The Book of

Bewildering Beasts

Questers
of the Middle Realms
 Questers
of the Middle Realms

The Book of
Bewildering Beasts

Written and designed by Tim Gray.

PDQ System by Chad Underkoffler, Atomic Sock Monkey Press (www.atomicsockmonkey.com), used under licence.

Art: Front cover art by Eastern Raider Games. Most interior artwork copyright Octavirate Entertainment, used with
permission. Some artwork copyright Louis Porter, Jr. Design. Some artwork copyright Dover Publications. Some artwork
copyright V Shane.

© 2006 Tim Gray.

The Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) System has been designed for evocative simplicity, speed, and flexibility in play.
Three levels of resolution, suitable for any type of situation.
The PDQ System is used under license from Chad Underkoffler; the following materials are not necessarily endorsed in any
way by Chad Underkoffler, nor is he in any way responsible for the content of these materials unless specifically credited.

www.silverbranch.co.uk
 Contents
Reference 3
Revised Creature Qualities 3
Targeted damage 4
Monster Gazetteer 5
Creature Types 6

Creatures 8
Animal Demon 8
Aphid Golem 8
Dread Monkey 9
Dread Rabbit 9
Elemental 9
Empyrean Owl 10
Flesh Golem 10
Floating Fungus 11
Fomorian 11
Gargoyle 12
Ghost 12
Giant Scorpion 13
Gibbonewt 13
Glashtig 14
Globulus 14
Groundhawk 15 Welcome!
Hopping Corpse 15
Imp 16 Whether you’re a Questers of the Middle Realms GM
Jack o'Spines 16 or an afficionado of another fantasy roleplaying
Kappa 16 game looking for interesting monster ideas, The
Kobold 17 Book of Bewildering Beasts has something for you!
Kraken 17
Lantern Man 18 It’s a compilation of 44 monster write-ups. They
Manticore 19 were originally released in the mini-supplements
Merfolk 19 Ten Bewildering Beasts vols 1-4 (number 4 was a
Mildew Monster 20 special Halloween release with 13 beasties, and I’ve
Mummy 20 added a little extra for BBB). They’ve been
Night Rider 21 packaged up with an expanded list of Qualities that
Plap Strider 21 crop up frequently, and a list of what monsters you
Roc 22 might find where to help with adventure planning.
Sensorius 22 A few have been tweaked slightly to remove errors
Shade 23 and unintentional confusion. As always, remember
Shark 23 that individuals can differ from the standard stats
Spriggan 23 for their species - do customise to suit.
Terror Lizard 24
Tremor Worm 24 The lands of Median host a multitude of strange
Troll 25 and fearsome creatures, of which this is only a
Vampire 25 sampling. Vaults and vermin await!
Water-Leaper 26
Wendigo 27 Tim Gray
Werealbatross 27 Silver Branch Games
Widderwight 27
Yeti 28
Zerigoz 28

2
 Reference
Darksense – the ability to get around without any light
Revised Creature at all. The assumption is that it gives something kind of
like a visual image, even if it works by ultrasound or

Qualities heat detection or just plain magic, though this is

probably less detailed than ordinary sight.

Damage Resistance* - increased resilience against all

As the Bewildering Beasts series progressed, a number of types of mundane physical harm, adding its MOD to a
new common creature Qualities surfaced. This section wide spectrum of rolls. It is bypassed by direct magical
gives you a one-stop reference by reprinting the effects, which includes enchanted objects but not
common Qualities from the QMR rulebook alongside physical phenomena conjured by magic. There are
the new ones (which are Aversion*, Blood Hunger, often other specific substances or influences that can
Dweller, Evil, Magic Resistance*, Pack Hunter, Plant, bypass it.
Shocking Appearance). Some of the rulebook’s creature
write-ups could be tweaked accordingly (for instance Dead* – found in creatures like zombies and vampires,
the Faery and Werecreatures can now have Aversion to acts as Arcane Resistance (adds TN, not MOD) against
Iron and Silver respectively). various kinds of effect that really only work on living
subjects, including: death magic, life drain, most
poisons and diseases, sleep and pain. The MOD can be
Arcane Resistance (specify) – near-immunity to one used to oppose straightforward physical trauma. (It
particular type of harm, like heat, cold, poison or does quite a lot for one ability, but you do have to form
strong cheeses. Ordinary “background” occurrences of close personal relationships with worms.)
the harm won’t bother the creature at all. Against those
produced by key characters it adds its Target Number (Terrain) Dweller - many creatures are particularly
to resistance rather than its MOD, and if any damage is adapted to their environment and skilled in surviving
taken it’s as Failure Ranks. there. This Quality is specified especially when that
habitat has difficult conditions. Possible versions
Aversion (specify)* - with this Weakness something include Desert Dweller, Jungle Dweller, Ice Dweller,
(e.g. fire, iron, garlic) is inimical to the creature. It can Ocean Dweller. It covers both the skills to find food,
repulse, penalising the creature with the Poor [-2] shelter, etc. and resistance to environmental hazards
MOD in active attempts to drive it back. In attacks it like the heat of the desert. It’s most commonly
causes damage, bypassing Arcane defences and used for natural animals, as an aid to quick-
applying MOD to resistance. Deliberately and-dirty descriptions (size, type, habitat),
touching an aversion object gives 1 often at Good Rank; less commonly for
Damage Rank. supernatural monsters (but you could use
it for any character, with variants like City
Blood Hunger - with this Weakness a Dweller). Of course you can choose to specify
creature with Energy Drain* that has no separate Qualities instead (or as well if it’s
points in its energy pool is beset by particularly good at one aspect).
hunger, becoming obsessed by the
blood in those around it and suffering Energy Drain* – this can take various forms, like a
the [-2] if it needs to resist feeding. That chilling touch or blood drain. The victim takes damage
Energy pool reduces by 1 point per scene, in the usual way, and the user recovers that same
or thereabouts; they can’t go more than a day number of Ranks of damage. If the user hasn’t lost that
or two without a snackette. Whether they want to many Ranks, the surplus goes into a pool of up to 10
depends on the individual; many enjoy hunting points that can be spent rather like Fortune to give
whenever they can. upshifts (one per action).
Claws, Teeth, Stinger, etc – some nasty sharp or Enhanced Sense (specify) – gives an unusual sense
pointy appendage(s) that can be used to attack; Rank (see Darksense above), or one that covers an unusual
reflects degree of nastiness. range (hearing ultrasonics), or one that’s unusually
sensitive (tracking by scent). Give it a name to reflect

3
 Night Vision - the ability to see normally in low light
Targeted damage conditions, though not total darkness.

Normally, the player of a character that takes Pack Hunter - adds on to aggression, courage,
damage has free choice of which Qualities lose initiative and tactics when the creature attacks in a
Ranks. However, some effects target a particular group of at least three.
broad type of Quality, like “strength” or
“perception”. Ranks of damage must be taken first Plant - pain and trauma don’t affect it as they would an
on any Qualities of that type. If they are reduced to animal. MOD resists physical blows, but not heat or
Poor, any remaining damage can be allocated cold. Resists effects designed specifically for animal life
freely. (If the damage would generate a Story with its TN - e.g. poison, sleep, mind control, magic
Hook, the player can use either the first targeted affecting the body.
Quality or the first one they chose freely.)
Poison – there are many types. In most cases poison
If the character has no specified Qualities of that effects can only be healed within the scene by an
type, the first Rank of damage gives them a agency targeted specifically at poisons, e.g. a Cure
suitable temporary Poor Quality agreed between Poison spell or potion. The effect of a poison lasts “a
player and GM, and remaining damage is applied while”, which will often count as continuing danger for
normally. For instance, if Strength is targeted you healing purposes for the next scene or two. The onset
could gain “Weak as a kitten”. These temporary period of fantasy poisons is usually “turn” (after
Weaknesses disappear when they heal. everyone’s acted) or “scene” (end of this or early in
next).
† Damage poisons - just does another lot of
straightforward damage, opposed by toughness.
what it does. This works like any other Quality, but the
more Arcane versions might allow rolls that can’t † Faculty poisons - target a particular Quality theme.
normally be attempted. Sometimes sense Qualities These are phrased generally and damage is applied
stack up, like Keen Senses, Good Eyesight and to whatever the victim has that seems appropriate.
Distance Vision. A “strength” one might do all its damage to
Strength, Built Like a Brick Outhouse and such,
Evil - a paired Strength and Weakness. Makes the while a “perception” one could damage Acute
creature more effective at things that demonstrate its Hearing or Night Vision. Abilities won’t drop
nastiness, hooks it in to the evil social structure, and below Poor this way. If the victim has no
makes it susceptible to some metaphysical stuff. applicable Quality they gain a new one at Poor,
which disappears again when they recover.
Flight – the ability to move through the air, with or † Condition poisons - resist the poison’s TN or
without wings. Rank gives speed and manoeuvrability.
suffer some condition, e.g. paralysis or blindness.
Incorporeal* – lacking physical substance, like ghosts.
Regeneration – the creature heals very rapidly,
It acts as Arcane Resistance against all ordinary physical
regaining MOD damage ranks at the end of each round
attacks. It doesn’t work against direct effects of magic
(Average counts as 1). There are often certain types of
(as opposed to physical effects produced by it). Against
harm the regeneration can’t heal, for instance fire.
physical attacks carrying a magical charge (enchanted
swords etc.) it just uses MOD. Incorporeal creatures
Shocking Appearance - when the creature is first
can’t make ordinary physical attacks, but often have
encountered this Rank must be resisted by mental
some Arcane ability like Chilling Touch that does
fortitude, taking the difference as Failure Ranks. (A
damage on an apparent physical attack. They can pass
complicated situation is suggested.)
through solid objects, are untroubled by gravity and
don’t need to breathe. The MOD can be added to tasks
Swarm - when a large group of small creatures acts as a
like stealth.
single unit it becomes a greater threat. Qualities are
those of the individual, but Swarm replaces size (it can
Magic Resistance* - adds MOD to resist the effects
be Average). It’s based on weight of numbers, good for
of any magic cast directly on the creature. It doesn’t
resisting all physical attacks and splitting attacks.
work against indirect effects, e.g. physical phenomena
created by magic, like fireballs and mutant
chimpanzees.

