Desert Terrain
Guide to the Desert
Worldbuilding
Deserts are not just arid expanses of sand and dunes. It is a thriving ecosystem that comprises many terrains, each with its own plant and animal life and challenges to character survival.
It is the goal of this post to add some more visual and literary terms to your DM vocabulary, as well as presenting some thoughts on survival and a list of potential monters.
Post Soundtrack Geographical Traits A desert is a region of land that is very dry because it receives low amounts of precipitation (usually in the form of rain but may be snow, mist or fog), often has little coverage by plants, and in which streams dry up unless they are supplied by water from outside the area.
There are 4 main kinds of desert - Hot, Cold, Semiarid and Coastal.
Hot Desert - These have high temperatures in summer, strong winds and lack of cloud cover. Precipitation varies wildly depending on the elevation and location on the planet. Temperature difference between night and day can be as high as 25C (45F).
Cold Desert - These occur further away from equatorial regions, and the aridity is caused by the dryness of the air. Some are seperated by the sea by mountains and others are simply too far away, and there is insufficient moisture in both cases to support much life. Precipitation, when it does fall, often occurs as snow, and blizzards and drifts can pile up, just like in sandy deserts. Temperatures are often below 3C (37F) and can dip below 0C (32F) in winter, or in seasonal storms. Some are kept ice-free by dry, warm winds.
Semiarid - These are dynamic, chaotic regions, where there can be little precipitation one year, and then nothing for an entire year. As such, life is more frequently seen in these places, and more frequently destroyed. In the winters comes the rains, and sometimes the plant growth is so abundant that these places are hard to identify as desert, and instead we call them steppes. Some are influenced by monsoons.
Coastal - These are mostly found on landmasses where cold currents approach the land, and the cool winds pick up very little moisture. The coastal region has low temperature and very low rainfall, the main precipitation being fog and dew. The range of temperatures is low from 5C (41F) to 11C (51F) in the highlands, and 9C (48F) to 20C (68F) in the lowlands.
Terrain In desert regions, terrain varies from nearly flat to lava beds and salt marshes. Mountains deserts contain scattered ranges or areas of barren hills or mountains.
Deserts contain substantial mineral resources, sometimes over their entire surface, giving them their characteristic colors.
Leaching by ground water can extract ore minerals and redeposit them, according to the water table, in concentrated form. Similarly, evaporation tends to concentrate minerals in desert lakes, creating dry lake beds or playas rich in minerals. Evaporation can concentrate minerals as a variety of evaporite deposits, including gypsum, sodium nitrate, sodium chloride and borates. Other desert minerals are copper, iron (and uranium - but maybe mithral/adamantine/other instead). Many other metals, salts and commercially valuable types of rock such as pumice can be extracted from deserts.
Topology
A sand sheet is a near-level, firm expanse of partially consolidated particles in a layer that varies from a few centimeters to a few meters thick. The structure of the sheet consists of thin horizontal layers of coarse silt and very fine to medium grain sand, separated by layers of coarse sand and pea-gravel which are a single grain thick. These larger particles anchor the other particles in place and may also be packed together on the surface so as to form a miniature desert pavement. Small ripples form on the sand sheet when the wind exceeds 24 km/h (15 mph).
Sand dunes are accumulations of windblown sand piled up in mounds or ridges. They form downwind of copious sources of dry, loose sand and occur when topographic and climatic conditions cause airborne particles to settle. Dunes are sometimes solitary, but they are more often grouped together in dune fields. When these are extensive, they are known as sand seas or ergs.
A large part of the surface area of deserts consists of flat, stone-covered plains dominated by wind erosion. The wind continually removes fine-grained material, which becomes wind-blown sand. This exposes coarser-grained material, mainly pebbles with some larger stones or cobbles, leaving a desert pavement, an area of land overlaid by closely packed smooth stones forming a tessellated mosaic.
Evaporation brings moisture to the surface by capillary action and calcium salts may be precipitated, binding particles together to form a desert conglomerate. In time, bacteria that live on the surface of the stones accumulate a film of minerals and clay particles, forming a shiny brown coating known as desert varnish.
Other non-sandy deserts consist of exposed outcrops of bedrock, or swaths of dry soils, and a variety of landforms affected by flowing water, such as alluvial fans, sinks or playas, temporary or permanent lakes, and oases. A hamada is a type of desert landscape consisting of a high rocky plateau where the sand has been removed by wind. Other landforms include plains largely covered by gravels and angular boulders, from which the finer particles have been stripped by the wind. These are called "reg" (in the western Sahara), "serir" (in the eastern Sahara), "gibber plains" (in Australia) and "saï" (in central Asia). The Tassili Plateau in Algeria is an impressive jumble of eroded sandstone outcrops, canyons, blocks, pinnacles, fissures, slabs and ravines. In some places the wind has carved holes or arches and in others it has created mushroom-like pillars narrower at the base than the top.
