DCC Day: When Snowmen Attack!

 

        Saturday July 20th

12 - 4

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Let’s Convert the Hawkmoon Bestiary: Sea Dragon, Stenchrunner, Swampsnapper, War Jaguar, and Wraith-Folk of Soryandum

This is a bit of a longer post, but the goal is to finish off creature conversions from the Hawkmoon role-playing game. Again, I am finding creatures which the 1e Fiend Folio seems to pay homage to. The stenchrunner is very different in some ways to the witherstench, but I would think the latter was inspired by the former. Similarly, the swampsnapper may well have provided the inspiration for the bonesnapper.

As always, I am adjusting material to meet DCC’s design, and using the Hawkmoon bestiary, rather then the original source material, as the basis of statistics.

Sea Dragon

Sea Dragon: Init +0; Atk claw +10 melee (1d8) or bite +10 melee (1d12) or tail lash +10 melee (1d20) or wing buffet +10 melee (2d12); AC 23; HD 8d12; MV 60’ or fly 120’ or swim 120’; Act 4d20; SV Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +8; AL N.

Although not true dragons, sea dragons are fearsome foes which are formidable on land, in water, and in the air. They serve the Runestaff, but are themselves thoroughly evil, and sometimes attack coastal settlements. Luckily, they are also weaker than true dragons, and lack both breath weapon and spells.

Stenchrunner

Stenchrunner: Init +0; Atk bite +0 melee (1d6) or claw +2 melee (1d4); AC 12; HD 2d8; MV 30’ or climb 30’; Act 2d20; SP stench, stealth +4; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.

Stenchrunners are nocturnal baboon-like creatures with toothed bird-like beaks and long cat-like claws. They inhabit ruined cities, where they stealthily stalk and ambush prey. Their oily fur gives off a nauseating reek, and any other creature within 10’ of a stenchrunner takes an automatic -2 penalty to attack rolls, AC, and spell checks as a result, unless they have no sense of smell. When stenchrunners attack, they emit a horrible hissing sound.

Swampsnapper

Swampsnapper: Init +4; Atk bite +2 melee (1d8) or claw +3 melee (1d4); AC 14; HD 4d8; MV 30’ or or swim 30’; Act 2d20; SP stealth +10, leap; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +0; AL C.

These fast-breeding marshland creatures have alligator-like snouts and squat, heavily bristled bodies. They can leap up to 10’ as part of a move, using their muscular legs for power and their long thick tails for balance. They vary greatly in color, but all can hide in marshy environments and move stealthily, often sneaking up and leaping upon prey. They lay heaps of eggs in mud nests, which hatch into young capable of hunting in 1d3 weeks.

Swampsnappers are evil-tempered, and once they have set their mind on eating a particular creature, nothing short of death can change it. Some magic, such as charm person and forget, may dull this instinct for a while, but never permanently. Luckily, swampsnappers are extremely stupid.

War Jaguar

War Jaguar: Init +4; Atk bite +7 melee (1d10+3) or claws +4 melee (1d5+3) or tail lash +3 melee (1d6); AC 16; HD 6d8; MV 40’ or climb 20’ or swim 30’; Act 3d20; SP rake, stealthy (+6 to surprise), tracking; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +5; AL N.

War jaguars are enormous creatures with heads as large as those of oxen. Their backs are lined with a foot-high row of yellow spines, running down to their barb-tipped tails. Bred long ago in Asia Communista, they are incapable of breeding, but their natural lifespans are millennia long. Although magic may give limited control over these vicious animals, hungry war jaguars will sometimes attack their handlers and trainers when using more conventional methods.

 Wraith-Folk of Soryandum

Wraith-Folk: Init +4; Atk none; AC 10; HD 1d6; MV fly 30’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP immaterial, carry, hide +10, ESP; SV Fort +0; Ref +4; Will +8; AL N.

