A wall of screaming teeth and waving clubs — thirty large baboons with nothing to lose and a dominant male somewhere in the back deciding whether you’re worth the trouble.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 2d8 (avg 9 HP) |
| AC | 14 |
| AV | 0 |
| HR | +2 |
| FR | +2 |
| FD | 11 |
| Move | 120 ft (40 ft encounter) |
| Attacks | 1 club (1d6) + 1 bite (1d3) |
| Save As | Fighter 2 |
| Morale | 8 |
| Treasure | Type U (lair — accumulated incidentally) |
| Alignment | Neutral |
| CR | 1 (individual) / 4 (pack of 20+) |
| Size | Medium |
| Intelligence | Animal (INT 2) |
| XP | 20 |
AC/AV Reasoning #
RC original is AC 6 (descending) = Ascending AC 14 — identical to the White Ape and Snow Ape entries. All three are large primates of similar build, and the consistent AC 14 across the ape family is correct.
- AC 14 — Rock baboons are fast (120 ft), agile, and move with the low-slung unpredictable motion of a large primate. They are not evasive in a trained sense — they simply do not hold still, which makes precise strikes difficult. AC 14 reflects this natural animal mobility.
- AV 0 — Rock baboons have no significant hide thickness, fat layer, or natural protection worth noting. When hit they are hurt. The danger of a rock baboon pack is not that individual animals are tough — it is that there are 5d6 of them.
- FD 11 — Standard base FD for a Medium creature with no special anchoring. Rock baboons are easy to Shove or Trip — but in a pack of thirty, knocking one down accomplishes very little.
Comparison with ape entries:
| Trait | Rock Baboon | White Ape | Snow Ape |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD | 2 | 4 | 3+1 |
| AV | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Individual CR | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Pack CR | 4 (20+) | 3 (lair) | 5 (ambush) |
| Signature | Pack mob | Wall drop | Club + hug-lock |
| Intelligence | Animal (2) | Animal (2) | Low (4) |
| Tool use | Improvised clubs | None | Crafted clubs, bone |
The Rock Baboon is the weakest of the three individually but compensates through pack size. Thirty 2 HD animals generating 2 club attacks + 2 bite attacks per round is 120 dice of potential damage — the mathematics of mass attack make this a genuine threat despite the modest individual statistics.
Skill Slots #
(2 total — 2 HD, Animal intelligence INT 2)
Animal intelligence caps at minimum skill allocation. 2 HD = 2 base slots. Both slots go to survival instincts — the Rock Baboon has nothing left over for developed capability.
| Slot | Skill / Ability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Basic) | HR +2; the club and bite attacks are practiced through pack fighting and prey-catching — instinctive accuracy, not trained technique |
| 2 | Alertness (Basic) | Cannot be surprised on open rocky terrain; detects intruders through sight and vocalization at long range. Rock baboons post sentries on high points — dominant male behavior includes stationing younger males at elevated positions as lookouts. A party approaching from any direction on open terrain will be spotted at twice normal detection range (240 ft rather than standard). The screaming alarm call travels 300+ ft in still air |
Martial Style #
Style: Hard (Basic rank, improvised) Rank: Basic
Rock baboons fight with pure aggressive momentum — no technique, no positioning, no defense. Hard Basic captures this exactly. The club is grabbed opportunistically (a bone, a branch, a stone — whatever is at hand) and swung with both the upper body power of a large primate and the indifferent ferocity of an animal in combat mode.
Improvised weapon note: The RC states rock baboons “will pick up bones or branches to use as clubs.” They do not manufacture weapons — they grab what is available. In terrain without useful debris the club attack is replaced by a second claw/slap (1d4, same HR). In rocky terrain stones are always available; in forest terrain branches are always available. In underground or artificial environments the DM determines availability.
Dual attack: Club + bite is a genuine two-attack sequence each round, not a special ability. The baboon clubs with its dominant arm while simultaneously lunging to bite — these attacks are anatomically independent and both resolve normally.
No Combat Breath: Pure animal instinct. Does not use CB. Fights until morale fails or HP is gone.
Combat Maneuvers #
Pack Mob — The Core Threat #
The Rock Baboon’s defining tactical feature is the pack. Individual animals are CR 1 nuisances. A pack of 20–30 is a serious encounter through sheer volume of attacks overwhelming any defensive capability.
Mob bonuses (per group size attacking a single target):
| Baboons attacking one target | HR bonus | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | +0 | Standard |
| 3–4 | +1 | Flanking |
| 5–6 | +2 | Full surround |
| 7+ | +2 (capped) | Cannot meaningfully increase beyond +2 — too many bodies get in each other’s way |
Action economy: The genuine threat of the pack is not the HR bonus — it is the number of attack rolls. A party of four facing a pack of 28 baboons (the average 5d6 lair encounter) faces 28 × 2 = 56 attack rolls per round against four AC values. Even at HR +2 vs. AC 14, approximately 45% of attacks connect — that is 25 hits per round for a collective average of 25 × (avg 3.5 + avg 2) = 137 damage per round spread across four characters. Before AV and saves. This is lethal.
