Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Umber Hulk, Unicorn, Vampire, Giant Wasp, Water Weird, Giant Weasel, and Whale

We are now only two more posts away from completing conversions for the Monster Manual. In my Patreon, I am currently converting the Monster Manual II and the monsters from the original Deities & Demigods cyclopedia. I am also converting the original monsters from BECMI which did not make it into AD&D 1e. Not all of these conversions will be posted here. Working material on the Cyclopedia of Common Faeries and Deities & Powers of the Middle World are also posted there, for those who are interested.

The Monster Manual umber hulk is black, but this makes little sense to me given its name. I tried to make its confusion ability easier to use while remaining potent. This is a monster I have not used often, and mostly avoided so that I could avoid it confusion power. Having players roll each round to see what their PCs do is seldom fun, in my experience.

Unicorns are something that, I think, most of us have both used and struggled with. On one hand, they are a common monster type which reverberates in our collective psyche. On the other hand, it is hard to use them without feeling somewhat disappointed. Unicorns in role-playing games seldom match the image in our heads. Something to talk to tends to fall flat, as the unicorn becomes just another NPC. The cool factor of a unicorn mount needs some other use of unicorns to compare it to. Herein, I give you a reason why PCs might hunt down a unicorn, and include some of the cost for doing so.

The vampire herein is an evolution of Erasmus Cordwainer Blood from Thirteen Brides of Blood and Count Urla from Down Among the Wreckers. I have had my own characters die to water weirds, but I cannot remember ever having placed one in an adventure. I will have to rectify that. Giant wasps and giant weasels are staples, with using whales less common because of the dearth of maritime adventuring in my earlier days.

If you use any of these conversions, I would love to hear about it!

Umber Hulk: Init +0; Atk claw +5 melee (1d4+4) or bite +2 melee (2d6); AC 18; HD 8d8; MV 20’ or burrow 15’; Act 3d20; SP confusion; SV Fort +8, Ref +0, Will +2; AL C.

These reddish-brown creatures stand upright in a manner similar to humanoids, but they are not. They live deep underground, where they tunnel through earth and solid stone, seeking edible fungi and fresh meat. Umber hulks have the power to confuse foes directly before them, resulting in a -1d to all rolls for 3d4 rounds (no save). This power is inherent in their four eyes, and can does not affect non-living creatures or creatures without sight. Blinding an umber hulk in two or more of its eyes ends the effect immediately.

These creatures are intelligent, and can sometimes be bargained with.

Unicorn: Init +7; Atk horn +5 melee (1d12) or hoof +4 melee (1d5+3); AC 18; HD 4d8; MV 90’; Act 1d20; SP charge, shadow step, maiden vulnerability, horn, blood; SV Fort +5, Ref +13, Will +7; AL C.

Perhaps the most wondrous creature of Elfland which passes into the Fields We Know, the unicorn appears as a white horse with cloven hooves and a goat-like beard. A single horn silver-white grows from its resplendent brow, which glimmers in the twilight with an opalescent sheen.

When a unicorn charges, it does double damage with its horn attack, in addition to the standard +2 to hit and -2 penalty to AC until its next action. Unicorns can step in and out of Elfland as part of their move using their action die, effectively teleporting 30’ during their move or disappearing from the Fields We Know entirely. They are difficult to capture as a result, and almost impossible to keep, although they cannot shadow step when surrounded by an iron cage or when bound by a noose in which iron filaments are woven.

Unicorns have a particular vulnerability to virginal maidens, which they can sense from up to 5 miles away. If there is no one else within 500’ of such a maiden, a unicorn sensing her must succeed in a DC 20 Will save or approach. If there is still no one within 500’ of the maiden, and she is seated, the unicorn must succeed in a second DC 20 Will save or place its head in her lap and fall asleep. This gives the maiden the opportunity to place a noose over its head, so that it may be captured or killed by hunters. Placing this noose instantly awakens the unicorn, which also awakens if any other person approaches within 500’. All too often, the maiden is slain in the unicorn’s rage at being captured. Otherwise, the creature sleeps for 1d3 hours and the maiden gains 1 Luck per hour it sleeps.

A unicorn’s horn is magical, and can be used to heal three times a day, healing either 1d3 Hit Dice of damage, 1d3 points of attribute damage (including permanent attribute damage), or removing any poison or disease and all of the effects (including damage) thereof. These are abilities the unicorn may use while alive, which are retained by the horn even if removed. A powdered unicorn’s horn may be used as a power component, adding a +6 bonus to a ritual spell check. Powdered unicorn’s horn is also used as a primary component in a ritual to restore the dead to life.

When a unicorn is slain, up to 1d6+6 vials of its blood may be collected while it is still at its highest potency. A vial of this blood may be consumed to grant a +6 bonus on a spell check made within the next 7 minutes, but doing so also causes corruption in the imbiber. Roll 1d12: (1-7) minor corruption, (8-10) major corruption, or (11-12) greater corruption.

