Small aberration, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3)
Speed 30 ft. (suggested) burrow 10 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +2 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) | 13 (+1) | 4 (-3) | 12 (+1) | 7 (-2) |
Skills Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Deep Speech
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Aberrant Quickness (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The choker can take an extra action on its turn.
Boneless. The choker can move through and occupy a space as narrow as 4 inches wide without squeezing.
Spider Climb. The choker can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The choker makes two tentacle attacks.
- Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the choker can’t use this tentacle on another target. The choker has two tentacles. If this attack is a critical hit, the target also can’t breathe or speak until the grapple ends.
- Tentacle (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, suffer 1d8 points of strangulation damage and the choker can’t use this tentacle on another target. The choker has two tentacles. If this attack is a critical hit, the target also can’t breathe or speak until the grapple ends.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A choker is a small aberration that lives underground and attacks its prey with its long tentacles. It has a rubbery skin that can change color to blend in with its surroundings. It can see in the dark and move quickly on walls and ceilings. It speaks Deep Speech and sometimes Common or Undercommon. It is chaotic evil in alignment and has a low intelligence.
In D&D 3.5 edition, a choker has a similar appearance and size as in D&D 5th edition, but it is more resilient and dangerous. It can grab and strangle its victims more effectively, preventing them from speaking or casting spells.
In D&D 4th edition, a choker is classified as a small natural beast instead of an aberration. It has two variants: the cavern choker and the feygrove choker. The cavern choker is similar to the choker in other editions, but it can also use its tentacles to pull its prey closer or knock them prone. The feygrove choker is a more colorful and agile version that lives in the Feywild. It can teleport short distances and use its tentacles to daze or immobilize its targets.
In D&D 2nd edition, a choker is also known as a lurker or a strangler. It is smaller than in other editions, being only one foot tall and weighing 15 pounds. It has four tentacles instead of two, each ending in a clawed hand. It can use its tentacles to manipulate objects or weapons, as well as to attack and grapple its foes. It can also secrete a sticky substance that helps it cling to surfaces or trap its prey.
COMBAT
A choker prefers to ambush its victims from hiding, using its speed and stealth to surprise them. It can move through and occupy narrow spaces without difficulty, thanks to its boneless body. It can also climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check, due to its spider climb ability.
A choker has two tentacle attacks that deal bludgeoning damage and can grapple and constrict the target. A choker can have up to two creatures grappled at the same time, one with each tentacle. A choker can also use its tentacles to drag a grappled creature closer to it. A choker’s bite attack deals piercing damage and can only be used against a creature that is within 5 feet of it.
In some editions, a choker has additional abilities that make it more formidable in combat. For example, in D&D 3.5 edition, it has an improved grab ability that allows it to make an additional tentacle attack against a grappled creature. A creature that is grappled by a choker cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components, due to the choker’s strangle ability. In D&D 4th edition, the cavern choker can use its tentacles to pull its prey closer or knock them prone, while the feygrove choker can teleport short distances and use its tentacles to daze or immobilize its targets. In D&D 2nd edition, the choker can use its tentacles to manipulate objects or weapons, as well as to secrete a sticky substance that helps it cling to surfaces or trap its prey.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A choker lives in dark and damp places, such as caves, sewers, or ruins. It is a solitary and territorial creature that avoids other chokers unless it is mating season. A choker mates once every five years, producing a clutch of eggs that hatch after six months. A choker reaches maturity after one year and can live up to 20 years.
A choker is not very sociable and rarely communicates with other creatures. It sometimes forms alliances with other underground dwellers, such as drow, duergar, or mind flayers, in exchange for food or protection. A choker can also be tamed by a skilled handler who can feed it regularly and avoid provoking it. A choker can be trained to perform simple tasks, such as guarding a passage or fetching an item.
ECOLOGY
A choker is a carnivorous creature that feeds on any living thing that it can catch and swallow. It prefers fresh meat, but will eat carrion if hungry enough. A choker can go without food for up to a month, but will become more aggressive and desperate as it starves. A choker’s digestive system is very efficient, leaving behind only bones and metal objects. A choker’s skin is valued by some alchemists and leatherworkers for its elasticity and camouflage properties.
Origin of the Choker
The choker makes its first appearance in the Mystara campaign setting, specifically in the gazeteer titled “The Dwarves of Rockhome”. The Mystara campaign setting is a fantasy world developed by Lawrence Schick and Tom Moldvay for their own Dungeons & Dragons game sessions from 1974 to 1976. It was the default setting for the “Basic” version of the game throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Dwarves of Rockhome is an accessory that details the dwarven land of Rockhome, and includes rules for dwarf characters. It is part of a series of Gazeteers that expand on the nations and cultures of the Known World, a central continent that includes a varied patchwork of both human and non-human realms.
In The Dwarves of Rockhome, the choker is described as one of the many dangers that lurk in the depths of Rockhome’s mountains. The choker is also mentioned in other sources, such as The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, The Northern Reaches, The Savage Coast, and Wrath of the Immortals.
No one knows the true origin of chokers, but there are different theories and legends. According to one source, the goblins of Mystara believe that chokers were the result of a tribe of goblins who had resorted to cannibalism and degenerated. Another source suggests that chokers were created by mind flayers as a failed experiment to breed a new slave race. A third source states that chokers were once a peaceful race of fey that were corrupted by the Far Realm and became twisted and evil.