D&D: Monster Spotlight: Almiraj; Part Bunny, Part Unicorn, All Adorable
That’s no ordinary rabbit. That’s the most foul, cruel, and- No, I’m just kidding. The almiraj is proof that sometimes D&D monsters are downright precious.
First Edition
Almiraj, or al-mi’raj depending on which edition you’re looking at, are large yellow hares with up to two-foot long horns protruding from their foreheads. “Like unicorns?” you may ask. Yes, just like unicorns. Not particularly good or bad and with the average intelligence of your average rabbit, almiraj are basically just animals in a word full of horrible monsters. They will stab you with their horn for dagger-esque damage if they feel threatened, however, and like most wild animals can attack for seemingly no reason or opt to keep a safe distance at their whim. If you’re lucky enough to capture an almiraj while they’re young, they are surprisingly open to domestication and training and can become a decent pet or adventuring companion.
Second Edition
2E comes in hot with a ton of new information and abilities that make the almiraj a little more monstrous. In addition to their horn they can teleport short distances earning them the nickname “blink bunnies,” they are immune to poison, and they may or may not have been the result of Krynnish gnome weird science. They are also a lot less timid than regular rabbits now, springing directly to self-defense if they feel threatened. Honestly, though, I still think they’re pretty cute and not that monstery at all.
Third Edition
3E doesn’t have any art, so instead have this 750-year-old drawing of one.
Third edition does little to make these cuties terribly fearsome with a party of four earning an adventurer a paltry 400 experience points and 26 HP apiece. They don’t teleport here, but they are squirrely and quick and will burrow without provoking opportunity attack when they miss their own attack. They also leave out the very important factoid about almirajes being domesticatable as pets, but I’d like to think that every D&D player in the world knows that almost any monster can become your faithful companion if the dice are rolling in your favor.
Fifth Edition
In fifth edition the find familiar spell can summon an almiraj, and that may be the most important information I have read about them all day. Here they are back to being timid creatures that mostly resemble our run of the mill Earth rabbits…. but y’know, with a horn. They also seem to be a little smaller judging by the art and their description measuring their horn at about one foot long. Unfortunately, their teleportation and super burrowing abilities are gone now, leaving them with horn attacks and their keen senses alone, but they still burrow in the normal bunny way. Just don’t spook one in the wild and you should be fine. Or do, you’ll likely still be fine.
Have you encountered an almiraj? Do you know how an almiraj as a pet? Will you be asking your dungeon master for an almiraj pet now? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Adventuring!
