Free RPG Day

Free RPG Day is June 21st this year, and I will be celebrating it by running The Dying  Light of Castle Whiterock (by Alex Kurowski) at TistaMinis from 1 to 5 pm. I am running the DCC version. All materials supplied.

TistaMinis is located at 162 Parkdale Ave North in Hamilton, ON. It is always my goal to accommodate those who show up, and will run with up to 8 players. Also, it's Free RPG Day, so show up early, enjoy the day, and, if your means will allow, support the store for supporting our hobby!

Store hours will be from 12-6.

A mysterious beacon eminates from an ancient, ruined watchtower of Castle Whiterock. After all these centuries, who or what keeps the beacon lit, and what dark secrets are held in those hallowed chambers? And do you have the courage to discover why?

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Demogorgon

I’ve been asked to convert the original Monster Manual in a manner similar to my conversion of the Fiend Folio. I am going to do this a bit differently, though, and just try to stick to the essence of creatures without referring to the text of the original work. This is, in part, because of my plans to create a monster book in the upcoming year. In this case, we are dealing with IP that is currently held by Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro, so I can’t imagine a published version of everything here coming out!

When converting the demons and devils from the original Monster Manual, some deviation from the strict order of presentation is required. Specifically, the demon princes and archdevils must be formatted in a manner similar to the way I did Lolth, the Elemental Princes of Evil, and the Slaad Lords from the Fiend Folio. Well, maybe not the Elemental Princes, because I decided against writing invoke patron tables for them. Going over the initial material, I noticed that the poor manes is right between two demon princes, and we don’t want to stick them in a post on their own. So, the order will be: demon princes (one per post), other demons, archdevils (one per post), then other devils. A change of order rather than a change of content.

As for actual use in games, Demogorgon has been a background figure, but AD&D 1e was not set up to allow PCs in the kind of games I ran to have any chance against a demon prince. And it isn’t like you would just run into Demogorgon down at the local pub. The patron system from Dungeon Crawl Classics makes powers like this far more useful, in my opinion anyway. Even the most powerful PCs should think twice before getting in a fight with Demogorgon!

Demogorgon (Prince of Demons): Init +15; Atk tentacle +22 melee (2d6 plus rotting) or tail lash +22 melee (3d6 plus XP drain) or gaze attack or spell; AC 23; HD 29d12 (200 hp); MV 50’; Act 4d20; SP demon traits, gaze attacks, rotting, XP drain, infravision 200’; SV Fort +16, Ref +14, Will +18; AL C.

           Spells (+25 to spell check): Charm person, comprehend languages, control ice, darkness, demon summoning, detect magic, dispel magic, ESP, forget, levitate, phantasm, read magic, and scare. Demogorgon may cast spells using both of his heads independently.

            Demon traits: Telepathy, immunities (weapons of less than +5 enchantment or natural attacks from creatures of 12 HD or less, fire, cold, electricity, gas, acid), projection (teleport at will to any location, as long as not bound or otherwise summoned; can project astrally and ethereally), crit range 15-20.

Demogorgon is a terrible opponent. When he strikes an opponent with a tentacle attack, the opponent must succeed in a DC 26 Fort save or one limb (chosen at random) is disabled and begins to rot. After 1d6+6 rounds, if the rotting is not healed via a cleric’s laying on of hands (3 HD), a neutralize disease or poison with a spell check result of 16+, a restore vitality spell with a spell check result of 20+, or some similar means, the limb sloughs off, permanently costing the victim 1d20% of their total hit points.

When Demogorgon’s forked tail strikes an opponent, they must succeed in a DC 26 Will save or permanently lose 2d20 XP. If the opponent’s XP drops below the threshold for their current level, they immediately lose that level and all it attendant benefits. Survivors may, of course, gain new XP and re-attain lost levels, but any random benefits or those gained through effort (such as hit points and spells) must be rolled or learned anew. A target reduced to 0 level who is struck again by Demogorgon’s tail is utterly destroyed.

Finally, Demogorgon can make gaze attacks with his two heads. Those who meet the gaze of his left head are stunned and unable to act for 1d6 rounds, while those who meet the gaze of his right head become insane for 1d6 rounds, lashing out at the closest creature (or randomly) with their strongest attacks. Targets may attempt a DC 26 Reflex save to avoid this gaze.

If Demogorgon fixes the gaze of both his head upon his enemies, which requires two action dice, he can hypnotize up to 10d10 Hit Dice of creatures, preventing them from taking any actions for 1 round and giving then a -1d penalty to all die rolls for the following 1d6 rounds. Targets may attempt either a DC 26 Reflex save to avoid the gaze, or a DC 26 Will save to resist, but not both.