Vampire: Init +3; Atk touch +5 melee (paralysis) or bite +0 melee (1d3 plus blood drain) or bite +4 melee (1d5) (as wolf) or bite +4 melee (1d6) (as giant bat) or gaze (30’ range, paralysis); AC 10 (12 as wolf, 14 as giant bat); HD 5d6; MV 30’ (40’ as wolf, fly 40’ as giant bat); Act 2d20; SP un-dead, infravision 60’, paralysis (1d6 minutes, DC 13 Will save negates), gaze (30’ range, 1d6 minutes paralysis, DC 16 Will negates), blood drain (1d4 Stamina), psychic connection, regenerate 3/round unless staked, transformation (wolf, bat, or mist), create spawn, must be welcomed, native soil dependency, garlic vulnerability, holy item vulnerability, sunlight vulnerability; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +8; AL C.

Vampires are un-dead creatures which sometimes are able to masquerade themselves well enough to walk among the living. They are detectable in that they have no reflections, and thus avoid mirrors and other reflective surfaces which would betray their true nature. Vampires can take the form of wolves, giant bats, or mist. In mist form they have no effective attacks, but can flow through even the smallest of openings.

Once a vampire has fed on the blood of a victim, it forges a psychic connection that remains active even over long distances so long as the vampire endures. The vampire knows what the victim knows, and within 500’ can command the victim’s actions if they fail an opposed Will save. If the victim is given the vampire’s blood to drink as well, they become a lesser vampire upon death.

For all of their power, vampires have several weaknesses as well. They cannot enter a private residence unless invited in by someone within it. They must rest at least 6 hours each day, usually in a coffin, and always with their native soil or its maximum hit points are reduced by 1d5 each day (or 1d10 if it has also not consumed a human’s blood within the last 24 hours). These reductions last until the vampire has rested a full 8 hours in contact with its native earth. While resting, a vampire is effectively helpless.

Vampires are repelled by garlic and holy symbols, and must make a DC 20 Will save to approach within 20’ of them (holy symbols must be brandished for this to be effective, and this is in addition to any effect from a clerical attempt to Turn the Unholy). Direct contact with holy symbols or holy water cause 1d8 damage. Direct sunlight causes vampires 1d7 damage each round, and the vampire doesn’t regenerate under these conditions, although the damage can be regenerated should the vampire succeed in reaching darkness.

It should be noted that specific vampires may have character class levels, as well as both powers and weaknesses unique to that individual.

Lesser Vampire: Init +1; Atk touch +3 melee (paralysis) or bite -2 melee (1 plus blood drain); AC 9; HD 2d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead, infravision 60’, paralysis (1d6 rounds, DC 10 Will save negates), blood drain, regenerate unless staked, dependence upon creator; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +2; AL C.

If the vampire who created a lesser vampire is slain, the lesser vampire must succeed in a DC 13 Will save or die. Should the lesser vampire survive, it grows into a full vampire over the next 1d5+2 months.

Giant Wasp: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Water Weird: Init +5; Atk strike +6 melee (drag into water); AC 16; HD 3d8; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP drag into water (DC 16 Strength resists), hold and drown (1d4 temporary Stamina damage, DC 20 Strength escapes), half damage from sharp weapons and fire, slowed by cold-based attacks, control water elemental; SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2; AL C.

Water weirds are creatures made of elemental water, which take the form of serpents 1d3+8 feet long. They are only found in bodies of water large enough to hold them, and somehow purifying that water forces water weirds back to their elemental plane. These creatures are very intelligent and utterly evil. They are not above speaking with, and even making deal with, mortals to increase the amount of suffering in the world.

A water weird that strikes it victim drags it into the water, there to hold their victim below the surface until they drown. A victim who reaches 0 Stamina dies, but a victim which survives recovers lost temporary Stamina damage with one turn of unobstructed breathing. A single water weird can strike and hold up to three victims at a time.

Cold damage only slows a water weird, so that it makes one attack per two rounds for as many rounds as it would normally have taken points of damage. Unfortunately, this does not release those it is currently holding or change how fast they drown.

If a water elemental is within range, a water weird can attempt to enter it and control it with a successful DC 12 Will save. The elemental then becomes the body of water containing the weird.

Giant Weasel: Init +5; Atk bite +3 melee (1d6); AC 13; HD 2d6; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +2; Ref +5; Will +3; AL N.

As giant ferret in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Whale: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals. This volume includes basic stats for baleen and toothed whales, and specific write-ups for blue whales, fin whales, gray whales, humpback whales, Minke whales, Sei whales, killer whales, narwhals, pilot whales, and sperm whales. Enough, I hope, to satisfy even Captain Ahab!

All in the (DCC) Family

Is it wrong of me to want a recording of Bob & Jen Brinkman singing this to start an episode of Spellburn? 

Boy, the way Mike Curtis played.

Crits that made the our chances fade.

Anything that Harley made.

Those were the days

Listening to Spellburn then

We still get Julian and Jen.

Wizard, we could use a spell like magic missile again.

Those Were the Days

Didn't need no rules debate.

Roll the dice and trust your fate

Gee, Brendan LaSalle ran great.

Those were the days

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Finishing the “T”s: Treant, Triton, Troglodyte, Troll, and Turtle

Troglodytes, treants, and trolls saw fairly regular usage in my early games, with treants probably being the least used (or, at least, the least encountered as they are not obvious and seldom hunt you down). Giant turtles and tritons are great monsters, but as I have mentioned in previous posts, it was hard to convince PCs to board a ship in my 1st Edition days. I believe I used more giant turtles in 3rd Edition than in 1st.

