Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Kamadan and Kelpie

Not every monster in the Fiend Folio is equally known and loved. One of the neat things about this project is that I can see, by looking at views per post, which monsters people come back to, and which they don’t even care about to begin with. I suspect that the Kamadan will be one of the latter. Nonetheless, I have done my best to give these creatures a playable and fun in Dungeon Crawl Classics incarnation.

The Kelpie was originally from Scottish folklore, but the creature we see here was from an AD&D module – I want to say White Plume Mountain but I am only about 90% certain of that. At some point, I might create a more folkloric version of the same. I have lowered the AC and Hit Dice of the Kelpie so that there is some chance of rescuing a poor victim that is intentionally drowning himself.

 

Kamadan

Kamadan: Init +3; Atk Bite +2 melee (1d6) or claw +3 melee (1d4) or snake head +1 melee (1d3) or breath weapon; AC 16; HD 4d8; MV 40’; Act 2d20; SP Snake heads, breath weapon; SV Fort +2; Ref +5; Will +1; AL C.

The kamadan is a large leopard with 1d4+3 snakes sprouting from its shoulders; thankfully, these serpents are not venomous, as the kamadan gets a free attack with each snake head each round. The creature also has a breath weapon which can be used once a day – a cone of invisible, sweet-smelling gas 30’ long and with a 10’ base which puts creatures to sleep for 2d6 turns unless a DC 15 Fort save is successful.

A successful Mighty Deed can be used to sever a serpent head, although these will eventually regrow.

Kamadan are only slightly more intelligent than true leopards. They can be trained if captured as cubs, and some magicians used them as guardian beasts. Trained kamadan are taught to keep their distance from those carrying some authorized sigil, because even a trained kamadan has no control over the serpents growing from its shoulders, which strike at any living thing which comes near.

Variation: Although kamadan are not venomous as a rule, the judge may decide to alter this. Some, or all, kamadan may grow venomous serpents from their shoulders, with appropriate venoms taken from Appendix P of the core rulebook (p. 446), or D50 Venomous Creatures from pages 102-103 of 50 Fantastic Functions For The D50. Judges who choose to do this are encouraged to make the change obvious – the serpents appear as the snakes whose venom they carry.

 

Kelpie

kelpie: Init +3; Atk None; AC 14; HD 3d6; MV 20’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP Plant, shapechange, charm, wrap, ½ damage from fire, female immunity; SV Fort +4; Ref +4; Will +4; AL N.

Kelpies are a form of intelligent seaweed which are able to shape their bodies into any form they choose, although their substance still appears to be wet seaweed, and the effect may be grotesque. A kelpie will often assume the form of a beautiful human woman, or sometimes a horse, in order to lure men into deep waters. They cast one powerful charm spell per day, and if a DC 15 Will save is not successful, the target perceives not a lump of misshapen seaweed, but the most wonderful, perfect and desirable woman (or steed), and willingly leaps into the water to join her (or gain it). The kelpie wraps itself around the charmed man (opposed Strength vs. +2 to pull free), who attempts to inhale water and sink with the kelpie in an ecstasy of drowning. If left alone, he will happily drown and be dragged off to the kelpie’s lair to be consumed.

Even if the kelpie cannot physically reach the charmed victim, he still tries to swim downward and breathe water. Charmed victims attempting to drown themselves take 1d4 temporary Stamina damage each round, until they either surface for air or reach 0 Stamina and perish. This temporary damage is recovered if the victim is able to breathe fresh air for 1 turn. If a kelpie is killed, its spell is broken immediately.

Female characters are immune to the spell of the kelpie. Legend has it that kelpies were created by Pelagia as punishment for those men rash enough to sail the oceans without paying the goddess her proper respect. Women were not involved in these transgressions and thus did not incur Pelagia’s ill will. Others say that Olhydra, the Elemental Princess of Evil Water, created the kelpies and rendered females immune in proper regard for her own gender.

Besides the oceans and the seas, kelpies will also be found in dismal swamps and stagnant subterranean grottos; occasionally they will be found in almost any deep body of water, even those which are man-made. They can leave the water to walk on land for short periods of time. Kelpies are very cunning and will try to pickoff stragglers, lone watchmen, or tail-end members of groups if at all possible.