Rivalry between demon lords is great, but the enmity between Demogorgon and Orcus is immense and unending. It is contended by some that Demogorgon is supreme, and others that Orcus is, and their proxies fight unending skimishes in the mortal planes to decide the undecidable matter.

This gigantic demon prince is 18 feet tall, his blue-green skin plated with ophidian scales. His heads resemble those of evil mandrills, hideously colored, and he has two great tentacles in the place of arms. His body and legs are those of a giant lizard, his twin necks resemble snakes, and his thick tail is forked.

Demogorgon holds dominion over cold-blooded things, such as serpents, reptiles, and octopi, although his dominion is neither absolute nor uncontested. Creatures of this sort cannot resist obeying his commands. The ceremony to bond with Demogorgon must occur in some location where the creatures he commands are readily found.

Invoke Patron check results:

12-13     Demogorgon is otherwise engaged, and has little time for the caster. A single lost spell of the caster’s choosing is restored.

14-17     The caster can gaze at one target each round, without using their action dice, and that target must succeed in a DC 12 Will save or be unable to act for 1 round. The effective range is 50’, and the caster gains this ability for 1d8 + CL rounds.

18-19     The caster’s head and neck bifurcate, forming two duplicate heads which can act independently. Each head has access to all of the caster’s action dice, effectively doubling the caster’s spell ability. After 2d6 + CL rounds, the heads remerge, taking one round to do so. The caster can take no actions while their heads remerge.

20-23     The caster grows two lashing tentacles from their shoulder, each of which can attack independently of the caster’s actions. They can reach targets up to 10’ away, attacking with +8 melee for 1d8 damage. The tentacles rot and drop off after 1d3 + CL turns.

24-27     As 20-23, above, except that any creature struck by a tentacle attack must succeed in a DC 15 Fort save or being rotting, taking an additional 1d8 damage each round until they die or receive magical healing.

28-29     Demogorgon sends a Type I demon to serve the caster for the next 1d6 + CL hours.

Fat Beetle Demon (Type I, Demogorgon): Init +1; Atk bite +4 melee (1d6+2 plus venom) or spell; AC 14; HD 4d12; MV 20’ or fly 20’; Act 1d20; SP demon traits, venom (Fort DC 11 or additional 2d6 damage), infravision 60’, spellcasting (+4 to spell check): darkness, fireball, mirror image, and shatter; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4; AL C.

Demon traits: speaks infernal and common tongues, half-damage from non-magical weapons and fire.

30-31     Demogorgon dispatches 1d3 Type II demons, which serves the caster for 1d6+ CL days.

Stinging Serpent Demon (Type II, Demogorgon): Init +2; Atk constriction +9 melee (1d6+2 plus constriction) or sting +10 melee (1d6+4 plus paralysis) or spell; AC 17; HD 8d12; MV 40’ or swim 20’; Act 2d20; SP demon traits, constriction (automatic damage each round, opposed Strength vs. +6 escapes), paralysis (1d6 hours, Fort DC 15 negates), crit range 19-20; infravision 60’, spellcasting (+8 to spell check): darkness; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +7; AL C.

Demon traits: speaks infernal and common tongues; reads minds; immune to non-magical weapons or natural attacks from creatures of 3 HD or less; half-damage from fire, acid, cold, electricity, and gas.

32+         As 30-31, above, but Demogorgon also dispatches a crococonda demon, a loathsome 1d12+6-foot-long admixture of crocodile, spider, and snake, which will serve the caster for an indefinite period. Every 13 days, the caster must renew the bond with an appropriate sacrifice to Demogorgon, and make a DC 20 Will save. The judge may grant a +1 to +4 bonus to this save, based on the quality of the sacrifice, or may even penalize if the judge deems the sacrifice too anemic.

                If the save succeeds, the crococonda serves the caster for another 13 days, and the process is repeated. If the caster fails, the bond with the crococonda is broken, and it returns to its own plane. If the caster rolls a natural “1” on this save, however, the crococonda seeks to drag the caster back to the Abyss with it, there to deliver it as a sacrifice to its fell prince. If the caster dismisses the demon on or before the 12th day, they do not run this risk.

Crococonda (Type III Demon, Demogorgon): Init +5; Atk bite +11 melee (1d8 plus venom) or constriction +9 melee (1d8 plus constriction) or spell; AC 20; HD 6d12; MV 30’ or climb 10’ or  swim 40’; Act 2d20; SP demon traits, venom (1d4 Stamina damage plus DC 19 Fort save or additional 1d6 Stamina damage), constriction (automatic damage each round, opposed Strength vs. +4 escapes), crit range 18-20; infravision 90’, spellcasting (+12 to spell check): darkness, Nythuul’s porcupine coat, and write magic; SV Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +7; AL C.