When I moved to 2nd Edition, I started the PCs in an island city with the intent to make oceanic travel more of a thing. The problem with getting on a ship, of course, is that players lose some agency while onboard. There is nowhere to run if enemies board your ship (or if there is a mutiny). If your ship sinks, of course, there is a good chance that you drown. If you paid for the ship and survive, you are out a huge investment.

In many ways, my thinking about shipboard adventures was formed by the original Traveller science-fiction role-playing game. Your ship was there to take you to one adventure location to another. You could run adventures taking place entirely on a ship, and encounters between planets could certainly occur, but the GM has a vested interest in keeping the PCs’ ship at least mostly intact.

Similarly, when I was playing FASA’s Star Trek and Doctor Who role-playing games, while the GM might introduce Klingon attackers or threaten the PCs’ TARDIS, actually removing either group’s conveyance from play most likely meant that the campaign was over.

A sea-going vessel is less durable and more replaceable than a starship, but within the context of their respective game milieus they serve the same purpose: to allow the PCs greater range in exploration. To boldly go where no adventurer has gone before. Or to simply get from Point A to Point B. If you want your players to have their characters step aboard willingly – or even eagerly – you should consider making sure that there is a way to at least survive what they will encounter. If you destroy their ship, it is helpful if it can be replaced before too much time has passed adventure-wise. Obviously, this doesn’t apply if you telegraph the dangers and they sail right in anyway.

All of which is a long-winded way of coming to the point: I cannot recall ever using tritons in an adventure.

Small Treant: Init -2; Atk branch-like buffet +12 melee (2d6) or animate trees; AC 20; HD 8d12; MV 30’; Act 1d24; SP plant, camouflage +16, crit as giant on 20-24, immunity to piercing weapons, animate trees, fire vulnerability (+4 to attack rolls, -4 to saves, x2 damage); SV Fort +14, Ref +2, Will +6; AL C.

Treant: Init -4; Atk branch-like buffet +14 melee (3d6) or animate trees; AC 20; HD 10d12; MV 30’; Act 1d24; SP plant, camouflage +16, crit as giant on 20-24, immunity to piercing weapons, animate trees, fire vulnerability (+4 to attack rolls, -4 to saves, x2 damage); SV Fort +16, Ref +0, Will +8; AL C.

Large Treant: Init -4; Atk branch-like buffet +16 melee (4d6) or animate trees; AC 20; HD 12d12; MV 30’; Act 2d24; SP plant, camouflage +16, crit as giant on 20-24, immunity to piercing weapons, animate trees, fire vulnerability (+4 to attack rolls, -4 to saves, x2 damage); SV Fort +18, Ref -2, Will +10; AL C.

Treants are tall, intelligent plants which are difficult to discern from various types of trees. Small treants are 1d4+11 feet tall, average treants are 1d5+14 feet tall, and large treants are 1d6+19 feet tall. They may appear as any type of tree, depending upon the treant. Their woody bodies are immune to piercing weapons, but they are especially vulnerable to fire.

A treant can animate 1d6 trees within 100 feet using an action die, and can control a number of animated trees equal to its Hit Dice. Animated trees remain animated for 1 turn, and have statistics based upon their tree type.

(I will cover animated trees in the Cyclopedia of Common Faeries, I think. Two examples can be found in Creeping Beauties of the Wood. Until then, use the following statistics as a baseline.)

Animated Tree: Init +0; Atk branch +2 melee (1d6); AC 14; HD 4d12; MV 10’; Act 2d20; SP plant, camouflage +16, immunity to piercing weapons, half damage from bludgeoning weapons, fire and axe vulnerability (x2 damage); SV Fort +15, Ref -8, Will +0; AL N.

Triton: Init +0; Atk trident +2 melee (1d8) or dagger +0 melee (1d4); AC 15; HD 3d6; MV 5’ or swim 60’; Act 1d20; SP amphibious; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +1; AL  N.

Tritons are similar to merfolk in general form, but their tail section bifurcates into two tails where a human would normally have legs. They get along well with sea creatures, and may use them as pets, guardians, or beasts of burden.

For every 20 tritons, there is a remarkable individual with 4 Hit Dice. For every 50 tritons there is a leader who has 5 Hit Dice and the class abilities of a 5th level (roll 1d6): (1-2) cleric of a sea-god, (4-5) warrior, or (6) elf (including iron vulnerability).

The leader is 25% likely to carry a magical conch shell which can be blown to calm seas, induce storms, or summon 2d12 Hit Dice of sea creatures within 3d6 rounds. This is treated as a weather control spell (spell check result 28-29) when influencing the weather. It does not allow the user to control the sea creatures if summons, and the user must determine what to summon in order to use the conch this way. Tritons typically summon only creatures friendly to themselves for obvious reasons. These magical conchs may be blown any number of times for communication – and they can be heard 1d6 miles away over the ocean – but can only produce magical effects three times per day. It requires a DC 16 spell check for a non-triton to use such a conch properly, but those worshiping ocean gods or with maritime patrons gain a +4 bonus to this check.

Troglodyte: See the core rulebook, page 429.

Troll: See the core rulebook, pages 429-430.

Turtle: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals. The Monster Manual provides statistics for giant sea turtles and giant snapping turtles. In addition to these, I have provided statistics for sea turtles, large sea turtles, leatherback sea turtles, and snapping turtles.