Similar to the Great Good Ones, the Wraith-folk also gave up corporeal existence to survive the Tragic Millennium. They are immaterial, and therefore immune to most attacks, although some forms of magical energy may harm them at the judge’s discretion. They are able to carry creatures up to human-sized individually (or larger as a group) while flying or moving through water.  Because they exist in another dimension, they are difficult to see and can hide very easily. They have a limited form of ESP, by reading mental vibrations, which allows them to discern intentions and to tell friends from foes.

The Wraith-folk have no effective attacks, although they can give guidance and instruction to those they deem friends. Before they transferred to the other dimension, the Wraith-folk stored a great number of artifacts in a cavern outside Soryandum, guarded by the machine beast, which must be outwitted or otherwise dealt with before items can be removed. At the judge’s discretion, these artifacts may be technological in nature, magical, or some combination of the two.

 

Let’s Convert the Hawkmoon Bestiary: Mountain Giant, Ocean Ghoul, Octiguana, and Pteroon

Looking at the Hawkmoon RPG, it is pretty clear that, while some stats scale along the same lines as Dungeons & Dragons (at it appeared at the time) or Dungeon Crawl Classics, the correspondence is not always “1 to 1”.  Ultimately, it has to be our goal to make material usable for the game we are playing. In this case, I am adjusting material to meet DCC’s design, and that requires interpretation of the source material.

That the ocean ghouls use rapiers is interesting, because one would assume such weapons wouldn’t survive long immersed in salty ocean water. These rapiers are probably made of an unusual metal, and so would be of potential interest to elves. Although DCC doesn’t include the rapier as a standard weapon, I just gave it damage akin to a short sword.

Out of the Hawkmoon bestiary, the octiguana is my favorite creature, for reasons even I cannot explain. Maybe it’s just how easily I could see including them in almost any adventure. It may be my inherent cruelty as a judge, because I can easily see a PC foregoing attacks to escape the creature’s many arms, as more arms grip them and the creature gets ever-greater bonuses to its bite attacks.

Mountain Giant

Mountain Giant (8’ tall, 900 lbs.): Init +0; Atk huge club +10 melee (2d6+6) or hurled stone +5 ranged (1d8+4, range 60’) or huge bow +5 ranged (1d6+4, range 200’/500’/1,500’); AC 14; HD 5d10; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +5; AL C.

Oladahn: Init +2; Atk longsword +5 melee (1d8+1) or short sword +5 melee (1d6+1) or dagger +5 melee (1d4+1) or longbow +6 ranged (1d6); AC 14; HD 3d10+6; hp 26; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP stealth +4, climb sheer surfaces +5; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6; AL N.

Mountain giants are mutant humans found in the Bulgar Mountains. They are very broad, and covered in wiry hair of any color natural to their base human stock. Their appetites are immense, and they practice cannibalism – going even so far as to eat weaker members of their own families when nothing better is available.

Oladahn, one of Hawkmoon’s companions, is a mountain giant who suffered a pituitary defect preventing him from growing beyond human size and strength. He fled the mountains to avoid being eaten by his Uncle Barkyou. Shorter than average for a human, Oladahn has rusty brown fur and wears leather armor.

Mountain giants from the Fiend Folio seem to be unrelated.

Ocean Ghoul

Ocean Ghoul: Init +0; Atk rapier +2 melee (1d6) or bite +0 melee (1d3); AC 12; HD 1d6; MV 30’ or swim 50’; Act 1d20; SP water dependency; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +0; AL C.

These vile aquatic humanoids have webbed hands and feet and long tadpole-like tails. Their rubbery skin is a sickly blue-white hue, and their sharp-toothed mouths stretch nearly from ear to ear. They are found in shallow waters around reefs and rocky outcroppings, usually only attacking small vessels with raiding parties of 3d6 members. However, sometimes multiple bands work together to attack larger ships.

Ocean ghouls cannot live more than a few hours outside of water, and they dislike bright sunlight.

