Dungeons & Dragons 2024 (D&D) Monster/NPC: Gorbel

A gorbel is a distant, dimwitted relative of the beholder and is often mistaken as one. However, the gorbel is much smaller than a beholder and lacks a large central eye. It resembles a 3-foot diameter, floating globe with reddish, rubbery, and semi- translucent skin. Six flexible and retractable eyestalks crown the gorbel's upper body, enabling it to view all directions simultaneously. Two stubby arms protrude from underneath its body, both ending in sharp talon-like claws. Dominating the center of its body is its mouth, which is filled with rows of small jagged teeth.

Volatile Balloon. A gorbel has no skeletal structure. Its body is composed mainly of flesh, cartilage, and gases. Its hide is so rubbery that bludgeoning attacks mostly bounce off them, hardly damaging the gorbel. The gases inside its body are hot and keep's the gorbel buoyant. However, the gases are also volatile. If exposed to air, the gases will ignite and cause the gorbel to burst in a fiery explosion, burning anyone close to it, even other gorbels.

Pack Hunters. Unlike a beholder, gorbels are always encountered in packs. They attack and eat anything that moves and will even swarm much larger prey. They attack by silently drifting down towards their targets, then digging their sharp claws into the victim's shoulders or back. Once the gorbel has latched on to its target, it will start biting the prey as well. Once attached, a gorbel will not release its grip until it or its victim is dead.

Ambush Predators. Gorbels are relatively slow and rely on stealth, surprise, and numbers to hunt successfully. It is no surprise that they are often encountered in types of terrain that can provide cover for them, such as stalactite-filled caverns, thick-canopied forests, and jungles with dense foliage where they can wait unnoticed until prey passes below them.