The Devil Monkeys of Appalachia
A hairy column on using folklore in tabletop RPGs
You’re driving home from a long trip at night. Storms have shut down the main highway, pushed you onto a side road. You’ve been delayed so long the sun has disappeared. It’s very dark and very remote. Trees are closing in on you from both sides.
Something leaps in front of your car. You slam your brakes, skid to a stop. It's beside your car now, looking straight at you. You think it’s a wolf at first, maybe a wild cat. But despite being covered in sleek black fur, despite having the hind legs of a cat, its torso is like that of a man. Its head is like that of a man.
It vanishes back into the wilderness. Will anyone believe what you saw?
I. Devil Monkeys
The devil monkeys of Appalachia are described as having dark hair, sharp claws, pointed ears, and snouts like a baboon or canine. Smaller specimens are only 3’ in height, while larger examples range from 6 to 8’ tall. Well-muscled, they can make incredible jumps and keep up with cars for short distances. Far more ferocious than most wildlife, devil monkeys have reportedly attacked dogs and humans, as well as killed local livestock1.
The opening story is based on the experience of a young woman driving through Virginia in the late 1990s, a state rife with devil monkey sightings from the ‘50s onwards. In one incident, the monkey is said to have torn the roof of a nurse’s car. In another, it smashed into a car’s windscreen and leered through the glass at those trapped inside.
But what is it? Some cryptozoologists believe it to be a surviving remnant of an ancient group of primates (à la Big Foot). Paranormalists believe it’s a creature with far more sinister origins (the clue being in the name). Could some sightings be an actual monkey? Well…
II. The Danville Monkey
Back in 2001, Danville, New Hampshire had a monkey problem. Over a couple of weeks, the local fire chief and many others witnessed a large black monkey as it ran amok in their small town:
"It jumped out of the trees," [Fire Chief] Kimball said. "As soon as he hit the ground, he took a giant leap and went back where he came from. The first thought I had was: That's nothing that's native to here."
–Seacoast Online, 14 September 20012
Accompanied by a strange hooting or howling sound, this monkey was spotted multiple times in the following days. Despite attempts to catch it, however, after a few weeks the creature disappeared, never to be seen again.
Locals concluded it must have been a pet or zoo monkey turned feral after being abandoned or escaping from captivity, perhaps a Humboldt’s woolly monkey imported from the Amazon. The Internet, of course, was quick to link this story to that of the devil monkey instead.
Using Devil Monkeys in Your Game
So now you know the story, how can you use it in your game?
I. Local Menace
Even fantastical settings can have local folklore, and the existance of a ‘devil monkey’ in the nearby wilderness could serve exactly that.
First, introduce the story as a tall tale told at a local inn over drinks. Then, if the PCs are moving through nearby hexes in a hex crawl, for example, the devil monkey could be a rare random encounter, more likely to flee than fight. And if it’s fleeing, the PCs might be able to track it back to its lair. This could be a place that recontextualises the ‘devil’ monkey as something more or less sinister, or...
II. Wizard Nonsense
In an (urban) fantasy setting, the existence of devil monkeys might be the result of an evil science experiment by a reckless wizard. Desiring servants ala the Wicked Witch, or perhaps following in the footsteps of Dr. Moreau, this wizard has added monstrous, intelligent monkeys to his retinue through foul magicks.
If the existence or location of this wizard’s lair is unknown, perhaps these monkeys periodically elope and attack folk in a nearby forest and/or town—a sign to the PCs that something not right is hidden nearby.
III. Devil Monkey Hot Springs
With apologies to the real-life Jigokudani Monkey Park:
Surrounded by steep cliffs and thick dead trees, ‘Hell’s Valley’ was once a holy site for pilgrimage. Now, it takes its name from the steam and boiling water that bubbles out of the valley’s many fissures that opened after an earthquake a decade ago. Locals believe these cracks lead straight down to the pit itself, and speak of the place as cursed. It is true that the local monkeys, who bathe in these new hot springs, have begun to take on a peculiarly sinister air. It’s also true that they become very hostile towards anyone who tries to check on the rarely-seen monks in the valley’s monastery…
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Devil Monkey Statistics (Old-School)
AC: 12
HD: 3* (13 hp)
Attacks: +2 to hit » 2 x claw (1d3 + latch), 1 x bite (1d4)
Move: Standard + Skilled Climber
Save As: Fighter 3
Quantity: Solo or Pack (1d6)
Morale: 8▶ Leap: Can jump up to 15’ high and 40’ forward to attack. If at least 10’ is covered horizontally, gain +1 to attack.
▶ Latch: If a victim is hit by both claw attacks in the same round, they are latched onto. Until the devil monkey is removed, all future attacks automatically hit.Devil monkeys use their Leap ability to set up ambush attacks, hiding in nearby trees and foliage. To coordinate in packs, they let out eerie howls that serve the dual purpose of unsettling their prey.
And that’s it for devil monkeys!
I’d like to take a moment to excitedly announce that I have an adventure in Necrotic Gnome’s upcoming Old-School Essentials: Adventure Anthology 3! My temple dungeon, ‘The Grotesques’ Grotto’, is inspired by ancient Greek myth and folklore, and I can’t wait for you all to see it. I’ll be sure to post here and on social media when the book is available.
With that all said, thanks for reading the first Mythoi of 2025! We’ll be back soon with another piece of fantastical folklore.
~ A.C. Luke
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Taylor Jr., L. B.. Monsters of Virginia: Mysterious Creatures in the Old Dominion. Stackpole Books, 2012.
Bricker, Lara. “Residents can't stop monkeying around.” Seacoast Online, 14. Sept. 2001.