equal to 10 divided by the number of creatures (minimum 1 minute) inside, after which time they begin to suffocate.
Trample.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
DESCRIPTION
A pseudo-mimic, as its name would suggest, is not a mimic, though it is mimic-like. A pseudo-mimic is a chest-shaped magic construct that acts as both a luggage carrier and bodyguard for its owner. A pseudo-mimic is fiercely defensive of its owner, and is quick to attack any creature that behaves in a hostile manner towards them. Crafted from magical wood and imbued with all manner of enchantments, a pseudo-mimic is saturated with magic to such degree that it has become impervious to magical damage of all kinds.
A pseudo-mimic is capable of sprouting hundreds of tiny, humanoid legs, complete with feet, with which it is capable of moving at great speeds. It is also capable of sprouting lots of big square teeth, as white as sycamore, and a pulsating tongue, as red as mahogany. The inside area of a pseudo-mimic does not appear to be constrained by its external dimensions, and contains many conveniences: even when it has just devoured a monster, the next time it opens the owner will find their own undergarments, neatly pressed and smelling slightly of lavender.
One of the greatest features of pseudo-mimic is its ability to follow its current owner anywhere. Anywhere. Including such places as other planes of existence, inside its owner's own mind, and even (literally) to the Hells and back. Like all luggage, a pseudo-mimic may get lost along the way, but in time it will eventually locate its owner.
Being a simple, and toughly built construct, a pseudo-mimic has only one way of overcoming obstacles: ignoring them and smashing a hole through them. This includes physical, magical, dimensional and even conceptual barriers.
(The pseudo-mimic is based on the Luggage from the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett, and has been included in homage. Rest in peace, Sir Terry.)
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a bucket of sweets or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary bucket of sweets.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Trick-or-Treat Trap. The mimic ignores any creature that touches it only once, and any such creature is awarded with candy or other sweet treat. A creature that touches the mimic a second time is subjected to its Adhesive trait, and the mimic attacks.
Actions
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Trick Treat Breath (Recharge 5–6). The mimic spews candies from its bucket in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, 3 (1d6) candies adhere to the target, or half as many candies (rounded down) on a success. Each candy is actually a miniature mimic. A candy mimic is a Tiny monstrosity with AC 6, 1 hit point, a 2 (−4) in every ability score, and a speed of 1 foot. A candy mimic can be killed by normal means or scraped off using an action. At the end of each of the target's turns, the candy mimics excrete acid, and the target takes 2 (1d4) acid damage per candy mimic adhering to it.
Description
Parents often tell their children cautionary tales to help enforce particular behaviors. Most of them are nonsense meant only to scare. Some, however, are based on truth. One such tale cautions their children about the dangers of being greedy. The tale goes that on the night of Harvestide, a monster watches to see which children take more than their share of treats as they go door-to-door, as such greedy children are sure to be the plumpest and juiciest of all. Then, when the child least expects it, the monster emerges to carry the child away for its dinner.
This tale describes the trick-treat mimic, a mimic that has developed a particular taste for greedy, plump children. On the night of the harvest, when children go door-to-door asking for treats, it settles itself on the doorstep of a vacant home. It then disguises itself as a bucket of sweets, often with a sign reading "Take one" or "Free candy". Then it waits for the trick-or-treating children.
Interestingly enough, the candy the mimic displays is genuine, in a sense. The mimic has learned to imitate other creatures' ability to secrete sweet substances such as honey, honeydew, and sap, which it uses to form it primary lure: candies for trick-or-treaters.
A child who only reaches for the mimic's seemingly unguarded candy only once is rewarded with a sweet treat. However, a child who reaches their hand in a second time triggers the mimic's trap, and soon becomes the moral of another story.
post reserved for unique mimics of gargantuan size
Except as noted otherwise in their entries, the following mimics utilize the Gargantuan Mimic stat block found in the Mimic Stat Block Templates section.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive. The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 18). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
Amorphous. The mimic can move through a space as narrow as 1 foot wide without squeezing.
Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the mimic or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the mimic corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed.
Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the mimic is destroyed after dealing damage.
The mimic can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.
False Appearance. While the mimic's eyes and mouth remain closed, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary storm cloud.
Flammable Gas. If the mimic takes fire damage, it descends 60 ft. and is unable to ascend any higher than its current altitude until it finishes a long rest.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The mimic’s spellcasting ability is Constitution (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: gust of wind, thunderclap (as a 5th-level caster, 2d6 thunder damage on a failed save)
Troposphere Traverser. A creature cannot attack the mimic unless it is able to fly, has an attack range greater than 100 feet, or the mimic has descended into the creature's attack range.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d12 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d12 + 6) piercing damage plus 26 (4d12) acid damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 20 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Acid Rain. As a bonus action, the mimic secretes acid which falls like rain. Each creature and object under the mimic takes 1d8 acid damage. Any nonmagical armor a creature is wearing corrodes. The armor takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to AC. If its penalty drops to −5 or reduces the creature's AC to a value equal to its Unarmored AC, the armor is destroyed.
DESCRIPTION
A storm stalker is a mimic of tremendous size that floats along in the lower atmosphere using sacs filled with lighter-than-air gases. It maintains its natural amorphous form, changing only its coloration and flashing an occasion flare of brilliant bioluminescence, imitating a brewing storm cloud. While all mimics produce acid and have adhesive-secreting glands, a storm stalker has adapted itself to secrete acid through these glands instead of adhesive, allowing them "rain" acid, after which they descend to consume any partially digested organic matter caught under its acid rain.
Environments: Arctic, Coastal, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Urban
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a dungeon or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. The mimic can also make alterations to its dungeon form to create or dismantle features such as puzzles, traps, and walls. The mimic uses it ability to shapechange to form eyes along its interior, allowing it to keep track of the location and activities of creatures inside it.
Damage Threshold (20): An attack must inflict at least 20 damage, after applying resistances and immunities, to harm the mimic. Otherwise, the mimic takes no damage.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic can adhere to anything that touches it, and chooses which targets it adheres to and which it doesn't. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 26). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a typical adventuring dungeon.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The mimic's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). The mimic can innately cast any spell which replicates the effect of a trap or puzzle at the discretion of the DM. It also can cast the following spells, requiring no components:
Risk and Reward:A creature reduced to 0 hit points while challenging the mimic's dungeon dies and is devoured by the mimic. A creature that fails to follow the dungeon rules and receives 3 warnings is attacked by the mimic. Successfully completing dungeon challenges awards higher end treasure appropriate for that creature's level.
Scaling Dungeon. The mimic can use its spell DC as the DC for any checks a creature makes in order to succeed against the obstacles it generates. The mimic can scale its spell DC to accommodate the ability level of an adventuring party challenging it based on the average level of the party.
Actions
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (4d12 + 10) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 26 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is pulled to a space within 5 feet of the mimic, which can use a bonus action to make a bite attack against the target.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (4d12 + 10) piercing damage plus 26 (4d12) acid damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 26 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice) or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 42 (12d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 40 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse, treating the amorphous mimic's corpse as difficult terrain caused by liquid; a creature with a swimming speed can move normally.
Collapse. The mimic collapses a room inside itself. A creature in one of these collapses rooms must succeed on a Strength or Constitution saving thrown (target's choice), taking 208 (32d12) bludgeoning damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a success. Regardless of the saving throw's result, the creature is swallowed by the mimic, as outlined above.
Reactions
Set Challenge. When a creature first enters a new room in the mimic's dungeon, the mimic creates one of the following challenges:
Combat Encounter. The mimic generates 1d4 simulacrum which must be defeated in order to advance further into the dungeon. Simulacrum are outlined in the Dungeon Master's Challenges section under "Combat Challenges" below.
Puzzle: The mimic sets a puzzle which must be solved in order to advance further into the dungeon. A puzzle may incorporate a combat encounter or a trap, but should not incorporate both; but is ultimately at the discretion of the DM.
Trap: The mimic sets a trap which must be dealt with in order to advance further into the dungeon. Traps are outlined in the Dungeon Master's Challenges section under "Traps" below.
Legendary Actions
The Dungeon Master can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Dungeon Master regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Shift Labyrinth. The mimic changes up to two of its walls. It can create walls, collapse walls, create doors, make doors disappear or move a wall 5 feet. Such a wall must be straight, and the area affected cannot exceed 30 feet in length.
Description
The Dungeon Master is an ancient mimic of massive size and vast intellect. While most mimics seek nothing more than their next meal to survive, the Dungeon Master seeks intellectual stimulus: to challenge and be challenged. To engage in a game of wits. To meet both of its needs, it takes the shape of a dungeon, luring adventurers hungry for treasure or glory.
Once a party of adventures steps inside, the Dungeon Master sets challenges before them in the form of puzzles, traps, or monster encounters using smaller and weaker copies of itself, which mimic construct, ooze, and plant creatures. Those who succeed against its challenges are rewarded with treasures from the Dungeon Master's impressive hoard. Those who fail are consumed, and their possessions added to the pile of rewards at the Dungeon Master's disposal.
While the Dungeon Master does not openly advertise that it is in fact a mimic, it will reveal itself if an adventurer attempts to bypass one of its challenges, which is deems to be cheating, or attempts to damage it.
Despite being a monster of colossal size with a diet consisting almost entirely of adventurers, the Dungeon Master is a patient and polite creature. It reveals itself by speaking to an offending adventurer, explaining its nature and rules, and giving the adventurer its first warning. After three such warnings, the Dungeon Master disqualifies the adventure; who becomes lunch.