4
 Orthedia
Monster Gazetteer Amphisbaena (QMR), Gargoyle (BB2), Gryphon
(QMR), Manticore (BB2), Spriggan (BB2)

This lists geographical areas, indicating creatures that Plains of Plap

are particularly linked with them to help you supply Giant Scorpion (BB2), Plap Strider (BB2),
carnivorous scenery as your adventurers travel. (Many Zerigoz (BBB)
creatures can be found outside the listed areas, just less
often, so do check the full write-up.) Scata
Gargoyle (BB2), Glashtig (BB4), Kobold (BB4),
The monster's name is followed by a simple code Spriggan (BB2), Vampire (BB1), Water-Leaper (BB4)
indicating where its write-up first appeared. (QMR)
indicates the rulebook. (BB1), (BB2), etc. indicate the The Snaggles
volumes of Ten Bewildering Beasts, which are now Giant Scorpion (BB2), Jack o'Spines (BB2), Terror
collected in this book. Lizard (BB3), Zerigoz (BBB)

The Swarm/Plunder Port

Anywhere Dread Monkey (BB3), Jelly Corsairs (QMR), Terror
Bear (QMR), Bloodbat (QMR - scenario), Demon Lizard (BB3)
(QMR), Dragon (QMR), Elemental (BB4), Empyrean
Owl (BB3), Flesh Golem (BB4), Ghost (BB4), Tek Wei
Gibbonewt (BB2), Globulus (BB1), Goblin (QMR), Animal Demon (BB1), Hopping Corpse (BB2), Jeopard
Imp (BB3), Lantern Man (BB4), Mildew Monster (QMR), Kappa (BB3), Weremantis (QMR)
(BB1), Night Rider (BB4), Rat (QMR), Sensorius
(BB4), Shade (BB1), Troll (BB1), Wereplatypus (QMR), Valharia
Zombie (QMR) Fomorian (BB3), Tremor Worm (BB1), Wendigo
(BB4), Yeti (BB2)
Ar-Karap Desert
Bugra (QMR), Roc (BB2), Giant Scorpion (BB2), Jack Wochilat
o'Spines (BB2), Mummy (BB1), Tremor Worm (BB1), Giant Scorpion (BB2), Jeopard (QMR), Mummy (BB1),
Zerigoz (BBB) Roc (BB2), Terror Lizard (BB3), Weremantis (QMR)

Challenger Hold Yrisiriel Forest

Terror Lizard (BB3) Aphid Golem (BB1), Floating Fungus (BB3)

Godsmile Mountains Ocean

Gnome (QMR), Roc (BB2) Fomorian (BB3), Jelly Corsairs (QMR), Kraken (BB3),
Merfolk (BB4), Shark (BB1), Werealbatross (BB4)
Helongor
Dread Rabbit (BB3), Giant Weasel (QMR),
Groundhawk (BB3), Widderwight (BB4)

Kadink
Floating Fungus (BB3), Swamp Shambler (QMR),
Water-Leaper (BB4)

League of Groth
Vampire (BB1)

Logrin
Faery (QMR), Fomorian (BB3), Glashtig (BB4),
Spriggan (BB2), Water-Leaper (BB4)

Murklemere
Squrtle (QMR)

Norwast
Tundra Cats (QMR), Wendigo (BB4), Wizen (QMR),
Yeti (BB2)

5
 Innate:
Creature types † Bigger. Each Rank raises the creature’s size by
one level. Work out what size it actually is.
One sometimes finds special versions of creatures in
certain standard categories, usually because they’ve
been souped up by some god or spellcaster, but Weaknesses
sometimes because they’ve just grown that way. These
work as paired Qualities like the races do, giving a MOD:
Strength and a Weakness that kick in for different
† Bit Mad. Enhanced rage tends to cloud judgment,
situations. Three common ones appear below - others
are possible. One thing this does is to let you stat especially faced with prey or enemies.
monsters very simply and quickly (e.g. Demonic Tiger
= Good Large, Expert Predator, Good Nether Innate:
Creature, Poor Large, Poor Nether Creature, possibly † Bigger. The negative Quality for its actual size.
with some trimmings like claws and keen senses), and
because it keeps the overall number of Quality Ranks
down it’s very suitable for creatures that should be
overcome quickly.
Empyrean Creature
(Note: Nether and Empyrean may be combined with
Dread, e.g. a Dread Nether Budgerigar, but not with
These are servants of the gods, imbued with the
each other.)
energies of the high planes where they dwell. These are
the least likely to be created by mortal agency, but
priests might be able to summon them. They often
have human-level intelligence, and sometimes the
Dread Creature power of speech. Many have one or two magical
abilities bestowed by their patron (but cast using innate
fatigue.)
The most common and the most often created by
mortals. These are creatures whose wild essence has
been drawn out, making them bigger, tougher and
fiercer, often growing dramatic bony spiky bits. Dread
animals encountered tend to be those that are normally
inoffensive, or those that are normally dangerous
enough to make this overkill.
† Create Dread Creature. This spell transforms an
animal, giving it the Dread Creature Quality at the
spell’s Rank (plus corresponding Weakness). For
Average just give a Rank in one Strength from the
type, with purely cosmetic alterations.

Strengths
MOD:
† Tough. Helps in resisting physical injuries and
environmental damage.
† Fierce. Intimidation, resisting control, etc.
† Spiky. Anything having close contact with this
creature, e.g. constriction, must resist the Dread
Quality or take a Damage Rank.

6
Strengths
Favoured Empyrean beasts
MOD:
The gods have a variety of servants who they can
† Damage Resistance*. Not vs fire. despatch or allow to be summoned by the faithful,
† Magic Resistance*. and among these are animals of the Empyrean
creature type. Each god generally uses just one or
† Darksense. two kinds of animal. Often it’s an obvious choice -
for instance, Slobop the Frog God uses the
† Glorious. Charisma, glowing auras, metallic trim,
fearsome Empyrean Frogs - and sometimes it’s a
or whatever: they impress mortals. beast with symbolic ties to the god’s nature. Here
are the main favoured types for the Greater Gods.
Downshift: (Where there’s more than one, the selection is on
† Empyrean Smite. Add TN rather than MOD to the kind of task and the area it’s in, e.g. bears
one attack against an Evil or Nether creature. would be more commonly sent to the north.)

† Elal: eagle, bear

Weaknesses
† Eaki: spider, fox
MOD: † Ashtir: boar, lion
† Prissy. They have a tendency to be formal, proper † Shamutu: falcon
and prudish. Even if they can be persuaded to
tolerate or be involved in something dodgy or † Nansin: owl
salacious (which the Strength would resist) they † Ninmuzi: bull, serpent
won’t be very good at it. (Even the gods can find
this irritating.)
† Obvious. Hard to conceal its presence or nature.

† Darksense.

Nether Creature † Scary. They tend to be fearsome, shadowy and/or

twisted.
These are imbued with the demonic energies of the
Nether Realms, making them darker and tougher. Downshift:
(Azanüt and his servants tap into this too.) They often
have human-level intelligence, and sometimes the † Nether Smite. Add TN rather than MOD to one
power of speech. Some have one or two demonic attack against Good or Empyrean creatures.
magical abilities (cast using innate fatigue), but they’re
just as likely to have physical enhancements.
Weaknesses
Strengths † Nasty. They bite a man when he’s down and help
old ladies into the road when a wagon’s coming.
MOD: Nether resists being persuaded to be polite or
† Damage Resistance*. Not vs electricity. charitable, and penalises attempts to make people
like them.
† Magic Resistance*.
† Light-sensitive. Penalty to resist strong light.

7
 Creatures
Animal Demons
These beings are found almost exclusively in Tek Wei.
They’re often functionaries of the celestial bureaucracy
there, or byproducts of the complicated system of soul
recycling. They are animal spirits incarnated in human
form, or people demoted to animal-human hybrids, or
some such. Despite their name they are not all evil -
though some certainly are. Elements of their
appearance and abilities come from the animal type,
and they seem to be very long-lived. They spend their
days in their chosen pursuit, like delivering messages
for the gods or attacking travellers in the mountains.

As there are so many possible animal types, here’s a

toolkit approach that should work in most cases. (This Aphid Golem
is just for innate Qualities: if they have trained ones as
well, like being a good fighter, add those on. That These are sorcerous constructs created by the elves of
might include Arcane abilities and extra Weaknesses.) Yrisiriel Forest. A single leaf is placed under strong
† Good [+2] in one of the creature Types: Grazer, enchantments that preserve it from harm and decay,
Scavenger or Predator. and can then be carried in a sealed container until
needed. When activated by its creator, it summons
† 2 Ranks among the sorts of abilities that are thousands of greenfly from the surrounding area to
“attributes” in other systems: broad headings for form a mass vaguely resembling a human body that can
innate stuff, mostly covered by Strength, Agility, move and act as a single entity, obeying simple
Quickness, Endurance, Intelligence, Will, commands from its master. They are sometimes found
Charisma and Awareness. These are spread out as in a “standby” state, working on whatever commands
Goods more often than focused. Bear in mind that they were last given. Individual aphids come and go to
the Types overlap with these. feed and whatever, and the mass draws in new ones to
† 2 ranks in special abilities associated with the maintain itself as long as it’s in a suitable area.
animal. Many have an Enhanced Sense, e.g. Track
By Scent for a dog. Others might be Night Vision In fact these constructs have limited utility, because
for an owl or Poisonous Bite for a snake. they’re just so messy. They can fetch and carry things,
but those will probably end up a bit sticky. They’re best
† 1 extra Rank to spend on any of the above. used as guards against fastidious intruders - which
works for elves - and the portability is a bonus.
† One Poor [-2] Weakness associated with the
animal type, either physical or personality. For Strengths: Master [+6] Aphid Body, Good [+2]
instance a cat might have Obsessed About Strong, Average [0] Shocking Appearance, Good [+2]
Appearance. These should be played up a lot. If Supersize*, Average [0] Regeneration, Expert [+4]
you wish, take an extra Weakness and get an extra Arcane Resistance - most mental effects
Rank to spend on any of the above Strengths.
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Independent Thought, Poor
Example: Pig Demon [-2] Sugar Craving, Poor [-2] Obedient to Ants
He’s a stout fellow with a flattened nose and slightly
pointed ears, very fond of his creature comforts.
Strengths: Good [+2] Scavenger, Good [+2] Strength, † Aphid Body: MOD resists damage from physical
Good [+2] Endurance, Good [+2] Sensitive Smell, blows, as they just damage the component insects,
Good [+2] Resist Toxins, Good [+2] Indulge Appetites but doesn’t resist energy. If an unarmed attack by
Weakness: Poor [-2] Animal Appetites (always running the creature does damage to a character, the first
after food and pretty ladies) damage Rank targets Qualities relating to
appearance and socialising if they have any, as bits
of squished greenfly cover their hair, skin and

8
 clothes. The player decides which such Qualities in particular has breeding colonies. (It also has ordinary
take the hit, and remaining damage Ranks are rabbits, who tend to make sure there’s at least one
allocated normally. Something similar happens significant land feature between them and their
when the creature is damaged by a hand-to-hand cousins.)
attack: the attacker takes one Failure Rank (this
cleans off easier) to a social/appearance Quality. The Helongorim call them Turnfoots, due to the holes
(Squishing Ranks don’t cause a zero-out unless all and unstable ground caused by their aggressive (some
other Qualities are Poor.) Any attack causing might say demented) burrowing, making their territory
serious damage - more than this Quality’s current hazardous to man and weasel alike. There’s also the
TN - has reduced aphid numbers enough to problem that a Dread Rabbit will attack a lone traveller
reduce size one level, and if it reaches Master [+6] if it’s feeling its oats or has a couple of friends. They
Small the enchantment switches off. won’t generally bother a giant weasel unless there’s at
least half a dozen of them. The weasels quite like the
† Supersize: some aphid golems have extra magic
challenge of hunting them, finding them gamey and
enabling them to grow by boosting the aphids’ crunchy; they’re also preyed upon by groundhawks
already prodigious ability to produce live young (though with some caution, rarely diving into groups).
asexually. In game terms, the golem burns a Rank
of this Quality to gain a size level. It takes a few Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Expert [+4] Grazer,
moments, though - two full rounds in which it Good [+2] Dread Creature, Good [+2] Gnawing
can’t initiate other action - so is better done Teeth, Expert [+4] Sensitive Hearing, Good [+2]
outside conflict rounds. Digging, Good [+2] Jumping

Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Dread

Creature, Poor [-2] Intellect
Dread Monkey
The islands of The Swarm have a rich and varied
tapestry of wildlife (not least because of the
thaumaturgic colleges exiled based there). Monkeys of Elementals
various kinds are quite common. There are also a fair
number of Dread Monkeys, both loners and small These are creatures embodying the primal elements of
groups. (There are signs that individuals that had nature. They’re usually encountered as the result of
different species before the change get absorbed into magical summoning, rather than
the population and contribute to the hybridised mix.) arriving in the world under their
They are 2-3ft high, with shaggy fur of varying own power. The general consensus
colouration, a sturdy body, long limbs, and a somewhat is that they are spirit creatures
human-like face with a slight snout and large teeth. native to some other plane who
They often grow spikes on the brow ridges, at the form a body from the
elbows and on the back. They are curious and bold, elemental substances where
and will certainly investigate new things like a camp and they arrive, but maybe they
take a few souvenirs, but if confronted will often turn wear a similar form at
aggressive rather than fleeing. home. Perhaps each
element has its own
Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Good [+2] Scavenger, dimension, or perhaps they are all
Good [+2] Dread Creature, Good [+2] Agile, Good aspects of a single world. Scholars, as is their wont,
[+2] Climbing and Swinging, Good [+2] Stealth, Good have a plethora of theories and schemas, few of which
[+2] Keen Senses, Good [+2] Curious manage to be both sane and relevant.

Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Dread Anyway, once elementals arrive in the Middle Realms
Creature, Poor [-2] Curious they perform services for friendly or coercive
spellcasters, or follow their own natures and
allegiances. They do have positive and negative
relationships with various gods, and some priests are
granted the ability to call them. An elemental usually
Dread Rabbit returns to whence it came after completing its task.
These are bigger, tougher versions of ordinary rabbits, The commonest types are fire, water, air and earth.
with an aggressive attitude. They often have bony Others are possible, e.g. smoke, mud, ice. In Tek Wei
spikes on their backs. They might be encountered metaphysics the “standard” elements are fire, water,
anywhere as individuals or small groups, but Helongor earth, metal and wood.

9
Elementals are statted up in kit form - each type follows a Empyrean Owl
similar structure and just needs a bit of detailing. Give it an
overall power level from Average to Master: that sets its Rank These creatures are the particular servants of Nansin,
for Body of (Element), and its size from Good [+2] Small to goddess of the moon. They act mainly as messengers
Expert [+4] Large. and guides for her chosen heroes, but if the need arises
they are fierce fighters for justice and the sanctity of the
Strengths: Size Quality (see above), [Rank] Body of night.
(Element), Elemental Qualities (see below), Good [+2]
Move Through Element Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Good [+2] Predator,
Good [+2] Empyrean Creature, Good [+2] Flight,
Weaknesses: Size Quality (see above), Poor [-2] Body Expert [+4] Silent Glide, Expert [+4] Night Vision,
of (Element), Poor [-2] (Elemental Quality) Good [+2] Keen Hearing, Good [+2] Unnerving Stare,
Average [0] Moon Warrior’s Favour*

† Body of (Element): covers all the benefits of the Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Empyrean
creature physically being composed of an Creature
elemental substance. It starts at Average
for a particularly weak creature, and † Moon Warrior’s Favour: imbues a weapon (natural or
goes up. For instance an earth crafted) with Nansin’s power - it takes on a silvery
elemental could use it for sheen, gives an Upshift to attacks if used at night,
damaging physical attacks and and bypasses the Damage Resistance* of
armour. In fact most types can lycanthropes. (There is a brother spell from
use it to resist physical damage, Shamutu, Sun Warrior’s Commission: golden sheen,
due to being tough, amorphous, Upshift in the day, bypasses Dead* for damage.)
insubstantial, etc. It also gives
Arcane Resistance to harm that
depends on being fleshy with a
nervous system (like poison or
sleep), and against its own Flesh Golem
element (e.g. a fire elemental can
walk through flames and is unlikely to This patchwork of creature parts is assembled into a
be hurt by fire spells). However, this Quality is humanoid shape with pins and stitches and given a
paired with a Weakness, because on some mockery of life through alchemy and magic. It’s
occasions being made of (stuff) is a liability. That constructed as a servant, or just as an experiment. It
could include being vulnerable to certain types of has great strength and follows its creator’s commands
attack, and even trigger environmental damage. obediently (most of the time), but is somewhat slow
For instance an ice elemental’s body can turn and clumsy, only able to shamble around. It’s also a
blades, but it’s vulnerable to heat; a smoke rather off-putting sight, and smells of death and
elemental is easily blown away. chemicals, so tends to get relegated to the second-best
laboratory.
† Elemental Qualities: the elemental’s nature includes
certain physical, mental and personality Strengths The parts involved are selected carefully, because each
and Weaknesses. An Average elemental gets two contributes something to the whole. If using human, er,
Good Strengths and one Poor Weakness. Further ingredients you might look for the arms of a
Ranks of power can increase existing Strengths or wrestler and the head of a scholar
buy new ones at Good. You can individualise by (though something - possibly a curse
making stuff up, but most follow a similar pattern: of the god Ninmuzi - causes
Fire: Fast, Agile, Fierce; Hot-tempered assistants in this work to mess up
Water: Strong-willed, Adaptable, Intuitive; the procurement with statistically
Temperamental improbable frequency). Most
Air: Fast, Agile, Quick-witted; Flighty Flesh Golems are single species
Earth: Strong, Tough, Stolid; Slow-moving creations, but you can combine
Wood: Strong, Flexible, Passionate; Emotional different species of similar size
Metal: Tough, Logical, Unflappable; Pedantic if you’re good enough - perhaps
getting claws for combat or
† Move Through (Element): all elementals can move
good night vision. However, the
three-dimensionally through volumes of their essence of the, er, donor that
element, usually at the same kinds of speeds as a provides benefits can also
walking or running human. sometimes get out of

10
control, causing that creature’s impulses to dominate Strengths: Expert [+4] Plant
the construct’s actions and possibly even overcome its (technically it’s not a plant, but the
creator’s control. For instance if you gave it an arm of a effects are the same), Good [+2]
Great Green Ape it might take to swinging from trees Lashing Tentacles, Good [+2]
or ceiling fixtures. Tentacle Poison, Expert [+4]
Darksense
Strengths: Component Qualities (see below), Strong
(components +1 Rank), Good [+2] Dead*, Expert [+4] Weaknesses: Poor [-2]
Magic Resistance*, Good [+2] Shocking Appearance, Intellect, Poor [-2] Slow-moving
Good [+2] Emotionless
† Tentacle Poison: on a
Weaknesses: -1 Rank for the following, or close
analogues - Agility, Slow Reactions, Stupid; Poor [-2] successful tentacle strike the
Smelly target must also resist this
faculty poison, which
targets perception, clear
† Component Qualities: for simplicity, consider the thinking and willpower.
creature as 6 main bits - arms, legs, torso, head.
Each bit contributes one Rank of a Quality that
creature or individual might have had, added on to
the baselines and each other. (For instance a smart Fomorian
head could counter the Stupid Weakness.)
However, if a task involving that Rank rolls double These brutish folk dwell on the Torig Isles, somewhat
1s or double 6s, that essence dominates for a scene north-west of Logrin, and roam the northern ocean as
- or until the creature’s creator can overcome the pirates. They may be encountered on the coasts of
Quality’s TN with force of command. (If more Logrin and Valharia, perhaps on a raid or at a secret
than one bit is involved find a way to manifest camp, and out at sea. They are skilled shipbuilders,
both, either in harmony or fighting each other.) sailors and fighters. Sometimes they are found working
as hired muscle for unsavoury types.

An average Fomorian is a 7-foot humanoid, broad-built

Floating Fungus and coarse-featured. However, the entire race is subject
to a chaotic body warping effect, so that each has its
This creature looks like a mushroom or toadstool the own strange variation on the humanoid form: for
size of an adult human. The cap is purple with yellow instance no feet; bloated lips in the breast and four eyes
spots. Sometimes they’re found alone; sometimes in a in the back; one arm, one eye, one leg. In a few cases
small group. this warping includes an Arcane power - such
individuals tend to rise to high status.
Unlike most fungi, which wait for dead organic matter
to turn up so they can feed, this one expedites matters. In Fomorian society the strong take what they can and
It is so named for two reasons. First, if one doesn’t dominate the weak. The worship of Azanüt is socially
notice the root-like tendrils on which it creeps about, it accepted, alongside some broad-minded lesser gods.
has the appearance of floating. Second, the four Non-divine magic is pretty much unheard of.
tentacles with which it strikes prey secrete a poison
with narcotic and hallucinogenic effects. Victims tend These stats are for a bog-standard individual.
to just lie down to watch the pretty colours and never
get up again. Strengths: Good [+2] Pirate, Good [+2] Brawn, Good
[+2] Resilient Constitution, Good [+2] Body Warp
The floating fungus can be found in dark or shady
places across the temperate regions, including Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Bully, Poor [-2] Greedy, Poor
underground. It’s known particularly in Kadink and the [-2] Body Warp
Yrisiriel Forest. There is, of course, a market for the
drug it secretes and, of course, the Kadinkians
† Brawn: applying muscle power over short and long
undertake the hazardous work of gathering it - as well
as its flesh, which is accounted a gourmet item. hauls, and showing it off to influence others.
† Resilient Constitution: throwing off baleful physical
influences like poison, weather and harmful magic.

11
 † Body Warp: its main function is to act as Shocking † Excruciating Smalltalk: listening to the inane and
Appearance, a hazard resisted by mental fortitude pedantic conversations of gargoyles for any length
when the creature is first encountered in a scene. It of time is a hazard resisted with mental fortitude.
can also add to attempts to intimidate other races. It causes Failure Ranks that target mental
Rank can vary from Average upwards depending Qualities.
on how extensive the warping is. The
† Harmed by Daylight: the touch of daylight is inimical
corresponding Weakness affects social interactions
with other races, though Fomorians aren’t to these creatures, acting as Average
generally too bothered about that. environmental damage each round (bypassing
Stone Body). If they’re in contact with stone to
sustain them this is Failure Ranks, but if not it’s
Damage Ranks (and painful).
Gargoyle
This malicious stone-like creature, presumably created
by magic long ago, is a native of Scata, though it has
Ghost
been seen in northern Orthedia. It appears as a winged
humanoid statue around 5ft tall. During the day a Ghosts are a varied lot. Well, they’re all spirits of the
gargoyle is dormant: it must perch on stone by sunrise dead that have remained in the physical world, but
and is then motionless, hard to distinguish from any beyond that they range from shrieking, hateful
other statue and often hiding among carved stone marauders to amiable old duffers who go on about the
figures on buildings. During the night it is active and war. By their nature they’re obsessive personalities to
flies about looking for people to terrify some degree. (In fact, in Bynight a woman called
and kill. Sometimes gargoyles are Silence Carnacki has set up a practice as a
encountered on their own, ghost therapist. “How’s business?” “Dead.”
sometimes in small groups, Or, “Do you see dead people?” “Of course,
occasionally in flocks of about come right in.” Heh.)
a dozen.
Some ghosts are merely a collection of
During the day gargoyles remain impulses, echoes of a violent death or
aware, and everything is stored unfulfilled life, with varying amounts of
away in their crystalline brains. personality. They might not even realise they’re
When not torturing victims (or dead. Others are fully intelligent and aware, usually with
when taking a break) they chat a clear purpose. Ghosts almost always have an anchor
to each other about every that keeps them in the material world - a person, place
tedious detail of the mundane or object that they must stay close to. Destroying the
to-and-fro. The gargoyles don’t realise it, but to their anchor might banish the ghost, but it’ll probably fight
victims this is another form of torture. Of course they tooth and nail to prevent this, and might be able to
do sometimes pick up useful information too, but it’s a hook on to something else anyway. The safest way to
doughty soul who’ll persist to get it. get rid of a ghost is to satisfy the impulse that keeps it
here, for example granddaughter is happy, revenge is
Strengths: Expert [+4] Stone Body, Good [+2] Flight, achieved, message is delivered.
Good [+2] Claws and Teeth, Good [+2] Evil, Good
[+2] Night Vision, Expert [+4] Excruciating Smalltalk Strengths: Master [+6] Incorporeal*, Expert [+4]
Invisible*, Master [+6] Dead*, Good [+2] Energy
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Dense, Poor [-2] Harmed by Drain* (chilling touch), Good [+2] occupation, Good
Daylight, Poor [-2] Evil [+2] personality trait; possible special abilities

Weaknesses: possibly Poor [-2] Obsessed, and Poor

† Stone Body: aids in resisting most forms of harm [-2] Self-Awareness or Intellect for a fragmentary spirit
and hardship, and with blending in against a stone
background and seeming like a statue. Also resists
Arcane effects designed for fleshy life-forms. Poor Ghosts can develop special powers. The following are
quality weapons will just shatter without effect. common, though a given spirit would probably have
just one or two.
† Dense: packing a lot of mass for your size can give
problems for floating, jumping, etc. (Doesn’t affect † Impression*: convey fleeting sensory echoes of the
Flight.) ghost’s life or death, perhaps unconsciously or as
an attempt to communicate, potentially causing

12
 Failure Ranks of fear. (Sound, smell and texture † Scuttling: for moving fast or on tricky surfaces, and
are more atmospheric than sight.) generally being a bit creepy to us mammals.
† Shocking Appearance*: the ghost can drop invisibility † Lurking: for hiding ready to ambush.
and present itself as a scary horrible figure using
this as a fear attack. † Survivor: MOD for resisting environmental-type
harm like heat, cold, toxins and even weird magical
† Move Object*: affecting the physical world by radiations. Can Downshift to shrug off such harm.
willpower. It’s like a hand with a range of about a
room but Downshifted strength and coordination.
† Possession*: taking over the body of a living person.
Only powerful ones can do this, but others might Gibbonewt
be able to use Suggestion* to “push” a living person
to do a certain task. In the proud tradition of smushing random animals together...