Pack splitting: The dominant male coordinates pack behavior (see Dominant Male below). Without the dominant male’s authority the pack attacks targets opportunistically — two or three baboons per target, shifting fluidly. With the dominant male directing, the pack can focus on one target at a time (maximum concentration) or spread evenly (prevent any single target from being ignored).
Territorial Scare Display #
The RC states rock baboons “will try to scare intruders out of their hunting grounds” rather than immediately attacking. This is the encounter’s default opening behavior — parallel to the White Ape’s Phase 2 threat display but louder and more chaotic.
Display behavior:
- Alarm call: The sentry baboon (or any baboon that spots the party) emits a sustained screaming alarm. All baboons within 300 ft converge on the alarm location within 1d4 rounds.
- Display assembly: The pack gathers at the territory boundary, screaming, baring teeth, bouncing aggressively, and throwing debris (small rocks, sticks, dung — 1d3 damage, HR +0, range 20 ft, mostly just unpleasant).
- The dominant male’s role: He positions himself at the front of the display, largest and loudest, performing the most dramatic aggression display. He is simultaneously assessing the intruders.
Display duration: 1d4 rounds of display before the dominant male decides. Roll on the following table (modified by party behavior):
| d6 | Dominant male decision | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Pack retreats | Party is large (5+), armed, or has demonstrated magical capability |
| 4 | Stalemate continues | Party holds position, neither advancing nor retreating — roll again next round |
| 5–6 | Pack attacks | Party advances, party is small (1–3), or party fails to display appropriate deterrence |
Modifiers to the roll:
- Party size 5+ or obvious magical display: +2 (toward retreat)
- Party size 1–2: –2 (toward attack)
- Party shows food and throws it toward the pack: +3 (toward retreat — instant success on 4+)
- Party makes loud aggressive noises back: –1 (the pack interprets this as challenge, not deterrence)
- Fire visible to the pack: +4 (toward immediate retreat — rock baboons fear fire instinctively)
After the display: If the party retreats from the territory (moves more than 100 ft back from where they were spotted), the pack does not pursue beyond the territory boundary. Rock baboons do not chase prey out of their range — they have defended their ground successfully and return to normal activity.
Dominant Male — Special Rules #
The dominant male is the pack’s tactical center. He is identifiable as the largest, most aggressive individual, typically positioned front-and-center during displays and combat.
Dominant male statistics: +1 HD (3 HD, avg 14 HP), minimum 3 HP per HD, +1 HR (+3 total), same attacks but slightly higher damage (club 1d6+1, bite 1d3+1 from larger body).
Pack morale anchor: The pack’s Morale 8 applies only while the dominant male is alive and conscious. If the dominant male is killed or flees:
- Remaining pack members check Morale immediately at –2 (effective Morale 6)
- On a failed check the entire pack scatters — each animal flees in a random direction
- On a successful check the pack continues fighting but loses all coordinated behavior (no mob HR bonus, no pack focus, pure chaos)
Targeting the dominant male: Experienced adventurers know that killing the dominant male collapses pack cohesion. The dominant male is always in the front rank and always moving — he is not hiding behind the pack. His higher HP (minimum 9 HP, typically 14) makes him only slightly harder to kill than a regular pack member, and the payoff is enormous. A party that identifies and focuses fire on the dominant male can collapse a pack of thirty into thirty confused animals within 2–3 rounds.
Successor dynamics: If the dominant male is killed, a new dominant male will emerge within 1d4 rounds — the next largest male challenges his way to the front. This successor has only base statistics (2 HD, Morale 8). The pack does not collapse permanently — but the 1d4 rounds of leadership transition is a window for the party to disengage or push a decisive advantage.
Treasure Type U #
The RC lists Treasure Type U for the lair. This seems surprising for an Animal intelligence creature — rock baboons do not value wealth. The explanation is behavioral and ecologically accurate: rock baboons collect shiny objects the same way corvids do, carrying interesting items back to their sleeping area. Type U (small amounts of coin and gems) represents incidentally accumulated items from:
- Previous prey (traveler belongings never retrieved)
- Items collected during territory exploration (dropped coins, a piece of jewelry caught in a crevice)
- Tribute items left by travelers who chose to throw offerings rather than fight
Treasure location: Scattered through the sleeping area of the lair — not organized, not guarded deliberately. The dominant male’s sleeping spot typically has the highest concentration of shiny items (he has claimed them from lower-ranking males). A party searching the lair after combat takes 1d4 turns to locate and collect the full Type U value.