Demon traits: speaks infernal and common tongues; reads minds and communicate telepathically within 120’; immune to weapons of less than +2 enchantment or natural attacks from creatures of 5 HD or less; half-damage from fire, acid, cold, electricity, and gas.

Note that while bound to the caster, these demons cannot teleport. However, once released all but Type I demons can teleport back to the Abyss or to another point on the same plane. Once their period of servitude is finished, fat beetle demons are summoned back to the nether regions by Demogorgon or one of his lackeys.

Don't Have a Cow, Man!

On the other hand, do. Have a cow, a pig, a goat, a chicken....all of your 0-level PC's animals.

Then consider various donkeys, mules, falcons, dogs, and maybe even a songbird to take on adventures with you.

The Cyclopedia Domestica is a selection of common domesticated animals for your DCC game.

Your turnip farmer has a goat? No longer a problem!

Every domesticated animal could not fit into a reasonably-sized booklet, so you will unfortunately find no llamas, elephants, or parrots herein. However. You will find everything a 0-level PC might start with in the core rulebook, and a few things that an adventurer might want, or might encounter in a fantasy setting based roughly on the European Middle Ages.

Get It Here!

Have fun storming the castle!

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Chimera, Cockatrice, Coatl, Giant Crab, Giant Crayfish, and Crocodile

I’ve been asked to convert the original Monster Manual in a manner similar to my conversion of the Fiend Folio. I am going to do this a bit differently, though, and just try to stick to the essence of creatures without referring to the text of the original work. This is, in part, because of my plans to create a monster book in the upcoming year. In this case, we are dealing with IP that is currently held by Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro, so I can’t imagine a published version of everything here coming out!

I have used every monster in this post, but I have an especial fondness for giant crabs, giant crayfish, and crocodiles both monstrous and mundane. For crocodiles, that love probably comes from a mixture of their actually existing plus various jungle films I saw as a child. Giant crabs and crayfish probably speak to me because of their use in early published adventures. Plus, of course, I had frequent experience with crayfish growing up, and giant crabs were a B-movie staple! In this, the dungeon in the Holmes Basic boxed set and The Village of Hommlet were probably most influential.

It was noteworthy even at the time how D&D plundered diverse cultures for material – especially monsters – while remaining Eurocentric in its outlook. The publication of Oriental Adventures, Maztica, and other products would ameliorate this to some degree as time went on, but in your DCC campaigns I hope you will widen the field even further. You don’t have to create an entire world to transport your PCs briefly to other cultures – and you do not need to even have these appear on the same world. The core rules encourage you to make use of strange planes early and often, and so do I. Several of the published DCC adventures take your PCs to other planets, and this is another way to make use of cultures which are not representative of your “home” campaign area.

Note that the reverse is also true. If your base campaign takes place in fantasy India, there is no reason why you cannot allow your PCs to experience fantasy Germany for an adventure or two.

Chimera: See the core rulebook, page 399.

Cockatrice: See the core rulebook, page 399.

Coatl: Init +6; Atk bite +9 melee (3d6 plus venom) or spellcasting; AC 16; HD 8d8; MV 30’ or fly 50’; Act 1d20; SP venom (1d4 Stamina damage plus DC 14 Fort or death), telepathy 120’ range, shapeshifting, spellcasting (+10 to spell check); SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +6; AL L.

Its name taken from the Nahuatl language from Central Mexico, this creature is a celestial feathered serpent vaguely modeled after the Aztec god Quetzalcōātl, largely by way Hernán Cortés and the Florentine Codex. It is a large serpent with a feathered tail and large, brightly-colored bird-like wings. In addition to their venomous bites, all coatl are potent spellcasters, able to cast 3d5 of the following spells (roll 1d24): (1) Animal summoning, (2) banish, (3) blessing, (4) charm person, (5) cure paralysis, (6) curse, (7) neutralize poison or disease, (8) detect invisible, (9) detect magic, (10) dispel magic, (11) gust of wind, (12) holy sanctuary, (13) invisibility, (14) magic shield, (15) phantasm, (16) planar step, (17) remove curse, (18) restore vitality, (19) second sight, (20) sleep, (21) snake charm, (22) speak with the dead, (23) ventriloquism, or (24) word of command.