Magi, it’s often said, should get out more. Take up

hobbies, meet new people. But of course they remain
Giant Scorpion ensconced in their libraries and laboratories, mucking
around with the Natural Order of Things. One of their
pursuits is the creation of bizarre hybrid creatures, and
These are much like normal scorpions, but man-sized
one such is the gibbonewt.
to horse-sized and willing to attack almost anything.
They’re found in Ar-Karap, Plap, Wochilat and The
It is a blend, as one might guess, of the gibbon from
Snaggles, adapting to almost any terrain. Colouration
the forests of the south and the newt from the swamps
varies: black, yellow, brown and even a dull red.
and streams of the central regions. As is common with
hybrid creatures, the result is both surprisingly big and
They patrol their territory on the hunt or wait under a
surprisingly fierce. It stands around 7 feet tall, a lanky
rock or buried in the sand to ambush passing victims.
thing with smooth brown-green skin and darker spots
They attack by grabbing prey with their pincers,
on the back. A mane of hair frames the face, which is
crushing it if possible and only bringing the venomous
somewhat human-like apart from the goggling eyes and
tail sting into play if necessary.
wide mouth. Its hands and feet have long, dextrous
digits. Its call is a loud, damp squeak, like a wet finger
There are rumours of a desert tribe who conduct
drawn over glass. Gibbonewts shed their skin, and this
formal duels armed with a scorpion pincer worn like a
can sometimes be found.
glove. Certainly sections of carapace have been seen
adapted as armour. There are also rumours of ancient
They spend most of their time swinging through the
individuals that have grown to truly colossal size and
tree branches on their long arms, or waiting in water.
acquired strange mutations.
When prey appears the gibbonewt shoots out its sticky,
muscular tongue and draws it in to be crunched up by
These stats are for the larger common size - adjust as necessary.
its sharp little teeth. They seem to have trouble realising
that prey is too large for them, and will have a go at
Strengths: Good [+2] Large, Good [+2] Predator,
targets up to horse or bear size.
Good [+2] Pincers, Good [+2] Armour, Good [+2]
Tail Sting, Good [+2] Venom, Good [+2] Scuttling,
Strengths: Good [+2] Predator, Expert [+4] Agile,
Good [+2] Lurking, Good [+2] Survivor
Good [+2] Strong, Good [+2] Keen Senses, Good [+2]
Swinging, Good [+2] Swimming, Expert [+4]
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Intellect
Ensnaring Tongue, Good [+2] Defensive Secretion

† Pincers: the initial attack is usually to grab on, and if Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Vulnerable to Drying Out,
it succeeds the target must then use suitable Poor [-2] Vulnerable to Cold
Qualities to get free. Once grabbed, the scorpion
can use its actions to crush with the pincers for † Ensnaring Tongue: This prehensile, sticky appendage
straightforward damage.
can grab prey up to around 12 feet away. It doesn’t
† Tail Sting: strikes with the wicked barbed tail. do direct damage, but once an attack succeeds the
victim must resist it to escape or avoid being
† Venom: comes into play on a successful tail strike,
pulled in to biting and rending range on the
but is Downshifted each use. Victims failing to creature’s next action.
resist TN are paralysed (for later consumption);
any margin over 5 becomes Damage Ranks. † Defensive Secretion: When stressed, the creature can
exude a white gummy fluid that emits a strong

13
 bitter smell and irritates the skin of most creatures. Globulus
Resist its Rank to avoid damage: the first 5 Ranks
are Failure, but further Ranks are Damage. This is a sort of living jelly, an amorphous blob with
rudimentary animal-level intelligence. Their main drive
is to feed, which they do by flowing over organic
matter and secreting acid to digest it. They can be
Glashtig found almost anywhere that’s reasonably cool and
damp. Obviously they lack the usual senses, but they
These vampiric creatures are known mainly in northern seem to detect motion and scent/taste with their whole
Logrin and Scata. They seem to be attractive human body.
women (it’s unknown whether there are any males),
appearing most often to young men in remote locations Individuals exhibit differences that lead some scholars
and enticing them with the prospect of dancing and to think there are sub-species. Some globuluses lie
pleasant company, but seeking only to get close enough around in a puddle, while others maintain a shape, such
to slash open a victim’s veins and drain his blood. as a cube. Some wait for prey to pass nearby, while
others ooze about searching for it. Most
Glashtigs conceal a bestial nature - their feet, normally are almost transparent, but some have
hidden by a dress, are hooves like those of a deer or faint or strong colouration. Size
goat. They seem to have a particularly strong aversion varies quite a bit too.
to iron and steel - a dagger or horseshoe is said to keep
them at bay - and the fact that they appear at night and “Globs” sometimes have valuable
are gone at daybreak suggests that they dislike the light. remains of past meals
suspended inside them,
It’s rumoured that some members of Logrin’s upper though getting these items
class deliberately seek out glashtigs as a rather dubious out can be painful. It’s
sort of extreme sport. rumoured that some scholars,
inventors or magi are attempting
Strengths: Expert [+4] Attraction, Good [+2] Deceit, to breed or create small, more intelligent and less
Good [+2] Predator, Good [+2] Strong, Good [+2] corrosive globuluses as pets.
Tough, Good [+2] Quick, Good [+2] Agile, Good [+2]
Keen Senses, Good [+2] Stealth, Good [+2] Survival, Strengths (core): Expert [+4] Damage Resistance*,
Expert [+4] Energy Drain* (drinking blood), Good Good [+2] Engulf, Good [+2] Acid, Good [+2]
[+2] Night Vision Darksense, Good [+2] Arcane Resistance* - mental
effects
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Vulnerable to Light, Poor [-2]
Aversion to Iron*, Poor [-2] Blood Hunger Strengths (optional): Good [+2] to (rarely) Expert
[+4] Large, Good [+2] Hard To Spot, Good [+2]
Wallcrawling, Good [+2] Pseudopod Strike

Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Intelligence, Poor [-2] Slow-

moving; Poor [-2] Large if applicable

† Engulf: the creature envelops its victim in order to

consume it. This won’t work on a victim larger
than itself, but if the creature is larger it gets +2
per level of difference. The Engulf itself does no
damage, but the victim can’t do a lot until they
manage to escape it. They’ll also suffocate: each
round, resist a Failure Ranks TN of the number of
rounds you’ve been in there (i.e. it counts up).
† Acid: any contact with the creature does extra
damage from its digestive acid. This dissolves
organic materials very quickly (check each round,
destroys items that fail to resist, e.g. with quality or
Arcane properties), metal slowly (perhaps giving
items a Damage Rank until repaired), and does not

14
 affect stone. On a momentary strike the Acid Hopping Corpse
MOD is just added on; if a victim is engulfed they
must resist a separate This undead creature from Tek Wei is somewhere
Acid attack each between a zombie and a vampire, a near-mindless
round. hunter of the living. It gets its name from its distinctive
† Wallcrawling: the way of moving: short jumps with the feet together. It’s
creature can move freely a hungry predator with the ability to track prey by
up walls and along breath, great strength and a touch that can kill; but a
ceilings. six-inch threshold at a front door keeps it out. (Foreign
visitors to Tek Wei often find themselves face-down on
† Pseudopod Strike: the the floor the first few times they enter a house.)
creature extends
part of its body to A hopping corpse can be created when a person’s soul
attack a nearby fails to leave the body at death or is called back into it.
target. If this succeeds it This can happen if the proper rituals and offerings are
grabs on, and unless the victim gets free they can’t not provided, which is particularly likely if someone
dodge a subsequent Engulf, which gets an Upshift. dies away from their home village, where people know
what they liked and can come up with some reasonably
convincing good things to say about them. Some
practitioners of magic have the ability to shepherd
Groundhawk hopping corpses along and can be hired to bring one
back to its home, where hopefully a ceremony can put
This raptor is native to Helongor. A typical adult has a it to rest. The annual Corpse Drives see rugged
5ft wingspan and body length a little under 2ft, with spellcasters riding cross-country to round up undead
dark brown plumage on the back and light grey on the from ancient battlegrounds and bring them to the cities
underside. It has no particular interest in people, but of the south. There are also spells that can be inscribed
there are sometimes nasty accidents when someone on paper and placed on the creatures to put them to
gets in its way, threatens its young, leaves food or small “sleep”, but they become active again if the inscription
livestock lying around, catches it on a bad day... is removed by foolish explorers, blown away by the
wind, taken by birds as nest material, etc.
The fishhawk of the north-western coasts is adapted
for diving into the water after its prey. The Strengths: Expert [+4] Dead*, Good [+2] Strong,
groundhawk is adapted for diving into the ground after Good [+2] Persistence, Expert [+4] Sense Breath*,
prey that hides in tunnels. The head is somewhat Good [+2] Energy Drain* (touch, often by strangling),
conical for streamlining, the sharp beak extending into Expert [+4] Night Vision
a bony plate on the forehead; it has membranes to
protect the eyes and the ability to close its nostrils. Its Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Dead, Poor [-2] Hopping
feet sport flattened digging claws, the equal of any mole
or badger, on lengthened legs. When it spots prey † Sense Breath*: a mystical ability to sense the life-
about to duck into a hole it extends the feet to the
force in the breath of living creatures (more than
front of the body and begins to rotate them powerfully,
the sound it makes). This makes it able to locate
then dives, cutting through roots and soil to reach its
prey even when hidden, though good cover might
victim.
give a Shift. Characters who know how the
creature’s senses work and deliberately hold their
There’s a popular fireside story among the Weasel
breath can oppose this with stuff to do with
Riders of an unlucky fellow who wandered into the
endurance and willpower.
path of a groundhawk dive. Not all travellers believe
that it could actually go right through a man, but they † Hopping: the creature can’t walk in the normal way
do check the sky occasionally once they’ve heard it. but must travel using small jumps with both feet.
It can manage ordinary walking speed indefinitely,
Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Expert [+4] Predator, but can’t run or get over an obstruction more than
Good [+2] Strong, Good [+2] Flight, Good [+2] a few inches high. (It can, however, wait still and
Hovering, Good [+2] Diving, Expert [+4] Claws, silent till the prey comes out again.)
Good [+2] Digging, Good [+2] Distance Vision, Good
[+2] Sensitive Hearing

Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Intellect

15
Imp Jack o’Spines
These little demons have more interaction with mortals These are cactus people, found in the Snaggles and
than most of their brethren - they are easy to summon sometimes in the Ar-Karap Desert. From a distance
for spellcasters of flexible morality, and some have they can be mistaken for a large ordinary cactus with
them as familiars. They make good two outstretched “arms”. Most of their time is spent
spies and co-conspirators, standing still and soaking up the sun, but the lower
though they can sometimes stem is actually split into two sturdy “legs” on which
be irritating and are, of they can get about, albeit a little clumsily. There are two
course, obliged to tempt dark patches that serve as eyes; a mouth, into which
their “master” to evil from they occasionally shovel earth and gravel for minerals,
time to time. and which is capable of a very limited range of grunts;
and crude mitten-like hands. Most are a bit larger than
An imp is a 2-foot-tall human size, but juveniles are smaller and mature ones
humanoid with dark red can grow to Good [+2] Large. They seem to have some
skin, a pair of horns on the silent way of communicating with each other.
head and batty wings. The
barbed tail has a poisoned “Jack o’Spines” is the name given to them by the folk
sting, rarely lethal but affecting a victim’s motor skills. of the Snaggles. They are not malevolent or predatory,
Imps tend to take on less savoury human characteristics but are dangerous when provoked - for instance by
over time, so most are truculent and sarcastic, with a intrusions in their territory (respectful behaviour can
fondness for drinking and smoking. In spite of their minimise this), damage to their environment or harm
attitude they’re not overly brave and prefer to keep out inflicted on members of their kind by people thinking
of the way of danger. they’re just plants.

