Summary of Powers
This is a full breakdown of the Hunting Horror’s stats as they are presented in the story, along with commentary on how those stats apply to the Monster in the Dark in particular.
This website actually starts here. A quirk of Just the Docs makes this less apparent.
The other pages cover much of the same information, but in more depth and with a focus on the tools Rich used to weave the Hunting Horror into his story.
Size
Comparing the box the Monster in the Dark occupies to that of Large creatures, such as the horses characters occasionally ride, suggests that it is also Large. The Hunting Horror is Huge, which probably influenced Rich’s decision to make the Monster in the Dark a child.
Type
The Hunting Horror is a Dragon type creature. Its use of the Shock Wave feat, which allows a creature to create localized earthquakes with a tail strike, reinforces this classification. Because Shock Wave can only be taken by Dragon-type creatures, its presence acts as a quiet confirmation of the Hunting Horror’s type even before that information becomes explicit.
Subtype
The Hunting Horror’s subtype, Greater Servitor, signifies a species that was created by a deity to serve it, though individual members may or may not still be in its service. This draws an interesting parallel to Rich’s portrayal of “Usually Evil” species, where origins do not dictate individual morality.
For the Hunting Horror, this connection links to Nyarlathotep. However, Rich created the Snarl at least partly as a substitute for Nyarlathotep in his setting.
Hit Dice
Many.
Initiative
Not extraordinary.
Speed
The Hunting Horror has a 30’ Slither as its movement type, but the Slither movement type only exists in d20 Call of Cthulhu, not D&D proper. This might explain Belkar’s confusion in trying to follow the Monster in the Dark’s tracks, but see also comments on its movement below.
It also has a 60’ fly speed, which might help it reach the upper ledges of Monster Hollow when it is painting extra X’s on doors.
Armor Class
Fair enough, I guess, but a seasoned adventurer prepared for this CR can do much better.
Attacks
The Hunting Horror’s natural and special attacks suggest a variety of tactics
Bite (Ravenous Maw) –> Improved Grab –> Masticate
Tail-Tentacle –> Improved Grab –> Constrict
Having its bite described as a ravenous maw is one of many indicators that the Hunting Horror has a Monster-in-the-Dark-like appetite.
Masticate and Constrict are both automatic attacks (no hit roll) that damage an object or creature that the Hunting Horror is grabbing. In theory they’re applied when the Hunting Horror chooses, but if the Monster in the Dark lacks control then this could explain why all its Power Ranger toys are broken.
Bite (Ravenous Maw) –> Improved Grab –> Swallow Whole –> Vomit
Swallow Whole is another sign the Hunting Horror has a Monster-in-the-Dark-like appetite.
Vomit lets the Hunting Horror spit a character it has swallowed whole at another character as an attack.
Start of Darkness, page 96
Both Swallow Whole and Vomit are referenced when Xykon hypnotizes the Monster in the Dark and orders it to devour Redcloak whole and spit out the gold amulet he wears.
It’s significant that text elsewhere describes the Hunting Horror as devouring its meals in a single round, which is another sign that Hunting Horrors have a Monster-in-the-Dark-like appetite and also links Hunting Horrors to devouring in general, which comes up several times in reference to the Monster in the Dark.
Tail-Tentacle –> Improved Grab –> Bite (Ravenous Maw)
The Hunting Horror has no hands and must manipulate objects using its improved grabs. However, the rules recommend that it make additional bite attacks on a character held in its tail-tentacle. This implies a surprising degree of manual dexterity, even without hands. Eating a struggling target like a taco is far more difficult than it seems.
Wing Slap
This is the Hunting Horror’s weakest attack. The Hunting Horror has a single wing growing out of the middle of its back. A wing slap involves rotating this wing nearly 180 degrees around its axis, like a batter swinging a bat in baseball. Ironically, this is what inspired Rich to make the Monster in the Dark capable of big hits, knocking things out of the park.
Damage
While debate persists about whether Xykon’s phylactery has the same stats as phylacteries presented in the rules, it’s still worth noting that the Hunting Horror has multiple attacks that can pierce the hardness of a stock phylactery, including both Masticate and Constrict.
Face/Reach
The Hunting Horror is a Long creature, meaning a Large version is one square tall and two squares long, like a horse. This orientation makes the box it’s in more comfortable than if it were a Tall creature, like an ogre.
Special Attacks
Roar
The Hunting Horror’s stats allude to dragons at several points. This is the Hunting Horror’s breath weapon analogy, a cone of sonic damage that it can use once every 1d4 turns. The Monster in the Dark may have been using this when it commanded Haley and Belkar to stop, or its loud voice may have been inspired by this without going so far as attempting to do damage to Haley and Belkar.