When rain falls in deserts, as it occasionally does, it is often with great violence. The desert surface is evidence of this with dry stream channels known as arroyos or wadis meandering across its surface. There may also be underground sources of water in deserts in the form of springs, aquifers, underground rivers or lakes. Where these lie close to the surface, wells can be dug and oases may form where plant and animal life can flourish. Lakes may form in basins where there is sufficient precipitation or meltwater from glaciers above. They are usually shallow and saline, and wind blowing over their surface can cause stress, moving the water over nearby low-lying areas. When the lakes dry up, they leave a crust or hardpan behind. This area of deposited clay, silt or sand is known as a playa.
Weather Sand and dust storms are natural events that occur in arid regions where the land is not protected by a covering of vegetation. Sandstorms occur with much less frequency than dust storms. They are often preceded by severe dust storms and occur when the wind velocity increases to a point where it can lift heavier particles. During a sandstorm, the wind-blown sand particles become electrically charged. Such electric fields, which range in size up to 80 kV/m, can produce sparks and they are also unpleasant for humans and can cause headaches and nausea.
When rain falls in deserts, and the arroyos fill up, flash floods can occur, becoming raging torrents with surprising rapidity after a storm that may be many kilometers away. Most deserts are in basins with no drainage to the sea but some are crossed by exotic rivers sourced in mountain ranges or other high rainfall areas beyond their borders
Wildlife Carnivores can obtain much of their water needs from the body fluids of their prey. Many other hot desert animals are nocturnal, seeking out shade during the day or dwelling underground in burrows. Mammals living in cold deserts have developed greater insulation through warmer body fur and insulating layers of fat beneath the skin.
In many ways birds are the most suited to desert life. They can move to areas of greater food availability as the desert blooms after local rainfall and can fly to faraway waterholes. In hot deserts, gliding birds can remove themselves from the over-heated desert floor by using thermals to soar in the cooler air at great heights.
Reptiles are unable to live in cold deserts but are well-suited to hot ones. Amphibians might seem unlikely desert-dwellers, because of their need to keep their skins moist and their dependence on water for reproductive purposes. In fact, the few species that are found in this habitat have made some remarkable adaptations. Most of them are fossorial, spending the hot dry months aestivating in deep burrows. While there they shed their skins a number of times and retain the remnants around them as a waterproof cocoon to retain moisture.
Invertebrates, particularly arthropods, have successfully made their homes in the desert. Flies, beetles, ants, termites, locusts, millipedes, scorpions and spiders have hard cuticles which are impervious to water and many of them lay their eggs underground and their young develop away from the temperature extremes at the surface.
Plantlife Desert plants fall into 4 main categories - trees, shrubs, cacti, and succulents. They all have their uses and native populations have taken advantage of these natural gifts to enhance their lives in such a harsh enviroment. I will not list them all, but here's some examples to get you started:
Trees - Ironwood, Yucca, Acacia, Palo Verde, Mesquite, Willow, Octillo, Sumac, Mountain Laurel, and lots more
Shrubs - Creosote, Tumbleweed, Brittle Bush, Sage, Firecracker Bush, Jojoba, Pomegranate, Myrtle and lots more
Cacti - Barrel, Prickly Pear, Saguaro, Peyote, and lots more
Succulents - Aloe Vera, Barbary Fig, Agave, and lots more
Survival During the day the sky is usually clear and most of the sun's radiation reaches the ground, but as soon as the sun sets, the desert cools quickly by radiating heat into space. In hot deserts, the temperature during daytime can exceed 45 °C (113 °F) in summer and plunge below freezing point at night during winter.
The major risks to be managed are maintaining a comfortable body temperature, ingesting enough food and water to prevent dehydration, and minimizing exposure to the sun's radiation. This of course is in addition to all the monsters trying to eat you, the possibly hostile natives, and all the the other strange goodies D&D provides for the sunscorched DM!
Here's a short list of things to consider:
Walking through shallow sand is tiring over long periods of time, and mounts can strain tendons and leather objects like boots wear away quickly. Deep sand is difficult terrain.
Duststorms, or worse, sandstorms, quickly overwhelm areas and stay for 1d4 hours before moving in the direction of the prevailing winds. Sand will bury objects under 2' if left exposed.
Glare can cause temporary, or worse, permanent blindness, and care must be taken to cover the eyes with at least a cloth, if not actual sandshades.
Sunburn can be a nuisance, or it can be life threatening if left unchecked. Movement, and combat, and sleep will all be negatively affected by the severely burned traveller.