Some imps prefer the Middle Realms to their home in Strengths: Expert [+4] Plant, Good [+2] Strong,
the Nether Realms, and are tokenistic with the evil and Expert [+4] Spines, Good [+2] Plant Camouflage,
the tempting in order to maintain contractual Expert [+4] Desert Dweller, Good [+2] Grumpy
requirements without getting themselves thrown out.
Others are more evangelical about the cause, taking Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Intellect, Poor [-2]
every opportunity to spread pain and corruption. Slow-moving, Poor [-2] Damp Rot

Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Good [+2] Evil, Good

† Spines: close contact with a Jack is an
[+2] Spy, Good [+2] Agile, Good [+2] Flight, Average
[0] Tail Sting, Good [+2] Tail Poison, Good [+2] uncomfortable experience. This Quality adds to its
Attitude, Good [+2] Darksense, Good [+2] Arcane unarmed attacks. It also adds to defence against
Resistance (Fire), Good [+2] Limited Shapeshift*, unarmed attacks, as the attacker tries to land a
Average [0] Sense Good*, Average [0] Sense Magic* blow past the spines, and if the attack is defeated
the attacker takes 1 Damage Rank unless they have
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Evil, Poor [-2] armour-type Qualities at least as high as the
Self-preservation Spines.
† Damp Rot: penalty to resist water-based attacks.
† Tail Poison: a faculty poison targeting Qualities of Also, being substantially immersed in water can
movement and coordination on a successful tail cause environmental damage: Rank Average, can
strike. only actually take damage once per scene, though
can be tested multiple times till it takes effect. (For
† Limited Shapeshift*: the creature can turn itself into instance, a knowledgeable group attacked by one
one specified form of broadly similar size. (This is might empty all their water skins on it.)
usually an animal like a cat, rat or crow, but imps
have been known to appear as children, books,
carpet bags...) This is innate magic requiring a
fatigue check. Kappa
This peculiar creature of Tek Wei’s rivers and lakes is a
child-sized humanoid with features reminiscent of
monkey and frog. It has yellow-green scaly skin, a shell
like a tortoise’s on its back, webbed hands and feet, an
apelike face and a faint fishy smell.

16
The most unusual feature, though is a cavity or Kobold
depression in the top of the head, ringed with scraggly
hair and filled with water. This liquid is the source of These small, reptilian-looking humanoids live
the creature’s extraordinary strength. Unfortunately the underground, mainly in Scata and the mountains.
creature has a strong sense of etiquette, so if someone Miners tell of them as elusive, mischievous presences,
bows to it the kappa reciprocates, spilling the water and stealing tools or taking what they’ve dug up
leaving it seriously weakened. (Run this as a contest to and leaving worthless minerals in its place.
see how convincing the bow is. By the way, drinking Those who go further down might
the water from a kappa’s head has no special effects encounter the kobolds on their home
beyond an Average digestive upset.) The same ground - perhaps a scouting party or
principles prevent it from breaking its word, and even settlement.
sometimes people gain its aid through trickery. Kappa
are also afraid of fire. They’re very low on the monster
food chain - kind of like
Kappa are troublemakers, with behaviour ranging from subterranean goblins - but survive
passing wind to theft to eating small children (or even by working together in tribes. They
adults). [The official mythological account of kappa farm fungus, hunt small or
attacks is that they suck the entrails and/or life-force weakened prey, and defend
out through the anus. Some groups might enjoy the their territory. Magic is pretty
opportunities this presents for bawdy fun. Other much confined to the occasional
groups will find it distasteful or inappropriate - priest and individuals’ pleas to the subterranean gods.
particularly if dealing with attacks on children. If this is They do have certain trading connections with the
the case, have the kappa latching on and draining blood outside world; some underground resources have trade
instead.] value. The kobolds of the Musty Mountains have found
that their poetry, being about the endless dark spaces
However, they may become friendly with those who do and the fear of being destroyed at any time, goes over
well against them in challenges of skill (especially rather well under a pseudonym in Groth.
wrestling) or give them gifts, particularly cucumber
which is their favourite food of all. A friendly kappa is Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Good [+2] Cunning,
very helpful, for instance aiding in irrigation and Good [+2] Stealth, Good [+2] Keen Senses, Good
employing its great knowledge of medicine. [+2] Darksense, Good [+2] Pack Hunter
Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Master [+6] Strong, Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Cowardly,
Good [+2] Amphibious, Expert [+4] Swimming, Good Poor [-2] Vulnerable to Light
[+2] Tough Skin and Shell, Expert [+4] Medicine,
Good [+2] Wrestling, Good [+2] Control Water*,
Good [+2] Energy Drain*

Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Water- Kraken

dependent*, Poor [-2] Cucumber Addict, Poor [-2]
Etiquette This immense creature of the deep has features of
octopus and squid. Its mighty tentacles can drag a ship
to the bottom, and its body at rest on
† Water-dependent*: if the creature suffers any mishap the surface can be mistaken for an
that would cause water to spill from its head, e.g. island.
being tripped or thrown, its powers are reduced.
At least one damage Rank must be allocated on Kraken are both
each of Strong (minimum Poor) and Control intelligent and cruel.
Water* (minimum Zero - can’t use but not Each rules a territory
necessarily defeated). In some situations all from a lair down in
damage could be targeted at these, e.g. holding it the darkness, and
upside-down. Refilling the cavity if fresh water is considers anything
available takes an action and gives 1d6 Failure or venturing into its
Damage back (a bit like spending Fortune). Energy territory fair game for eating,
Drain* cannot restore damage from water loss. hoarding, or just “playing” with. They
This Quality also penalises resistance to drying-out communicate with sonic tones in a manner
effects. somewhat like a whale, and can form an approximation
of human speech if they deign it worth the effort. They
often have a small amount of innate magic (works like
mysticism) to do with controlling the weather and other

17
aspects of the ocean environment (e.g. Summon fell that day grew into a new creature, so its line
Storm*, Call Current*, Water Breathing* for puny continues to the present day.
mortal servants, Seaweed Golem*). Kraken lairs are
usually cave complexes, with lesser sea creatures as Larval stage. A seed that falls or is planted in a corpse
servants and sometimes even air-filled caverns for draws on the residual energy of that creature to
captured surface-dwellers. grow quickly into a small carved pumpkin head,
glowing gently from within, supported by a
In spite of the risks, some fishermen seek out viny body. Sometimes they mimic little
kraken territory because the pickings are good. people, but often they grow multiple legs
The waste products of the great beast make and scuttle about like a spider. They have
fertile waters for small fish, not to mention the animal-like intelligence, and are driven by
marine traffic for diplomacy and tribute. In the need to feed on life-energy, which they
fact, a long-established kraken lair can be the usually get by ambushing prey - leaping
equivalent of a town ruled by an evil from a suitable vantage point and clinging
overlord, and there are rumours of one in on while they drain it.
the southern ocean where the kraken has
been killed or driven off and the inhabitants Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Good [+2]
have continued as a thriving metropolis. Plant, Good [+2] Evil, Good [+2] Energy
Drain*, Good [+2] Fire Spitting*, Good
Strengths: Master [+6] Large, Expert [+4] [+2] Agility, Good [+2] Scuttling, Good [+2]
Ocean Dweller, Expert [+4] Swimming, Master [+6] Darksense, Good [+2] Arcane Resistance - Fire, Good
Tentacles, Good [+2] Bony Beak, Good [+2] Rubbery [+2] Damage Resistance*
Hide, Expert [+4] Darksense, Good [+2] Malign
Intelligence, Expert [+4] Willpower, Expert [+4] Jet, Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Evil, Poor [-2]
Expert [+4] Ink; possibly plus one or two Arcane Intellect
Qualities
† Fire Spitting*: the larval stage has a special ability to
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Domineering
use surplus life-force it’s gathered to spit out a
gout of eldritch flame in an arc about 10ft long.
† Tentacles: can be used to grasp, crush or slam. Each use Downshifts the Quality.
† Jet: it can squirt out a jet of water to propel itself
(backwards) with extra speed. Kraken are smart Adult stage. A larval creature that’s properly fed and
enough to anchor themselves and use this to cared for will eventually develop into an adult. Its head
“blow away” groups of enemies (in which case the grows and its vines extend and intertwine to make a
creature’s size also comes into play). humanoid body about 7 feet tall and whip-thin. In this
† Ink: the creature can squirt out a cloud of black ink stage they have human-level intellect, and all seem to be
that makes it hard to see in the water, but must polite and urbane by nature, though with a degree of
Downshift this Quality to do so. sadism and mischief, and a liking for smart clothes. Of
course, they still need to feed on life-energy. They’re
sometimes used as staff by less ethical spellcasters, and
serve well as long as they’re treated firmly but
Lantern Man courteously. The flame burning in the pumpkin head
makes them handy for lighting the way along dark
corridors too - hence the name. However, there’s a
Back in the history of Scata, an evil druid wanted a
certain risk associated with them, which some owners
servant. He enchanted a pumpkin plant and bound a
know of and some don’t...
demon into it to create a spindly-limbed humanoid of
great strength and agility, topped with a grinning
Strengths: Good [+2] Plant, Good [+2] Evil, Expert
pumpkin head glowing with the flame of the human
[+4] Energy Drain*, Good [+2] Magic Theft*, Good
souls that were its food. This creature, Heinous Samuel,
[+2] Agility, Good [+2] Strength, Good [+2] Urbane,
served as the druid’s butler, but certain freelance
Good [+2] Contortion, Good [+2] Darksense, Good
activities of its own drew the attention of a group of
[+2] Arcane Resistance - Fire, Good [+2] Damage
adventurers, blah blah, and they caved its head in with
Resistance*
an enchanted hammer and looted the druid’s wine
cellar. However, they forgot something: seeds. The
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Evil
pumpkin head contained a small number of evil seeds,
and each that fell into one of the bodies of those that

18
 † Magic Theft*: linked with Energy Drain* - if the Strengths: Good [+2] Large, Expert [+4] Predator,
creature drains a magical Quality it can keep some Expert [+4] Fast, Good [+2] Agile, Good [+2]
of it to use. However, its Rank cannot exceed this Cunning, Good [+2] Cruel, Expert [+4] Claws and
Quality’s Rank; the creature can store no more Teeth, Good [+2] Tail Sting, Expert [+4] Hurl Spines,
than MOD powers at a time; each use Downshifts Good [+2] Spine Venom, Good [+2] Flight (cliff
the power; and it only lasts a scene. variety only), Good [+2] Leaping (forest variety only)
† Contortion: although it normally mimics the Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Craves Flesh
operation of human joints, it can move its limbs of Intelligent Species, Poor [-2] Clumsy Flier
pretty much however it likes when necessary -
catching things behind it, folding up into small
spaces, etc. † Tail Sting: for close quarters attacks.
† Hurl Spines: the creature can propel a volley of
spines up to about 50 feet, but must Downshift
Full stage. Given just the right conditions - usually
this Quality to do it. (It soon grows more spines.
involving a strong magical atmosphere or consumption
A magical regeneration effect might be able to
of a powerfully magical life-force - an adult Lantern
restore this within the scene.)
Man can evolve into a full incarnation of Heinous
Samuel, allowing the demon’s essence to walk the earth † Spine Venom: this separate Quality comes into play
again. (This is a possibility for the Fortune option when an opponent is successfully struck by any
Fickle Finger of Fate.) Its faculties are enhanced, and it spine attack. Failing to resist its TN causes the
has the ability to produce seeds at its fingertips for the victim to be paralysed; any margin over 5 becomes
creation of new larvae (which will follow it as their Damage Ranks.
master). It is the epitome of malevolent etiquette.
† Craves Flesh of Intelligent Species: the creature’s greed
Strengths: as the adult stage plus 1 Rank across the might be used to fool or lure it.
board; Good [+2] Intelligence, Expert [+4] Willpower

Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Evil

Merfolk
These are, of course, water-dwellers with a human-like
Manticore upper body merging into a powerful fishy tail. They use
aquatic materials like shells and coral for body
This dangerous hybrid creature has the body of a great decoration, tools and weaponry (tridents being
blood-coloured lion and a human-like head, framed by popular). It’s fairly common for them to know a
a mane of hair in the male. Some individuals have bat- magical charm or two - any type is possible, but the
like wings. It has powerful claws and three rows of only professional spellcasters are priests. Some groups
sharp teeth along each jaw. The manticore’s long tail tend toward the “noble savage” stereotype; others are
bears venomous spines, which it can use to sting like a more degenerate, possibly serving a
scorpion - and it can also shoot them at prey kraken and with dubious religious
some distance away. Various accounts say practices.
it is fast, vigorous and able to leap great
distances, but all agree that it loves the Merfolk maintain small colonies all over
flesh of humans and other intelligent the seabed. Airbreathers sometimes
species. encounter a hunting party or an
individual sunning itself on a rock.
Manticores are no dumb beasts. And there the problems begin, for the
They are sometimes found in females are strangely attractive to
pairs and “pride” groups, and human males, who sometimes attempt
converse with each other in voices a relationship despite issues of
said to sound like a blend of pan-pipe drowning, walking and dehydration. Cross-
and trumpet. They are most common in the forests and breeding is possible, though, and offspring take after
passes of southern Orthedia, but can be encountered one parent or the other.
down to northern Plap and Tek Wei. Scholars make a
distinction between “cliff manticores”, which have the In places where a community of merfolk lies off the
wings and tend to lair in rocky canyons, and “forest coast near a human village the bloodlines can become
manticores” which are wingless but with greater leaping hopelessly intermingled. Many villagers manifest some
ability - though sightings don’t always fit this rule. degree of “the look” (pale skin with scaly patches,
webbed fingers and toes, etc.); are unusually at home in

19
the water; and occasionally swim out to join their Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Intelligence
cousins in worship of their watery gods.
† Rot*: if a mildew monster touches an object made
Strengths (female): Expert [+4] Allure, Good [+2]
occupation, Good [+2] Amphibious, Expert [+4] of dead organic material with its antennae, the
Swimming, Good [+2] Powerful Tail object rots down instantly, becoming useless. (Size
is irrelevant, except that it takes a bit longer for the
Weaknesses (female): Poor [-2] Vulnerable to rot to spread across big things.) The creature often
Dryness, Poor [-2] Drawn to Human Males takes an action to consume it. Items that have
been treated to preserve them against decay might
Strengths (male): Good [+2] Strength, Good [+2] get some Rank of resistance (or could even be
Endurance, Good [+2] occupation, Good [+2] judged immune). Arcane Qualities definitely resist.
Amphibious, Expert [+4] Swimming, Good [+2] If a susceptible object is used to do damage to the
Powerful Tail creature it’s affected as if touched.

Weaknesses (male): Poor [-2] Vulnerable to Dryness,

Poor [-2] Warlike
Mummy
In parts of Wochilat, and old places now claimed by the
Mildew Monster Ar-Karap Desert, dead bodies have sometimes been
treated with a special process to stop them rotting. This
These peculiar creatures are almost certainly the usually involves removal of internal organs and
handiwork of some god, probably of decay, destruction wrapping with bandages treated with spices and other
or embarrassment. It’s said that different variants exist. substances to dry the body and preserve it for the ages.
They’re vaguely insectoid in appearance, about the size Sometimes magic gets involved, either as a deliberate
of a large dog but bulkier, with a ritual or the actions of gods or spirits: then the mummy
thick, sackcloth-coloured hide of walks again as an undead guardian of its tomb.
lumps and plates and a long tail.
They’re of animal intelligence. Mummies appear as shuffling corpses swathed in
They can be found almost bandages, but under the surface vary quite a bit.
anywhere in Ludor, usually in Some are creatures of crude instinct, acting out
temperate regions, often in wooded of single-minded indignation to destroy
areas near to settlements, lairing intruders. (The legal arguments about tomb-
underground and coming out to owners using posthumous deadly force to
seek food. defend their property are a nice earner in
northern Wochilat.) Other mummies retain more
The monsters feed on dead organic matter, but in an of their mental faculties, and might even be able to
unusual way: they strike it with their long antennae, use magic (usually thaumaturgy, but sometimes they
causing it to rot and moulder away instantly, then they serve gods, and not often gods of sunshine and ponies
consume the remains. This would be ecologically at that). These adapt to modern life in different ways.
useful, except for two things. First, they seem to much One old gentleman has converted his trap-ridden
prefer worked materials to common stuff like leaf desert-edge pyramid, added scrying devices, and now
mould, attacking rope, sacks, clothing, tents, etc. runs a very popular game show. Elsewhere, feuding
Second, people seem to persist in placing them in dynasties lounge in front of their tombs and fire the
dungeons and other locations where there’s no organic occasional spell at each other. And of course some
material for them to feed on anyway and they become have gone the evil overlord route.
ravenous. If forced into straightforward combat they
bite and whack opponents with their tail. (Tune the The baseline stats for a middle-of-the-road model are
mildew monsters to the tone of your campaign. As a much like those of the Wizen in the rulebook: tool up
minimum, you probably want to borrow from the or dumb down from here.
superhero genre and give underwear a mysterious
immunity.) Strengths: Expert [+4] Dead* , Expert [+4] Strong,
Good [+2] Single-Minded, Good [+2] occupation
Strengths: Good [+2] Agility, Good [+2] Quick, Good (specify one, dimly retained from when alive), Good
[+2] Keen Senses, Good [+2] Tough Hide, Good [+2] [+2] personality trait (ditto), Good [+2] Darksense
Persistent, Expert [+4] Rot*, Expert [+4] Sense
Organic Material, Good [+2] Arcane Resistance* - Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Dead (tends to colour social
decay and disease effects interactions), Poor [-2] Slow-moving, Poor [-2]
Vulnerable to Fire

20
Night Rider † Foul Essence*: a successful injury to a Rider causes
some of its foul essence to attack the weapon and
When these powerful undead ride out on a mission, its wielder. Any non-magical prop is simply
wise folk stay inside and bolt their doors. It’s said that withered and destroyed. A magical prop rolls its
once they were mortals corrupted by the service of evil; Arcane Quality against this TN and is destroyed if
there are usually thought to be nine altogether. They it fails. Additionally, the attacking character must
appear as tall humans in black hooded robes, beneath resist TN Damage Ranks with their constitution
which they wear mail armour and tight trousers. A and any Arcane Quality of a character weapon used
glimpse beneath the hood shows no visible head - at least one Rank of any damage taken must go
supporting it, just a dark space with an eerie grin of on the weapon.
perfect white teeth. Their true substance has long ago
fallen away, replaced by willpower and sorcery.

Each Rider has a powerful black horse, with eyes of Plap Strider
glowing red that continually sweep the scene. There’s a
strong mystical bond between them, rather like that This large flightless bird is one of the top predators on
between magus and familiar, allowing communication the Plains of Plap. It stands 5 feet tall at the shoulder,
and awareness of each other’s location. In fact the with a powerful, compact body, two long, taloned legs,
horse is a magical creature in its own right, and often and a long neck and strong, sharp beak. The feathers
serves as the brains of the outfit. are a smoky grey, with black and green bands. There are
stubby remnants of wings, but they’re only useful for
They serve the Night Foundation, an alliance of body language.
powerful evil interests in Arrganarr. Each has a code
number, 6661 to 6669, giving them a Licence for Evil - The Striders roam the plains looking for food. This is
that is, the Foundation is prepared to cope with any not often in plentiful supply, so they’ll have a go at
diplomatic consequences of their actions elsewhere in more or less anything that moves, as well as carrion.
Ludor (whereas Arrganarrians are usually admonished They are excellent runners, able to pace a horse for
to behave themselves abroad) . short distances, and the beak and talons are formidable
weapons. Sometimes a lone individual is encountered,
Strengths (Rider): Master [+6] Dead*, Good [+2] and sometimes a group will hunt together (in which
Strong, Good [+2] Willpower, Expert [+4] Evil, Expert case, woe betide the ill-prepared traveller).
[+4] Sword Fighting, Expert [+4] Enchanted Sword*,
Expert [+4] Armour, Expert [+4] Darksense, Expert They have one particular adaptation to the peculiar
[+4] Aura of Fear*, Expert [+4] Foul Essence*, Expert environment of Plap: a third eye in the top of the head,
[+4] Organisation - Night Foundation; often a couple allowing them to see falling objects and get out of the
of magical powers too way with their excellent reflexes. In normal use this
renders them immune to surprise attacks from above - a
Weaknesses (Rider): Poor [-2] Mortal Senses, Poor rare event in the flat terrain, but they have also learned
[-2] Slow on the Uptake, Poor [-2] Vulnerable to Light to lower their heads for excellent 270-degree vision for
spotting potential prey or danger.
Strengths (horse): Good [+2] Large, Good [+2]
Predator, Good [+2] Smart, Good [+2] Evil, Good Strengths: Expert [+4] Predator, Good [+2]
[+2] Strong, Expert [+4] Stamina, Expert [+4] Scavenger, Good [+2] Beak and Talons, Expert [+4]
Galloping, Good [+2] Prodigious Leap*, Good [+2] Run Fast, Expert [+4] Third Eye, Good [+2] Reflexes
Enchanted Horseshoes*, Expert [+4] Damage
Resistance*, Good [+2] Darksense, Good [+2] Keen Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Intellect
Senses, Good [+2] Organisation - Night Foundation,
Good [+2] Get Rider Out Of Trouble Again
† Third Eye: used for spotting things above (if any roll
Weaknesses (horse): Poor [-2] Large is needed), or for visual perception when the head
is lowered for scanning, which should definitely
help in preventing surprise attacks.
† Aura of Fear*: anyone coming in sight of a Rider is
afflicted by fear and unease. They must beat this
TN with bravery and willpower to oppose it in any
way. Seeing the eerie grin gives a Downshift.