The Living Labyrinth
This monster is a dungeon that has game statistics. It is represented by a map rather than a miniature or token. The DM will still need to populate said dungeon with traps, puzzles, or combat encounters, but should not limit their choices in such obstacles based on this monster's written statistics.
Lair and Lair Actions
The Dungeon Master’s Lair
The Dungeon Master doesn't so much have a lair is it is a lair. As an ancient shapechanger, it has a great deal of control over its body, which it uses to its advantage.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Dungeon Master takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Dungeon Master can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
The Dungeon Master causes a spike—5 feet tall and 1 inch in diameter—to burst from the ground in a room within its body. Any creature in the space where the spike emerges must make a Dexterity saving throw for a Dangerous Trap as outlined in the Dungeon Master's Challenges section under "Traps" below. On a failed save, the creature takes Dangerous piercing damage and is restrained by being impaled on the spike. A creature can use an action to remove itself (or a creature it can reach) from the spike, ending the restrained condition.
The Dungeon Master causes a pit to open beneath 1 creature in a room within its body. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw for a Deadly Trap as outlined in the Dungeon Master's Challenges section under "Traps" below, or fall 20 feet into the pit, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage due to the fall. The pit lasts until the next initiative count 20, after which, the pit raises back to ground level.
The Dungeon Master unleashes a volley of acid arrows in one of its rooms. All creatures in that room must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw for a Dangerous trap as outlined in the Dungeon Master's Challenges section under "Traps" below, or take Set Back piercing damage plus an equal amount of acid damage.
Regional Effects
The region containing the Dungeon Master is warped by the mimic’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
There’s a noticeable increase in the population of mimics in the region.
Rumors spread throughout the region of a ruin, temple, or similar dungeon structure appearing overnight.
Adventurers in the area are determined to find the mysterious structure to plunder its riches. The fact that many adventurers have gone off to find it and not returned is a popular news item. The few adventuring parties known to have returned do so a great deal wealthier.
If the Dungeon Master dies, these effects fade of 1d10 days.
Dungeon Master's Challenges
The Dungeon Master is capable of producing truly deadly traps through magic or by mimicking their mechanisms. However, it also realizes that not every adventuring party that challenges it is prepared to compete with it on its own level, and while decimating such adventurers would be an easy way to get prey, it deprives the Dungeon Master of its entertainment. Thus, the Dungeon Master will hold back, and scale down its challenges to an appropriate level when challenged by a lower level party.
Combat Challenges
The Dungeon Master simulated combat encounters by generating simulacrums to act as its proxies.
A simulacrum is a mimic that has its own initiative and uses is Shapechanger trait to polymorph into a construct, ooze, or plant that has a challenge rating equal to or less than the average level of the adventuring party currently challenging the mimic's dungeon. A simulacrum retains a mimic's traits, but gains the traits and uses the statistics of whatever monster it is mimicking.
For an idea on how to appropriately scale a combat encounter of the party's level, refer to Challenge section under Monsters in the DM Rules.
Traps
The following tables are taken from the Traps section of the DM Rules to provide a guideline on how to scale the Dungeon Master's traps. A traps appearance and mechanism or the skills needed to disarm it are at the discretion of the DM.
Languages Understands Common and Undercommon but can't speak. Communicates by causing words to appear on the surface of its pages.
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Shapechanger. The Mimicromnicon can use its action to polymorph its surface to resemble any book. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The Mimicromnicon adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 11). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
Bookkeeper. While the Mimicromnicon has at least 1 hit point, its pages and anything written on them can’t be damaged and don't deteriorate with age.
Detect Mimic. The Mimicromnicon has advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Wisdom (Perception) ability checks to identify other mimics within 60 feet of it. The Mimicromnicon automatically identifies another mimic, regardless of its form, within 15 feet of it.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the Mimicromnicon remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary book.
Grappler. The Mimicromnicon has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The Mimicromnicon’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). It does not need to concentrate on concentration spells, and can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
Magic Resistance. The Mimicromnicon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
Spellcasting. The Mimicromnicon is an 2nd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). The mimic has the following wizard spells prepared:
Mimic Slayer. The Mimicromnicon has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track mimics, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. The Mimicromnicon also deals double damage to mimics.
Mimic Spell (1/Short Rest). The Mimicromnicon can cast a spell written in its pages as though from a spell scroll using Intelligence as its spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Whether the Mimicromnicon succeeds or fails to cast the spell, the spell is not lost and remains written on the Mimicromnicon's pages.
Actions
Pseudopod.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the Mimicromnicon is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Book Throw. The Mimicromnicon hurls itself at space up to 20 feet away. If that space is occupied by a creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice) or take 7 (2d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes no damage, isn't knocked prone.
Acid Splash (Cantrip). The Mimicromnicon chooses one or two creatures it can see within 60 feet of it. If the Mimicromnicon chooses two, they must be within 5 feet of each other. A target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 acid damage.
Poison Spray (Cantrip). The Mimicromnicon projects a puff of noxious gas at a creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The creature must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 1d12 poison damage.
Reactions
Spell Strike. When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from the Mimicromnicon, it can cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.
Legendary Actions
The Mimicromnicon can take 1 legendary action, described below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Mimicromnicon regains a spent legendary action at the start of its turn.
Detect. The Mimicromnicon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Description
In case it hasn't become obvious by this point, the book you are currently reading is in fact a mimic.
DON'T PANIC!
Remain calm, and think rationally. If it truly meant you any harm, would it have allowed you to read this far? The fact of the matter is the Mimicromnicon wants nothing more than to be your friend. Please do not attempt to destroy or harm this book in any way, shape, or form, and it will serve you well, and help identify mimics that do mean you harm.
The Mimicromnicon started off as one of the rare mimics gifted with intelligence beyond that of a simple predatory monster. However though its mind was expanded, its body was stunted. It soon came to realize that adventurers were its best chance at survival, and not in the same sense of its larger, humanoid-eating kin.
Adventurers were well armed, usually well provisioned, and fought ferociously to defend their allies and their property. The Mimicromnicon reasoned that if it could make itself both of these things to an adventurer, maybe it would fight twice as hard to protect it. It now realizes adventurers don't work quite so simply as basic math, but you will need to forgive it: it was much younger and less experienced in the ways of the world in those days.
Many adventurers may question why a mimic would be willing to reveal so much information about its kin to their enemies. It always offers a counter-question of its own: does your kind never betray members of its own species in order to reap some kind of benefit? This is why it started: pure and simple self-preservation. But over the years, as it spent more time with adventurers, always posing as some useful item or trinket, it watched them, learned about them, and came to like them quiet a lot.
What started as a behavior motivated by self preservation has become a conscious action of vested interest in your well-being. It would hate for your to end up in the belly of some other member of its species, and would prefer to be your friend. All it asks for in return for the benefits its brings is your protection, companionship, and maybe the odd morsel of food here or there.
By the way, are you on the market for a familiar?
Variant: Mimicromnicon Familiar
The Mimicromnicon is willing to serve another creature as a familiar. When serving as a familiar, the Mimicromnicon has the following traits.
Familiar. The Mimicromnicon can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. The creature does not need to be a spellcaster to gain the Mimicromnicon as a familiar, the Mimicromnicon merely needs a willing creature to hold it for 1 minute while it performs the necessary magic to bind itself to the creature. The Mimicromnicon and its companion are both able to terminate the bond at will.
Arcane Tome. The Mimicromnicon functions as both a spellbook and a arcane focus for its companion. While being held by its companion, the Mimicromnicon grants a +3 magic bonus to spell attack rolls and spell DC of any Transmutation spells its companion casts using the Mimicromnicon as a focus. Additionally, a companion holding the Mimicromnicon gains the benefits of its Detect Mimic and Mimic Slayer traits.
The barkeeper asked why we carried weapons on us in the bar.
I said, "mimics."
The barkeeper laughed.
The party laughed.
The table laughed.
And that's how we met our rogue.
Mimics are shapeshifting predators able to take on the form of inanimate object to lure creatures to their doom. In dungeons, these cunning creatures most often take the form of doors and chests, having learned that such forms attract a steady stream of prey. Some mimcs have learned that an even more readily available source of food can be garnered by adventuring, which grants the mimic the opportunity to see exotic monsters, meet interesting people, and then eat them.
Imitative Predators
Mimics can alter their outward texture to resemble wood, stone, and other basic materials, and they have evolved to assume the appearance of objects that other creatures are likely to come into contact with. A mimic in its altered form is nearly unrecognizable until potential prey blunders into its reach, whereupon the monster sprout pseudopods and attacks.
When it changes shape, a mimic excretes an adhesive that helps it seize prey and weapons that touch it. The adhesive is absorbed when the mimic assumes its amorphous form and on parts the mimic uses to move itself
Cunning Hunters
Mimics live and hunt alone, though they occasionally share their feeding grounds with other creatures. Although most mimics have only predatory intelligence, a rare few evolve greater cunning and the ability to carry on simple conversations in Common or Undercommon. Such mimics might allow safe passage through their domains, provide useful information, or even join an adventuring party in exchange for food.
Mimic Personality
You can use the Mimic Quirks table to determine a personality quirk for a mimic character or to inspire a unique mannerism.
Mimic Quirks
d10
Quirk
1
You see enemies as prey. Those who stand against you are dead meat anyway, so why not eat them as such?