Nausea
Start of Darkness, page 50
The Monster in the Dark’s smell is mentioned once in Start of Darkness and never again. Regardless of what the Monster in the Dark actually is, this was a plot hole until it was revealed that Redcloak has access to magical air fresheners that can kill the scent.
The genius of using an air freshener to hide the Hunting Horror’s aura of nausea is that Rich can indicate that it has a terrible smell by showing us the visible means of stopping it, instead of having to figure out how to draw a smell or waste time describing it in dialog. It also means Rich doesn’t have to remind us every so often that it does smell. Once in the beginning is enough.
Special Qualities
Smoke Form
Smoke Form is used to make the Hunting Horror noncorporeal. This is how it was tickled in the Tower scene when Miko attacked it. Even when Miko did damage, she was still tickling the smoke.
This is not how the Hunting Horror endured Belkar’s attacks, that’s Deflect Harm, below. It’s important to note that it used two different abilities because the common reaction is to conflate the two events with features of both. Deflect Harm prevents all damage, Smoke Form allows some through, but doesn’t require concentration so it can still be presented as tickling.
If you work out the math, adding up the incorporeality, AC, typical damage from weapons, and fast healing, Miko has little chance of ever killing a Hunting Horror in Smoke Form, even if it just stands there and takes it all.
Vulnerable to Light
The Hunting Horror takes damage in light, less from torch light, more from daylight. This damage is offset by its Fast Healing, meaning light isn’t actually a danger to the Monster in the Dark, just a way to disable its Fast Healing.
It also takes maximized damage from light-based attacks, but the only light-based attack in the SRD is the Lantern Archon’s light rays. This makes the Monster in the Dark’s encounter with Lantern Archons more specifically targeted at the Monster in the Dark, instead of just being a random choice for an encounter.
Xykon knows the Hunting Horror only through descriptions by others and tends to follow that script, even when it doesn’t match the Monster in the Dark’s actual preferences. Hence he keeps the Monster in the Dark in darkness at all times, which Hunting Horrors normally prefer.
Fast Healing
In addition to nullifying the threat of its vulnerability to light, this also makes the minor damage Miko can do in the Tower scene negligible. Given that damage is going to heal up right away, Rich might be more comfortable portraying Miko’s attacks as meaningless even when some damage gets through.
Spell-Like Abilities
All Spell-Like Abilities are at will
Darkness
Start of Darkness, page 49
This is important for the part of the Monster in the Dark’s story where it doesn’t have access to companions with fabulous magical powers, and especially to the Jungle scene. Whenever it’s tired of the light, it can retreat into its own darkness. This further mutes the impact of its weakness to light.
Deflect Harm
This ability completely nullifies an attack at the cost of Concentration and 2 points of Intelligence damage per attack. Rich often shows characters concentrating on spells while engaging in other activities, which makes it plausible for the Monster in the Dark to defend itself with this ability while maintaining a separate line of thought.
After Belkar retreats, it remarks on how tired it feels. A similar moment occurs after casting the Escape spell. In both cases, the fatigue likely reflects the ability damage incurred: Intelligence for Deflect Harm, and Intelligence and Wisdom for the Escape spell.
Evil Eye
The Monster in the Dark tries to use this to help O-Chul against the acid-breathing shark, but it fails. Evil Eye only grants bad luck, and he was trying to grant good luck. This misfire leads to an awkward exchange with Tsukiko, who sarcastically remarks that she has no idea why simply wishing for something didn’t work. The Monster in the Dark, missing the sarcasm entirely, agrees with her in earnest. This exchange reinforces that the Monster in the Dark is earnest but inexperienced, mistaking the spell’s effect and drawing a blank when it backfires.
Fist of Yog-Sothoth
Grasp of Cthulhu
The Fist pushes things, but can’t pull them. The Grasp holds things, but can’t move them. These exactly parallel the Monster in the Dark’s description of itself in the Rope Scene.
Suggestion
This seems like something that would be really useful to have, but the Monster in the Dark never seems to use it. It might have been inspiration for the scene where the Monster in the Dark orders Haley and Belkar to stop, but they don’t get swirly eyes.
True Strike
This would be a great way to make sure to hit something’s sweet spot, if Rich thought that way.
Death by Flames
Shriveling
Wrack
These three are not demonstrated in the story because the Monster in the Dark is reasonably kind hearted, but I have it in my head that people might think I’m hiding them if I don’t mention them.
