Thri-Kreen: Dune, Insect Edition

Lore: Sand Drifters

Wandering alone in the deserts and savannas of the world, thri-kreen are true survivors. In many ways, they are as any other humanoid race. Though they feel emotions and speak a language, they don’t do so as normal creatures might, communicating without words and not letting their emotions rule them.

While communicating with other races, they may employ other methods of speak, such as drawing pictures or making murals with whatever they have on hand. However, they consider all living things as potential nourishment; if one does not have anything else to offer, they’ll soon find themselves a meal. Thri-kreen do this not out of pleasure, but out of the simple necessity to survive.

Thri-kreen are a sophisticated people. There are those among them who employ rather complex weapons, and a few even who have psionic abilities. However, they do not live long, as they only have a lifespan of thirty years. Perhaps because these creatures never sleep and never truly rest.

I’m honestly surprised by how much I like the lore here! There’s so much you could do with it! The players could run across them in the desert and have to prove their worth to earn their trust. Or maybe they befriend one in their travels and have to assist them on some quest. Put your imagination cap on, and you could write some pretty cool stories here!

Design: Ant-Man Sequels Be Like

There are some beasties I’d never want to run into. This? This is definitely near the top of that list.

Man, Marvel is going in a weird direction with Ant-Man these days.

This is an awesome design. It’s just so weird and creative and cool! Plus, it works well for the lore. You can absolutely see this creature wandering the desert, using exaggerated motions to speak, and eating people.

Yeah, try to keep in mind that these guys are carnivorous monsters.

Man, even the weapons are cool. Who needs a normal spear when you have… whatever the hell that is. It’s badass!

I really like this design. It’s a solid one. Let’s just see if this monster can stick the landing with a cool fight.

Stats: The Bug Can Read Your Mind!!!

A regular thri-kreen isn’t a particularly dangerous enemy. Its AC isn’t bad, but its HP isn’t especially impressive. While it has Multiattack, none of its actions do all that much damage, though its Bite can poison its target, paralyzing them.

It does have two special abilities to make it stand out. First is Chameleon Carapace, which gives it advantage on Stealth checks, making for easy ambushdes. As for momentum, it has Standing Leap, allowing it to jump long distances.

That sound a bit too boring for you? Not to worry. There are a few different varieties of thri-kreen to use. You’ve got one with different weapons, as well as one with telepathy and a small spell list. Here’s what that looks like:

At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible)
2/day each: blur, magic weapon
1/day each: invisibility (self only)

Weak though they may be, these monsters still make for a pretty good battle. The normal thri-kreen make for a solid starting battle, and the psionic variety is just tricky enough to really push the players. It may not blow them away, but it’s solid.

Placement

This was a surprisingly solid monster. Lore, design, stats, it nailed all three! I genuinely wasn’t expecting such a good entry, but here we are!

With all that in mind, the Thri-Kreen is going to #29 on the Best of the Bestiary!

Beholder
Death Tyrant
Mind Flayer
Dragon Turtle
Tarrasque
Mummy/Mummy Lord
Nagas (all three of ’em)
Green Dragons
Red Dragons
Blue Dragons
Black Dragons
White Dragons
Silver Dragons
Couatl
Behir
Aboleth
Sea Hag
Slaadi (all six of ’em)
Lamia
Bronze Dragons
Brass Dragons
Copper Dragons
Gold Dragons
Chuul
Kuo-Toa
Gibbering Mouther
Kraken
Intellect Devourer
Thri-Kreen <————–
Shadow
Chimera
Sphinxes
Death Knight
Fomorian
Bone Devil
Dracolich
Faerie Dragon
Gelatinous Cube
Lich
Peryton
Remorhaz
Orcs (all four of ’em)
Magmin
Shield Guardian
Kobold
Kenku
Hobgoblins
Night Hag
Green Hag
Black Pudding
Ankheg
Hook Horror
Succubus/Incubus
Oni
Purple Worm
Storm Giant
Hill Giant
Empyrean
Efreeti
Grimlock
Minotaur
Dao
Cloud Giant
Manticore
Scarecrow
Drow (all four of ’em)
Shadow Demon
Modrons (all five of ’em)
Marilith
Drider
Aarackockra
Azer
Demilich
Spectator
Gray Ooze
Ochre Jelly
Hydra
Rakshasa
Marid
Salamander
Harpy
Werejackal
Otyugh
Satyr
Half-Dragon
Cambion
Fire Giant
Nothic
Pixie
Animated Armor
Roper
Banshee
Basilisk
Yochlol
Bulette
Cloaker
Darkmantle
Doppelganger
Revenant
Ghoul and Ghast
Sahuagin (all three)
Ettin
Sprite
Medusa
Pit Fiend
Erinyes
Chain Devil
Bearded Devil
Barbed Devil
Spined Devil
Ice Devil
Mimic
Djinni
Merrow
Nalfeshnee
Glabrezu
Chasme
Grell
Barlgura
Horned Devil
Balor
Skeletons
Shadow Dragon
Myconids (all four of ’em)
Piercer
Werebear
Lizardfolk
Vrock
Dretch
Pseudodragon
Gnolls (all three)
Goristro
Hezrou
Manes
Quaggoth
Frost Giant
Weretiger
Werewolf
Duergar
Quasit
Dryad
Shambling Mound
Flumph
Goblin
Nightmare
Rust Monster
Wereboar
Wererat
Githyanki
Owlbear
Planetar
Imp
Ogres/Half-ogres
Roc
Clay Golem
Flameskull
Displacer Beast
Carrion Crawler
Githzerai
Grick
Invisible Stalker
Rug of Smothering
Bugbear Chief
Bugbear
Flesh Golem
Vine Blight
Twig Blight
Needle Blight
Mephits (all six of ’em)
Bullywug
Hellhound
Ettercap
Gas Spore
Cockatrice
Lemure
Homonculus
Merfolk
Solar
Deva
Gorgon
Hippogriff
Griffon
Cyclops
Centaur
Ghost
Pegasus
Fire Elemental
Water Elemental
Air Elemental
Stone Giant
Deep Gnome
Dinosaurs (All six of them)
Stirge
Specter
Iron Golem
Stone Golem
Earth Elemental
Galeb Duhr
Helmed Horror
Flying Sword
Crawling Claw
Violet Fungus
Shrieker
Gargoyle