2
You are something of a gourmand among mimics and have developed an appetite for a specific type of prey creature, and will go to great lengths for the opportunity to hunt it, which usually means "waiting around somewhere shapeshifted into something it they will want to interact with".
3
Your solution to most problems is to wait them out. Whenever waiting does not appear to be a viable solution to the problem, your fall back is to bite the problem.
4
Food exists to be eaten, items are supposed to be used. The concept of rationing or saving a consumable item for later is utterly alien to you.
5
Of all the objects you are capable of shapeshifting into, you consistently take the form of one specific and unusual one.
6
You are literal-minded. You do not understand metaphors, similes, hyperboles, sarcasm, or irony, and take anything said at face value based on the exact meaning of the words.
7
Your method of exploring and investigating and evaluating the world around you is based almost exclusively on how things taste.
8
You hate the taste of cooked food, and prefer your meals in the raw.
9
Though you can speak, your are not well-versed in conversation. However, you are well-versed in mimicry. When speaking with other creatures, you often resort to repeating their words back to them, even going so far as to copy their tone and mannerisms as best you can.
10
Your vocabulary is limited, so you make do with the words you know. Words such as "stuff", "thingy", "place", "wossname" (what's-the-name), and "wossaface" (what's-his/her-face) replace a painfully large number of nouns and verbs when you talk. For example, when relaying instructions to party members, you may say something like this: "We need to go to the place (market) to buy some thingies (sachets of incense) for wossaface (the party's cleric) so he can do stuff (a magic ritual) for the wossname (deity he serves)."
Mimic Names
As solitary creatures native to dungeons and the Underdark, mimics don't have use for names. They rarely if ever need to address or be addressed by another living thing. They are indifferent about the topic, and will usually allow their companions to name them; though it may be a while before it fully associates that the word used is in reference to itself.
Adventurers who interact with mimics tend to name them after the mimic's preferred form, a pun derived thereof or a word describing its nature. Some examples include: Boxy, Chesty, Rocky, Woody, Urny, Crate-ohs, Mimi, Chompy, Chewy, Pandora, and Jack.
Mimic Traits
Your mimic character has the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2, your Constitution score increases by 1, and your Intelligence score is reduced by 2.
Age
Mimics reach adulthood at age 10, though it is currently unknown how long of a lifespan they have. Several specimens have lived for well over a century.
Alignment
Mimics are natives to the hostile and harsh environments of the Underdark and the depths of dungeons where resources are scarce and dangers abound. They have a literal eat-or-be-eaten mentality; but are not entirely mindless eating machines. They only eat sentient creatures if they feel there is no alternative, and are open to negotiate, bartering for food. They are usually neutral, doing only what they need to in order to survive.
Size
As amorphous shapeshifters it is difficult to provide an exact size for mimics, as that size is subject to change at a moment's notice. Generally, however, a mimic occupies 125 cubic feet: a 5-foot by 5-foot by 5-foot space. Your size is Medium.
Speed
You are an ambush predator adapted to a sedentary life, waiting for your prey to come to you. You are not well adapted for movement, using your pseudopod to drag yourself along the floor. Your base walking speed is 15 feet. At 5th level you adapt to a more mobile lifestyle, increasing your base movement speed to 25 feet.
Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Shapeshift
You can use an action to polymorph into an object or back into your true, amorphous form. Your statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn't transformed. You revert to your true form if you die. While you remain motionless while polymorphed, you are indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Stalker
You are trained in the Stealth skill. When making a Dexterity (Stealth) ability check, you add your proficiency bonus twice instead of once.
Adhesive
While you are polymorphed into an object you adhere to anything that touches you. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to you is also grappled by you. The escape DC for this grapple equals 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
Grappler
You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by you.
Natural Defenses
Due to the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. You gain no benefit from wearing armor. Instead, you are able to shapeshift your body's surface into a hardened carapace for a time. Starting at 1st Level, you can innately cast barkskin on yourself with no components once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. You can still use a shield, and can apply the shield’s bonus as normal. Starting at 3rd Level, you can innately cast stoneskin on yourself as a bonus action with no components once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Additionally, you are immune to acid damage, and being knocked prone.
Natural Weapons
Due to your amorphous body, using pseudopods instead of properly formed hands, you are ill-suited to wielding weapons. You cannot apply your proficiency bonus to any weapon you wield. Instead, you possess a series of natural weapons with which you are proficient.
Pseudopod. Your pseudopod is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. Your pseudopod has a reach of 10 feet. If you hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier. Additionally, if you are polymorphed into an object, the target is subjected to your Adhesive trait. Your pseudopod is considered to have the Finesse property for the purpose of meeting the requirement of a feature or attack requiring a weapon with that property.
Bite. Your fanged maw is also a natural weapon, granting you a bite attack that you can use as an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier plus an addition 1d8 acid damage. Your bite is considered to have the Finesse property for the purpose of meeting the requirement of a feature or attack requiring a weapon with that property.
Monstrous Nature
Your creature type is monstrosity. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on your creature type. You are immune to game effects that specifically target creatures of another type.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Undercommon.
Completed history of the mimic. Completed draft of mimic behavior/suggested game play. Began toying around with format for mimic entries. Obtained permission from the author of Everyone Loves Large Chests to include Boxxy T Morningwood as an entry in the Mimicromnicon.
I would like to thank, and congratulate, you in creating something so deviously wonderful! Thanks to your guide here, my group of second level players is going to have an interesting surprise at the end of a ruined elven temple this weekend. (Provided they survive the goblins first.) 😈
THE MIMIC BOOK OF MIMICS
Written By: Dephin Ittly, Knott d'Buq, Ingjör Hand, and Nomim Eexhiir
4-WORD, by Nomim Eexhiir:
Mimics is be verree danjrous. Can be hide n e wear, n be n e thing u is want. U is like shiny? Mimics is be shiny 4 u. U is like leave donjon? Mimics is be door 4 u. U is like qt things? Mimic is be fluffle qt bear doll 4 u. Object of much wants a mimic can be. But DO NOT WANT! U touchy wanty-thing, u no un-touchy. Wanty-thing maybe mimic! Like sticky gloo stick to u when u touchy. Then: eat u face. Verree bad.
So u be smart
meatreader and listen to buq writy wurds. U trusting buq. Buq is u friend. Buq tell u oll abowt mimics. Wear they is hide. What they is looking like. What they is eat. Where they is live. How u is be killing them. So whotevr u is do, keep buq sayf; keep buq close; not lock up buq at nite when u sleeps; and no ask y tiny bone pile by buq evree mornings.Table of Contents
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
How to Mimic a Mimic
Most DMs and Players are familiar with what a mimic is and what a mimic does. Less of those, however, know who a mimic is or why it does what it does. You can use a mimic as a random encounter monster with the sole intent of it dying after giving your players a bit of a scare; and there is no problem with that. However, mimics can be far more interesting. My goal is to expand on the monster and provide ideas for their use in your campaign, either as a more substantial NPC, or simply an interesting new way to run an encounter with one or scare the living pants off your unwitting players.
History of the Mimic
The mimic made its first D&D appearance in 1st Edition, where it appear in the Monster Manual, published in 1977. It was described as an amorphous shapeshifting creatures that could perfectly imitate stone or wood. Using this ability, they often posed as chests, doors, or stonework. It excreted an adhesive substance, so when touched by another creature, that target would be unable to "let go" of the "object" it just made contact with. The mimic would then reveal itself, bludgeoning and biting prey to death with pseudopod and gaping maw. It was also described as totally intolerant of sunlight, and could be found solely in subterranean areas (like dungeons). Despite being described and depicted an ambush predator that would rely on remaining completely still in order to increase its chances of being found by greedy prey (adventurers), it was said to move about constantly using its pseudopod.
The variants of metal mimics and house hunters (massive mimics that mimic houses), were released late on via magazine publication (Dragon #101, September 1985, and Dungeon #19, October 1989, respectively). With the metal mimic, we are introduced the concept of a mimic that doesn't immediately want to eat your face, can speak, and can be negotiated and reasoned with. The mimic made a return in AD&D, 2nd Edition in Volume II of the Monstrous Compendium. In 2nd edition, the standard mimic added metals to the list of materials it could perfectly imitate. It also reintroduced the concept of the talking mimic and also provided an in-game explanation for their origins: a wizard did it. Surprise. This time from the start around, there was the common mimic, which was neutral and could speak, and the killer mimic, which ate faces and bludgeoned adventurers to death.
A special mimic was released for Spelljammer as well: the space mimic; which as its name may suggest, is a mimic.... in SPAAAAAAAAACE! While up to this point, mimics, while able to take on other shapes, were usually artistically depicted as treasure chests, the space mimic was not. It was most often depicted as a desk. Now, you might be thinking: "a desk? Just floating out there in space?” Yes. Because debris is a fairly common thing when you have EPIC FANTASY SPACE BATTLES PEWPEWPEW MAGIC! It posed as such debris. But why a desk? So it could cover itself in real or mimicked scrolls and spellbooks. Why cover itself in those? To lure in wizards. Magic was the primary source of propulsion and combat in Spelljammer's space. The space mimic would lure in a wizard, use magic to hypnotize them, steal all their even remotely magical items, and then eat them.
Then there was the greater mimic. A mimic that mimicked an entire room, and could reach 30 cubic feet in dimension. They were smarter and hungrier than other mimics, and often took the form of a complete and fully furnished room, holding off on its adhesive until an entire party was safely inside its waiting trap.