All coatls are telepathic to a range of 120 feet, being able to sense living minds, read their surface thoughts, and communicate telepathically within this radius. As a result, it is difficult (if not impossible) for living creatures to surprise a coatl at close range. These beings can also change their shapes to that of a natural animal or humanoid or back as an action – this affects only their movement speed (including losing the ability to fly if the new shape has no wings), and not their other statistics, and does not grant them special powers.

A coatl is 1d10+10 feet long in its natural form, with a wingspan equal to its length.

Giant Crab:  See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Giant Crayfish:  See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Crocodile: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Fiery Faeces of Doom...The Bonnacon

 

Based on this Facebook post. DCC statistics based on the cow on page 55 of the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Bonnocan: Init +3; Atk butt +0 melee (1d3) or caustic faeces; AC 12; HD 1d6+1; MV 40'; Act 1d20; SP caustic faeces (3/day, cone with 100' range and 30' base, 1d6 damage, Reflex DC 13 for half damage); SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will -2; AL N.

The bonnocan is a tropical species of cow with a horse-like mane and inward-pointing horns.  Inoffensive by itself, when it flees it can emit caustic faeces and fumes to a horrific range, and to great effect. Any creature failing the Reflex save against this attack - which is purely defensive - must make a second DC 10 Reflex save or catch fire.

Some things are just better left alone.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Wild Camel, Carrion Crawler, Catoblepas, Wild Cattle, Centaur, and Giant Centipede, and Cerebral Parasite

I’ve been asked to convert the original Monster Manual in a manner similar to my conversion of the Fiend Folio. I am going to do this a bit differently, though, and just try to stick to the essence of creatures without referring to the text of the original work. This is, in part, because of my plans to create a monster book in the upcoming year. In this case, we are dealing with IP that is currently held by Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro, so I can’t imagine a published version of everything here coming out!

I don’t think that I am alone in having used carrion crawlers and giant centipedes as staple monsters, but the idea of having to succeed in eight saves vs. paralysis was always a bit too daunting to make me include too many carrion crawlers. I have modified that here to make a monster I think is fairer, but also to include actual rules for what happens once you are paralyzed. If you don’t think that my version is cruel enough, give the critter more action dice: 3d20, 5d20, or even 8d20. You could even make the number of action dice a function of age.

The catoblepas is another monster lifted from actual folklore or bestiaries. While I have used it, it has not been as frequently used because the original monster’s death gaze is just too good. I have tried to retain the essence, keep or enrich their ties to their classical origins, and make them a little more useable in play.

What can I say about cerebral parasites? The original monster was tied into the AD&D 1e psionics rules, and under those rules even if you included them in encounters there was not much chance of any PC having the psionic ability to really make them even be noticed. My version is considerably more dangerous. You’re welcome.

Wild Camel: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for both dromedaries and Bactrian camels.

Carrion Crawler: Init +4; Atk tentacles +8 melee (paralysis); AC 16; HD 3d8; MV 30’ or climb 30’; Act 1d20; SP paralysis, deposit eggs, infravision 60’; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1; AL N.

These creatures appear similar to gigantic cutworms, 1d3+7 feet long, sprouting eight 3-foot long tentacles from around their mouthparts. Carrion crawlers feed on carrion and offal, and do not have effective bite attacks until their food has spent a while decomposing. They are feared by adventurers because their tentacles contain a potent paralytic agent (DC 16 Fort save or paralyzed for 2d6 days).

If left alone with paralyzed victims, the carrion crawler then deposits eggs on the 1d3 least lucky targets. Easy enough to remove before they hatch in 1d4 days, thereafter the carrion crawler larvae do 1d6 damage to their hosts each day until the hosts are consumed, the hosts escape when the paralysis wears off, or some outside agency intervenes. Monsters of the underworld have been known to ingest carrion crawler eggs with their intended hosts, and then become victims themselves when the larvae hatch and consume them from within.

Catoblepas: Init +0; Atk tail +6 melee (1d6 plus stun) or death gaze; AC 13; HD 6d8; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP stun (1d5 rounds, DC 12 Fort negates), heavy head, death gaze (100’ range, 1d4 Stamina damage plus DC 15 Fort or die), immunity to poison, toxic flesh; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +3; AL C.

This incredibly foul and odiferous creature resembles a large buffalo with a long, snake-like neck and tail. A catoblepas has a heavy, boar-like head which is so heavy (in comparison to its long, thin neck) that it can only lift enough to use its baleful gaze every 1d5 rounds. The rest of the time, it strikes with a bony knob at the end of its tail. Blind creatures are not affected by the creature’s death gaze, and creatures which are not surprised can avoid this attack by averting their eyes (resulting in a -1d penalty to attack rolls and preventing line of sight).

These horrid beings live in salty marshlands, where they can consume the most poisonous of vegetation without distress. Their flesh, as a result, is highly toxic, and anyone tasting the slightest morsel takes 2d4 Strength damage must succeed in a DC 20 Fort save or die immediately. Even handling, or the smoke from cooking, this flesh is harmful: 1d4 Stamina damage and a DC 15 Fort save or 1d4 permanent Stamina damage. Thieves attempting to handle this material safely have a -1d penalty to their Handle Poison checks.

Catoblepases are attracted to moonlight, and on nights of the full moon struggle to keep their heads aloft, making them even more dangerous (1 in 3 chance of using their death gaze each round).

Wild Cattle: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Centaur: See the core rulebook, page 398. This post may also be of interest.

Giant Centipede: Init +3; Atk bite +0 melee (1 plus venom); AC 14; HD 1 hp; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP venom (DC 8 Fort or 1d3 damage); SV Fort -4, Ref +3, Will +0; AL N.

Giant centipedes are described on page 398 of the core rulebook. These statistics are a little closer to a natural giant centipede such as that found in the Monster Manual. The venom of these giant centipedes cannot generally be extracted, and is so weak that few thieves or assassins would find attempting it to be worthwhile.

Cerebral Parasite: These are microscopic organisms which exist non-corporeally, and which are transmitted via psionic contact, such as through telepathy, mind-affecting spells, or even psychic attacks. When experiencing some form of mental contact with an infected creature, a DC 15 Will save is required to prevent infection. Although there is no immediate effect, in 1d5 days there are a sufficient number of parasites to cause 1 point of Intelligence or Personality damage (equal chance of each). Every day thereafter, the number of parasites doubles. On the next day, they do 1d3 Intelligence or Personality damage (randomly determine for each point), then 1d4, then 1d5, and so on up the dice chain until they reach 1d30. Once Intelligence or Personality is reduced to 0, any further damage to that statistic caused by the cerebral parasites is permanent, until the host is reduced to a vegetative state.

When first contracted, they can be cured with 1 HD healing via lay on hands, but as the infection grows, it gets more difficult to destroy: 2 HD healing when infection reaches the 1d5 points of attribute damage per day, 3 HD healing at 1d10 points, 4 HD healing at 1d20 points, and 5 HD healing at 1d30 points or when permanent damage has been taken.

For those capable of seeing auras or the invisible, a cerebral parasite infection appears as a spreading miasmal discoloration.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Boar, Brain Mole, Brownie, Buffalo, Bugbear, Bulette, and Bull

I’ve been asked to convert the original Monster Manual in a manner similar to my conversion of the Fiend Folio. I am going to do this a bit differently, though, and just try to stick to the essence of creatures without referring to the text of the original work. This is, in part, because of my plans to create a monster book in the upcoming year. In this case, we are dealing with IP that is currently held by Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro, so I can’t imagine a published version of everything here coming out!

Of the creatures we are looking at today, a number are covered by the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, and I intentionally waited for Volume U-V-W to be completed before tackling this portion, as the three entries under “Boar” are all part of that volume.

I have never actually used a brain mole in an adventure, and the psionic system in AD&D was complex enough that I seldom used psionic-specific creatures. My version retains the general idea of a psychic attack, but makes leaving the area the best response. Dealing with an infestation of brain moles in the vicinity of a shrine, treasure vault, or other area the PCs want to spend time in could make for an interesting challenge.

Bulettes are another monster that I have seldom used, although I once owned the toy they were based on. These rubber monsters came out of vending machines, and I had several different ones, some of which were inspirational to the authors of the game. Two years ago, one of my players tracked a couple of these down, and gave them to me, which was lovely. I had no idea what bulettes were before acquiring the Monster Manual…I do recall some “silver bulettes won’t slow you down” jokes, and I am sorry that I couldn’t find a fun way to work that into the entry.

The write-up for brownies was very much based on an earlier blog post, which was itself based on work I had done when I was writing my own fantasy hearbreaker. One of the misfortunate things about various versions of D&D, in my opinion, has been making almost every creature into a combat challenge. I was working to bring faerie folk back to their original (often eerie and menacing) aspects. For some, this definitely includes violence, but for others avoiding combat is part of the creature’s character.

Boar: The original listing included wild boars, giant boars, and warthogs. See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for all of these.

Brain Mole: This creature is similar enough to the thought mole in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals that it doesn't require alternative statistics.

Brownie: Init +4; Atk miniature tool +4 melee (1d3+4); AC 16; HD 2d5; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP stealth +12, attach to household, work of 10 people, easily offended, curse, turn boggart; SV Fort +0, Ref +8, Will +5; AL N.

A brownie appears to be a three-foot tall, hairy man, frequently with only nasal slits instead of a nose.  They are shy and retiring, preferring not to be seen by those of mortal races. Despite their size they are fantastically strong. 

Brownies attach themselves to individuals or households, performing work in exchange for a bit of bread and a small bowl of the best cream. Like many fey, brownies are easy to offend, so that gifts (including food) left for a brownie must be placed for the brownie to find – they should not be obviously gifts.  Some few (10%) brownies have been known to accept other gifts without offence, such as a linen shirt once a year, but this practice is perilous because, should the value of the gift diminish or grow, the brownie will certainly take offence.                             

A brownie that is happy with its household can do the work of ten people, and will help with such tasks as harvesting, reaping, threshing, cleaning, keeping animals safe, spinning wool into thread, making shoes, baking bread, brewing, or any of a thousand other tasks that can be done while the household is asleep or is busy elsewhere.  Brownies do not like to be observed at their work, and intentionally watching them can cause them to be offended (50% chance). 

Most brownies stay hidden during the day, and most households with brownies know – and avoid – the spot where their brownie likes to hide.  This may be a dark corner of the house, a cellar or attic, somewhere in the barn, or even in a nearby hollow tree or ruined building.   A brownie who is disturbed in its hiding spot is 75% likely to take offence.

A brownie will also take offence if its work is criticized by a member of the household.  A brownie is intimately familiar with its household, however, and does not take offence against the household due to the actions of outsiders, so long as the response of the household is appropriate.  Such a brownie might well take offence against the outsider, though, and work some mischief to plague him.

A brownie that takes offence will (1d3):  (1) desert the household, (2) desert the household, and curse it at the same time, or (3) become a boggart to plague the household.  Typical brownie curses do not allow a save, causing a –1d6 penalty to all skill checks performed in a household. The curse lasts until the household somehow makes amends, it is magically lifted (remove curse, spell check 24+), or all the members of the household die.  Sometimes abandoning a household will work to avoid a boggart or a brownie’s curse, but there is a 25% chance that the boggart or curse will follow people who move to avoid them, regardless of how far, how fast, or how often they move.

Special types of brownies include:

Billy Blind:  A billy blind is a special type of brownie that usually dwells in or near the fireplace or chimney.  It is blind, but has the ability to prophesy.  Questions may be whispered up the chimney, and if the billy blind knows the answer, it will whisper it back down. 

A billy blind has a chance of knowing the answer to any question as follows:  100% if it pertains to the household (“Where did I lose my keys?”), 75% if it pertains to the area within 15 miles of the household (“Have any of my neighbours found my keys?”), 25% if it pertains to a more distant area within 100 miles (“Would my keys fit the locks in the Duke’s treasury?”), and 5% if the question pertains to an area more distant, or is truly esoteric (“Can you teach me the ritual to make a love potion?”). 

If the question concerns the future, the chance of the billy blink knowing the answer is reduced by –10% if it pertains to the immediate future (“Will I find my keys today?”), –25% if it pertains to the future within one year (“Will the weather be good this harvest time?”), and –50% if it pertains to an even more distant future than that (“Who will my youngest daughter marry when she has grown?”).

Boggart:  An offended brownie becomes a boggart.  It can be difficult to tell one from the other initially – stories tell of brownies who only reveal themselves to be boggarts when it becomes obvious that all the good luck of their household is at the expense of the (infuriated) neighbors.  In general, while brownies have only slits for nostrils, boggarts have sharply pointed noses.

Boggarts can be (1-3) mischievous, (4-5) malicious, or (6) even deadly.

A mischievous boggart performs pranks meant to annoy rather than to cause real damage.  It might hide important pieces of equipment, spook the livestock, clog the chimney, or rearrange the furniture while the household is asleep or out.  In many ways, the behaviour of such a boggart resembles that of a gentle poltergeist.  Any reasonable attempt to make amends with the boggart has a 50% chance of being successful.

A malicious boggart uses its abilities to harm the household, but isn’t seeking anyone’s death.  Such a boggart will ruin crops, lame animals, steal equipment outright (and it will seldom, if ever, be found again).  It will ruin materials, cut straps, put holes in pots, and otherwise prevent the household from prospering.  All skill checks made in the household suffer a –4 penalty due to the boggart’s sabotage.  Any reasonable attempt to make amends with the boggart has a 25% chance of downgrading it to a mischievous boggart.

