The cloaker: how to challenge your players with an aberrant monster in the role-playing game D&D 5e
If you are role-playing game players, you probably have already found yourself fighting against the cloaker, one of the strangest and scariest monsters you can encounter in your adventures. The cloaker is an aberrant monster that disguises itself as a dark leather cloak and attacks its prey with its teeth, its tail and its psionic powers. The cloaker is a dangerous and unpredictable opponent, that can create illusions of itself, emit a frightening moan and transfer part of the damage it suffers to its target. In this article I will give you some tips on how to play the cloaker in your role-playing game, using the rules of the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D 5e).
Choose the place of the encounter
The first thing to do to make the cloaker a fearsome monster is to choose the place where to make it meet the players. The cloaker is a nocturnal monster, that prefers to hide in the darkness and surprise its victims. The cloaker has advantage on attacks and saving throws based on sight if it is in an area of darkness . This means that the cloaker will try to avoid places where there is a lot of light, such as the day outdoors or in a well-lit room. Some ideal places for the cloaker are:
- A cave or a mine dark and labyrinthine
- A castle or a fortress abandoned and infested by cobwebs
- A temple or a crypt cursed and full of traps
- A market or a tavern where the cloaker hides among the cloaks hanging
Use surprise and escape
The second thing to do to make the cloaker a fearsome monster is to use surprise and escape as its main weapons. The cloaker is a cunning and cowardly monster, that does not like to fight on equal terms with its enemies. The cloaker will try to catch the players by surprise, attacking them from behind or from the ceiling, and to escape if it finds itself in trouble. Some actions that the cloaker can do are:
- Hide as a cloak among objects or people, and attack when the players approach
- Use its ability False Appearance to look like an inanimate cloak, and attack when the players touch it or wear it
- Use its ability Moan to scare the players with a ghostly moan, and cause them negative effects such as fear, stun or panic
- Use its ability Phantasms to create three illusory duplicates of itself, and confuse the players about its true positioning
- Use its ability Damage Transfer to transfer part of the damage it suffers to its target, and reduce its resistance
- Use its action Bite to bite a creature and attach itself to it, preventing it from breathing and seeing
- Use its action Tail to hit a creature with its sharp tail, and inflict slashing damage
- Use its action Engulf to wrap a creature with its body, and suffocate it
- Use its action Dash to move quickly from one area to another, and escape from the attacks of the players
Adapt to enemies
The third thing to do to make the cloaker a fearsome monster is to adapt to enemies that it meets. The cloaker is an intelligent and curious monster, that studies its opponents and tries to exploit their weaknesses. The cloaker will try to understand what are the abilities, weapons and magic of the players, and counterattack with his own. Some strategies that the cloaker can use are:
- Attack the weakest or isolated characters, such as wizards or rogues, and ignore those stronger or protected, such as warriors or paladins
- Avoid characters that have abilities or spells that allow them to see through, such as true sight or divine sense, and focus on those who are deceived by his illusions
- Resist attacks or effects that are based on sight, such as charm or petrifying gaze, and take advantage of his immunity to blindness
- Fear attacks or effects that are based on light, such as sun spear or holy light, and try to avoid areas of bright light
- Be curious about attacks or effects that are based on mind, such as suggestion or sleep, and try to use them in turn with his psionic powers
Who are the allies of the cloaker?
The cloaker is a solitary and distrustful monster, that rarely allies with other creatures. However, in some circumstances, the cloaker can resort to allies to survive or to obtain advantages. Some possible allies of the cloaker are:
- Other cloakers. The cloaker can form a colony with others of its kind, and cooperate to hunt or defend themselves. A colony of cloakers can consist of 3-18 individuals, that communicate with each other with moans . A colony of cloakers can be a very formidable opponent for the players, who will have to face the illusions and psionic powers of multiple monsters at the same time.
- Aberrant creatures. The cloaker can ally with other aberrant creatures, such as aboleths, beholders or mind flayers, that share its extraplanar origin and its alien nature. The cloaker can serve these allies as a spy, explorer or guardian, in exchange for protection or knowledge. An aberrant creature can use the cloaker as its familiar or as its mental slave .
- Dark creatures. The cloaker can ally with other creatures that live in the darkness, such as drow, duergar or vampires, that appreciate its ability to blend in and create illusions. The cloaker can help these allies to set ambushes, sow terror or hide their secrets, in exchange for food or treasures. A dark creature can use the cloaker as its accomplice or as its pet .