Bereaved Climbing Ladder

← Back to Bestiary

👁 Read Only by Frazer 👁 134 views

Large Construct, Neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 85 (10d10+30)

Speed 20 ft. climb 30 ft.

STR 18 (+4)

DEX 14 (+2)

CON 16 (+3)

INT 8 (-1)

WIS 12 (+1)

CHA 13 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +6, Wis +4

Skills Athletics +7, Perception +4

Damage Vulnerabilities fire

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

Languages Common, telepathy 30 ft.

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

The Remembered One. At the start of an encounter, the ladder recognizes one creature it can see as the person it once loved; the DM chooses the creature, or determines it randomly. The ladder can communicate telepathically with the Remembered One in broken, intimate phrases. It cannot willingly target that creature with an attack, and it has advantage on Wisdom saving throws against effects originating from that creature. If the Remembered One moves farther than 60 feet away, the ladder uses its turns to pursue it by the safest available route.

Resentful Timber. The ladder has advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to avoid being climbed, moved, or knocked over. Whenever a creature climbs onto or over the ladder, the ladder can use its reaction to move up to half its climbing speed and make one Rung Lash attack against that creature.

Constructed Nature. The ladder doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

Multiattack. The ladder makes three Rung Lash attacks. It can replace one attack with Clasping Reunion against the Remembered One, if that creature is within reach.

Rung Lash. Melee weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature climbing, standing on, or within 5 feet of the ladder, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

Clasping Reunion. Melee weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature other than the Remembered One. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be grappled by the ladder's hooked rungs. Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained. The ladder can grapple only one creature at a time.

Fold-and-Fling (Recharge 5-6). The ladder violently folds and snaps open. Each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d8 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that fails is also knocked prone. The ladder can then move up to 15 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

Reactions

Climb Back. When a creature climbs onto, over, or down the ladder, the ladder moves up to half its climbing speed and makes one Rung Lash attack against that creature.

Environment Forest, Hill, Mountain, Urban

📷 Export as Image

Share your monster as a beautiful PNG image styled like classic D&D sourcebooks.

📥 Download PNG

Includes: Full stat block, monster image (if selected), CR badge, and QuickMonster branding.

Resolution: High-quality PNG at 2x scale for crisp display on any device.

You always climbed up to me. Why do you keep running away? — whispered by the ladder in the dark

Lore & Description

Appearance

This enormous wooden ladder is made from dark, weather-cracked oak banded with tarnished iron. Its twelve rungs flex like knuckles, and its side rails bend with the slow, resentful rhythm of a breathing spine. Old climbing rope hangs from its top, braided into something resembling long hair. One rung bears a faded carved initial, while the others are worn smooth by countless furious attempts to shake climbers loose. When it moves, it folds and unfolds with a splintering groan like a door refusing to open.

Behavior & Origins

The ladder was once part of a watchtower belonging to a carpenter named Orra Venn, who built it for her beloved, Tamas, to reach her window each night. Tamas never returned from a war patrol, and Orra died waiting beside the tower. A resentful spirit entered the ladder after years of rain, abandonment, and grief, teaching it to climb walls and chase away anyone who treated it as a mere tool. It mistakes one member of the party for Tamas, perhaps because of a voice, scar, mannerism, or family resemblance. The ladder now wants to bring that person back to the ruined watchtower of Venn's Folly and keep them there forever.

Running Bereaved Climbing Ladder

Tactics

The ladder begins by positioning itself against a wall, tree, or cliff so creatures must climb or pass close to it, then lashes at the first climber and uses Climb Back whenever possible. It focuses its attacks on everyone except the Remembered One, attempting to grapple dangerous combatants and fling clustered foes prone with Fold-and-Fling. When reduced below half its hit points, it abandons defense and pursues the Remembered One toward Venn's Folly; it fights to the death if that creature is cornered, but flees if the Remembered One escapes beyond its reach.

DM Tips

Telegraph the danger with fresh splinters high on a wall, footprints that begin halfway up a surface, and whispered endearments coming from an apparently ordinary ladder.
Choose the Remembered One based on a small roleplaying detail and have the ladder react warmly to that character while becoming violently jealous of anyone who approaches them.
Let clever characters exploit its attachment by impersonating or calling to the Remembered One, but require believable words or mannerisms rather than treating the ability as a simple charm.
For a weaker party, remove the ladder's nonmagical weapon resistance; for a stronger party, give it two additional rungs that can each make one Rung Lash attack at the start of its turn.

Loot

Orra's Carved Rung — A removable rung bearing the initials O.V. and T.V. It can be used as proof of what happened at Venn's Folly or as a focus for laying the ladder's spirit to rest.
Tamas's Brass Button — A military coat button wedged beneath the ladder's lowest rung. Returning it to Orra's grave may allow the ladder to recognize the truth and become still.
The Climbing Rope — A length of old rope that knots itself around the wrist of anyone who carries it toward Venn's Folly. It grants advantage on one Athletics check made to climb before going slack forever.

♻ Remix This Monster

Make it yours — one tap creates your own variant of Bereaved Climbing Ladder.

Free — no account needed.

Generation Info

Original prompt:
"CR 5: A ladder that resents being climbed and has learned to climb back. It mistakes one party member for someone it once loved."

Created: Sep 18, 2026
Modified: Oct 26, 2026

Find more: Construct monsters CR 5-10 Construct Monsters for a level 12 party 🎲 Random monster