Habitat & Ecology #
Primary Habitat: Hills, mountains, open rocky terrain. The RC is specific — rock baboons are a highland species. They need elevated vantage points (for sentry posting), rocky outcroppings (for shelter and sleeping), and open ground (for hunting small herd animals). They avoid dense forest (poor sightlines, no sentry positions) and deep underground (unfamiliar, dark).
Pack structure: Packs of up to 30 members led by one dominant male. The pack typically contains:
- 1 dominant male (see above)
- 2–4 senior males (subordinate to dominant but larger than females)
- 8–15 adult females
- 5–10 juveniles (1 HD, do not fight, flee to rocks on combat)
- Remainder: young adult males establishing their rank
Territory: Each pack holds approximately 3–5 square miles of hunting ground. Adjacent packs compete at boundary zones — boundary encounters between packs are all-display, rarely combat. The pack that holds higher ground wins the territorial dispute without fighting in most cases.
Diet: Omnivores preferring meat. Primary prey: small herd animals (antelope, goats, young deer). Secondary prey: large insects, birds’ eggs, fruit, roots. Humans are not preferred prey (the RC makes this explicit) — but a small isolated party that stumbles into the pack’s territory during a lean hunting period may be evaluated as viable prey if the dominant male decides the risk-reward is favorable.
Seasonal behavior:
- Spring: Birthing season — pack is more aggressive defending territory, females more defensive
- Summer: Peak hunting, pack spreads wider territory, less aggressive at boundaries
- Autumn: Pre-winter food competition, pack is more aggressive about defending food sources
- Winter (mountains): Pack retreats to lower elevations, territory compresses, encounters more likely near human settlements as prey becomes scarce
Relationship with settlements: A rock baboon pack near a hill-country settlement is a persistent nuisance — raiding grain stores, stealing livestock, harassing travelers on the road. Not a catastrophic threat like a giant ant colony but a sustained low-level problem that requires either driving the pack away (fire and determined resistance) or accepting tribute losses. Settlements in rock baboon territory typically maintain bonfire-equipped watchtowers, since fire is the most reliable immediate deterrent.
Natural predators: Manticores, griffons, wyverns, and large mountain cats all prey on rock baboons. A territory with an active aerial predator shows noticeably more aggressive baboon behavior — they are on edge, more likely to attack anything unfamiliar that enters the territory. A party that encounters unusually aggressive rock baboons should ask what is hunting them.
Encounter Notes #
The standard encounter: The party enters rocky highland terrain. A sentry baboon screams from a high point at 240 ft. The party has 1d4 rounds before the pack assembles for the display. The key decision is what the party does in those 1d4 rounds:
- Advance: Triggers the display (and then the dominant male’s decision table)
- Hold position: The display comes to them
- Retreat: The pack follows to the territory boundary but does not cross it
- Show fire (torch or spell): Add +4 to the dominant male’s decision roll — near-certain retreat
- Throw food: +3 to decision roll — strong chance of peaceful resolution
The fire deterrent: Fire is the most reliable non-combat solution to rock baboon encounters. A torch held visibly during the display almost certainly triggers retreat. A Fireball or Flame Strike cast near (not into) the pack is an instant scatter — no Morale check needed, the pack simply runs. A party in rock baboon territory that maintains visible fire has effectively posted “do not approach” signage in a language the baboons understand instinctively.
When combat happens: The party either triggered the attack through the decision table or was already in a situation where retreat was impossible. Combat with a full pack (20+ animals) is primarily a survival encounter, not a combat encounter — the party’s goal should be escape or pack collapse, not systematic elimination.
Escape options:
- Elevation: Climbing to a position the baboons cannot easily follow (a sheer rock face, a ruin wall) reduces the number of attacking animals from “all of them” to “however many can reach”
- Fire: A flame barrier (oil, Wall of Fire, sustained torches) the baboons will not cross is an immediate solution
- Kill the dominant male: Pack morale check at –2, potential instant scatter
The “defeat” condition for rock baboons: The pack’s Morale 8 means they check when half are dead — but with 20+ animals that means killing 10+ before any check. In a 30-animal pack the party needs to deal approximately 90 HP of damage (10 animals × avg 9 HP) before a Morale check triggers. With four party members that is a serious sustained commitment. The dominant male kill is almost always the faster path.
CR justification:
- Individual: 2 HD, dual attack, Morale 8 = CR 1
- Pack 10–19: Mob HR bonus, dominant male coordination, numerical attrition = CR 3
- Pack 20+: Full mob, action economy overwhelm, dominant male present, 56+ attack rolls per round = CR 4