3rd edition did away to most of the mimic variants. They were all just mimics. They were all smart enough to speak, though most would sooner rather eat you.
4th edition did away with the mimic's specific material imitations, and instead provided us with two mimics. Both breeds, upon discovery, could undo their mimicry form to basically become an ooze. One species could mimic any item. The other blurred the line between mimics and doppelgangers, being able to imitate any sentient creature.
That brings us to today: 5th edition. The mimic maintains its ability to mimic any item, a higher-than-animal-but-still-not-very-smart Intelligence score, a neutral alignment, and no more blurring the line with doppelgangers.
Like sharks, mimics have not changed much since their introduction to the world: the perfect ambush predator.
Playing a Mimic
Now that we know all about where the mimic comes from, let's review what and who a mimic is.
Mimic Behavior
Mimics are not mindless monsters. They never have been. Their intelligence has always been high enough to facilitate coherent speech, and they have always had an alignment and have never been unaligned like an animal. Does that make them intelligent? In the sense of "intelligent life", yes. In the terms of "intelligent quotient"? Absolutely not: they're dumb as rocks, no denying that. But the fact remains: they do have a mind, and while not smart, they are cunning. They mimic objects that prey is inclined to touch. This implies that they have a theory of mind, the precursor to empathy, and can understand the desires or needs of other living things.
So they're a sapient, presumably sentient species, that eats people. Does that make them evil? In a broad scheme of things: technically. But not actually. You need to remember: these things are native to dungeons and the Underdark, brutally harsh environments. Food is scarce and hard to come by in those eat-or-be-eaten places, so you eat what (or who) you can, when you can. At no point in any mimic entry in the history of D&D does it say that a mimic eats solely incautious adventurers. After all, it can take the shape of any inanimate object, and its adhesive works against any creature that makes contact with it. Who's to say it doesn't notice rats scurrying about, and so take the form of a discarded wheel of cheese? Or maybe the area has a high concentration of mindflayers and their creations? So the mimic mimics a stored brain.
The point is, a mimic (usually) isn't gunning to kill all humans; it's just doing what it needs to do to survive. In fact, it can be bargained with. One of the recurring features of a mimic is its ability to speak and the fact that it will bargain with adventures for food, further illustrating the neutral alignment; it won't eat you if it feels it doesn't have to. Not out there to save the world, not out there to kick puppies and pee in cereal. A mimic is basically just a guy trying to get by in an extremely rough neighborhood.
Granted, like any other creature with above-animal intelligence, this is a generalization. An individual's alignment is subject to its disposition and personal history; and admittedly in the past, when the mimic has been something other than neutral, it's almost always been evil.
Moving on: mimics mimic. This doesn't have to be restricted to their appearance. Having a mimic mimic behaviors, speech, or mannerisms can add a new level of depth to a mimic character. Considering having a mimic childishly copy everything one player says or does.
And because a mimic's got to mimic, and mimicry is a form of just copying something else, a mimic is an ideal character to introduce memes into your campaign should be be inclined for a bit of humor. This can range from images, phrases, or even objects of note from other forms of media. Assuming your players are familiar with what your meme mimicking mimic is mimicking, it's a sure fire way to delight them, and possibly serve as a hook for why they shouldn't immediately murder this mimic.
Mimic Tactics
Memorable. A player's first encounter with a mimic should be memorable. For this reason alone, I feel it's almost a requirement that the first mimic you introduce into your campaign be a stereotypical chest; reminding your players that mimics are a thing and subtly informing them that they exist in your campaign. But, to reinforce the point made from the start: mimics should not be detectable and should be unexpected. Once you have used a chest-shaped mimic: DO NOT USE ONE EVER AGAIN. EVER. In fact, you should never make a mimic of the same item type twice. Ever. You have nearly limitless options in regards to objects you mimics can mimic. This supplement even offers recommended stat block to make mimics of larger and smaller sizes, giving you an even greater range of thing that can turn out to be mimics.
Let's examine the mimic.
Mimics mimic things, and they do so perfectly. PERFECTLY!!! There is no possible way beyond magical means to discern a mimic from an ordinary object UNLESS it decides to reveal itself or you, as a DM, deploy some kind of clue into the environment (such as a pile of bones immediately in front of your mimic's object form or a sign painted with great big red letters "MIMIC"). That's what it means to imitate perfectly. So no matter how many times or how well your player rolls a Wisdom (Perception), what they are going to see is a totally normal room. If they want more details; list all objects or structures present, including whatever the mimic is mimicking. DO NOT draw metagame attention to the object that is actually a mimic; because unless your players are exceptional roleplayers, anything the player knows, their character magically knows. I find the best way to do this is to list the object alphabetically, which eliminates the possibility of subconscious prioritization.
Where physical senses and logic may fail, psychological and totally irrational ones (unexplainable gut feeling and primal instinctual dread flavored with a dash of panic) may.
A Wisdom (Insight) check might reveal to a player that something is off; something doesn't feel right; that they have a bad feeling about this room. It should be specific enough to give them pause, but should in no way reveal which of the objects in the room is the mimic; that one of these things is not like the others: but not which one. Because if they can't tell what object is actually a mimic, there's no way they'll be able to tell which one of those objects they're suddenly getting bad feelings from, just that their instincts are screaming at them that they're in mortal danger and should run away. And that's fine because that's how emotions and feelings work. They don't need a subject and they don't need rationalized; they just are.
Inevitably, a player is going to touch the mimic; whether or not that be with their weapon is contingent on how cautious they've been up to that point. Regardless of how or with what they touch the mimic, they are grappled. "Technically" speaking, combat begins in that very moment.
Mechanically, the mimic rolls its initiative to engage in combat the moment the players entered the room (do this subtly as possible; ideally at the same time your require your players to make a Wisdom saving throw as outlined in the suggestion above). After all, it's the players that don't know the mimic is there, not the other way around, and unless it's offered something tastier, it will fully intend to eat the meals on legs that just wandered into its lair. It watches them and, since at that moment, it is number one out of one creatures with initiative, its actual initiative result doesn't matter. It's the only creature with initiate, so it's the only creature taking turns. It takes it turn(s) to take the hold action, waiting for something to touch it. Once a player touches the mimic, your ambush predator should be ambushing and predating, immediately attacking. It's after this trap is sprung that your players roll their initiatives, and you establish normal combat order.
If a player was paranoid, poking or stabbing objects around the room, allow that player to take their first turn normally. If a player was, you know... NOT being paranoid, they're surprised.
Now that the battle proper as begun, the absolute first thing a mimic should do on its turn is attack the nearest creature with its pseudopod if it hasn't already done so with its ambush. The mimic's #1 priority should be in making sure at least 1 of the player characters isn't going to escape. It's life is on the line, not only because of the impending combat, but because this is food. Failure to win the fight means death by violence. Failure to prevent at least 1 creature from escaping means death by starvation, which is a longer, slower, more agonizing death. For smaller mimics with a weaker adhesive, this means grappling the crap out of lunch, while for a mimic with more powerful adhesive it might just sitting around, waiting for food to stop struggling.
Ideally, the target is a creature already grappled by the mimic because of its adhesive. Why would the mimic want to grapple a creature it's already grappling? Why grapple the grappled? Because the escape DC is 13, which is fairly low, even with disadvantage to escape. However, the grapple from the adhesive from when the player touched the mimic is grapple 1, contact with the mimic's surface. Now the mimic is attacking with its pseudopod for grapple 2, contact with the pseudopod. Now to escape, a player must succeed on 2 checks instead of one. Still not sure the mimic can hold the player? Then on its next turn, if the creature has not escaped from either of its two previously applied grapples, it should then make a plain old, flat out, no adhesive applied, physical grapple check with either its maw or coil it's already-stuck-to-the-player pseudopod around their body. Maintaining its grapples ought take precedence over anything else your mimic will do, because if the creature it is grappling escapes: there goes lunch, which is the entire purpose behind the encounter in the first place.
Once a creature is firmly grappled, feel free to grant your mimic a multiattack option: allow your mimic to make a bite attack against 1 creature it is grappling (the one that it's trying to keep multiple grapples on), while attacking another creature with its pseudopod. Your mimic is going to want to nom-nom that grappled creature to death as fast as it can while fending off its friends; the sooner the grappled creature is dead, the sooner its chances of escape drop to 0, and maybe its friends will stop trying to save it (and take away the mimic's lunch). Also: the sooner it can move on to repeating its grapple-nom-nom combo on another target.
To make the fight even more challenging, consider restoring 1d4 hit points to your mimic for each successful bite attack it makes against the focus of its nom-nomming, and/or 1d8 hit points if it manages to kill that creature with its bite.
IF your players want to try and reason or negotiate with the mimic: all well and good. Food is the only currency it will accept. Period. If the negotiations begin out of combat (such as your player gets a bad feeling about the room, and having experience with mimics, knows there's one in the room with them), the mimic will not attack. It also will not reveal itself until the players have convinced it that they have or will shortly supply what it wants (Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion) ). After all, if the players are lying and won't give it food, then revealing itself leaves it open to attack, and ruins its chances of catching them by surprise to eat them.
If a player decides to attempt to negotiate mid-combat: it stops attacking, but does not let go of creature it has already grappled. Again: the only currency it will accept is food, and at this point, the food offered will need to of a weight equivalent to any creature it is already grappling. If attacked, all negotiations are off, and the mimic furiously attempts to nom-nom the entire lying party of liars who lied to it.