Flash floods from runoff down any nearby mountains can raise the water level 1d10x10 feet every minute, and will fill arroyos, wadis, gullies with fast moving (60 mph/96 kph) water filled with debris that can bludgeon. Swimming in such treacherous waters without proficiency is very dangerous, and checks should be made every minute while in the water.
Getting lost is a very real concern and DCs for navigation checks should be penalized in trackless areas with no landmarks, during sandstorms, or in areas with bad glare, or other environmental factors.
Supernatural or magical areas are a must! Cursed sands, flamestorms, winds that flay skin and bone, living dunes, and oases inhabitated by dangerous fey are all part of that D&D experience.
Keeping cool during the day and keeping warm at night is a constant nuisance. Animals bred for such terrain are fine, usually, but outsider fauna can quickly succumb without vigilence.
Monsters I've wracked my brain across all the official editions and settings for monsters that dwell in hot, desert environments. You could easily swap a bunch out for the appropriate versions in an arctic desert setting. I've taken the liberty of putting them into alphabetical order, and their stats are easily found online.
Aarakocra (and other Avian Folk)
Air Elemental
Air Mephit
Ash Golem
Ash Mephit
Basilisk
Beholders
Brambleweed
Brass Dragon
Brown Dragon
Centaurs
Chimera
Crypt Thing
Dangerous & Carnivorous Plants (too many to list)
Dire Animals (Hippopotamuses and Crocs. Think about that)
Dune Runner
Dune Stalker
Dune Reaper
Dust Mephit
Earth Elemental
Earth Mephit
Earth Weird
Eye of Fear and Flame
Formians
Gargoyles
Giant Antlion
Giant Beetles
Giant Flies
Giant Scorpions
Giant Vipers
Harpy
Hyena
Lamia
Lammasu
Leucrotta
Lich
Lycanthropes
Manticore
Meenlock
Mummy
Roc
Rust Monster
Salt Mephit
Sand Giant
Sandling
Sphinx (Andro, Crio, Gyno, Heiraco)
Stirge
Stone Golem
Thri-Kreen
Tlincalli (Scorpion Folk)
Tungsten Dragon
Wraith
Xorn
Yellow Dragon
Zezir
Edit: More from u/OlemGolem
Giant Lizards
Salt Golems
Sand Golems
Dust Devils
Lizardfolk (reskinned)
Vargouille
Nagas
Jackalweres
Thrax
Purple Worm (Muad'Dib!)
Giant Ants
Ankhegs
Genies
Animated Tapestries
Giant Vultures
https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/64vwo0/guide_to_the_desert/
It is the goal of this post to add some more visual and literary terms to your DM vocabulary, as well as presenting some thoughts on survival and a list of potential monters.
Post Soundtrack Geographical Traits A desert is a region of land that is very dry because it receives low amounts of precipitation (usually in the form of rain but may be snow, mist or fog), often has little coverage by plants, and in which streams dry up unless they are supplied by water from outside the area.
There are 4 main kinds of desert - Hot, Cold, Semiarid and Coastal.
Hot Desert - These have high temperatures in summer, strong winds and lack of cloud cover. Precipitation varies wildly depending on the elevation and location on the planet. Temperature difference between night and day can be as high as 25C (45F).
Cold Desert - These occur further away from equatorial regions, and the aridity is caused by the dryness of the air. Some are seperated by the sea by mountains and others are simply too far away, and there is insufficient moisture in both cases to support much life. Precipitation, when it does fall, often occurs as snow, and blizzards and drifts can pile up, just like in sandy deserts. Temperatures are often below 3C (37F) and can dip below 0C (32F) in winter, or in seasonal storms. Some are kept ice-free by dry, warm winds.
Semiarid - These are dynamic, chaotic regions, where there can be little precipitation one year, and then nothing for an entire year. As such, life is more frequently seen in these places, and more frequently destroyed. In the winters comes the rains, and sometimes the plant growth is so abundant that these places are hard to identify as desert, and instead we call them steppes. Some are influenced by monsoons.
Coastal - These are mostly found on landmasses where cold currents approach the land, and the cool winds pick up very little moisture. The coastal region has low temperature and very low rainfall, the main precipitation being fog and dew. The range of temperatures is low from 5C (41F) to 11C (51F) in the highlands, and 9C (48F) to 20C (68F) in the lowlands.
Terrain In desert regions, terrain varies from nearly flat to lava beds and salt marshes. Mountains deserts contain scattered ranges or areas of barren hills or mountains.
Deserts contain substantial mineral resources, sometimes over their entire surface, giving them their characteristic colors.
