Ape
Medium Beast · · CR 1/2
- Beast
- Medium
- Tier 1
Ranges across forest; Ape lists at CR 1/2 as a medium beast (unaligned). Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 1/2
- Type
- Beast
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Forest
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Apes inhabit deep tropical and temperate forests, building leafy nests in tree-forks each night and traveling several miles per day in foraging troops. Their diet is mostly fruit, leaves, and the occasional small animal. A troop is led by a dominant individual and includes females and juveniles. Apes coexist uneasily with monkeys, baboons, and large cats; they fear giant snakes and crocodiles.
Behaviour
Apes are **emotional and social**: they grieve dead troop-mates, share food, learn from one another, and remember faces for years. They can be friend or foe to a party depending on demeanor. A calm approach with offered fruit may earn passage; a brandished weapon triggers chest-beating, then attack. Apes throw rocks accurately; this is learned behavior taught by mothers and uncles.
Origin
Apes are simply great primates — no magical origin. But certain druidic traditions see them as cousins-in-spirit, and a few apes have been **awakened** by druids into creatures of true sapience. These awakened apes may act as wilderness scouts, oracles, or wandering philosophers. Some adventuring parties have welcomed an awakened ape companion, finding their judgment surprisingly clear.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Ape
- What is the challenge rating of Ape?
- Listed CR for Ape: 1/2. Match it to a party that matches a tier-1 group in low-stakes encounters.
- What type of creature is Ape?
- The bestiary type for Ape is beast, medium size.
- Where does Ape live?
- Ape is typically encountered in Forest.