Octiguana

Octiguana: Init -2; Atk bite +3 melee (3d4) or arm +5 melee (1d4 plus hold, up to 10’ away) or tongue +8 ranged (hold and pull, range 30’); AC 15; HD 3d8; MV 40’ or climb 20’ or swim 30’; Act 2d20; SP arm attacks, hold, pull; SV Fort +2, Ref -2, Will -2; AL N.

Temple Octiguana: Init +0; Atk bite +1 melee (3d4) or arm +3 melee (1d3 plus hold, up to 5’ away) or tongue +8 ranged (hold and pull, range 20’); AC 14; HD 1d8; MV 40’ or climb 20’ or swim 30’; Act 2d20; SP arm attacks, hold, pull; SV Fort +1, Ref -1, Will +0; AL N.

These creatures are large black lizards with a collar of eight octopus-like arms around their necks. Each round, an octiguana can attack using 1d4 of these arms (as separate attacks) using a single action die. These arms grip opponents, making them easier to bite (+2 per arm), and can be escaped with a DC 14 Strength check per arm. Victims gain one free Strength check per round, but may use their action dice to secure more.

The octiguana’s tongue attack does no damage, but pulls its victim to the octiguana, allowing a free bite attack with a +2 bonus. The tongue can be severed with 10 hp damage, but any damage to its tongue causes the creature to release and retract its tongue, which it will not use again until healed. The tongue’s grip otherwise requires a DC 30 Strength check to break.

Smaller octiguanas have been bred for centuries in the blood pool of the Temple of Batach Gerandium, with stats as indicated above. Both types are carnivorous, and nearly always hungry.

Pteroon

Pteroon: Init +6; Atk bite +2 melee (1d6) or claw +4 melee (1d4) or wing buffet +5 melee (1d3) or shriek; AC 14; HD 2d8; MV fly 40’; Act 2d20; SP shriek (Fort DC 15 or be stunned and unable to act for 1 round, 30’ cone with 30’ base), stop to eat; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +0; AL C.

Genetically altered bats native to Persia, these black creatures have long arms and bony claws in addition to their wings. Once a bat has killed a target, it must make a DC 10 Will save for each additional target it kills, or it stops to eat for 2d6 minutes or until interrupted. A body eaten by a pteroon without interruption cannot be recovered (rolled over), even if some remains are left. It the pteroon is slain or driven off, though, there is a chance that by some lucky miracle the fallen adventurer survived (as per normal rules).

These creatures stink of old blood and decaying flesh.

See also Doombat.

Let’s Convert the Hawkmoon Bestiary: The Machine-Beast, Mesmerose, and Minim

Looking at the Hawkmoon RPG, it is pretty clear that, while some stats scale along the same lines as Dungeons & Dragons (at it appeared at the time) or Dungeon Crawl Classics, the correspondence is not always “1 to 1”.  Ultimately, it has to be our goal to make material usable for the game we are playing. In this case, I am adjusting material to meet DCC’s design, and that requires interpretation of the source material.

Not everything in Hawkmoon requires a full statblock, or even a standard statblock. Some things just require the judge to have rules available for their effects. The Mesmerose in this post, and the Jeebies in the last, are good examples of this. Otherwise, these statistics are based almost entirely on Hawkmoon, which means that there might be some differences between them and the original Tragic Millennium stories. If a creature appears in Hawkmoon (or Stormbringer, when I get to it) that also appears in the Deities & Demigods tome, I will either do a separate conversion, or note that the source material doesn’t differ enough to make a separate conversion worthwhile.

The Machine-Beast

Machine-Beast: Init +0; Atk talon +8 melee (2d10) or bite +6 melee (2d10) or tail lash +6 melee (1d10) or crush +2 melee (5d10); AC 20; HD 12d12; hp 88; MV 40’; Act 3d20; SP construct, DR 20, sharp weapon-breaking plating, crush; SV Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +0; AL N.