Leaching by ground water can extract ore minerals and redeposit them, according to the water table, in concentrated form. Similarly, evaporation tends to concentrate minerals in desert lakes, creating dry lake beds or playas rich in minerals. Evaporation can concentrate minerals as a variety of evaporite deposits, including gypsum, sodium nitrate, sodium chloride and borates. Other desert minerals are copper, iron (and uranium - but maybe mithral/adamantine/other instead). Many other metals, salts and commercially valuable types of rock such as pumice can be extracted from deserts.
Topology
A sand sheet is a near-level, firm expanse of partially consolidated particles in a layer that varies from a few centimeters to a few meters thick. The structure of the sheet consists of thin horizontal layers of coarse silt and very fine to medium grain sand, separated by layers of coarse sand and pea-gravel which are a single grain thick. These larger particles anchor the other particles in place and may also be packed together on the surface so as to form a miniature desert pavement. Small ripples form on the sand sheet when the wind exceeds 24 km/h (15 mph).
Sand dunes are accumulations of windblown sand piled up in mounds or ridges. They form downwind of copious sources of dry, loose sand and occur when topographic and climatic conditions cause airborne particles to settle. Dunes are sometimes solitary, but they are more often grouped together in dune fields. When these are extensive, they are known as sand seas or ergs.
A large part of the surface area of deserts consists of flat, stone-covered plains dominated by wind erosion. The wind continually removes fine-grained material, which becomes wind-blown sand. This exposes coarser-grained material, mainly pebbles with some larger stones or cobbles, leaving a desert pavement, an area of land overlaid by closely packed smooth stones forming a tessellated mosaic.
Evaporation brings moisture to the surface by capillary action and calcium salts may be precipitated, binding particles together to form a desert conglomerate. In time, bacteria that live on the surface of the stones accumulate a film of minerals and clay particles, forming a shiny brown coating known as desert varnish.
Other non-sandy deserts consist of exposed outcrops of bedrock, or swaths of dry soils, and a variety of landforms affected by flowing water, such as alluvial fans, sinks or playas, temporary or permanent lakes, and oases. A hamada is a type of desert landscape consisting of a high rocky plateau where the sand has been removed by wind. Other landforms include plains largely covered by gravels and angular boulders, from which the finer particles have been stripped by the wind. These are called "reg" (in the western Sahara), "serir" (in the eastern Sahara), "gibber plains" (in Australia) and "saï" (in central Asia). The Tassili Plateau in Algeria is an impressive jumble of eroded sandstone outcrops, canyons, blocks, pinnacles, fissures, slabs and ravines. In some places the wind has carved holes or arches and in others it has created mushroom-like pillars narrower at the base than the top.
When rain falls in deserts, as it occasionally does, it is often with great violence. The desert surface is evidence of this with dry stream channels known as arroyos or wadis meandering across its surface. There may also be underground sources of water in deserts in the form of springs, aquifers, underground rivers or lakes. Where these lie close to the surface, wells can be dug and oases may form where plant and animal life can flourish. Lakes may form in basins where there is sufficient precipitation or meltwater from glaciers above. They are usually shallow and saline, and wind blowing over their surface can cause stress, moving the water over nearby low-lying areas. When the lakes dry up, they leave a crust or hardpan behind. This area of deposited clay, silt or sand is known as a playa.
Weather Sand and dust storms are natural events that occur in arid regions where the land is not protected by a covering of vegetation. Sandstorms occur with much less frequency than dust storms. They are often preceded by severe dust storms and occur when the wind velocity increases to a point where it can lift heavier particles. During a sandstorm, the wind-blown sand particles become electrically charged. Such electric fields, which range in size up to 80 kV/m, can produce sparks and they are also unpleasant for humans and can cause headaches and nausea.
When rain falls in deserts, and the arroyos fill up, flash floods can occur, becoming raging torrents with surprising rapidity after a storm that may be many kilometers away. Most deserts are in basins with no drainage to the sea but some are crossed by exotic rivers sourced in mountain ranges or other high rainfall areas beyond their borders
Wildlife Carnivores can obtain much of their water needs from the body fluids of their prey. Many other hot desert animals are nocturnal, seeking out shade during the day or dwelling underground in burrows. Mammals living in cold deserts have developed greater insulation through warmer body fur and insulating layers of fat beneath the skin.
In many ways birds are the most suited to desert life. They can move to areas of greater food availability as the desert blooms after local rainfall and can fly to faraway waterholes. In hot deserts, gliding birds can remove themselves from the over-heated desert floor by using thermals to soar in the cooler air at great heights.
