Behir
Huge Monstrosity · · CR 11
- Monstrosity
- Huge
- Tier 3
Ranges across underground; Behir lists at CR 11 as a huge monstrosity (neutral evil). Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 11
- Type
- Monstrosity
- Size
- Huge
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Underground
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Behirs are apex tunnel predators of the deep underground, where their twelve-legged serpentine bodies flex through fissures too narrow for dragons. They prey on giants, bulettes, and stray dragons, and are hunted in turn by adult dragons who consider them rivals. A behir's lair is hung with shed skins, gnawed bones, and the iron weapons of swallowed adventurers. They can survive months between meals by metabolizing stored lightning.
Behaviour
Solitary except during brief mating, behirs are territorial and silent. They prefer ambush from cliffs or ceilings, dropping with a soundless rush. Communication with other behirs is through low-frequency vibrations felt through stone. They are not unintelligent; they remember faces and scents of those who escaped them and will pursue old grudges across years, treating revenge as a form of patient courtship with death itself.
Origin
Folklore claims behirs were created by an ancient storm-titan who wanted serpents that could climb the inside of the world. Dragonkind disagrees, insisting behirs are degenerate cousins of blue dragons that lost their wings to a curse. Both stories ignore the older truth, that behirs evolved alongside the deep tunnels themselves, predators of a world that exists beneath the maps mortals draw.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Behir
- What is the challenge rating of Behir?
- Behir is rated CR 11. The rating fits levels 11-16.
- What type of creature is Behir?
- The bestiary type for Behir is monstrosity, huge size.
- Where does Behir live?
- Behir is typically encountered in Underground.