Salamander (Dungeons & Dragons)

articleissues
OR = March 2008
context = March 2008

infobox D&D creature
name = Salamander
alignment = Any evil
type = Outsider
mythical = Salamander
wizards_image_URL = http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG218.jpg
OGL_stats_URL = http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/monstersS.html#salamander

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the salamander is an outsider from the Elemental Plane of fire. It resembles a mix of a snake and a human made out of fire, magma, and smoke. From the waist up, it resembles an orange and black human, generally male (though females also exist) with fiery hair and beard. Some depictions also show it with fiery antlers. From the waist down it is snake-like, resembling a glowing, orange and black serpent of magma. All over the body are short, spine-like appendages which burn and steam.

Publication history

The salamander was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The salamander was introduced to the game in its first supplement, "Greyhawk" (1975). [Gygax, Gary and Robert Kuntz. "" (TSR, 1975)] It is described as a free-willed, highly intelligent fire elemental.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The salamander appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), [Gygax, Gary. "Monster Manual" (TSR, 1977)] where it is described as an evil creature of the elemental plane of fire that prefers temperatures of 300 degrees and upwards.

Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)

This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the salamander, known as the flame salamander, in the "Expert Set" (1981 & 1983), [Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974] , edited by Dave Cook. "Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set" (TSR, 1981)] [Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974] , edited by Frank Mentzer. "Dungeons & Dragons Set 2: Expert Rules" (TSR, 1983)] and the "Companion Rules" (1984), [Mentzer, Frank. "Dungeons & Dragons Set 3: Companion Rules" (TSR, 1984)] and was also later featured in the "Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia" (1991). [Schend, Steven E., Jon Pickens, and Dori Warty (Editors). "Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia" (TSR, 1991)]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The salamander appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), [Cook, David, et al. "Monstrous Compendium Volume Two" (TSR, 1989)] and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993) under the "Elemental, Fire kin" heading, along with the fire snake. [Stewart, Doug, ed. "Monstrous Manual" (TSR, 1994)]

The "Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III" (1998) introduced the lesser salamander noble and the salamander noble. [Cook, Monte. "Monstrous Compendium Planescape Compendium III" (TSR, 1998)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The salamander appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000), which presents the flamebrother salamander, the average salamander, and the noble salamander. [Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. "Monster Manual" (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)]

"Savage Species" (2003) presented the flamebrother as both a race and a playable class. [Eckelberry, David, Rich Redman, and Jennifer Clarke Wilkes. "Savage Species" (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The salamander appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).

The salamander was detailed in "Dragon" #314 (December 2003), in the "Ecology of the Salamander", which also introduces the salamander larva. [Campbell, Christopher. "Searing Flames: The Ecology of the Salamander." Dragon #314 (Paizo, 2004)]

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

The salamander appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008). [Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. "Monster Manual" (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)]

Characteristics and habits

No one knows the true intentions of the evil, mysterious creatures known as Salamanders. They live in the Elemental Plane, but come into the Material Plane by manifesting in forest fires, lava flows, fire pits, and other areas of extreme heat (their preferred environments are areas of 300 degrees minimum, and they can only survive in cooler environments for a few hours). Scholars and sages all believeWho|date=March 2008 that the salamanders have a sinister purpose for coming to the Material Plane, but only the Salamanders know it, and they are not telling. They are suspected to have dealings with the efreeti. Mages and priests who worship them are capable of summoning them for a short while.

Salamanders attack with their body heat, and steel spears which they always carry. The spear, while deadly enough on its own, manifests the heat of the salamander itself. The mere touch of a salamander causes fire damage, and they can cause clothing to catch fire and armor to burn. They can also whip opponents with their tails and cast various fire spells.

A similar creature to the salamander would be the fire snake.

Salamanders speak Ignan, and some speak Common.

They are usually any level of evil in alignment.

References