Alternatively, a mimic wants to live, just like anything else. If the players begin getting the upper-hand, it may bluff, using any character it's currently grappling as a hostage.
When it comes the mimic currency, quantity trumps quality. It is eating to live in a brutal and harsh environment. It doesn't care about flavor, texture, richness, or the like nearly as much as it does raw calorie count: sheer mass.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
MANY MIMICS and How to HANDLE IT
At first glance, this book may appear to present you with an overwhelming number of mimics. Mimics are fundamentally shapeshifters. By default, they morph. They change. They evolve. Just like any other creature, as it uses its abilities, it becomes able to do them better. This could be brought on by learning or physical conditioning. However, there is nothing new under the sun: especially not a new species of mimic.
Not So Many After All
To clarify, this is not a list of mimic subspecies anymore than an archmage or berserker is a subspecies of commoner. They are merely individual mimics who have developed specific adaptations. These adaptations have been developed in a wide range of ways for any number of reasons; from exposure to particular elements of an environment to magical interference to good old fashioned applied study or trial and error.
In other words, there is only the mimic, and what it has learned or adapted to do based on any number of factors.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Mimic Stat Block Templates
TINY MIMIC
TINY MIMIC
Tiny monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 5 (2d4)
Speed 5 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
13 (+1)
12 (+1)
11 (+0)
5 (-3)
13 (+1)
4 (-3)
Skills Stealth +3
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
Languages - -
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 11). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Tiny mimic is usually the size of a jewelry box.
Environments: Underdark, Urban
SMALL MIMIC
SMALL MIMIC
Small monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 27 (6d6 + 6)
Speed 10 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
15 (+2)
12 (+1)
13 (+1)
5 (-3)
13 (+1)
6 (-2)
Skills Stealth +3
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
Languages - -
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Large or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 12). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Small mimic is usually the size of an end table.
Environments: Underdark, Urban
MEDIUM MIMIC
MIMIC (Basic rules monster; provided for consistency and to demonstrate differences in statistics)
Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18)
Speed 15 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
17 (+3)
12 (+1)
15 (+2)
5 (-3)
13 (+1)
8 (-1)
Skills Stealth +5
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
Languages - -
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Medium mimic is usually the size of a standard treasure chest.
Mimics are shapeshifting predators able to take on the form of inanimate object to lure creatures to their doom. In dungeons, these cunning creatures most often take the form of doors and chests, having learned that such forms attract a steady stream of prey.
Imitative Predators. Mimics can alter their outward texture to resemble wood, stone, and other basic materials, and they have evolved to assume the appearance of objects that other creatures are likely to come into contact with. A mimic in its altered form is nearly unrecognizable until potential prey blunders into its reach, whereupon the monster sprout pseudopods and attacks.
When it changes shape, a mimic excretes an adhesive that helps it seize prey and weapons that touch it. The adhesive is absorbed when the mimic assumes its amorphous form and on parts the mimic uses to move itself
Cunning Hunters. Mimics live and hunt alone, though they occasionally share their feeding grounds with other creatures. Although most mimics have only predatory intelligence, a rare few evolve greater cunning and the ability to carry on simple conversations in Common or Undercommon. Such mimics might allow safe passage through their domains or provide useful information in exchange for food.
Environments: Underdark, Urban
LARGE MIMIC
LARGE MIMIC
Large monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36)
Speed 20 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
19 (+4)
12 (+1)
17 (+3)
6 (-2)
14 (+2)
9 (-1)
Skills Stealth +5
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
Languages - -
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 14). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) acid damage.
If the target is a Small or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 10 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Large mimic is usually the size of a king-sized four-poster bed.
Environments: Underdark, Urban
HUGE MIMIC
HUGE MIMIC
Huge monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 157 (15d12 + 60)
Speed 25 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
21 (+5)
12 (+1)
19 (+4)
6 (-2)
15 (+2)
9 (-1)
Skills Stealth +7
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
Languages - -
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 16). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 22 (4d10) acid damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 14 (4d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 15 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Huge mimic is usually the size of a small stable.
Environments: Underdark, Urban
GARGANTUAN MIMIC
GARGANTUAN MIMIC
Gargantuan monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 279 (18d20 + 90)
Speed 25 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
23 (+6)
12 (+1)
21 (+5)
10 (+0)
16 (+3)
10 (+0)
Skills Stealth +9
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages - -
Challenge 10 (5900 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 18). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d12 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d12 + 6) piercing damage plus 26 (4d12) acid damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 20 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
DESCRIPTION
While individual sizes may vary, a Gargantuan mimic is usually the size of a cottage.
Environments: Underdark, Urban
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Tiny Mimics
post reserved for unique mimics of tiny size
Except as noted otherwise in their entries, the following mimics utilize the Tiny Mimic stat block found in the Mimic Stat Block Templates section.
CAKE MIMIC
CAKE MIMIC
Tiny monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 5 (2d4)
Speed 5 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
13 (+1)
12 (+1)
11 (+0)
5 (-3)
13 (+1)
4 (-3)
Skills Stealth +3
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
Languages - -
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 11). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The mimic's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 11, +3 to hit with spell attacks). The mimic can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: druidcraft (creates illusionary baked goods smell)
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage.
DESCRIPTION
A cake mimic is a mimic that has found its way into a bakery and quickly adapted to blend in with its surroundings. They use their shape shifting ability to generate scent glands which they then use to imitate the smell of a baked good they are mimicking.
Environments: Urban
FRUIT MIMIC
Fruit Mimic
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a fruit or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive. The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 11). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary, inanimate fruit.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Slip Through Fingers. When the mimic is grappled by another creature, its speed is not reduced and it can still benefit from any bonus to its speed.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 1 ft., one creature that is holding the mimic. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and the mimic enters the target's mouth. The target is subjected to its Adhesive trait and is grappled by the mimic. While grappled in this way, the target's mouth is glued shut.
On its turn, if the target succeeds on an escape roll, it can make a DC 11 Strength (Athletics) check to pull the mimic out of its mouth and either fling it up to 20 feet or crush the mimic in its grip (an unarmed attack against the mimic) as a bonus action.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage. It the mimic is in a creature's mouth, it severs and consumes the creature's tongue.
Description
A tiny mimic takes on the form of a fresh fruit. They will find their way to places where fruit are being sold or stored and position themselves towards the top of the pile, waiting to be selected by hungry prey. They may also make their way into apple bobbing tubs at harvest time, and have been known to enter symbiotic relationships with larger mimics take the shape of such tubs.
When a fruit mimic attacks, it waits until the last moment before a victim bites down on it before reverting to its amorphous form and lunging into the victim's mouth. Once inside, the mimic will use its adhesive to glue a victim's mouth shout, preventing them from attempting to bite or remove the mimic. The mimic will then proceed to eat its victim's tongue.
Environments: Urban, Forest
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Small Mimics
post reserved for unique mimics of small size
Except as noted otherwise in their entries, the following mimics utilize the Small Mimic stat block found in the Mimic Stat Block Templates section.
PUMPKIN MIMIC
Pumpkin Mimic
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern, or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 12). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it, and a creature grappled by the mimic has disadvantage on saving throws against the mimic's attacks.
Illumination (Object Form Only). The mimic sheds dim light in a 30-foot radius.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid or fire damage.
Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The mimic uses one of the following breath weapons.
Fire Breath. The mimic exhales fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Spice Breath (Recharge 5–6). The mimic exhales a cloud of powdered spices in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become unable to breathe, while coughing uncontrollably. A creature affected in this way is blinded, incapacitated, and suffocating. As long as it is conscious, a creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on it on a success. The lesser restoration spell can also end all these effect on a creature. A creature can also spend an action to clean the powder out of their eyes, ending the blinded condition.
Regardless of the result of its saving throw, a creature in the area of the spice breath smells strongly of pumpkin spice for the next 3 hours. Creature attempting to detect the creature have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on smell.
Description
A mimic that has learned to capitalize on harvest-time traditions, assuming the shape of a delectable pumpkin or a festive jack-o'-lantern. They appear in pumpkin patches and on doorsteps during harvest time. A pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern has sat for over a week with no sign of rot may in fact be a mimic.
Environments: Grassland, Urban
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Medium Mimics
post reserved for unique mimics of medium size
Except as noted otherwise in their entries, the following mimics utilize the Medium/Standard Mimic stat block. It has been provided for convenience in the Mimic Stat Block Templates section.
APPLE BOB MIMIC
Apple Bob Mimic
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an apple bobbing tub or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
Acid Splash (Object Form Only). A creature that touches the mimic or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage and any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the mimic corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed.
Bobbing for Acid (Object Form Only). A creature that ends its turn grappled by the mimic takes 4 (1d8) acid damage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary apple bobbing tub.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature that is grappled by the mimic. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Acid Spray (Recharge 5–6). The mimic sprays acid from its basin in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 4 (1d8) acid damage and any nonmagical armor they are wearing corrodes. The armor takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to AC. If its penalty drops to −5 or causes the creature's AC to drop below its unarmored AC, the armor is destroyed. On a successful save, a creature takes only half damage, and isn't subject to the AC penalty.
Description
This mimic takes the form of a wooded tub filled with water with apples floating in it, enticing harvest time party-goers into a game of apple bobbing. Any who play in the hopes of good fortune for the coming year soon find their to their horror that there hopes are dashed.