 

Ask Me Anything

Now's your chance. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/dccrpg/comments/1q4rymk/raven_crowkings_semiannual_ama/

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Thought Eater, Giant Tick, Tiger, Titan, Titanothere, Giant Toad, and Trapper

“T” is the last letter in the Monster Manual that needs to be split into more than one post. Once we get to “U” we will be combining letters as we hurl through the home stretch. Once again the Cyclopedia of Common Animals gets a real workout, as it contains four of the entries we are looking at today.

Giant ticks have always been a part of games I’ve run. Bengal tigers exist near Shanthopal (and parts south through the Unjaggi region). Siberian-type tigers can be found in some of the northern reaches beyond the Ibetyan Mountains. Sabre-toothed tigers of various types can also be found in some of the wilder regions of the Middle World.

Giant toads are another monster that, throughout years of gaming, I have used with some frequency. Like giant frogs and giant ticks, they are a monster that resonates with me – and probably anyone who grew up in the Midwest or the southern parts of Canada. Still, the Monster Manual has a couple of varieties not included in the Cyclopedia, which you will find here.

I have used trappers, although rarely. Like the lurker above, it is just too dangerous not to use sparingly, and only on the fringes of inhabited areas in large dungeon complexes. Of course, I cannot be certain, but I think the difference in frequency which Gary Gygax gives these two monsters is based on the fact that the lurker above can shift its location more easily than the trapper. Still, the “survival horror” elements of this monster make it one of the all-time greats.

The other three monsters in this post are three which I cannot recall ever using. I remember creating a society which used titanotheres and baluchiteriums as beasts of burden, but as that location was never found by any PCs it remains for some future game.

Titans, of course, are not only huge giants but a major part of Greek mythology. The titan write-up herein will serve as the basis for converting the monsters of the Greek Mythos when I get to that portion of my Deities & Demigods conversions (ongoing in my Patreon). If you have been following my work on Gods & Powers of the Middle World, you know that some Greek-inspired deities are included, which finally gives me an adequate place to include titans in the game.

(If it interests you, Shanthopal is intended as a cultural melting pot, but is primarily based upon Indian and Middle Eastern ideas, as they may have evolved centuries hence, following the collapse of our own civilization, a nuclear war, and the return of gods and magic to our world. This allows me to admix many ideas into a semi-cohesive whole while using the influence of various gods and powers to explain, to some degree at least, why things are as they are.)

During my 1st Edition days, psionic characters were so rare on the ground that I didn’t really use psionic monsters often. I cannot remember ever using a thought eater, although I am hoping that my conversion will make them more useful to DCC judges than I found them in AD&D. That isn’t really a criticism of the earlier system; I am sure many AD&D DMs made better use of the psionics rules than I did. Discerning readers will note that my write-up has nothing to do with the creature as presented, but does have an Appendix N root.

Thought Eater: Init +0; Atk siphon Intelligence; AC 8; HD 1d6; MV fly 20’; Act 1d20; SP non-corporeal, immunity to non-magical weapons, siphon intelligence (1d3 permanent Intelligence, 30’ range, DC 13 Will negates), lead vulnerability, sunlight and UV radiation vulnerability; SV Fort +0; Ref +0; Will +0; AL C.

Non-corporeal creatures which feed on intelligence, thought eaters are naturally invisible. To those capable of seeing them, they appear as transparent blobs of violet energy. When they get within 30 feet of an intelligent creature, they can attempt to permanently siphon off 1d3 points of Intelligence (DC 13 Will negates) each round, only being satiated when they have consumed a full 20 points of Intelligence.

Thought eaters are powerless in daylight, and find it painful, so they usually only operate at night or deep underground. Despite being non-corporeal, they cannot pass through even a thin coating of lead and can be harmed by lead or lead-coated weapons. If forced to remain in bright daylight for 2d6 rounds, they are slain. Devices which channel strong ultra-violet light can destroy them in a similar amount of time if they cannot escape.

Thankfully, there are few of these creatures in existence. Sages believe they were some failed and foolish experiment of the Shining Ones, and there are still occasionally lead-lined containers found from those Dark Ages, sealed in lead, and woe upon those unwise enough to open them!

Giant Tick: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Tiger: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for both tigers and sabre-toothed tigers, with some additional variety provided (Bengal vs. Siberian for normal tigers, and by size for smilodons.

Lesser Titan: Init +0; Atk sword or spear +16 melee (5d8+12) or spell; AC 22; HD 20d10; MV 50’; Act 1d30; SP invisible at will, planar step (3/day, spell check result 24-26), spellcasting, crit as giant on 20-30; SV Fort +16, Ref +8, Will +12; AL C.

Greater Titan: Init +2; Atk sword or spear +20 melee (5d8+15) or spell; AC 26; HD 25d10; MV 60’; Act 2d30; SP invisible at will, planar step (3/day, spell check result 24-26), spellcasting, crit as giant on 20-30; SV Fort +20, Ref +5, Will +16; AL C.

Lesser titans are 1d4+20 feet tall and weigh as much as 15,000 pounds. Greater titans are even larger, being 1d8+24 feet tall and weighing as much as 25,000 pounds. Wherever they appear, they may be worshipped as gods although they have no clerics and cannot grant divine spells.