“It crouched on metal feet, towering over them, its multi-colored scales half-blinding them. The length of its back, save for its neck, was a mass of knife-sharp horns. It had a body fashioned … like an ape’s, with short hind legs and long forelegs, ending in hands of taloned metal. Its eyes were multifaceted like a fly’s, and its snout was full of razor-sharp metal teeth.”

-          THE MAD GOD’S AMULET

There is only one Machine-Beast, which guards Soryandum, attacking anything entering the cavern except the Wraith-folk. A creation of the Wraith-folk of Soryandum, placed to protect their artifacts from outsiders, it can presumably be repaired by the Wraith-folk through proxies, so even though Hawkmoon rendered the creature blind when he encountered it, that may no longer be the case. Moreover, the mechanism itself may have some self-repair function which, over time, “heals” whatever damage it takes.

The metal plating of the machine-beast makes it difficult to damage. It subtracts the first 20 points of damage from any successful attack against it, regardless of the source. Worse, anyone who makes a successful melee attack against the machine-beast must roll a Reflex save, with varying effects based on the result: (5 or less) non-magical weapon shattered plus 1d8 damage from sharp protuberances, (6-10) 1d6 damage from knife-sharp horns, or (11+) no effect.

The machine-beast’s crush attack uses all of its action dice, but attacks all targets in a 15’ radius up to 20’ away from the machine-beast’s starting location. The machine-beast leaps into the air, attempting to land on its victim(s). It’s half-blinding scales make it more difficult to hit, and are already factored into the creature’s Armor Class. Although a construct, critical hits and mighty deeds can damage its functioning.

Mesmerose

Brilliant flowers made from what appears to be rainbow-hued crystal, these plants enthrall those who see them and fail to make a DC 15 Will save. Enthralled creatures can do nothing other than gaze upon the flower until they die of hunger and thirst or another creature intervenes (by pulling the victim away, interrupting their vision, etc.). A new save is required each time a mesmerose is glimpsed. In addition from offering some protection from being eaten themselves, this defense utilizes the creatures destroyed through privation as fertilizer when they decompose.

Intelligent creatures aware of the presence of mesmerose bushes may use them to capture intruders, although they run the same risk should they accidently glance at the plants themselves.

Minim

Minim: Init +2; Atk miniature spear +0 melee (1d3-2, minimum 0); AC 14; HD 1 hp; MV 20’; Act 1d16; SV Fort -4; Ref +4; Will -4; AL N.

Minim swarm: Init +2; Atk swarming spears and bites +2 melee (1d3); AC 16; HD 3d8; MV 20’; Act special; SP swarm traits; SV Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +0; AL N.

Hairy mutant humans with completely hairless heads, minims live in the ruins of Yei. They have neither language nor culture, and are not normally dangerous. Minims may watch intruders from behind cover, but these shy creatures do nothing else unless compelled to by magic or super-science. In this case, or if somehow otherwise provoked, they attack en masse as a swarm.

Let’s Convert the Hawkmoon Bestiary: Charki, Great Good One, and Jeebie

Looking at the Hawkmoon RPG, it is pretty clear that, while some stats scale along the same lines as Dungeons & Dragons (at it appeared at the time) or Dungeon Crawl Classics, the correspondence is not always “1 to 1”.  Ultimately, it has to be our goal to make material usable for the game we are playing. In this case, I am adjusting material to meet DCC’s design, and that requires interpretation of the source material.

Not everything in Hawkmoon requires a full statblock, or even a standard statblock. Some things just require the judge to have rules available for their effects. The Jeebies in this post are a good example of this. For those who are interested, statistics for giant flamingos appear in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals Volume F. Although these are not specifically avian denizens of the Tragic Millennium, they are definitely a nod thereunto. There is also a mural in Through the Cotillion of Hours which references giant flamingos, and this is the reason why.

These statistics are based almost entirely on Hawkmoon, which means that there might be some differences between them and the original Tragic Millennium stories. If a creature appears in Hawkmoon (or Stormbringer, when I get to it) that also appears in the Deities & Demigods tome, I will either do a separate conversion, or note that the source material doesn’t differ enough to make a separate conversion worthwhile. I have yet to do these conversions for my Patreon, so they won't appear in this blog until sometime next year.

