Editing Hook Horror (section)

==Interspecies Relationships==
D&D lore consistently paints a picture of hook horrors as creatures that don't have a lot to do with other species.

That seems to be true in a genetic sense too. Their Ecology article states that they are not mammals, but invertebrate arthropods with vaguely humanoid form, and observes that (along with kobolds), hook horrors are one of few egg-laying bipeds. The Monstrous Compendium suggests that they are distantly related to cockroaches and cave crickets.

The little we do know about hook horror relationships with other creature mostly revolves around food. The 1st Edition hook horrors prefer non-mobile fungi, but if food supplies are short, they will prey on zygoms, violet fungi, phycomids and shriekers. The Ecology of the Hook Horror suggests that large fungi are found in half of hook horror lairs, and that some groups will even keep captive fungi as a food supply. Hook horrors apparently have a special gland in their endocrine system which gives them immunity to any rotting or infestation powers that these fungi have.

The Second Edition fairly-consistently opposed hook horrors to drow, as noted above. ''[[Night Below]]'' consciously moved drow offstage such that they'd left their [[quaggoth]] servants / allies behind, so they carry on that ancient feud.

By the time we get to 3rd Edition, hook horrors are predominantly carnivorous, and the Monster Manual II notes that [[drow]] are one of their favourite meals. The 4th Edition Monster Manual responds to this by observing that drow hunt and slay wild hook horrors and take the young and eggs to raise as slaves. The encounter tables in 4th Edition suggest that hook horrors can sometimes be found with [[balhannoth]]s, [[grimlock]]s and [[beholder]]s, but that's not really consistent with everything else we know about them.

Hook horrors don't have many natural enemies. Not only are they capable of defending themselves aggressively, but at least in 1st Edition their tendencies to accumulate internal parasites means that most carnivores shun them as food. This is no longer the case by 2nd Edition, where natural predators capable of catching a hook horror would eat it. [[Ogre]]s have been known to use crude suits of armour made from hook horror exoskeleton plates, so perhaps they occasionally hunt them.