| Cloaker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Cloak-like | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Aggressivity | Very high | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | Prime Material Plane | ||
| Habitat | Caverns, Underdark | ||
| Diet | Carnivore | ||
| Locomotion | Hovers or flies | ||
| Status | Critically endangered (listed as "very rare" in-game) | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Dungeons & Dragons | ||
| Created by | Gary Gygax | ||
Cloakers are flying mollusks that ambush their sapient, adventuring prey by pretending to be a cloak, attacking their victim upon being donned.
Monster Manual descriptions[]
2nd Edition[]
A cloaker is a shadow-dwelling, unearthly creature. They are normally only encountered in deep, dark caverns, far beneath the earth. Though they are highly intelligent, their thought processes are alien to most races and usually only magic-users are able to communicate with them.
A cloaker resembles a large semicircular cloak or blanket with two claw-like appendages at the tips and a long, mace-like tail. Black eyespots cover its back like buttons on a cloak, and when the tail is hidden it is almost impossible to distinguish a cloaker from a real cloak. In the middle of its front is a large gaping mouth and 2 glowing red eyespots. Because of all of its eyes a cloaker cannot be surprised by an attack from the rear side. Cloakers are lightweight and can fly at a rate of 15" or creep with their claws along walls at 1".
Cloakers attack by flying at a character and wrapping the victim in their folds, pinning the victim's arms, and preventing the victim from returning the attack. Once a character is wrapped a cloaker may then bite at the victim's belly or back; points of damage done are 1-4 plus the unadjusted armor class of the victim. The cloaker may normally strike with its tail twice per round for 1-6 points of damage. It often uses its tail to fend off attackers while slaying its enveloped victim. The tail is armor class 1 and can take 16 points of damage before being cut off.
Any attacks on the cloaker while it is wrapped around a victim will cause half-damage to the victim and half-damage to the cloaker. Area effect attacks such as a fire-based spell will cause full damage to both victim and cloaker.
Cloakers regularly emit a subsonic moaning. The effects of this moaning are blocked by stone. Cloakers may not bite and moan at the same time. This moaning can cause several effects as the monster desires. The lowest intensity level of moaning causes nervousness and unease to all who are within range. It will numb the minds of those who listen to it for more than 6 consecutive turns, making them Zombie-like. Anyone within hearing range of this moaning will fight at -2 to hit and damage. The effect has a range of 80 feet.
The 2nd level of intensity evokes fear, as would a fear spell within a 30-foot range. Characters must save vs. spells or run in terror. The duration of this fear will last only 2 rounds.
The 3rd level of intensity causes nausea and weakness very similar to that caused by a stinking cloud spell. The area of effect is a cone 30 feet long and 20 feet wide at its open end. The effect will last for 2-5 rounds. Anyone caught within the area of effect must save vs. poison or be helpless due to nausea.
The 4th level of intensity acts as a hold person spell. This effect can only be used on 1 target at a time, up to a 30-foot range. The effect lasts 5 rounds. The effects of a cloaker's moaning can be neutralized by use of a neutralize poison spell.
A cloaker also has the power to manipulate shadows. It may use shadows to hide in or obscure its opponent's sight, increasing its own armor class to 1. The shadow manipulation is precise enough to allow the cloaker to produce shadowy images. When shrouded in shadows the cloaker can even produce shadow doubles of itself real enough to fool attackers (treat as a mirror image spell). A light spell will blind a cloaker and prevent shadow shifting.