Reptiles are unable to live in cold deserts but are well-suited to hot ones. Amphibians might seem unlikely desert-dwellers, because of their need to keep their skins moist and their dependence on water for reproductive purposes. In fact, the few species that are found in this habitat have made some remarkable adaptations. Most of them are fossorial, spending the hot dry months aestivating in deep burrows. While there they shed their skins a number of times and retain the remnants around them as a waterproof cocoon to retain moisture.
Invertebrates, particularly arthropods, have successfully made their homes in the desert. Flies, beetles, ants, termites, locusts, millipedes, scorpions and spiders have hard cuticles which are impervious to water and many of them lay their eggs underground and their young develop away from the temperature extremes at the surface.
Plantlife Desert plants fall into 4 main categories - trees, shrubs, cacti, and succulents. They all have their uses and native populations have taken advantage of these natural gifts to enhance their lives in such a harsh enviroment. I will not list them all, but here's some examples to get you started:
Trees - Ironwood, Yucca, Acacia, Palo Verde, Mesquite, Willow, Octillo, Sumac, Mountain Laurel, and lots more
Shrubs - Creosote, Tumbleweed, Brittle Bush, Sage, Firecracker Bush, Jojoba, Pomegranate, Myrtle and lots more
Cacti - Barrel, Prickly Pear, Saguaro, Peyote, and lots more
Succulents - Aloe Vera, Barbary Fig, Agave, and lots more
Survival During the day the sky is usually clear and most of the sun's radiation reaches the ground, but as soon as the sun sets, the desert cools quickly by radiating heat into space. In hot deserts, the temperature during daytime can exceed 45 °C (113 °F) in summer and plunge below freezing point at night during winter.
The major risks to be managed are maintaining a comfortable body temperature, ingesting enough food and water to prevent dehydration, and minimizing exposure to the sun's radiation. This of course is in addition to all the monsters trying to eat you, the possibly hostile natives, and all the the other strange goodies D&D provides for the sunscorched DM!
Here's a short list of things to consider:
Walking through shallow sand is tiring over long periods of time, and mounts can strain tendons and leather objects like boots wear away quickly. Deep sand is difficult terrain.
Duststorms, or worse, sandstorms, quickly overwhelm areas and stay for 1d4 hours before moving in the direction of the prevailing winds. Sand will bury objects under 2' if left exposed.
Glare can cause temporary, or worse, permanent blindness, and care must be taken to cover the eyes with at least a cloth, if not actual sandshades.
Sunburn can be a nuisance, or it can be life threatening if left unchecked. Movement, and combat, and sleep will all be negatively affected by the severely burned traveller.
Flash floods from runoff down any nearby mountains can raise the water level 1d10x10 feet every minute, and will fill arroyos, wadis, gullies with fast moving (60 mph/96 kph) water filled with debris that can bludgeon. Swimming in such treacherous waters without proficiency is very dangerous, and checks should be made every minute while in the water.
Getting lost is a very real concern and DCs for navigation checks should be penalized in trackless areas with no landmarks, during sandstorms, or in areas with bad glare, or other environmental factors.
Supernatural or magical areas are a must! Cursed sands, flamestorms, winds that flay skin and bone, living dunes, and oases inhabitated by dangerous fey are all part of that D&D experience.
Keeping cool during the day and keeping warm at night is a constant nuisance. Animals bred for such terrain are fine, usually, but outsider fauna can quickly succumb without vigilence.
Monsters I've wracked my brain across all the official editions and settings for monsters that dwell in hot, desert environments. You could easily swap a bunch out for the appropriate versions in an arctic desert setting. I've taken the liberty of putting them into alphabetical order, and their stats are easily found online.
Aarakocra (and other Avian Folk)
Air Elemental
Air Mephit
Ash Golem
Ash Mephit
Basilisk
Beholders
Brambleweed
Brass Dragon
Brown Dragon
Centaurs
Chimera
Crypt Thing
Dangerous & Carnivorous Plants (too many to list)
Dire Animals (Hippopotamuses and Crocs. Think about that)
Dune Runner
Dune Stalker
Dune Reaper
Dust Mephit
Earth Elemental
Earth Mephit
Earth Weird
Eye of Fear and Flame
Formians
Gargoyles
Giant Antlion
Giant Beetles
Giant Flies
Giant Scorpions
Giant Vipers
Harpy
Hyena
Lamia
Lammasu
Leucrotta
Lich
Lycanthropes
Manticore
Meenlock
Mummy
Roc
Rust Monster
Salt Mephit
Sand Giant
Sandling
Sphinx (Andro, Crio, Gyno, Heiraco)
Stirge
Stone Golem
Thri-Kreen
Tlincalli (Scorpion Folk)
Tungsten Dragon
Wraith
Xorn
Yellow Dragon
Zezir
Edit: More from u/OlemGolem
Giant Lizards
Salt Golems
Sand Golems
Dust Devils
Lizardfolk (reskinned)
Vargouille
Nagas
Jackalweres
Thrax
Purple Worm (Muad'Dib!)
Giant Ants
Ankhegs
Genies
Animated Tapestries
Giant Vultures
https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/64vwo0/guide_to_the_desert/
Fauna & Flora
...
Flora:
Native Plants are ... Common Plants include ... Some other Plants found in this climate includes:- Alil (Very Rare)
- Aloe (Very Common)
- Angel's Cactus (Uncommon)
- Arkasu (Common)
- Arrowroot (Rare)
- Balon's Plant (Uncommon)
- Barrelstalk (Uncommon)
- Bastit (Common)
- Belan (Very Common)
- Bloodspine (Common)
- Bloodstaunch (Common)
- Calacaza Bush (Uncommon)
- Caravara (Rare)
- Cline Cactus (Uncommon)
- Dathlil (Very Common)
- Djin Blossom (Uncommon)
- Dragonspine (Uncommon)
- Dragontears (Common)
- Entriste (Uncommon)
- Ephedra (Rare)
- Gariig (Legendary)
- Golden Coin Cactus (Very Common)
- Golden Desert Tree (Rare)
- Hara'dan (Uncommon)
- Hara'den (Uncommon)
- Inari (Very Common)
- Juzam (Very Rare)
- Karcatta Brambles (Uncommon)
- Kelventari (Very Rare)
- Maracan (Very Rare)
- Nordra (Very Common)
- Oruighen (Uncommon)
- Powdered Desert Milk (Uncommon)
- Rose Campion (Very Rare)
- Sandberry Bush (Very Common)
- Sinquoi (Very Rare)
- Swordstalks (Very Rare)
- Taran'ka (Common)
- Tateesha (Rare)
- Thurl (Very Common)
- Umozokai Flower (Very Common)
- Whistling Cactus (Uncommon)
- Ylam Tree (Very Rare)
Fauna:
This climate is home to iconic animals like ...Fauna
- Accursed Defiler ( Undead ; Desert )
- Adult Blue Dracolich ( Undead ; Desert )
- Adult Blue Dragon ( Dragon ; Coastal, Desert )
- Adult Brass Dragon ( Dragon ; Desert )
- Adult Kruthik ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Mountain, Underdark )
- Air Elemental ( Elemental ; Desert, Mountain )
- Al-Aeshma Genie ( Elemental ; Desert )
- Ancient Blue Dragon ( Dragon ; Coastal, Desert )
- Ancient Brass Dragon ( Dragon ; Desert )
- Androsphinx ( Monstrosity ; Desert )
- Annelidast ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Underdark, Urban )
- Anubian ( Elemental ; Desert )
- Bandit ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Hill, Urban )
- Bandit Captain ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Hill, Urban )
- Bandit Lord ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Desert, Farmland, Forest, Grassland, Urban )
- Berbalang ( Aberration ; Desert )
- Berserker ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Hill, Mountain )
- Boneclaw ( Undead ; Arctic, Desert, Urban )
- Cactid ( Plant ; Desert )
- Camel ( Beast ; Desert )
- Cat ( Beast ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Urban )
- Champion ( Humanoid ; Desert, Urban )
- Citrullus ( Plant ; Desert, Forest, Hill )
- Commoner ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Urban )
- Constrictor Snake ( Beast ; Desert, Forest, Swamp, Underwater )
- Corrupted Ushabti ( Undead ; Desert, Underdark, Urban )
- Couatl ( Celestial ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Urban )
- Cyclops ( Giant ; Coastal, Desert, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Underdark )
- Dau ( Fey ; Desert )
- Death Dog ( Monstrosity ; Desert )
- Desert Giant ( Giant ; Desert )
- Druid ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark )
- Dune Mimic ( Monstrosity (Shapechanger) ; Desert )
- Dust Goblin ( Humanoid (Goblinoid) ; Badlands, Desert )
- Dust Mephit ( Elemental ; Desert )
- Dybbuk ( Fiend (Demon) ; Desert, Urban )
- Edimmu ( Undead ; Desert, Grassland )
- Efreeti ( Elemental ; Desert )
- Eidolon ( Undead ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Mountain, Urban )
- Emerald Order Cult Leader ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Desert, Urban )
- Fire Elemental ( Elemental ; Desert )
- Firenewt Warrior ( Elemental ; Desert, Hill, Mountain, Underdark )
- Flying Snake ( Beast ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Urban )
- Giant Constrictor Snake ( Beast ; Desert, Forest, Swamp, Underdark, Underwater )
- Giant Hyena ( Beast ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill )
- Giant Lizard ( Beast ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Swamp, Underdark )
- Giant Poisonous Snake ( Beast ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Giant Scorpion ( Beast ; Desert )
- Giant Spider ( Beast ; Desert, Forest, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Giant Toad ( Beast ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Swamp, Underdark )
- Giant Vulture ( Beast ; Desert, Grassland )
- Giant Wolf Spider ( Beast ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill )
- Githyanki Gish ( Humanoid (Gith, Wizard) ; Desert, Mountain, Urban )
- Githyanki Kith'rak ( Humanoid (Gith) ; Desert, Mountain, Urban )
- Githyanki Supreme Commander ( Humanoid (Gith) ; Desert, Mountain, Urban )
- Githzerai Enlightened ( Humanoid (Gith) ; Desert, Mountain, Urban )
- Glass Gator ( Beast ; Desert, Grassland, Underwater )
- Gnoll ( Humanoid (Gnoll) ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill )
- Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu ( Fiend (Gnoll) ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill )
- Gnoll Havoc Runner ( Humanoid (Gnoll) ; Desert, Grassland )
- Gnoll Pack Lord ( Humanoid (Gnoll) ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill )
- Gray Thirster ( Undead ; Badlands, Desert )
- Guard ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Urban )
- Guard Drake ( Dragon ; Arctic, Desert, Forest, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Guardian Naga ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Forest )
- Gynosphinx ( Monstrosity ; Desert )
- Gypsosphinx ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Underdark, Urban )
- Half-Ogre (Ogrillon) ( Giant ; Arctic, Desert, Forest, Hill, Mountain, Underdark, Urban )
- Hobgoblin ( Humanoid (Goblinoid) ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Underdark )
- Hobgoblin Captain ( Humanoid (Goblinoid) ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Underdark )
- Hobgoblin Warlord ( Humanoid (Goblinoid) ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Underdark )
- Howler ( Fiend ; Desert, Grassland, Hill, Underdark )
- Hyena ( Beast ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill )
- Jackal ( Beast ; Desert, Grassland )
- Jackalwere ( Humanoid (Shapechanger) ; Desert, Grassland )
- Ki-rin ( Celestial ; Coastal, Desert, Grassland, Mountain )
- Kobold ( Humanoid (Kobold) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Kruthik Hive Lord ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Mountain, Underdark )
- Lamia ( Monstrosity ; Desert )
- Leucrotta ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Grassland )
- Lion ( Beast ; Desert, Grassland, Hill, Mountain )
- Lonely Sorrowsworn ( Monstrosity ; Coastal, Desert, Mountain, Underdark, Urban )
- Lost Sorrowsworn ( Monstrosity ; Arctic, Desert, Forest, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Meazel ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Medusa ( Monstrosity ; Desert )
- Mirager ( Fey ; Desert )
- Mule ( Beast ; Desert, Hill, Urban )
- Mummy ( Undead ; Desert )
- Mummy Lord ( Undead ; Desert )
- Nagpa ( Monstrosity (Wizard) ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Necromancer Wizard ( Humanoid ; Desert, Urban )
- Night Scorpion ( Beast ; Desert, Underdark )
- Nightwalker ( Undead ; Arctic, Desert, Swamp, Underdark )
- Ogre ( Giant ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark )
- Oinoloth ( Fiend (Yugoloth) ; Desert, Underdark )
- Oozasis ( Ooze ; Desert )
- Orthon ( Fiend (Devil) ; Desert, Underdark, Urban )
- Owl Harpy ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Forest, Hill )
- Phase Spider ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Underdark, Urban )
- Phoenix ( Elemental ; Desert, Mountain )
- Poisonous Snake ( Beast ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Swamp )
- Pseudodragon ( Dragon ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Hill, Mountain, Urban )
- Purple Worm ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Underdark )
- Ramag ( Humanoid ; Desert, Urban )
- Retriever ( Construct ; Desert, Forest, Underdark )
- Revenant ( Undead ; Arctic, Desert, Forest, Hill, Swamp, Urban )
- Roc ( Monstrosity ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Hill, Mountain )
- Rot Troll ( Giant ; Desert, Forest, Swamp, Underdark )
- Salt Devil ( Fiend (Devil) ; Desert, Planar )
- Salt Golem ( Construct ; Coastal, Desert )