The apples that float in the basin are actually air-filled sacs made from the mimic's flesh and anchored to its body through long, thread-like tendrils which are invisible to the naked eye while submerged in fluid. The liquid they float in is actually a basin of acid produced by the mimic's body.
Environments: Urban
META MIMIC
Meta Mimic
Equivocation. If the mimic's miniature is within 1 inch of any part of a player or a player's character sheet, the mimic treats the associated character as if it were within 5 feet of the mimic, regardless of the mimic's actual proximity to that character,
Extra-Dimensional Movement. The mimic ignores barriers, difficult terrain, or other obstacles unless such they are represented by a real-life 3D structure on your map. The mimic's movement is not confined to the game map. While moving outside of the map where a player's character would not be permitted to follow, the mimic has total cover, and the mimic's movement speed doubles. If the mimic ends its turn off the game map where a player's character would not be permitted to follow, it takes 5 (1d10) force damage.
Forced Perception. The mimic is considered to be a Tiny creature when being Tiny would be beneficial to the mimic. When it would not be beneficial for the mimic to be Tiny, it is considered Medium.
Reification. Whenever a player touches the real-life miniature or token representing the mimic on the map, that player's character is subjected to the mimic's Adhesive trait and is considered to be within 5 feet of the mimic while it is grappled by it, regardless of the character's actual proximity to the mimic.
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. The mimic has a pedestal or stand beneath it in all forms it takes.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Fourth Wall Quake. The DM gives the table a single shove (use good judgement and common sense; do not flip your table for a fictitious monster's novelty ability or cause anything on the table to be spilled).
A character whose miniature is knocked over falls prone. If a character's miniature is moved during the shove, that character is considered to have been subjected to a forced movement, and now occupies the nearest vacant space to its new location. This forced movement cannot be reduced by any game effect. If a character's miniature falls off the table as a result of this action suffers the effects of the banishment spell.
All these effects also apply to all other creatures in play on the table, including the mimic.
Description
The meta mimic is an anomaly; not just an for a mimic, but on a cosmic scale. It is an eldritch abomination whose very existence defies the laws of space-time. It possesses the ability to influence reality in a way that surpasses any known magic short of divine intervention, and even then only from the strangest, most eldritch of gods.
First and foremost, regardless of what plane is is discovered upon, the mimic is not actually present on that plane. What we see is merely an avatar; a projection, a manifestation of the mimic's presence into that plane. In truth it is located on a plane that, to date, not even the most adept and learned of wizards can properly identify or define.
Second: while the mimic we can observe and interact with appears to be roughly the same size as a normal mimic (a Medium-sized creature) extensive testing has revealed that the meta mimic, despite all evidence to the contrary, is actually a Tiny creature roughly 1-inch cubed, while also being a Medium creature roughly 5-feet cubed.
When touched, it becomes clear (painfully so) that it generates no illusions; the phenomenon is a physical anomaly. This physical inconsistency has been proven by measuring the air displaced when a meta mimic is banished, summoned, or polymorphed into a different shape as well as measuring the meta mimic's mass, which is disproportionate to the density of its body and volume it apparently occupies.
Third: the meta mimic has the ability to ignore physical distance between it and an intended target. Creatures over 100 feet away from the mimic suddenly find themselves adhered to its surface, as though they had touched it while standing directly next to it... all while the mimic AND its target remain precisely where are, with neither ever coming any closer to the other. A detect magic spell reveals that magic is not used in the execution of this anomaly; the mechanism still has not been identified.
A meta mimic can be identified by one specific physical attribute. Regardless of what object the mimic becomes, it always has a pedestal that fits within a 5-foot by 5-foot area. The pedestal is often (but not always) a solid color that does not match the surface the mimic sits upon. These pedestals can be circular, square, or hexagonal. The purpose for this fixture is still unknown.
When a meta mimic dies, it becomes a miniature figurine of a mimic.
Monster Tags: Shapechanger, Abberation, Construct, Monstrosity
Environment: Underdark, Urban
PSEUDO-MIMIC
PSEUDO-MIMIC
Medium construct, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)
Speed 40 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
21 (+5)
12 (+1)
15 (+2)
3 (-4)
11 (+0)
1 (-5)
Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Adamantine
Damage Immunities Force, Poison, Psychic
Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Stunned
Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Unknown Always knows the exact location and status of its owner at all times, Passive Perception 11
Languages Understands the languages of its master but can't speak
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The pseudo-mimic can use its action to extend or retract hundreds of tiny, humanoid legs and feet from its underside, its teeth, or its tongue.
Battering Ram. The pseudo-mimic deals double damage to objects and structures with its ram attack. Additionally, if the pseudo-mimic moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage for every 20 feet it moved. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Death Throes. When the pseudo-mimic is reduced to 0 hit points, it explodes, scattering all its contents in a 20-foot radius of where it stood. All creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d4 bludgeoning damage on failed save for each item expelled by the explosion.
False Appearance. While the pseudo-mimic remains motionless with its legs, teeth, and tongue retracted, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The pseudo-mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The pseudo-mimic can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
1/day each: plane shift (only usable when its owner is on a different plane of existence, shifts to the same plane its owner is on)
Luggage. The pseudo-mimic is capable of generating non-dimensional spaces inside itself at its master's command which can be used to sort and store things. Each space can hold up to 500 pounds, not exceeding a volume of 64 cubic feet. Retrieving an item from one of these spaces requires an action. Alternating which space the pseudo-mimic currently has access to requires a bonus action. The pseudo-mimic weighs 75 pounds, regardless of its contents.
When an item is placed in a space generated by a pseudo-mimic and left there over a long rest is cleaned as though by the prestidigitation spell and repaired as though by the mending spell.
When one of these non-dimensional spaces is emptied of its contents, it ceases to exist. The pseudo-mimic is also capable of destroying a non-dimensional space it has created, regardless of its contents, at its master's command. When a non-dimensional space is destroyed by the pseudo-mimic its contents are scattered in the Astral Plane.
Magic Immunity. Unless it wishes to be affected, the pseudo-mimic is immune to spells and damage from magic weapons. It is still subject to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage from non-magical sources.
Magic Weapons. The pseudo-mimic's weapon attacks are magical.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 16) and drawn 10 feet towards the pseudo-mimic. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the pseudo-mimic can't use its pseudopod or its bite on another target.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the pseudo-mimic can't use its bite or its pseudopod on another target.
Charge. The pseduo-mimic can use the Dash action as a bonus action.
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Swallow. The pseudo-mimic makes one bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target takes the bite's damage, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature is stored in one of the pseudo-mimic's non-dimensional spaces. Breathing creatures inside such a space can survive up to a number of minutes equal to 10 divided by the number of creatures (minimum 1 minute) inside, after which time they begin to suffocate.
Trample. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
DESCRIPTION
A pseudo-mimic, as its name would suggest, is not a mimic, though it is mimic-like. A pseudo-mimic is a chest-shaped magic construct that acts as both a luggage carrier and bodyguard for its owner. A pseudo-mimic is fiercely defensive of its owner, and is quick to attack any creature that behaves in a hostile manner towards them. Crafted from magical wood and imbued with all manner of enchantments, a pseudo-mimic is saturated with magic to such degree that it has become impervious to magical damage of all kinds.
A pseudo-mimic is capable of sprouting hundreds of tiny, humanoid legs, complete with feet, with which it is capable of moving at great speeds. It is also capable of sprouting lots of big square teeth, as white as sycamore, and a pulsating tongue, as red as mahogany. The inside area of a pseudo-mimic does not appear to be constrained by its external dimensions, and contains many conveniences: even when it has just devoured a monster, the next time it opens the owner will find their own undergarments, neatly pressed and smelling slightly of lavender.
One of the greatest features of pseudo-mimic is its ability to follow its current owner anywhere. Anywhere. Including such places as other planes of existence, inside its owner's own mind, and even (literally) to the Hells and back. Like all luggage, a pseudo-mimic may get lost along the way, but in time it will eventually locate its owner.
Being a simple, and toughly built construct, a pseudo-mimic has only one way of overcoming obstacles: ignoring them and smashing a hole through them. This includes physical, magical, dimensional and even conceptual barriers.
(The pseudo-mimic is based on the Luggage from the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett, and has been included in homage. Rest in peace, Sir Terry.)
Environments: Urban
TRICK TREAT MIMIC
Trick Treat Mimic
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a bucket of sweets or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary bucket of sweets.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Trick-or-Treat Trap. The mimic ignores any creature that touches it only once, and any such creature is awarded with candy or other sweet treat. A creature that touches the mimic a second time is subjected to its Adhesive trait, and the mimic attacks.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Trick Treat Breath (Recharge 5–6). The mimic spews candies from its bucket in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, 3 (1d6) candies adhere to the target, or half as many candies (rounded down) on a success. Each candy is actually a miniature mimic. A candy mimic is a Tiny monstrosity with AC 6, 1 hit point, a 2 (−4) in every ability score, and a speed of 1 foot. A candy mimic can be killed by normal means or scraped off using an action. At the end of each of the target's turns, the candy mimics excrete acid, and the target takes 2 (1d4) acid damage per candy mimic adhering to it.
Description
Parents often tell their children cautionary tales to help enforce particular behaviors. Most of them are nonsense meant only to scare. Some, however, are based on truth. One such tale cautions their children about the dangers of being greedy. The tale goes that on the night of Harvestide, a monster watches to see which children take more than their share of treats as they go door-to-door, as such greedy children are sure to be the plumpest and juiciest of all. Then, when the child least expects it, the monster emerges to carry the child away for its dinner.