Apropos of nothing, I really like Death by Flames. The damage is underwhelming compared to the Hunting Horror’s other options, and the spell requires concentration, but that’s exactly what makes it fun. A DM can tag a party member with it, then have the Hunting Horror vanish into the shadows, leaving the group scrambling to track it down before the spell finishes the job. It’s a perfect fit for the mounting dread of Call of Cthulhu, where countermeasures are scarce and death feels personal. It’s not the most efficient tool, but it’s dramatic.
Saves
Impressive but surmountable.
Abilities
Its Intelligence and Wisdom are high from the perspective of ordinary NPCs, which may be why it learns Go so easily.
Start of Darkness, Page 84
Its Charisma is higher than its Intelligence and Wisdom, which fits its role in the story. It has occasional success misleading other characters, but not with the skill of a focused social build, and in the Circus Scene, one character even calls it strangely beautiful.
Strength is its highest stat, with a +12 bonus to Strength rolls. This is prodigious but not unattainable for high level characters focused on Strength.
Skills
It has some other skills, but these seem to actually see use in the story. All skills are just shy of Epic.
Spellcraft
The Monster in the Dark uses this to know the difference between Arcane and Divine spells, and to recognize that Tsukiko’s ritual is actually half a ritual.
Knowledge (Occult)
The Monster in the Dark is showing this off when it demonstrates that it knows about magical tomes, the Astral plane, and Goblinoid politics.
This is complicated and it’s worth looking on the navigation pane for “A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore” if you want to know more.
Intimidate
A third possibility for how the Monster in the Dark persuaded Haley and Belkar to stop is through its Intimidate skill. This interpretation contrasts with how Xykon and Redcloak repeatedly downplay its fear factor. However, being capable of intimidation and choosing to use it are separate issues.
An alternative approach would be to assume that the Monster in the Dark doesn’t have this skill, for whatever reason. There are other ways to achieve the “Stop!” effect, and it smooths out the scenes where the Monster in the Dark is not intimidating.
Move Silently
It is possible that Rich intended this skill to be active when Miko escapes her forcecage and immediately encounters the Monster in the Dark, unaware that it has been watching her movements.
Feats
Most of its feats are undemonstrated because they’re combat related and we just don’t get a lot of Monster in the Dark combat in the story. The exception is:
Shot on the Run
The Hunting Horror does not qualify for this feat. It has the Dexterity, but is missing literally all of the prerequisite feats, and even if it had those, its only ranged attack is its Vomit attack. That’s why Rich felt free to replace it with:
Shock Wave
This is a feat in Draconomicon that lets a Dragon slap the ground with its tail and create an earthquake that damages characters, structures, and unattended objects. That’s how the Monster in the Dark managed the earthquake scene.
Challenge Rating
By its CR, the Hunting Horror is supposed to be a stiff challenge for a party of the Order of the Stick’s level in Book Seven, but it’s set up as a hit-and-run attacker that uses terror tactics to slowly take a party apart, so Rich may have been disappointed to find out he couldn’t have it stand and deliver for scenes like the Tower scene, which explains why what is going on in those scenes can be so convoluted.
Climate/Terrain
Start of Darkness, Page 49
The Hunting Horror can normally be found in any nighttime or sunless place, which is why the Stereotyped Big Game Hunters were so astonished to find it in a jungle that was celebrated for its bright, sunny days.
Advancement
The basic Hunting Horror is Huge, but it can advance all the way to Gargantuan and Colossal, which means the Monster in the Dark’s “big, really big” father could be almost any size.
Sanity Loss
Start of Darkness, page 84
The Hunting Horror’s equivalent to a Dragon’s Fear Aura is the Sanity check it forces on observers. As a Call of Cthulhu monster, it automatically triggers a Sanity Check on any character who sees it. This is what plays out during the Circus Scene, where human onlookers panic while the Goblins are excited.
Monsters are immune to Sanity Checks, which is why the Goblins are unaffected. The mechanic mirrors how the story distinguishes between PCs and monsters, and this split may have helped inspire one of the comic’s core themes.
Xykon and Redcloak, being immune to the effect, may have expected the Monster in the Dark to be terrifying, possibly based on descriptions written by humans, and been surprised at how little it fazed them. This mismatch between expectation and experience could explain their dismissive remarks.
Description
Hunting horrors exist to seek out prey, and are compelled to either destroy their victims utterly or fetch them back to their dark master.
The Monster in the Dark is introduced with a clear role: It is to kill the Order of the Stick when Xykon gives the signal. The overlap with the Hunting Horror’s motif is what drew Rich to the Hunting Horror when the Monster in the Dark was still mostly something to unleash on the party.
Few who see a hunting horror ever live to report it.
Start of Darkness, Page 84
This is played out in the story. Only a few characters know anything about it. Some comment on how unusual it is, and one character in the Circus Scene comments on never seeing anything like it before.
Those who have describe it as an enormous black ropy worm or serpent, rather like a legless dragon seen in a nightmare,
This is a direct parallel to Oona’s comment about the Monster in the Dark looking like something seen in dreams after eating Remorhaz Kebab.
with a single wing rising from the middle of the back
See the comment above about its Wing Slap attack.
and a long sinuous tail trailing behind.
This is important because its tail-tentacle is the only way it can hold something and talk at the same time, and it’s frequently seen holding things relatively high up and close to its face.
A great gaping maw filled with jagged, irregular teeth gapes open hungrily as it flies in search of prey.
One more indicator that the Monster in the Dark has a Hunting Horror-like appetite.
It does not move in a direct line, but flies in strange, spiraling, non-Euclidean paths, coiling its way across the sky at a great speed.
This is the alternative to its Slither movement type for explaining why Belkar is having trouble following its tracks. Non-Euclidean paths would be unique for Belkar. The weakness is it describes how it flies instead of how it slithers, but this can be overcome.
The creatures are mutable, as some have reported them with two wings instead of one, or two eyes instead of a single three-lobed yellow eye.
This is critical because the Monster in the Dark was originally portrayed with two eyes, and picking a monster with a three-lobed eye would have made it harder for readers to connect the dots.
Amusing detail: The official artwork for the Hunting Horror shows it as a dragon, with two eyes and two wings. It’s easy to imagine the writers asked for a “legless dragon,” got back a perfectly good legless dragon from the artist, and then realized their mistake. Rather than scrap the art, they just declared the creature mutable. What a funny coincidence for Rich.
Occasionally they take the form of a vast formless cloud of pitch-black smoke.
See the comment above about its Smoke Form special quality.
In all cases, their presence is accompanied by an unutterably foul odor or stench.
See the comment above about its Nausea attack.
Hunting horrors haunt the dark places of the universe,
See the comment above about its Climate/Terrain
from which they are called up at the whim of their lord Nyarlathotep to hunt down any who have offended him.
See the comment above about its Greater Servitor subtype.
Some maintain that they are actually made of incarnate darkness.
Sadly, too many characters look into the darkness and still recognize the Monster in the Dark within, so this is likely just a rumor in Rich’s setting.
Nyarlathotep sometimes takes the form of an enormous hunting horror; this avatar is known as “The Haunter of the Dark.”
Rich adopted the “Haunter of the Dark” name for Hunting Horrors in general because of its structural similarity to “Monster in the Dark.” He hinted at this switch in the strip where he notes that even monsters with banal names can turn out to have an objectively wrong number of body parts, which further connects this to its single wing in the middle of its back.
Hunting horrors rarely speak, although they utter great harsh cries when on the hunt. They understand instructions given them in any language and can empathetically project emotions at will.
Start of Darkness, page 50
The Stereotyped Big Game Hunters are surprised that the Hunting Horror speaks, and that it chooses Common over any of the languages it understands. We never see the Monster in the Dark project emotions empathetically, so it appears Rich chose the interpretation that it’s one of the rare Hunting Horrors that communicates through speech.
This fits with the idea that Hunting Horrors are often bound into service by cult leaders or evil sorcerers. A monster used in that role needs to understand and respond to instructions, not just from Nyarlathotep but from mortal casters as well.
The Summon Spell
The Monster in the Dark is not summoned, but the text of the Hunting Horror’s Summon spell teaches us important context about the Hunting Horror:
A sacrifice of a sentient creature must be offered to the hunting horror,
As noted above, Xykon knows the Hunting Horror only through descriptions by others and tends to follow that script, even when it doesn’t match the Monster in the Dark’s actual preferences. This is why he tries to feed it live sentient creatures even though the Monster in the Dark rejects them.
who devours it when it arrives (in 1 round).
This eating style is referenced several times in the comic. The Monster in the Dark is often shown with food but when it is actually depicted as eating it’s always eating as fast as possible.
The Monster in the Dark often has the word devour associated with its eating habits, for example when it comments on devouring Haley and Belkar. The Snarl also devours frequently, but other characters and monsters only see the word used once.