Chimera (Dungeons & Dragons)

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Dungeons & Dragons creature
Chimera
Alignment Chaotic evil
Type Magical beast
Source books
First appearance
Mythological origins Chimera
Image Wizards.com image
Stats OGL stats

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the chimera is a large magical beast that appears to be an amalgam of several different creatures. A chimera is usually chaotic evil in alignment.

Contents

[edit] Creative origins

The chimera is based on the chimera of Greek mythology as found in the Iliad by Homer.[1]

[edit] Physical description

A chimera has the hindquarters of a goat, the forequarters of a lion, and a set of dragon wings. The beast has three heads: a horned goat, a lioness, and a dragon. The dragon head can be black, blue, green, red, or white, and has a breath weapon appropriate to the color. They rarely mate; their creation is the result of "a dark mystery better left unexplained", according to the Second Edition Monstrous Manual.

[edit] Society

Chimeras' dragonish nature often leads them to attack intelligent beings for their treasure and to live solitary existences in caves, though some take after the lion and live in prides.

[edit] Gorgimera

The gorgimera is a variant of the chimera, with the hindquarters (and third head) of a gorgon instead of a goat. Its gorgon head likewise has a gorgon's breath weapon.

[edit] Chimeras in Eberron

In the Eberron campaign setting, the chimera is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked House Deneith.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ DeVarque, Aardy. Literary Sources of D&D. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.

[edit] References

  • Dungeons & Dragons set (1974)
  • D&D Basic Set (1977)
  • D&D Expert Set (1981)
  • D&D Expert Set (1983)
  • Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991)
  • D&D Miniatures: War Drums set #45 (2006)



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