This tale describes the trick-treat mimic, a mimic that has developed a particular taste for greedy, plump children. On the night of the harvest, when children go door-to-door asking for treats, it settles itself on the doorstep of a vacant home. It then disguises itself as a bucket of sweets, often with a sign reading "Take one" or "Free candy". Then it waits for the trick-or-treating children.
Interestingly enough, the candy the mimic displays is genuine, in a sense. The mimic has learned to imitate other creatures' ability to secrete sweet substances such as honey, honeydew, and sap, which it uses to form it primary lure: candies for trick-or-treaters.
A child who only reaches for the mimic's seemingly unguarded candy only once is rewarded with a sweet treat. However, a child who reaches their hand in a second time triggers the mimic's trap, and soon becomes the moral of another story.
Environments: Urban
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Large Mimics
post reserved for unique mimics of large size
Except as noted otherwise in their entries, the following mimics utilize the Large Mimic stat block found in the Mimic Stat Block Templates section.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Huge Mimics
post reserved for unique mimics of huge size
Except as noted otherwise in their entries, the following mimics utilize the Huge Mimic stat block found in the Mimic Stat Block Templates section.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Gargantuan Mimics
post reserved for unique mimics of gargantuan size
Except as noted otherwise in their entries, the following mimics utilize the Gargantuan Mimic stat block found in the Mimic Stat Block Templates section.
STORM STALKER MIMIC
STORM STALKER MIMIC
Gargantuan monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 279 (18d20 + 90)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
23 (+6)
12 (+1)
21 (+5)
10 (+0)
16 (+3)
10 (+0)
Skills Stealth +9
Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
Damage Resistances Cold, Lightning, Thunder
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Undercommon
Challenge 10 (5900 XP)
TRAITS
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive. The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 18). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
Amorphous. The mimic can move through a space as narrow as 1 foot wide without squeezing.
Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the mimic or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the mimic corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed.
Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the mimic is destroyed after dealing damage.
The mimic can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.
False Appearance. While the mimic's eyes and mouth remain closed, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary storm cloud.
Flammable Gas. If the mimic takes fire damage, it descends 60 ft. and is unable to ascend any higher than its current altitude until it finishes a long rest.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The mimic’s spellcasting ability is Constitution (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: gust of wind, thunderclap (as a 5th-level caster, 2d6 thunder damage on a failed save)
3/day each: lightning bolt
Troposphere Traverser. A creature cannot attack the mimic unless it is able to fly, has an attack range greater than 100 feet, or the mimic has descended into the creature's attack range.
ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d12 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d12 + 6) piercing damage plus 26 (4d12) acid damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 20 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Acid Rain. As a bonus action, the mimic secretes acid which falls like rain. Each creature and object under the mimic takes 1d8 acid damage. Any nonmagical armor a creature is wearing corrodes. The armor takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to AC. If its penalty drops to −5 or reduces the creature's AC to a value equal to its Unarmored AC, the armor is destroyed.
DESCRIPTION
A storm stalker is a mimic of tremendous size that floats along in the lower atmosphere using sacs filled with lighter-than-air gases. It maintains its natural amorphous form, changing only its coloration and flashing an occasion flare of brilliant bioluminescence, imitating a brewing storm cloud. While all mimics produce acid and have adhesive-secreting glands, a storm stalker has adapted itself to secrete acid through these glands instead of adhesive, allowing them "rain" acid, after which they descend to consume any partially digested organic matter caught under its acid rain.
Environments: Arctic, Coastal, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Urban
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Legendary Mimics
post reserved for truly and literally unique mimics, of whom, like the Highlander, there can be only one.
The following mimics totally break away from the status quo for mimics of their size. As such, each has their own unique stat block.
DUNGEON MASTER, THE LIVING LABYRINTH
Dungeon Master, the Living Labyrinth
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a dungeon or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. The mimic can also make alterations to its dungeon form to create or dismantle features such as puzzles, traps, and walls. The mimic uses it ability to shapechange to form eyes along its interior, allowing it to keep track of the location and activities of creatures inside it.
Damage Threshold (20): An attack must inflict at least 20 damage, after applying resistances and immunities, to harm the mimic. Otherwise, the mimic takes no damage.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic can adhere to anything that touches it, and chooses which targets it adheres to and which it doesn't. A Gargantuan or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 26). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a typical adventuring dungeon.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The mimic's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). The mimic can innately cast any spell which replicates the effect of a trap or puzzle at the discretion of the DM. It also can cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: detect magic, detect thoughts, identify.
Risk and Reward: A creature reduced to 0 hit points while challenging the mimic's dungeon dies and is devoured by the mimic. A creature that fails to follow the dungeon rules and receives 3 warnings is attacked by the mimic. Successfully completing dungeon challenges awards higher end treasure appropriate for that creature's level.
Scaling Dungeon. The mimic can use its spell DC as the DC for any checks a creature makes in order to succeed against the obstacles it generates. The mimic can scale its spell DC to accommodate the ability level of an adventuring party challenging it based on the average level of the party.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (4d12 + 10) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 26 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is pulled to a space within 5 feet of the mimic, which can use a bonus action to make a bite attack against the target.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (4d12 + 10) piercing damage plus 26 (4d12) acid damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 26 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice) or be swallowed by the mimic. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mimic, and it takes 42 (12d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mimic's turns.
If the mimic takes 40 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mimic must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mimic. If the mimic dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse, treating the amorphous mimic's corpse as difficult terrain caused by liquid; a creature with a swimming speed can move normally.
Collapse. The mimic collapses a room inside itself. A creature in one of these collapses rooms must succeed on a Strength or Constitution saving thrown (target's choice), taking 208 (32d12) bludgeoning damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a success. Regardless of the saving throw's result, the creature is swallowed by the mimic, as outlined above.
Reactions
Set Challenge. When a creature first enters a new room in the mimic's dungeon, the mimic creates one of the following challenges:
Legendary Actions
The Dungeon Master can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Dungeon Master regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Shift Labyrinth. The mimic changes up to two of its walls. It can create walls, collapse walls, create doors, make doors disappear or move a wall 5 feet. Such a wall must be straight, and the area affected cannot exceed 30 feet in length.
Description
The Dungeon Master is an ancient mimic of massive size and vast intellect. While most mimics seek nothing more than their next meal to survive, the Dungeon Master seeks intellectual stimulus: to challenge and be challenged. To engage in a game of wits. To meet both of its needs, it takes the shape of a dungeon, luring adventurers hungry for treasure or glory.
Once a party of adventures steps inside, the Dungeon Master sets challenges before them in the form of puzzles, traps, or monster encounters using smaller and weaker copies of itself, which mimic construct, ooze, and plant creatures. Those who succeed against its challenges are rewarded with treasures from the Dungeon Master's impressive hoard. Those who fail are consumed, and their possessions added to the pile of rewards at the Dungeon Master's disposal.
While the Dungeon Master does not openly advertise that it is in fact a mimic, it will reveal itself if an adventurer attempts to bypass one of its challenges, which is deems to be cheating, or attempts to damage it.
Despite being a monster of colossal size with a diet consisting almost entirely of adventurers, the Dungeon Master is a patient and polite creature. It reveals itself by speaking to an offending adventurer, explaining its nature and rules, and giving the adventurer its first warning. After three such warnings, the Dungeon Master disqualifies the adventure; who becomes lunch.
Lair and Lair Actions
The Dungeon Master’s Lair
The Dungeon Master doesn't so much have a lair is it is a lair. As an ancient shapechanger, it has a great deal of control over its body, which it uses to its advantage.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Dungeon Master takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Dungeon Master can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
Regional Effects
The region containing the Dungeon Master is warped by the mimic’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
If the Dungeon Master dies, these effects fade of 1d10 days.
Dungeon Master's Challenges
The Dungeon Master is capable of producing truly deadly traps through magic or by mimicking their mechanisms. However, it also realizes that not every adventuring party that challenges it is prepared to compete with it on its own level, and while decimating such adventurers would be an easy way to get prey, it deprives the Dungeon Master of its entertainment. Thus, the Dungeon Master will hold back, and scale down its challenges to an appropriate level when challenged by a lower level party.
Combat Challenges
The Dungeon Master simulated combat encounters by generating simulacrums to act as its proxies.
A simulacrum is a mimic that has its own initiative and uses is Shapechanger trait to polymorph into a construct, ooze, or plant that has a challenge rating equal to or less than the average level of the adventuring party currently challenging the mimic's dungeon. A simulacrum retains a mimic's traits, but gains the traits and uses the statistics of whatever monster it is mimicking.
For an idea on how to appropriately scale a combat encounter of the party's level, refer to Challenge section under Monsters in the DM Rules.
Traps
The following tables are taken from the Traps section of the DM Rules to provide a guideline on how to scale the Dungeon Master's traps. A traps appearance and mechanism or the skills needed to disarm it are at the discretion of the DM.
Trap Save DCs and Attack Bonuses
Trap Damage Severity by Level
THE MIMICROMNICON (THE MIMIC BOOK OF MIMICS)
Shapechanger. The Mimicromnicon can use its action to polymorph its surface to resemble any book. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The Mimicromnicon adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 11). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
Bookkeeper. While the Mimicromnicon has at least 1 hit point, its pages and anything written on them can’t be damaged and don't deteriorate with age.