21
Roc A sensorius is very aware of its surroundings and hard
to surprise. Worse, it is possessed of a powerful
These are frickin’ huge birds. They can carry off intellect and will, and a malevolent nature: hateful,
elephants when hungry (though cattle and horses are greedy and contemptuous of other creatures, seeking to
more usual) and destroy ships when dominate or kill them and, indeed, take their stuff.
angered). Rocs are somewhat eagle-like Worst of all, each of its sensory organs is equipped
in appearance, with a wingspan of over with some Arcane power, which makes encounters
100 feet, equipped with a powerful beak both hazardous and chaotic.
and talons. Their plumage is
white, pale brown or golden. Strengths: Master [+6] Multiplied Senses, Average [0]
Flight, Expert [+4] Intelligence, Expert [+4] Will,
Rocs live in the Godsmile Expert [+4] Malevolent, Good [+2] Bite, Good [+2]
Mountains, constructing nests Tough Hide; pile of magic Qualities as below at Rank
from trees, bits of ships, according to creature power
people’s huts, and the like.
They hunt in the Ar-Karap Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Arrogant, Poor [-2] Too Much
and the plains of northern Magic Crap
Wochilat, and are occasionally
seen out over the Snaggles and Here’s a standard set of Arcane abilities. You can
the western ocean (there might probably make some up yourself; they don’t necessarily
be some nesting on isolated make a lot of sense.
islands). They’re pretty much † Antimagic* (central Eye): while open, continuously
forces of nature, to whom the projects a cone-shaped invisible field in which any
intelligent species are light snacks magical effect of lower Rank simply stops working,
that sometimes have an annoying and others subtract this Quality’s MOD. (Once
sting. A typical attack is a swoop and this effect finishes, enchantments regain their
snatch (adding Flight to an attack) to carry off prey. normal properties.)
Anything that proves troublesome may simply be
dropped from a great height to convert it into roc † Hypnosis* (Eye): gazing into a creature’s eyes can
pizza. put it into a trance in which it obeys any
reasonable-sounding commands given by the
Occasionally someone steals a roc egg: this rarely ends sensorius. Pain might give another chance to break
well. There is an upside for enterprising souls though, free.
because these beasts produce enormous quantities of † Move Object* (Eye): manipulate items at a distance
dung. Some tribes collect it from where it lands, or using [Rank-1] as strength and dexterity.
brave the mountain heights to reach favourite spots. It
makes great fertiliser and commands a good price from † Ray of Destruction* (Ear): straightforward magical
the citizens of Veribah. damage. (No, nobody understands why. But it
makes as much sense as eyes being artillery.)
Strengths: Master [+6] Large, Expert [+4] Predator,
† Waxy Casing* (Ear): target is encased in a hard shell
Expert [+4] Flight, Good [+2] Beak and Talons, Good
[+2] Strong, Expert [+4] Keen Sight of wax; TN to break out.
† Mucus Trap* (Nose): projects a glob of sticky mucus
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Intellect that hinders movement. An Average-sized creature
must overcome the TN if they want to make any
sort of vigorous motion. Smaller creatures might
be engulfed altogether. If the victim or friends
Sensorius devote their attention to doing damage Ranks to
the glob with blades, fire, etc. they can break free.
This bizarre creature is a dangerous opponent for The first time they see this in use everyone must
adventurers, presumably created by a drunk god or mad resist the TN or take a Failure Rank of revulsion.
wizard. Its body is roughly spherical, about 6 feet † Gust of Wind* (Nose): a powerful exhalation blows
across, able to move about by floating through the air
targets in an arc back and down - resist TN Failure
at walking speed. The front bears a single large eye and
Ranks.
a fanged mouth. Sprouting from the top are a number
of tentacle-like stalks - usually ten, but this varies with † Acid Saliva* (Tongue): this appendage secretes an
age and other factors. At the end of each stalk is an eye acid that can eat away living flesh and even stone
or other sense organ: ears, noses, tongues, and even (allowing it to excavate underground lairs).
structures like a human finger.

22
 † Analysis* (Tongue): licking something gives a Shark
detailed and accurate sense of its composition,
even down to pheromones secreted by living They might not have funky special abilities, but these
creatures. superb marine predators maintain a place near the top
† Taunt* (Finger): by use of arcane gestures (ahem), of the food chain by being very good at what they do.
drives opponent into a state of frothing rage. If These stats are for a fairly substantial one; bigger and
they fail to resist the TN they’ll attack the closest smaller versions exist.
target, friend or foe.
Strengths: Good [+2] Large, Expert [+4] Predator,
† Kung Fu Pressure Points* (Finger): an unarmed attack Expert [+4] Sharp Teeth, Expert [+4] Swimming,
with this appendage does Damage Ranks (unarmed Expert [+4] Detect Scent
is usually Failure), and MOD extra damage if
successful. Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Single-minded

Shade Spriggan
These are living shadows, creatures of elemental These are of the fey kind, related to the faeries of
darkness. They are largely two- Logrin - who, indeed, they sometimes work for as
dimensional, sliding along surfaces treasure guards, bodyguards and bouncers. Spriggans
and distorting their shape at will. are around 2ft tall and grotesquely ugly. Among mortals
As a rule they are wicked they have a reputation as thieves, seeing no reason to
creatures, preying on living respect the property rights of such crude and short-
beings by terrorising them and lived creatures. They have the particular ability of
stealing their life energy, and swelling up to giant size for a brief period, for fighting
sneaking into theatres without or intimidation. Spriggans are most common in Logrin,
paying. Some Shades are but also found in Orthedia and Scata, often around old
actively malicious, and some ruins and burial mounds.
merely self-interested; they
are not especially brave, Spriggans sometimes know a bit of fey magic (works
though, and tend to flee from with the basic rules, like mysticism). This usually takes
opponents who can actually the form of small natural disasters or other forms of
harm them. misfortune: one popular one is a small whirlwind that
throws things into disarray.
Strengths: Expert [+4] Incorporeal*, Good [+2]
Energy Drain*, Master [+6] Darksense, Good [+2] Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Good [+2] Agile, Good
Shadow Morphing, Good [+2] Awareness [+2] Thief, Good [+2] Brawling, Good [+2] Attitude,
Good [+2] Night Vision, Good [+2] Sizeshifting*,
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Aversion to Bright Light* Average [0] Shocking Appearance; possibly plus one or
two fey magic Qualities (mostly Average)
† Incorporeal*: as QMR, but a Shade cannot pass
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small, Poor [-2] Ugly, Poor [-2]
through solid objects; it can slide through tiny
Aversion to Iron*
cracks.
† Energy Drain*: the touch attack of a Shade brings a
† Sizeshifting*: they have the ability to grow from
feeling of cold and emptiness.
Good Small to Good Large (about 10ft tall). This
† Shadow Morphing: the creature can alter its shape, simply switches both Small Qualities into Large,
from a formless pool of black with just its eyes retaining any damage ranks. Growing takes an
showing somewhere to the silhouette of a action, and the Rank shows how long it can be
particular individual. The Rank is used when it maintained. On ending the effect or losing
wants to appear as something specific, for instance concentration the creature returns to normal.
to avoid detection or frighten someone. Looking
like a non-humanoid brings a Downshift.

23
Terror Lizard someone raises a young one as a guard or even a pet -
they are quite smart, even cute, but liable to take a
These are predatory reptiles that run on two legs, finger when you least expect it.
balanced by a long tail. Their front legs have become
small clawed “hands”. Some scholars say they are relics Strengths: Good [+2] Predator, Good [+2] Teeth and
of an earlier age. There are two varieties. Talons, Good [+2] Running, Good [+2] Scaly Skin,
Good [+2] Keen Senses, Good [+2] Quick Reactions,
Great Terror Lizards are mercifully rare. They are Good [+2] Pack Hunter
ferocious killing machines about 40ft long and standing
over 15ft tall. Their oversized heads have massive jaws Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Intellect
filled with teeth as long as your hand. They’ll hunt
almost anything. Only a few places have them, notably:
Challenger Hold, where they’ve come through from the
strange subterranean realm the dwarves broke into; Tremor Worm
some isolated islands in The Swarm; and maybe a
couple of secluded valleys in the Godsmile Mountains These enormous creatures burrow through the earth
and Wochilat. They’re strongly territorial and only consuming anything organic in their path. They’re
tolerate each other’s presence for mating. known for erupting from the ground and swallowing
people whole. Experienced and perceptive travellers
Strengths: Expert [+4] Large, Master [+6] Predator, can sometimes detect their approach by a faint
Expert [+4] Bite, Good [+2] Clawed Feet, Good [+2] vibration - hence the name.
Strong Tail, Good [+2] Running, Good [+2] Scaly Skin,
Good [+2] Keen Senses, Good [+2] Powerful Meaty A tremor worm is of the order of 100 feet long and
Breath 5-10 feet across, with a gaping multi-part jaw
arrangement and no other visible facial features. Skin
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Intellect colour ranges from pale beige to dull purple. Their
main sense is an ability to detect vibrations, which they
use to locate prey walking on the ground. They travel
Small Terror Lizards are a little smaller than a man, through loose-packed earth like swimming through
leaner and less fearsome than their cousins but with a water, and are found in areas where the going is easy
tendency to hunt in packs. They’re more common too, like the Ar-Karap Desert and the snowy lowlands of
found in numbers on some of the Swarm islands and in Valharia. Temperatures don’t bother them much, but
certain parts of Wochilat, stretching up into the they dislike water and are stopped by solid rock. Faced
southern Snaggles. If a sufficient number are together with prey or opponents, they sometimes bite (especially
they’ll be quite ambitious about prey. Occasionally against Large creatures) but usually slam or crush using
the mass of their body or just swallow the target whole.

As they go, the worms may ingest mineral-rich earth or,

indeed, mineral-rich adventurers. Therefore the man-
sized “casts” they leave behind sometimes contain
valuable residue. The outside tends to bake, dry or
freeze to a stonelike consistency, while the inside
remains sticky and... fragrant.

These stats are for a full-grown adult - younger ones

might be encountered, smaller and less sure in their
abilities.

Strengths: Master [+6] Large, Good [+2] Predator,

Good [+2] Scavenger, Good [+2] Tough Hide, Expert
[+4] Swallow, Master [+6] Burrow, Expert [+4]
Vibration Sense

Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Vibration

Sensitive

† Swallow: the creature can attempt to engulf a target

at least two size levels smaller than itself,
swallowing them whole. If the target loses the

24
 contest they are now inside the creature, and will † Hampered By Daylight: under the sun, pretty much
be attacked by its Swallow each round everything a troll does gets penalised. It even
automatically (without needing an action by the interferes with their regenerative ability. They can
creature) - an attack that can’t be avoided, only manage alright outside on a very cloudy day. Other
resisted. Hopefully they can get themselves out or forms of bright light might give the penalty
be rescued before they are digested! momentarily, but are not as potent.
† Burrow: this Quality could be used to disappear
below ground to escape from attack (taking an
action), or to emerge from the ground in a
devastating ambush. Vampire
† Vibration Sensitive: if characters can find a way to These are the undead that people want to be. They’ve
produce unpleasant vibrations, they might drive managed to get the cool tricks without all the icky bits-
the worm off. Your group’s least favourite type of falling-off stuff. In Groth they’re celebrities; in Scata
music might be an amusing option. they’re nobility; in Ko-Sha they’re lawyers. The only
downside, really, is that powerful urge to drink blood,
but there are always more peasants. Oh, and the
bursting into flame in sunlight, but you’ve probably
Troll always been a night person anyway. And being hunted
down with pitchforks in less enlightened places.
These are large, tough, brutish humanoids with a
tendency to eat people. An average troll is about 9 feet Vampirism’s exact origins are lost in the mists of time,
tall, with a greyish skin somewhat reminiscent of stone, though many accounts claim it started as a punishment
sometimes mottled with greenish patches. (Some by the gods on wicked people. (Most don’t make a big
scholars think their toughness originates deal of this idea, on the basis that if true it arguably
from the earth a bit like a dwarf’s, worked very badly and the gods don’t take criticism
though trolls are known to well.) It is passed on through the bite: someone killed
reproduce in the normal way.) by a vampire often comes back as one.
Some are broad and stocky; others
are lean and lanky. They have The gods Shamutu and Nansin, the sun and moon, take
long, muscular arms with clawed a dim view of this undead nonsense, and are
fingers, and a crudely formed face. particularly irked when people make it look sexy. They
They also have some regenerative have instructed their sub-gods and daemons to
ability, and have even been seen to cooperate as little as possible with vampires. Nansin’s
reattach recently severed limbs. edicts are subtle, causing light to play tricks around
them: mirrors give nothing back, light bends around
Trolls live all over the Realms. They them to avoid making shadows, and sometimes a little
like dark places, such as caves and aura of darkness follows them around. Shamutu is
under bridges - sunlight hurts their more direct: if vampires are caught under the sun its
eyes and seems to reduce all their power is focused to burn them. A number of other
other abilities too. They sometimes minor deities have joined in as well, so there are various
get used as evil forces’ heavy infantry, things that repulse or harm vampires, and these vary
though keeping them under control requires a firm confusingly from place to place.
hand and lots of “treats”. They have a rudimentary
understanding of languages, but most do not speak - The following stats are separated into those for
though some of particularly stubborn bent are known experienced/established vampires and a reduced set for
for starting and perpetuating completely pointless lesser vampires, those that are newly created or minions
arguments. of a more competent one. Because a vampire is created
from a normal person, there’s a template element that
Strengths: Good [+2] Large, Expert [+4] Strong, modifies existing Qualities, then a set of new fixed
Expert [+4] Tough, Good [+2] Claws, Good [+2] Qualities. (Ranks can’t be raised higher than Master.)
Fierce, Expert [+4] Darksense, Good [+2] Most also have at least a basic occupation Quality, and
Regeneration (not fire damage, not in daylight) possibly other skills from their former life; and as
they’re basically immortal skills could get quite high.
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Not Very
Bright, Poor [-2] Ugly, Poor [-2] Hampered By Daylight