All titans can cast spells. To determine what class they cast spell as, roll 1d6: (1-2) wizard, (3-5) cleric, or (6) both. Lesser titans have 1d6+2 caster levels, and greater titans have 1d7+3 caster levels. If a titan casts spells as a cleric, it can also lay on hands and turn the unholy, and acts as the representative of some specific god. 

If the judge so desires, a greater titan who casts wizard spells can be developed as a full patron. Likewise, powerful titans which cast clerical spells may become Demi-Powers or Least Powers at the judge’s discretion.

In any event, attacking a titan is almost certain suicide.

Titanothere: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Giant Toad: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals. I didn’t include an ice toad or poisonous toad, so I have included them below.

Ice Toad: Init +0; Atk tongue strike +2 ranged (20’ range, 0 plus entrap) or Bite +3 melee (1d8); AC 10; HD 6d8+6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP entrap, swallow whole (19-20), cold aura (10’ range, 1d4 temporary Stamina, DC 10 Fort for half); SV Fort +4; Ref +0; Will +0 ; AL N.

These creatures are larger than common giant toads, and radiate intense cold within a 30’ radius, causing 1d4 temporary Stamina damage (DC 10 Fort for half). Victims who spend 1 turn warming up by a large fire heal this damage immediately if they succeed on a DC 5 Fort save; otherwise it heals normally as regular attribute damage.

On a natural 19-20 with a bite attack, instead of the normal critical effect, an ice toad swallows human-sized or smaller prey whole, doing 1d6 damage and 1d3 Stamina damage per round to the swallowed creature. A swallowed creature can do nothing that requires movement. Against other creatures, use normal critical effects. As with giant frogs, giant toads can pull victims toward them at a rate of 5 feet per round unless it makes an opposed Strength check (vs +5), or sever its tongue (AC 13, 10 hp or Mighty Deed 4+). Attacking the tongue doesn’t affect the ice toad’s hit points, but severing it will cause the creature to retreat immediately.

Note that the Stamina damage to swallowed victims is not temporary, but can be healed as normal attribute damage.

Poisonous Toad: Init +0; Atk tongue strike +2 ranged (20’ range, 0 plus entrap) or Bite +3 melee (1d6 plus venom); AC 10; HD 4d8; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP venom (1d3 Agility plus DC 15 Fort or 2d6 hp); entrap, swallow whole (19-20); SV Fort +2; Ref +2; Will +0; AL N.

Poisonous toads are similar to giant toads, except that they have a venomous bite. On a natural 19-20 with a bite attack, instead of the normal critical effect, a poisonous toad swallows human-sized or smaller prey whole, doing 1d5 damage per round to the swallowed creature. A swallowed creature can do nothing that requires movement. Against other creatures, use normal critical effects. Poisonous toads can pull victims toward them at a rate of 5 feet per round unless the victim makes an opposed Strength check (vs +3), or sever its tongue (AC 13, 8 hp or Mighty Deed 3+). Attacking the tongue doesn’t affect the toad’s hit points, but severing it will cause the creature to retreat immediately.

A thief can extract 1d4 doses of venom from a slain poisonous toad with a successful Handle Poison check, but there is a -2 penalty to this check.

Trapper: Init +0; Atk entrap +5 melee (crush); AC 20; HD 12d8; MV 10’; Act special; SP camouflage +12, crush (1d6 +AC bonus), ruin armor, underside vulnerability (AC 15, x2 damage); SV Fort +12, Ref -6, Will +0; AL C.

Trappers are flat, semi-amorphous creatures which can spread themselves over an area of up to 1d30 x 10 5-foot squares, matching the floor of the space – whether it is natural or worked stone – with an astonishing level of success. They are able to extrude part of their bodies into a vaguely chest-like protrusion which cannot pass for a real chest when potential victims are within 10 feet of it…but by then it is too late.

The trapper makes a single 1d20 attack against all creatures on its surface. Those it catches are entrapped, and on each following round it can crush all of its victims. Victims take 1d6 damage plus damage equal to the AC bonus of any armor worn as it is crushed into the victims’ bodies. Entrapped victims can take no action which requires motion, although mental powers may still be used. In most cases, victims rely upon any which escaped the trapper to survive.

In order to entrap victims, a trapper must expose its weaker underside. This has a lower AC (15) and attacks against it cause twice normal damage. If a trapper is reduced to half it hit points, it releases its victims and attempts to escape. Trappers are smarter than they would appear to be, and otherwise continue crushing their victims for 2d6+5 rounds before releasing them for consumption – strong and lucky creatures may be able to escape at this time.

Whether because they were released or slain, there is a chance equal to AC bonus on 1d20 that any armor worn by victims is ruined.

Trappers deposit slain victims beneath them, where they are slowly digested over 1d4 days. Although trappers do not care about treasure themselves, the remains of victims may include some non-organic items of use or value to adventurers.

Happy New Year!

Have a monster!

Giant Dragonfly: Init +5; Atk bite +4 melee (1d6); AC 14; HD 1d8; MV 5’ or fly 60’; Act 1d20; SP immune to morale checks; SV Fort +0; Ref +4; Will -4; AL N; Crit 1d6/M.

Dragonflies are voracious eaters, and their giant kin are no different. Whereas normal dragonflies are dangerous only to mosquitoes and other flying insects, giant dragonflies are willing to take a bite or three out of anything they can. These creatures infest marshy land and swamps, and are about 3’ long. They attack by biting, and continue attacking until slain.

When encountered, there are usually 1d6 of these monsters.

(Artwork by Daniel J. Bishop)

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Finishing the “S”s: Sprite, Giant Squid, Stag, Stirge, Strangle Weed, Su-Monster, and Sylph

This is it. Last post of the year, so we are going to finish off the “S”s today. 

The sylph is barely modified from an adventure I wrote for Purple Duck Games (Fire in the Mountain), which is, to be honest, the first and only time I have used sylphs in a game. In fact, we are delving today into quite a few monsters I have either rarely or never used when I was running 1st Edition AD&D. I mean, of course I used plenty of stirges, but the others today I generally did not use.

I used sprites as defined by Gary Gygax, but they never seemed to really hit the feeling that I wanted for faeries, and having to do this conversion is actually the reason for putting off this post so long. I had to do a write-up for sprites anyway for the Cyclopedia of Common Faeries, so I finally overcame my hesitation and jumped in. Overall, sprites suffer the same problems as I have noted with other fey creatures in AD&D: the game’s war gaming roots.

(Followers of my Patreon are up to Volume K on this project as of yesterday.)

I have also mentioned in previous posts the problem that giant squids both cause and fall victim to – getting PCs onto a ship when they know such creatures are out there!

I have used deer of all sorts, even back in the day, but giant stags were not a creature I used often. This is a pity, because they are a flavorful addition that would have fit well into many settings and adventures I ran. I include a giant stag statblock herein for your use.

The strangle weed and su-monster both suffered from their niche environments and their complexity. In the case of the strangle weed, I seldom has PCs venture into shallow tropical waters. Then, even if I was inclined to include such a monster, using it required the DM to determine the strength of each frond (with 3d4 fronds) and compare it against the trapped PC, then using that to determine how much (if any) damage is done as well as the PC’s chance of escaping. I hope that my version is easier to use.

Su-monsters were either inspired by, or I believed that they were inspired by, a cryptid from Patagonia. In my younger days, that informed where I thought the monsters should be encountered. I think that the only time I used them was when running The Ghost Tower of Inverness, but I could be wrong. The psionic system from 1e AD&D was a bit convoluted to run, few characters legitimately had access to the system, and there was little incentive to go through the headache of using these monsters. In my write-up, I have linked them to the Ape-God Zal-Rah and made their psychic powers easier to use at the table.

We are definitely past the half-way point now, and the home stretch is in sight.

Sprite: Init +4; Atk none; AC 18; HD 1 hp; MV 5’ or fly 60’; Act 1d20; SP glamour (DC 5 Will negates), invisible at will; SV Fort -8; Ref +10; Will +0; AL C.

Large Sprite: Init +2; Atk tiny sword +4 melee (1d3 plus sleep) or tiny bow +6 ranged (1d3 plus sleep); AC 14; HD 1d3; MV 15’ or fly 40’; Act 1d16; SP sleep (1d6 hours, DC 10 Fort negates), glamour (DC 10 Will negates), invisible at will; SV Fort -4; Ref +8; Will +2; AL C.

Sprite Swarm: Init +6; Atk swarming attack +4 melee (1 plus sleep) or harassment; AC 18; HD 3d6; MV 5’ or fly 50’; Act special; SP sleep (1d6 hours, DC 14 Fort negates), harassment (DC 10 Will negates), glamour (DC 15 Will negates), half damage from non-area attacks, invisible at will, counting vulnerability; SV Fort -8; Ref +15; Will +4; AL C.

Sprites are small faeries, only about 6 inches tall at the highest, with diaphanous insect-like wings, most often resembling those of a dragonfly, butterfly, or moth. They are too small to harm most humanoids, individually, although they can do so en masse as a swarm. Large sprites are up to 2 feet tall, and have individual weapons that can cause actual harm.

Sprites can create illusory glamours of the most basic kind individually – a slight change in appearance, a flower, sweet bird song – but a swarm of sprites can create illusions which seem real until interacted with, and use this ability to lead travelers astray. The weapons of large sprites and sprite swarms can cause mortal beings to fall into an enchanted slumber for 1d6 hours, from which only magic can awaken their victims. Finally, a swarm of sprites can harass their victim, visibly or invisibly, pinching, pricking with tiny weapons, snagging hair or clothing, and laughing or twittering the entire time. The victims of such harassment must succeed in a DC 10 Will save or move 10’ in a direction chosen by the sprite swarm. Sprites may use this ability to drive mortals into bogs, off cliffs, or into other dangers. In some cases, they may simply wish to force mortals away from an area they have claimed.

Because they can become invisible at will, it is even more difficult to count the number of sprites in a swarm than it is more mundane creatures, as which sprites can be seen or not changes round to round. However, if a victim can say aloud the true number of sprites in a swarm, the swarm is automatically dispersed and cannot harm that individual for seven days. A sprite swarm will have 4d10 + current hit points members.

Giant Squid: See the Colossal squid in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Stag: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for many varieties of deer, including 16 statblocks. Nothing quite matches the giant stag in the Monster Manual, so here is an additional statblock:

Giant Stag: Init +4; Atk gore +6 melee (2d8) or hoof +4 melee (1d4); AC 13; HD 5d8; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +6; Ref +4; Will +4; AL N.

A giant stag is a majestically large deer, weighing 4d50+1,300 pounds and standing 1d3+5 feet tall at the shoulder. Giant stags may sometimes be ridden by faeries or woodland humanoids, and are more aggressive than their small kin, sometimes turning vengefully on would-be hunters.

Stirge: Init +0; Atk proboscis +0 melee (1d3 and attach); AC 12; HD 1d3; MV 5’ or fly 20’; Act 1d20; attach, blood drain (1d3 Stamina damage); SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.

Folklore says that these creatures are the repository of the mortal souls of those greedy and hard-hearted enough to be reincarnated into bloodsucking monstrosities after death. Certainly there is something almost meanly human about their faces, with nose and mouth merged into a sharp but mobile tube for draining their victims.

A stirge attacks with its proboscis. If it hits, it remains attached to the victim until sated, one of the two is dead, or it is dislodged with a DC 15 Strength check or successful Mighty Deed. If an attached stirge is attacked by anyone other than its victim, a miss has a 1 in 3 chance of requiring a new attack roll using the same die as the original attack, similar to firing missile weapons into melee. The round after it hits, a stirge begins draining blood, automatically causing 1d3 Stamina damage per round. It requires 10 points of Stamina damage to satiate a stirge, so that they can easily be the death of those with weak or average constitutions.

Stirges often cache treasure in the areas they infest – coins, gems, and similar small items which the creatures can carry. This lends some credence to the theory that they possess the souls of deceased avaricious mortals.

Strangle Weed: Init -6; Atk frond +0 melee (entwine plus crush); AC 14; HD 3d12; MV 0’; SP plant, entwine (DC 8 Strength check to escape, +2 to DC for each frond beyond the first, -1d penalty while entwined), crush (automatic 1d4 per frond, DC 10 Strength for half damage); Act 3d20; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +0; AL N.

A carnivorous form of kelp, with 3d6 fronds surrounding a central mass, strangle weed attempts to capture and crush creatures so that their remains may be used as nutrients. Entwined creatures have a -1d penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and spell checks.

Su-Monster: Init +2; Atk bite +0 melee (1d4) or psychic attack; AC 14; HD 2d6; MV 20’ or climb 40’; Act 1d20; SP psychic attack 3/day, brachiation; SV Fort +1; Ref +4; Will +4; AL C.

These unnatural, leathery-skinned monkeys are almost as big as adult humans, and just as intelligent. They have the ability to project a psychic attack three times each day. When a su-monster makes a psychic attack, roll 1d3: (1) a psychic blast in a 30’ wide cone with a 30’ base, causing 2d6 damage to all sentient targets ca

ught therein (DC 13 Will for half), (2) a single target within 30’ must succeed in a DC 13 Will save or take 2d3 Intelligence damage, or (3) a single target within 30’ takes 1d3 Personality damage and must succeed in a DC 13 Will save or the su-monster can direct its next action as a physical melee attack.

Su-monsters roam unhealthy jungles where chaotic forces are strong. Luckily for nearby inhabitants, they are usually found in troops of no more than a dozen individuals, and they avoid civilization. Su-monsters are said to guard fallen temples and ruins dedicated to a certain Ape-God, and are feared for their cruel wickedness.

Sylph: Init +5; Atk none; AC 25; HD 3d3; MV fly 70’; Act 1d20; SP 50% chance of being unhurt by non-magical weapons, power spells; SV Fort -6, Ref +20, Will +0; AL C.

Sylphs are faerie creatures related to elemental air, who dwell amongst the clouds but occasionally descend to cavort around mountain peaks, especially at night. They appear to be foot-high elven women, with no hair and skin of the palest hue. During daylight hours, they are translucent nearly to the point of actual transparency.

Because of their elemental nature, half of all attacks using non-magical weapons pass through them without causing harm.

If a sylph can be captured and bound, its life force can be used to power wizard spells, at a rate of 1 hp per bonus to the spell check. As the wizard has no way to determine the sylph’s initial hit points, draining the creature in this way has a good chance of destroying it.

A sylph regains 1d3-2 hp per day (1d3-1 per day of complete rest), so that the wizard can never be entirely sure how far it is safe to drain the creature.

A faerie sylph can be bound in this way using the following means:

• A modified find familiar spell (-1d to cast, minimum result 14; 1d3 sylphs bound with a result of 24+).

• Invoke patron cast for that purpose, minimum result 12; 1d3 sylphs bound with result of 20-31; 2d3 sylphs bound with result of 32+.

• Binding.

• Ritualized magic devised for that purpose; see p. 124 of the core rulebook.

You Get More than Spiders this Christmas!

Giant Evil Christmas Treant: Init +0; Atk bite +2 melee (1d8) or claw +4 melee (1d12) or throw ornaments +6 ranged (60' range, 1d6 damage); AC 14; HD 8d12; MV 20’; Act 2d24; SP free bite attack with a successful claw attack (DC 15 Relex negates), crit 20-24 (Table P if you have Dungeon Denizens); SV Fort +13; Ref -4; Will +4; AL C.