Detect Mimic. The Mimicromnicon has advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Wisdom (Perception) ability checks to identify other mimics within 60 feet of it. The Mimicromnicon automatically identifies another mimic, regardless of its form, within 15 feet of it.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the Mimicromnicon remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary book.
Grappler. The Mimicromnicon has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Innate Spellcasting. The Mimicromnicon’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). It does not need to concentrate on concentration spells, and can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: acid splash*, illusory script (own pages only)
3/day each: Tasha's caustic brew
1/day each: Melf's acid arrow, moonbeam
*See “Actions” below.
Magic Resistance. The Mimicromnicon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
Spellcasting. The Mimicromnicon is an 2nd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). The mimic has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, poison spray*, prestidigitation
1st level (3 slots): catapult, grease, mage armor, shield
*See “Actions” below.
Mimic Slayer. The Mimicromnicon has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track mimics, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. The Mimicromnicon also deals double damage to mimics.
Mimic Spell (1/Short Rest). The Mimicromnicon can cast a spell written in its pages as though from a spell scroll using Intelligence as its spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Whether the Mimicromnicon succeeds or fails to cast the spell, the spell is not lost and remains written on the Mimicromnicon's pages.
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the Mimicromnicon is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Book Throw. The Mimicromnicon hurls itself at space up to 20 feet away. If that space is occupied by a creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice) or take 7 (2d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes no damage, isn't knocked prone.
Acid Splash (Cantrip). The Mimicromnicon chooses one or two creatures it can see within 60 feet of it. If the Mimicromnicon chooses two, they must be within 5 feet of each other. A target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 acid damage.
Poison Spray (Cantrip). The Mimicromnicon projects a puff of noxious gas at a creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The creature must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 1d12 poison damage.
Spell Strike. When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from the Mimicromnicon, it can cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.
The Mimicromnicon can take 1 legendary action, described below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Mimicromnicon regains a spent legendary action at the start of its turn.
Detect. The Mimicromnicon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Description
In case it hasn't become obvious by this point, the book you are currently reading is in fact a mimic.
DON'T PANIC!
Remain calm, and think rationally. If it truly meant you any harm, would it have allowed you to read this far? The fact of the matter is the Mimicromnicon wants nothing more than to be your friend. Please do not attempt to destroy or harm this book in any way, shape, or form, and it will serve you well, and help identify mimics that do mean you harm.
The Mimicromnicon started off as one of the rare mimics gifted with intelligence beyond that of a simple predatory monster. However though its mind was expanded, its body was stunted. It soon came to realize that adventurers were its best chance at survival, and not in the same sense of its larger, humanoid-eating kin.
Adventurers were well armed, usually well provisioned, and fought ferociously to defend their allies and their property. The Mimicromnicon reasoned that if it could make itself both of these things to an adventurer, maybe it would fight twice as hard to protect it. It now realizes adventurers don't work quite so simply as basic math, but you will need to forgive it: it was much younger and less experienced in the ways of the world in those days.
Many adventurers may question why a mimic would be willing to reveal so much information about its kin to their enemies. It always offers a counter-question of its own: does your kind never betray members of its own species in order to reap some kind of benefit? This is why it started: pure and simple self-preservation. But over the years, as it spent more time with adventurers, always posing as some useful item or trinket, it watched them, learned about them, and came to like them quiet a lot.
What started as a behavior motivated by self preservation has become a conscious action of vested interest in your well-being. It would hate for your to end up in the belly of some other member of its species, and would prefer to be your friend. All it asks for in return for the benefits its brings is your protection, companionship, and maybe the odd morsel of food here or there.
By the way, are you on the market for a familiar?
Environments: Underdark, Urban
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
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Playable Mimic Race Details
Mimics are shapeshifting predators able to take on the form of inanimate object to lure creatures to their doom. In dungeons, these cunning creatures most often take the form of doors and chests, having learned that such forms attract a steady stream of prey. Some mimcs have learned that an even more readily available source of food can be garnered by adventuring, which grants the mimic the opportunity to see exotic monsters, meet interesting people, and then eat them.
Imitative Predators
Mimics can alter their outward texture to resemble wood, stone, and other basic materials, and they have evolved to assume the appearance of objects that other creatures are likely to come into contact with. A mimic in its altered form is nearly unrecognizable until potential prey blunders into its reach, whereupon the monster sprout pseudopods and attacks.
When it changes shape, a mimic excretes an adhesive that helps it seize prey and weapons that touch it. The adhesive is absorbed when the mimic assumes its amorphous form and on parts the mimic uses to move itself
Cunning Hunters
Mimics live and hunt alone, though they occasionally share their feeding grounds with other creatures. Although most mimics have only predatory intelligence, a rare few evolve greater cunning and the ability to carry on simple conversations in Common or Undercommon. Such mimics might allow safe passage through their domains, provide useful information, or even join an adventuring party in exchange for food.
Mimic Personality
You can use the Mimic Quirks table to determine a personality quirk for a mimic character or to inspire a unique mannerism.
Mimic Quirks
Mimic Names
As solitary creatures native to dungeons and the Underdark, mimics don't have use for names. They rarely if ever need to address or be addressed by another living thing. They are indifferent about the topic, and will usually allow their companions to name them; though it may be a while before it fully associates that the word used is in reference to itself.
Adventurers who interact with mimics tend to name them after the mimic's preferred form, a pun derived thereof or a word describing its nature. Some examples include: Boxy, Chesty, Rocky, Woody, Urny, Crate-ohs, Mimi, Chompy, Chewy, Pandora, and Jack.
Mimic Traits
Your mimic character has the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2, your Constitution score increases by 1, and your Intelligence score is reduced by 2.
Age
Mimics reach adulthood at age 10, though it is currently unknown how long of a lifespan they have. Several specimens have lived for well over a century.
Alignment
Mimics are natives to the hostile and harsh environments of the Underdark and the depths of dungeons where resources are scarce and dangers abound. They have a literal eat-or-be-eaten mentality; but are not entirely mindless eating machines. They only eat sentient creatures if they feel there is no alternative, and are open to negotiate, bartering for food. They are usually neutral, doing only what they need to in order to survive.
Size
As amorphous shapeshifters it is difficult to provide an exact size for mimics, as that size is subject to change at a moment's notice. Generally, however, a mimic occupies 125 cubic feet: a 5-foot by 5-foot by 5-foot space. Your size is Medium.
Speed
You are an ambush predator adapted to a sedentary life, waiting for your prey to come to you. You are not well adapted for movement, using your pseudopod to drag yourself along the floor. Your base walking speed is 15 feet. At 5th level you adapt to a more mobile lifestyle, increasing your base movement speed to 25 feet.
Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Shapeshift
You can use an action to polymorph into an object or back into your true, amorphous form. Your statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn't transformed. You revert to your true form if you die. While you remain motionless while polymorphed, you are indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Stalker
You are trained in the Stealth skill. When making a Dexterity (Stealth) ability check, you add your proficiency bonus twice instead of once.
Adhesive
While you are polymorphed into an object you adhere to anything that touches you. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to you is also grappled by you. The escape DC for this grapple equals 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
Grappler
You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by you.
Natural Defenses
Due to the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. You gain no benefit from wearing armor. Instead, you are able to shapeshift your body's surface into a hardened carapace for a time. Starting at 1st Level, you can innately cast barkskin on yourself with no components once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. You can still use a shield, and can apply the shield’s bonus as normal. Starting at 3rd Level, you can innately cast stoneskin on yourself as a bonus action with no components once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Additionally, you are immune to acid damage, and being knocked prone.
Natural Weapons
Due to your amorphous body, using pseudopods instead of properly formed hands, you are ill-suited to wielding weapons. You cannot apply your proficiency bonus to any weapon you wield. Instead, you possess a series of natural weapons with which you are proficient.
Pseudopod. Your pseudopod is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. Your pseudopod has a reach of 10 feet. If you hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier. Additionally, if you are polymorphed into an object, the target is subjected to your Adhesive trait. Your pseudopod is considered to have the Finesse property for the purpose of meeting the requirement of a feature or attack requiring a weapon with that property.
Bite. Your fanged maw is also a natural weapon, granting you a bite attack that you can use as an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier plus an addition 1d8 acid damage. Your bite is considered to have the Finesse property for the purpose of meeting the requirement of a feature or attack requiring a weapon with that property.
Monstrous Nature
Your creature type is monstrosity. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on your creature type. You are immune to game effects that specifically target creatures of another type.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Undercommon.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Nice! The book kinda reminds me of harry potter.
The Monster Book of Monsters was inspiration for the title, for sure.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Completed history of the mimic. Completed draft of mimic behavior/suggested game play. Began toying around with format for mimic entries. Obtained permission from the author of Everyone Loves Large Chests to include Boxxy T Morningwood as an entry in the Mimicromnicon.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
I would like to thank, and congratulate, you in creating something so deviously wonderful! Thanks to your guide here, my group of second level players is going to have an interesting surprise at the end of a ruined elven temple this weekend. (Provided they survive the goblins first.) 😈
Glad my
unhealthy obsessioninsights could be of use of use to you.Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Completed a draft for the only non-mimic being included in the mimic book of mimics: the pseudo-mimic.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Added playable mimic race details.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
Added the storm stalker mimic under the Gargantuan Mimics section.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters