Grudge-Ladder
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 11 (2d10)
Speed 20 ft. climb 20 ft.
Skills Athletics +4, Perception +2
Damage Resistances piercing
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands Common but can't speak
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Actions
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"I knew that ladder looked at us funny." — last words of a burglar found at the bottom of a stairwell
Lore & Description
Appearance
This ten-foot wooden ladder is built from dark, splintered oak, with iron braces twisted into crooked hooks at either end. Its rungs have been worn smooth by countless climbers, except for one or two that jut out like clenched teeth. When it moves, it does not walk so much as clatter, fold, and spring forward, its sides flexing with resentful purpose. Names and tally marks cover its rails in charcoal, chalk, and what may be dried blood.
Behavior & Origins
Grudge-ladders are born when a carpenter dies after being mocked for a poorly made ladder, or when an overused ladder is discarded without thanks. They are petty rather than truly malicious, but they take every climb personally and meticulously record the offenders. The particular grudge-ladder called Old Number Seven haunts the abandoned watchtower of Bellwether Crag, where it is collecting the names of every adventurer who has ever used it. It wants its list completed with the name of the tower's former captain, who threw it into a ravine.
Running Grudge-Ladder
Tactics
The grudge-ladder opens by scrambling onto a wall or ceiling above the party, then uses Hooked Rungs to drag the most heavily armored climber into its reach. It uses Kick the Bottom when two or more creatures gather near it and retreats up vertical surfaces when damaged, always trying to attack creatures already on its grudge list. It fights to the splintered end if its current target is the creature that originally climbed it, but otherwise flees if reduced to 3 hit points or fewer.
DM Tips
- Telegraph danger with fresh tally marks, scrape trails leading up walls, and a ladder that has subtly changed position whenever the characters look away.
- Give the ladder a distinct voice through movement: three quick clacks for anger, a slow creak for judgment, and furious rattling when someone crosses a name off its list.
- For a weaker party, remove Hooked Rungs' pull effect; for a stronger party, let the ladder attack once as a bonus action against a listed creature after it moves at least 10 feet.
Loot
- The Grudge Ledger — A strip of bark nailed to one rail, covered in names and tally marks. One entry names a nearby villain, revealing the location of a hidden lair.
- Iron Hook-Rung — A bent iron rung that can be hammered onto an ordinary ladder, causing it to point toward the nearest creature that has climbed it.