- Sand Hag ( Fey ; Desert )
- Sand Silhouette ( Undead ; Desert )
- Sand Spider ( Beast ; Badlands, Desert, Grassland )
- Sandwyrm ( Dragon ; Desert )
- Sathaq Worm ( Elemental ; Desert, Hill, Mountain, Underdark )
- Scorpion ( Beast ; Desert )
- Scorpion Cultist ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Desert, Urban )
- Scout ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark )
- Skull Lord ( Undead (Sorcerer) ; Desert, Swamp, Underdark )
- Slow Storm ( Elemental ; Desert, Grassland, Hill )
- Spawn of Kyuss ( Undead ; Desert, Underdark )
- Stirge ( Beast ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Stone Cursed ( Construct ; Desert, Mountain, Urban )
- Storm Giant Quintessent ( Giant ; Coastal, Desert, Mountain, Underwater )
- Stygian Fat-Tailed Scorpion ( Beast ; Desert, Underdark )
- Subek ( Humanoid (Subek) ; Coastal, Desert, Grassland )
- Summer Eladrin ( Fey (Elf) ; Desert, Forest )
- Swarm of Beetles ( swarm of Tiny Beasts ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Swarm of Centipedes ( swarm of Tiny Beasts ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Swarm of Insects ( swarm of Tiny Beasts ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Swarm of Manabane Scarabs ( swarm of Tiny Beasts ; Desert )
- Swarm of Spiders ( swarm of Tiny Beasts ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Swarm of Wasps ( swarm of Tiny Beasts ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Thri-kreen ( Humanoid (Thri-Kreen) ; Desert, Grassland )
- Tlincalli ( Monstrosity ; Desert )
- Tosculi Drone ( Humanoid (Tosculi) ; Desert, Underdark )
- Tosculi Elite Bow Raider ( Humanoid (Tosculi) ; Desert, Underdark )
- Tosculi Hive Queen ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Underdark )
- Tosculi Warrior ( Humanoid (Tosculi) ; Desert, Underdark )
- Tribal Warrior ( Humanoid (Any Race) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark )
- Tusked Skyfish ( Aberration ; Desert, Grassland )
- Ushabti ( Construct ; Desert, Underdark, Urban )
- Ushabti Royal Guard ( Construct ; Desert, Underdark, Urban )
- Vargouille ( Fiend ; Desert, Swamp, Underdark )
- Venomous Mummy ( Undead ; Desert )
- Vesiculosa ( Plant ; Desert )
- Vos'skyriss Serpentfolk ( Monstrosity ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Swamp )
- Vos'skyriss Serpentfolk Ghost ( Undead ; Coastal, Desert, Forest, Swamp )
- Vulture ( Beast ; Desert, Grassland, Hill )
- War Priest ( Humanoid (Cleric) ; Desert, Urban )
- Warlock of the Fiend ( Humanoid ; Arctic, Desert, Underdark, Urban )
- Weretiger ( Humanoid (Human, Shapechanger) ; Desert, Forest, Grassland )
- Wight ( Undead ; Desert, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Winged Kobold ( Humanoid (Kobold) ; Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark, Urban )
- Young Blue Dragon ( Dragon ; Coastal, Desert )
- Young Brass Dragon ( Dragon ; Desert )
- Young Kruthik ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Mountain, Underdark )
- Yuan-ti Abomination ( Monstrosity (Shapechanger, Yuan-Ti) ; Desert, Forest, Swamp )
- Yuan-ti Anathema ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Forest, Underdark )
- Yuan-ti Broodguard ( Monstrosity ; Desert, Forest, Underdark )
- Yuan-ti Malison (Type 1) ( Monstrosity (Shapechanger, Yuan-Ti) ; Desert, Forest, Swamp )
- Yuan-ti Malison (Type 2) ( Monstrosity (Shapechanger, Yuan-Ti) ; Desert, Forest, Swamp )
- Yuan-ti Malison (Type 3) ( Monstrosity (Shapechanger, Yuan-Ti) ; Desert, Forest, Swamp )
- Yuan-ti Malison (Type 4) ( Monstrosity (Shapechanger, Yuan-Ti) ; Desert, Forest, Swamp )
- Yuan-ti Malison (Type 5) ( Monstrosity (Shapechanger, Yuan-Ti) ; Desert, Forest, Swamp )
- Yuan-ti Mind Whisperer ( Monstrosity (Warlock) ; Desert, Forest, Underdark )
- Yuan-ti Nightmare Speaker ( Monstrosity (Warlock) ; Desert, Forest, Underdark )
- Yuan-ti Pit Master ( Monstrosity (Warlock) ; Desert, Forest, Underdark )
- Yuan-ti Pureblood ( Humanoid (Yuan-Ti) ; Desert, Forest, Swamp, Urban )
- Zaratan ( Elemental ; Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Underdark )
Desert Terrain Fauna
Any Terrain Fauna
Location under
Inhabiting Species
Any Terrain
Environments