Charki

Charki: Init +0; Atk mental rays (madness) or tentacle +8 melee (1d6 plus life force drain); AC 12; HD 6d12; MV 30’; Act (1d6+1)d20; SP mental rays, variable tentacle attacks, life force drain, healed by electricity, immortal; SV Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +8; AL C.

The immortal charki resemble gigantic angleworms with stone-grey skin, from which protrude masses of tentacles and other strange protuberances. The faces upon their pulsating heads are a parody of human features, grinning idiotic grins.

Charki can emit mental rays in a 300-foot range. All non-charki in this range must succeed in a DC 5 Will save or suffer madness, seeing friend as foe and directing all attacks against allies. This save must be rolled each round until either the victim is beyond the range of these mental rays, or they roll either a natural “1” or “20”. If they roll a natural “1” they remain affected for the next 1d6 turns with no additional save. If they roll a natural “20” they are immune for the next 24 hours, and do not need to roll additional saves.

In addition, a charki can attack with 1d6 tentacles each round. On a successful hit, the charki drains life force from the target, who must succeed in a DC 10 Fort save or take 1d3 points of attribute damage. Randomly determine which attribute each point is taken from.

These creatures were created long ago by the scientist Zhenadar-vron-Kensai, and are effectively immortal. If reduced to 0 hp and their bodies are not utterly destroyed, they merely remain dormant until regenerated by the passage of long years. In addition to consuming the life force from living creatures, the charki feed off of electricity, and are healed instead of harmed by electrical attacks. They usually travel in groups of 2d6 individuals.

Great Good One

Great Good One: Init +4; Atk sleepsong (DC 15 Will or sleep for 2d6 hours); AC 10; HD 1d6; MV fly 30’; Act 1d20; SP sleepsong, immaterial, carry; SV Fort +0; Ref +4; Will +8; AL N.

The Great Good Ones were once mortal humans who have become energy beings due to a scientific discovery made at the onset of the Tragic Millennium. They now serve and protect the Runestaff and its spirit, Jehamiah Cohnahlias. They appear as colored shadows, and can grow or shrink at will, to be smaller than a halfling or as large as a giant. They communicate through song.

The Great Good Ones are now immaterial, and are immune to most attacks, although some forms of magical energy may harm them at the judge’s discretion. They are able to make creatures fall asleep through their singing (DC 15 Will or sleep 2d6 hours), and can carry creatures up to human-sized individually (or larger as a group). Those who seem to carry ill intent are put to sleep and moved outside the Great Good One’s home in Dnark. Those who seem to be of goodwill are taken to the hospitable Jehamiah.

Jeebie

Jeebies are dandelion-like plants whose stalks terminate in eye-like structures rather than flowers. They are mobile, and can crawl along the ground at MV 1’.  If any creature comes within view, the jeebies freeze in place, merely watching with their eyestalk-blossoms…although they move closer if a creature looks away, freezing in place again if observed.

Jeebies grow in herd-like patches of hundreds of plants. They have no attack, and are not dangerous. They may be unsettling, however.

Let’s Convert the Hawkmoon Bestiary: Baragoon and Bloodseeker

Hawkmoon was published by Chaosium in 1986, and was a sister game to Stormbringer in bringing Michael Moorcock’s “Eternal Champion” series to tabletop gaming. Many of the creatures in Hawkmoon either appear in the Dungeon Crawl Classics Cyclopedia of Creatures, are normal animals (and thus either already do or will appear in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, which is a current project on my Patreon), or both. I am not going to convert these separately. The goal here is to provide the setting-specific beings that will both aid in converting material and offer an opportunity to add a bit more Moorcock into any DCC campaign.

