Athach
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy
roleplaying game, an athach is a giant
-like aberration
.
set (1985). The creature also appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
(1991).
The athach appeared in the second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons under the "giant" entry in the Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994).
The athach appeared in the third edition Monster Manual
(2000), and then the 3.5 Monster Manual. The athach appeared as a player character
race and class
in Savage Species
(2003).
, a troll
, a fomorian
or other such highly ugly giant, only with three arms. Two arms are located in the places where normal humanoids have their arms, while the third one sprouts from the chest. Athachs have sickly green coloration, and are covered in a layer of short, soft, brown fur. They have pear-shaped, flabby bodies, orc
-like faces, black teeth, many warts and veins in their skin, and curly (if matted) hair and beards. Apparently, they are also poisonous.
in each of their three hands, into enemies and flailing at them indiscriminately (after a few rounds, however, they will typically attack whoever is causing them the most damage). If they cannot reach the enemy, they will throw rocks. They are immensely strong, and can easily bash any foe into a gory paste. When it comes to habits, athachs are not a great deal different from the brutality and dumbness of other giants, and are likely only regarded as aberrations due to the distinctly unusual features of 3 arms and poison. Athach language is a crude form of Giant.
Athachs are usually chaotic evil in alignment.
Athach is also a giant/monster in the folklore and beliefs of the Highland Scots.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
roleplaying game, an athach is a giant
Giant (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giant is a type of creature, or "creature type." Giants are humanoid-shaped creatures of great strength and size.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
-like aberration
Aberration (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, aberration is a type of creature, or "creature type". Aberrations generally all have bizarre anatomies, strange abilities, alien mindsets, or any combination thereof....
.
Publication history
The athach first appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Master RulesDungeons & Dragons Master Rules
Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1985 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
set (1985). The creature also appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
The Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia was published by TSR, Inc. in 1991, as a continuation of the basic edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Its product designation was TSR 1071...
(1991).
The athach appeared in the second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons under the "giant" entry in the Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994).
The athach appeared in the third edition Monster Manual
Monster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
(2000), and then the 3.5 Monster Manual. The athach appeared as a player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
race and class
Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...
in Savage Species
Savage Species
Savage Species is a sourcebook for use as a supplement in the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game, detailing the use of monstrous races as PC races.-Contents:...
(2003).
Description
An athach resembles something akin to an ogreOgre (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ogres are a lesser race of giants, rather being simply large brutes with clubs. An aquatic subrace of ogres is known as "merrow." D&D ogres are also closely related to the race of ogre magi, a smarter race with blue skin and great magical abilities...
, a troll
Troll (Dungeons & Dragons)
Trolls are fictional monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Dungeon Masters can use them as enemies or allies of the player characters.-Publication history:...
, a fomorian
Fomorian (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the fomorian is a giant. Fomorians are hideously ugly, and grossly deformed behemoths. They may be loosely derived from the Fomorians of Irish mythology.-Publication history:...
or other such highly ugly giant, only with three arms. Two arms are located in the places where normal humanoids have their arms, while the third one sprouts from the chest. Athachs have sickly green coloration, and are covered in a layer of short, soft, brown fur. They have pear-shaped, flabby bodies, orc
Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
-like faces, black teeth, many warts and veins in their skin, and curly (if matted) hair and beards. Apparently, they are also poisonous.
Habits and characteristics
Athachs can be either solitary, or in gangs of up to 2 or 4 individuals or tribes of 7 to 12. They are depicted as wearing the hides of dead farm animals, and sometimes tribal decorations of bones, jewelry and webs of rope. Not overly intelligent, they prefer to attack by charging, with a morning starMorning star (weapon)
The term morning star is used to describe medieval club-like weapons which included one or more spikes. Each used, to varying degrees, a combination of blunt-force and puncture attack to kill or wound the enemy.- Design :...
in each of their three hands, into enemies and flailing at them indiscriminately (after a few rounds, however, they will typically attack whoever is causing them the most damage). If they cannot reach the enemy, they will throw rocks. They are immensely strong, and can easily bash any foe into a gory paste. When it comes to habits, athachs are not a great deal different from the brutality and dumbness of other giants, and are likely only regarded as aberrations due to the distinctly unusual features of 3 arms and poison. Athach language is a crude form of Giant.
Athachs are usually chaotic evil in alignment.
Athach is also a giant/monster in the folklore and beliefs of the Highland Scots.