With thanks to MagicalMishap for the image. Art by DMAC. Used without permission; I will remove if asked.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Spiders

Look! It's another Christmas miracle! 

Having had such a nice day yesterday, I decided to roll this post out early! And here I am, bringing you spiders for Christmas!

The DCC Annual has plenty of rules for giant insects and arachnids, and the Cyclopedia of Common Animals has one or two examples of normal spiders grown to enormous size. Several DCC adventures also include giant spiders of various sizes and types, so there is already a lot to choose from! As a judge, I love the inclusion of giant spiders of all sorts, so it should not be surprising that they occur in many of my adventures. The piece I wrote for Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride is probably the most arachno-centric scenario I have ever written, and certainly contains the most horrific giant spider encounter. Unless one includes The Tainted Scroll of Aranha, anyway.

Despite all of these resources, the big spiders in the original Monster Manual deserve a more direct conversion. These should be useful as benchmarks for other enormous arachnids of your own devising, but you should feel free to diverge wildly from them if you like. I certainly have!

Giant Spider: Init +2; Atk bite +2 melee (2d4 plus venom); AC 16; HD 4d8+4; MV 30’ or climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP venom (1d3 Stamina plus DC 15 Fort or additional 1d3 Stamina), webs (as spider web spell, spell check 22-25); SV Fort +3; Ref +2; Will +2; AL C.

Giant spiders are intelligent, thoroughly evil, and about as large as a pony. Those who understand the language of spiders may attempt to converse with them, but few can avoid being seen by these spiders as smaller ones see flies. Some 5% of giant spiders can also use the common tongue.

A thief may obtain 1d4+2 doses of venom with a successful Handle Poison check. If able to converse, a giant spider may well indicate a willingness to supply this venom while alive, but those who approach a living giant spider in this way soon learn the foolishness of doing so.

Huge Spider: Init +4; Atk bite +0 melee (1d6 plus venom); AC 14; HD 2d8+2; MV 40’ or climb 20’ or leap 30’; Act 1d20; SP venom (DC 13 Fort or 1d3 Stamina), camouflage +8; SV Fort +2; Ref +4; Will +0; AL N.

Including spiders similar to wolf spiders, jumping spiders, and trapdoor spiders, these creatures are the size of a human but no more intelligent than dogs. Generally attacking by surprise, they do not normally act cooperatively, but there are arachnid-like humanoids capable of training them as a huntsman trains hounds.

A thief may obtain 2d3 doses of venom from a slain huge spider with a successful Handle Poison check.

Large Spider: Init +4; Atk bite -2 melee (venom); AC 12; HD 1d6; MV 20’ or climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP venom (DC 12 Fort or 1d3 Stamina); SV Fort +0; Ref +4; Will -2; AL N.

Fist-sized spiders with relatively weak venom, these spiders are sometimes found in numbers (2d10) and are relatively mindless. A thief may obtain 1d3 doses of venom from a slain large spider with a successful Handle Poison check 50% of the time.

Phase Spider: Init +3; Atk bite +3 melee (1d6 plus venom); AC 13; HD 5d8+5; MV 30’ or climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP venom (1d3 Stamina plus DC 18 Fort or additional 1d4 Stamina), webs (as spider web spell, spell check 22-25), phasing; SV Fort +3; Ref +4; Will +3; AL N.

These spiders are similar to giant spiders, but they are less cruel and may sometimes be bargained with by those who can speak the language of spiders. Like giant spiders, 5% can use the common tongue.

They have the special ability of moving out of phase with the corporeal world, so that otherwise successful attacks against them instead pass harmless through their out-of-phase bodies. A phase spider gains a Reflex save against any successful attack roll to phase through the attack. This power has no effect against magical weapons, and a warrior or dwarf may use their deed to give the spider a penalty to its save equal to the deed die result (even if only a 1 or 2).

A thief may obtain 2d4 doses of venom from a phase spider with a successful Handle Poison check. Attempting to negotiate for venom with a phase spider is safer than with a giant spider, but all spiders prefer living prey, so the offering must be great indeed.

Giant Water Spider: Init +2; Atk bite +1 melee (1d4 plus venom); AC 15; HD 3d8+3; MV 40’ or climb 30’; Act 1d20; SP venom (1d3 Agility plus DC 13 Fort or 1d3 Stamina); SV Fort +3; Ref +2; Will +1; AL N.

These semi-intelligent spiders live in fresh water, and are able to carry a bubble of air on their abdomens with which to breathe. They can carry air in this way, and deposit it in underwater lairs designed to receive it. They are not smart enough to speak, but are smart enough to understand basic speech and concepts, and if fed living prey they may become neutral, or even friendly, with their benefactors. Giant water spiders are roughly as big as a human.

A thief may obtain 1d4 doses of venom from a dead giant water spider with a successful Handle Poison check. They are not smart enough to understand that someone may wish venom from a living spider.

Giant Saltwater Spider: Init +0; Atk bite +3 melee (2d4 plus venom); AC 15; HD 6d8+6; MV 30’ or climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP venom (1d4 Agility plus DC 17 Fort or 1d4 Stamina); SV Fort +5; Ref +0; Will +2; AL N.

Similar to giant water spiders, giant saltwater spiders live instead live in shallow oceans and seas.