A deadly boggart means to see its household dead.  It saws partly through saddle straps, balances blades over doorways, carefully places items near the top of stairways to cause falls, and so on.  In such a household, all skill checks suffer a –4 penalty due to the boggart’s sabotage, and each member of the household over the age of nine must make a Luck check each day or suffer 1d6 points of damage due to a boggart-inspired accident.  If the Luck check fails by 10 or more, the individual takes 2d6 points of damage instead.  Any reasonable attempt to make amends with the boggart has a 5% chance of downgrading it to a malicious boggart.

Brown Man:  A brown man, sometimes called a Buckawn or Bucca, is a type of brownie that protects natural regions.  Unlike most brownies, the brown men often travel in groups of 2d6 individuals and are not shy of being seen.  Often a single brown man will appear to mortals travelling in an area they protect, warning them not to harm beast or fowl in their lands, and to do no damage.  Those who attack the brown man, or violate his prohibitions, find themselves losing Luck, and possibly feathered with stone-tipped arrows sped by unseen hands.

Fenodyree:  The fenodyree is a large brownie, taller and bulkier than a man, and hideously ugly.  Like most brownies, it is shy around mortals.  The fenodyree aids in reaping, mowing, threshing, and herding during the hours between dusk and dawn. 

Killmoulis:  A killmoulis is a tiny brownie with an enormous nose, but no mouth.  It lives in mills, where it aids the miller by grinding grain during the night and keeping the mill free of mice and rats.  It attacks using a poisoned needle.  The needle does a single point of damage, plus poison (1d6 Stamina damage, Fort save DC 15 for half damage, rodents have a – 4 penalty to the save and take double damage).  Killmoulis apparently eat by stuffing grain up their noses, and can communicate by telepathy with a whispery-sounding voice at a range of 30 feet.

For another take on the killmoulis, see this post.

Victorian Brownie:  Compared to the traditional brownie, the brownie of the Victorian Era was smaller (as with the killmoulis), and formed more similarly to a human or elf.  They have normal noses, pointed ears, and are not exceptionally hairy.  A Victorian brownie never becomes a boggart or curses its household.  If offended, it simply leaves.

Buffalo: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Bugbear: See the core rulebook, page 397.

Bulette: Init +0; Atk bite +6 melee (4d12) or claw +8 melee (3d6); AC 20; HD 9d8+18; MV 40’ or burrow 10’; Act 2d20; SP leap attack; SV Fort +6; Ref +3; Will +0; AL N.

These large animals, also known  as “landsharks” can reach 9 feet at the shoulder and are 1d5+10 feet long. They typically burrow underground, hunting prey by vibrations, although their armored crest has a 50% chance of breaking through the earth and warning their victims 1d3 rounds before an attack. Once surfaced, a bulette that foregoes any other action or movement that round can make a leaping attack, leaping high into the air and coming down on a single opponent within 10 feet. The bulette makes four claw attacks (+4 melee, 3d6 damage per hit), and, if any hit the opponent must succeed in a DC 10 Reflex save or take an additional 3d6 crushing damage as the monster comes down upon them.

Because bulettes are primarily predatory animals, they prefer to attack the largest game animals they can reasonably hope to take down. This means that livestock or horses are at greater risk than humanoids.

Bull: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

 

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Beholder, Black Pudding, and Blink Dog

I’ve been asked to convert the original Monster Manual in a manner similar to my conversion of the Fiend Folio. I am going to do this a bit differently, though, and just try to stick to the essence of creatures without referring to the text of the original work. This is, in part, because of my plans to create a monster book in the upcoming year. In this case, we are dealing with IP that is currently held by Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro, so I can’t imagine a published version of everything here coming out!

Here is a bit of personal history: While I have written encounters using beholders – and one 2nd Edition megadungeon I wrote/ran in California had a whole cavern system dedicated to them and their relatives on the lowest level – I don’t believe than a beholder has ever come up for me in actual play, either as a DM or otherwise. In fact, the first level of the Dungeon of Thale was so large that no one ever made it to a lower level despite years of play.

Beholder: Init +4; Atk bite +5 melee (2d6) or eyestalk ray +5 ranged (special); AC 22; HD 1d30+45; MV fly 10’; Act 5d20; SP anti-magic field, eyestalk rays; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +8; AL L.

This monster appears as a levitating globe of chitinous plates, 1d3+3 feet in diameter, with a single enormous eye and maw on its front side. From the top of the globe sprout 10 flexible eyestalks.