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Strengths (established): Strong (+2 Ranks), Quick Water Leaper
(+2 Ranks), Keen Senses (+1 Rank), Dramatic (+1
Rank); Expert [+4] Dead*, Expert [+4] Energy Drain* This is an uncommon monster reported in Logrin,
(drinking blood), Good [+2] Sire*, Expert [+4] Night Kadink and Scata. It is like a gigantic toad with no legs
Vision, Average [0] Shapeshift*, Good [+2] Dominate* but wings and a tail. It breaks fishermen’s lines and
devours sheep that fall into rivers - and fishermen too if
Strengths (lesser): Strong (+1 Rank), Quick (+1 it can. The creature can emit a fearful shriek to unnerve
Rank), Willpower (+1 Rank), Keen Senses (+1 Rank); its victims. It seems likely that the wings don’t provide
Good [+2] Dead*, Good [+2] Energy Drain* (drinking true flight, but are more like flippers that allow it to
blood), Average [0] Sire*, Expert [+4] Night Vision propel itself strongly out of the water to grab targets,
the tail providing extra propulsion and stability. It seeks
Weaknesses (all): Poor [-2] Light Intolerant*, Poor to get victims into the water or crashes into them to
[-2] Vulnerable to Folklore*, Poor [-2] Blood Hunger knock them down so it can use its bite effectively.

† Dramatic: you have a flair for hitting the right pose, Strengths: Good [+2] Amphibious, Good [+2] Strong,
making an entrance at just the right time, Good [+2] Agile, Good [+2] Rubbery Skin, Expert
producing cryptic but meaningful utterances, etc. [+4] Leaping, Good [+2] Bite, Good [+2] Keen Senses,
Good [+2] Stealth, Good [+2] Fearful Shriek
† Sire*: someone killed by a vampire is likely to turn
into a vampire themselves, rising again in 3 days as Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Intellect, Poor [-2] Mobility on
a lesser vampire unless the right precautions are Land
taken. Some divine magic Qualities might be
capable of resisting this; and it’s very uncommon
for non-humans to be infected. Lesser vampires † Fearful Shriek: a sound that causes fear - TN Failure
have a powerful instinct to obey the commands of Ranks opposed by mental fortitude.
their sire (who can also beat them up if necessary).
† Shapeshift*: some experienced vampires can take
specific animal forms at will (as an action). The
most well known is the Scatan type, which can
become a bat or wolf. They can’t turn into mist -
that’s just silly.
† Dominate*: some experienced vampires can induce
a state like hypnosis through eye contact. If the
target fails to resist with mental strength they are
controlled for the rest of the scene, remaining
motionless or moving or acting very slowly to
carry out commands. It might be possible for other
people to help them break the trance by doing
stuff in opposition to this Quality.
† Light Intolerant*: the creature casts no shadow, has
no reflection and, if anyone comes up with one, is
invisible to recording devices. This is a Weakness
for remaining unnoticed and getting your tie
straight. Under direct sunlight a vampire takes one
Damage Rank per round, bypassing its special
abilities.
† Vulnerable to Folklore*: this is basically variable
Aversion* - the things that affect the creature vary
from place to place. A player can either use one
that’s already established or spend a Fortune Point
to establish one that holds in the current locality -
but each player can only do this once per place.
The GM can choose to preset one or two in local
rumours etc. Maybe the creature can’t stand garlic
(traditional!) or the holy symbol of Shamutu;
maybe it can be destroyed with an iron frying pan.

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Wendigo them crave a broader diet than just fish, and they take
people from ships and the seashore. Those who know
This terrible denizen of Valharia and the Norwast the lore face a poor choice when attacked by this
appears as a giant figure, deformed and gaunt to the creature: being killed; being injured and possibly
point of being skeletal, with pale, bloodless skin and becoming the beast (see QMR); or attempting to kill it,
missing lips and toes. It haunts the forests and hills, which produces a terrible magical curse of bad luck.
looking for people to slay and eat. The legend says that
a wendigo is created when someone becomes a Strengths: Good [+2] Predator, Good [+2] Strong,
cannibal to survive the harsh northern conditions, as a Good [+2] Keen Senses, Good [+2] Flight, Expert [+4]
result of a divine curse: their heart freezes to ice and Gliding, Good [+2] Sharp Bill, Expert [+4] Damage
they transform into the creature. The identity of the Resistance* (not vs silver), Expert [+4] Death Curse*
god responsible seems ill-defined; and wry scholars
(admittedly safe before fires in southern cities) have Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Lured by Fish, Poor[-2]
noted that punishing cannibalism by creating a monster Aversion to Silver*
that eats people as a matter of course is a little...
ill-considered. † Death Curse*: anyone killing the creature is afflicted
by bad luck. Whenever you make a roll use one
It’s often said that the wendigo hunts by following a extra die and discard the die with the best result. If
lone wanderer for a long time, always managing to keep you end up with all 1s, things go wrong in some
out of sight when they become suspicious, driving way that inconveniences you. Rank shows how
them into a state of panic and hysteria - then the long the curse runs unopposed - make a roll
creature attacks. (In PDQ one might simulate this with against it at the end of that period and each Rank
a conflict using stealth and survival skills to attack.) But period thereafter until you manage to throw it off.
the stories agree that the only way to kill a wendigo is
to melt its heart of ice.

Strengths: Good [+2] Large, Good [+2] Predator,

Good [+2] Claws, Expert [+4] Stealth, Expert [+4] Ice
Widderwight
Survivor, Good [+2] Scary, Good [+2] Darksense,
These unquiet spirits haunt burial mounds and old
Master [+6] Damage Resistance* (not vs heat or called
battlefields, mainly in Helongor. They possess the
shots to the heart), Master [+6] Arcane Resistance -
bodies of living folk who wander too near at night,
Cold, Master [+6] Wendigo Fever*
controlling their actions and gradually devouring them
from the inside out until they are little more than a
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Large, Poor [-2] Aversion to
shell. They act to cause fear and suffering for their own
Fire* (see box p4)
purposes, or in the service of some dark power. In its
own form the widderwight is like a human figure made
† Wendigo Fever: someone surviving an attack by the of shadow and smoke.
creature is afflicted the next night by nightmares
and pain in the legs. Run it as a conflict between Strengths: Good [+2] Incorporeal, Expert [+4] Dead,
the fever and the victim’s mental and spiritual Expert [+4] Willpower, Expert [+4] Possession*
resilience. Damage targets mobility and mental
stability. Victims zeroed out by this tend to rip Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Vulnerable to Light (in own
their clothes off (extent appropriate to your form only)
campaign’s certificate) and run into the forest
screaming - possibly to encounter lurking Things. † Possession*: there’s a contest (complicated or
conflict) with the victim’s willpower. If the
creature succeeds it can lurk within their body,
occasionally surfacing to direct their actions and
Werealbatross gradually increasing its control. It devours its host’s
Qualities, one Rank a day, starting with mental
Sailors dread the death that comes on silent wings. ones and later the physical until all is gone - then it
Those cursed by this lycanthropy grow feathers all over can briefly exist as a dark shape filling their
their body; their face lengthens into a sharp, hooked clothing, before becoming a lurking spirit again.
bill; and wings sprout from their back to a span of 15 Up to a certain point the victim can be rescued by
feet and more. They roam the oceans, gliding for miles driving the spirit out magically, after which they’ll
on the air currents, or come to rest on cliffs and recover normally.
isolated islands. Unfortunately their affliction makes

27
Yeti Zerigoz
This creature appears to be a sort of ape-person: Inspired by V Shane’s picture below. If that’s not a Questers
humanoid, but around 7 feet tall and covered in hair critter I don’t know what is!
(brownish in summer but turning to white in winter or
with age). They live in the snowy realms of Valharia These small creatures are widespread in a band across
and the north, where humans cannot survive. Yeti are the southern lands - Ar-Karap, Plap and the Snaggles.
usually found in family groups or larger communities, Anybody who sees one develops a strong suspicion of
living in mountain caves. They are as intelligent as divine or magical intervention back in the creature’s
humans, and probably wiser overall, content with a murky past. It’s basically like a rabbit with long rear legs
simple life of hunting, gathering and tribal ritual, like a bird’s, on which it can hop at speed in a bipedal
making only the tools they need. stance. It stands about 2ft tall. Other notable features
include nasty claws on the feet; a long, somewhat
As a species with a culture, yeti have different peacock-like tail used for balance and mating displays;
occupations. That includes priests (but not, generally, and bony plates on the lower spine (of limited use for
magi or mystics), mainly of the sky god Elal and the protection).
deity of ice and snow. (If you already have a suitable
snow deity on your Roll, use that - otherwise when you Zerigoz have become very successful, mainly through
introduce yetis you’ll have to introduce the god too.) their attitude. They’re quite happy to go about their
These individuals are usually the lorekeepers of their business with larger creatures or potential threats in the
tribe. Some possible Arcane Qualities: Ice Darts*; vicinity, and if one approaches too close they favour it
Snow Golem* (crude humanoid creature at the caster’s with a “Something I can help you with, bub?” look.
command, hard to damage with physical force, attacks
with bludgeoning and suffocation); Call Wind*; They don’t burrow like rabbits do, but tend to scratch
Concealing Flurry*. out a hollow for shelter and protection. They’re
aggressively omnivorous, sometimes eating plants but
These are baseline stats, and should be expanded with occupation mainly subsisting on insects and other small creatures,
and personality traits for individual yeti. and carrion when it presents itself. Food supplies from
travel rations to granaries are firmly on the list.
Strengths: Expert [+4] Strong, Good [+2] Tough,
Good [+2] Strong-willed, Good [+2] Snow Dweller, Strengths: Good [+2] Small, Good [+2] Scavenger,
Good [+2] Arcane Resistance (Cold), Good [+2] Light Expert [+4] Attitude, Expert [+4] Hopping, Good [+2]
Adaptation, Good [+2] Safe Footing Keen Senses, Good [+2] Sensitive Hearing, Good [+2]
Claws, Average [0] Armour
Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Vulnerable to Heat, Poor [-2]
Bestial Nature Weaknesses: Poor [-2] Small

† Light Adaptation: Having to cope with both snow

glare and the gloomy days of winter, the yeti’s eyes
are adapted to cope with a wide range of light
intensity, though not full night or total darkness.
† Safe Footing: getting about on fragile or slippery
surfaces.
† Bestial Nature: most of the time yeti are quite
placid, but their animal side is stronger than in
many other species and under stress can surface in
bursts of aggression that may target friend as well
as foe.

28
Whether you’re a Questers of the Middle Realms GM or an afficionado of another
fantasy game looking for interesting ideas, The Book of Bewildering Beasts has
something for you!

It’s a compilation of 44 creatures originally released in the mini-supplements Ten

Bewildering Beasts vols 1-4, with write-ups and PDQ system stats in the QMR style,
blending danger, humour and downright weirdness.

Extras include:
† new common creature Qualities;
† gazetteer indicating which monsters are noted in each region;
† Creature Types - analogues of racial Qualities, with write-ups for Dread,
Empyrean and Nether creatures.

Questers
of the Middle Realms

www.silverbranch.co.uk

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