The forward eye of a beholder projects a cone-shaped anti-magic field 90’ long with a 90’ base. Spells fail automatically within this field, and no magic item can function. A beholder can activate or deactivate this field using an action die, but this field is 95% likely to be active when a beholder is encountered. A beholder can also shoot rays from its eyestalks at a 90’ range, although these are magical and do not function in the creature’s own anti-magic field.

When a beholder uses it eyestalk rays, it can control which rays it uses, although it can only use each ray once per round. Each ray is assigned to a specific eyestalk, and a successful Mighty Deed can sever one (as can an attack doing 6+ damage, which does not otherwise harm the creature). Severed eyestalks take 1d5 months to regrow. Likewise, if the central eye is blinded, it heals within 1d7 months. If the judge in unsure which ray to use, simply roll 1d10:

1.         Charm person ray (Will DC 15 or view the creature as a trusted friend and ally for 1d6 days; humanoids only).

2.         Charm monster ray (Will DC 15 or take orders from the creature for 1d6 minutes; any creature is affected and language is not a barrier).

3.         Sleep ray (Fort DC 15 or fall into magical slumber for 1d6 rounds).

4.         Telekinesis ray can move up to 250 pounds with a +6 Strength bonus if opposed.

5.         Petrifaction ray (Fort DC 10 or be permanently turned to stone; this can be undone with the creature’s anti-magic field for up to 1d3 months).

6.         Disintegration ray (Up to 2,000 pounds of non-living non-magical material; if the item is held or worn a DC 15 Reflex save negates).

7.         Fear ray (Will DC 15 or flee in terror for 2d6 rounds, suffering a -2d penalty on the dice chain while fleeing).

8.         Slow ray (Initiative count reduced by -4, all movement and actions halved so that a victim with a single Action Die can only act once each round).

9.         Wounding ray (3d6 damage, DC 15 Fort save for half).

10.       Death ray (DC 10 Fort or die; magical healing cannot help but recovering the body is still possible).

These creatures are malevolent and intelligent, using their powers to control a network of agents within a given region. Although they hate each other, each wishes to be the mind that rules entire kingdoms or worlds.

Black Pudding: Init -6; Atk pseudopod +2 melee (3d8); AC 10; HD 5d8; MV 20’ or climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP dissolve wood and metal, immunities (weapons, cold, and acid); SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N.

A particularly dangerous form of primeval slime (see pages 423-424 of the core rulebook), black puddings are only 1d4+4 feet in diameter, but are composed of countless colonial single-celled organisms which make it incredibly fast and tough for a slime. These beings can dissolve up to 2 inches of wood in a round, and can dissolve metal with devastating speed – weapons that strike a black pudding have their damage reduced by a cumulative -1d on the dice chain and are destroyed if reduced below 1d3 damage. Armor loses 1d3 points of protection each time it is hit by a black pudding – or if the black pudding would have hit had the armor not intervened!

Blink Dog: Init +4; Atk bite +1 melee (1d4); AC 16; HD 2d6; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP blinking, teleportation; SV Fort +3; Ref +6; Will +3; AL L.

These intelligent canines have the unusual ability to “blink”, a form of short-range teleportation taking the creature 30 feet in a random direction. Use 1d6 on a hex map, or 1d8 on a grid, to determine direction with “1” indicating the direction the creature is facing; the author has a d8 marked with cardinal directions which is useful when using theater of the mind. Blink dogs automatically “blink” whenever an attack against them misses, or when they succeed in a Reflex save. A blink dog can also intentionally teleport to any spot within 30 feet, although it must use its action die to do so.

Although aggressively territorial, blink dogs are not necessarily hostile and are willing to bargain with good-willed humanoids.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Baboon, Badger, Baluchitherium, Barracuda, Basilisk, Bear, Giant Beaver, and Giant Beetle

 I’ve been asked to convert the original Monster Manual in a manner similar to my conversion of the Fiend Folio. I am going to do this a bit differently, though, and just try to stick to the essence of creatures without referring to the text of the original work. This is, in part, because of my plans to create a monster book in the upcoming year.

My plan is to give statistics for roughly three monsters per post. Obviously, merely referring you to another source, such as the core rulebook or a blog post, doesn’t count…which is why there are so many entries per post so far!

However, in this case all of the animals mentioned (and more) are fully covered in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals. In addition, mandrills, normal-sized beavers, and both normal and giant barracudas are covered. Bears are pretty comprehensively covered in the Cyclopedia, with a dozen different types of bear and 14 statblocks.

Nothing to see here. Move along.