These statistics are based almost entirely on Hawkmoon, which means that there might be some differences between them and the original Tragic Millennium stories. If a creature appears in Hawkmoon (or Stormbringer, when I get to it) that also appears in the Deities & Demigods tome, I will either do a separate conversion, or note that the source material doesn’t differ enough to make a separate conversion worthwhile.

Baragoon

Baragoon: Init +0; Atk talon +6 melee (1d4+4) or bite +4 melee (1d6+4); AC 15; HD 2d8; MV 30’ or swim 30’; Act 2d20; SP camouflage +10, gibbering; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +6; AL C.

Also known as marsh gibberers, there were once many of these creatures in the Kamarg swamps, although Count Brass and his men have reduced their numbers significantly. Baragoon are ambush predators, which rise gibbering from the wetlands, flailing their talons. Those who fail a DC 15 Will save are frozen in horror, and unable to act on the first non-surprise round of combat.

These creatures were once human, transformed into their monstrous shapes by hideous magic and/or blasphemous science. They are 8 feet high and very broad, with bile-colored flesh. They can slither along at their full Move so as to remain hidden until ready to leap onto their prey. These sadistic creatures will consume the limbs of a still-living victim if they are given the chance. Their talons are as hard as steel.

(As an aside, it very much seems to me that the Babbler from the 1st Edition Fiend Folio was directly inspired by this monster.)

Bloodseeker

Bloodseeker: Init +2; Atk bite +0 melee (1d3 plus blood drain and mutant rabies); AC 8; HD 1d3; MV 30’ or burrow 10’; Act 1d20; SP surprise, latch, blood drain, mutant rabies; SV Fort -2; Ref +0; Will -4; AL C.

Inhabiting ancient ruins, cave systems, and gullies, these creatures lie in wait, burrowing upward to attack victims. Those who fail a DC 15 Intelligence check in the first round of combat are surprised (elves gain a +4 bonus to this check due to their heightened senses).

When a bloodseeker successfully bites a victim, it latches on and begins to drain blood at a rate of 1d3 Strength damage per round. It can be removed with an opposed Strength check (vs. +2), a successful Mighty Deed, or by killing the creature. Bloodseekers carry a mutated form of rabies. Victims of their bite attacks must succeed on a DC 12 Fort save or die in 1d4 weeks if not otherwise cured.

The monsters themselves have lean, sinewy bodies, naked leathery hides, and huge bony claws. Their faces resemble a cross between a pug dog’s and a bat’s, with razor-sharp chisel-like teeth. Although nocturnal by choice, they are in no way harmed or impaired by sunlight. Bloodseeker colonies number 2d100 creatures on average, making them a serious threat wherever they are found.

 

Let’s Convert the Melnibonéan Mythos: Vampire Trees and Vulture Lion

This is the final post converting creatures from the Melnibonéan Mythos section in the original version of Deities & Demigods. As previously noted, I will also be converting creatures from the Hawkmoon and Stormbringer games, but only those which are unique to the setting. Converting war jaguars is worthwhile. Converting wolves, bears, and falcons would simply reproduce work I am already doing or which has already been done.

Because I have converted Hawkmoon creatures, but not those from Stormbringer yet, for my Patreon, you will be seeing those here first. Stormbringer conversions will hit the Patreon later this year, with them being reposted to this blog sometime next year.

If there ever is an Eternal Champion DCC Boxed Set, I would expect the team at Goodman Games to do what they have done for all literary conversions to this point - go through the actual works in question and convert from primary sources. In that event, while having an extra set of statistics for, say, vampire trees might be useful to the harried judge, the official conversions in the boxed set should be closer to the original author's true intent.

Vampire Trees

Vampire Tree: Init +0; Atk none; AC 20; HD 12d8; MV 0’; Act 1d20; SP release leaves, never surprised, fire vulnerability; SV Fort +16, Ref -10, Will +6; AL N.

Vampire Tree Leaf: Init +0; Atk touch +8 melee (attach and blood drain); AC 11; HD 2 hp; MV fly 30’; Act 1d16; SP attach, blood drain (1d4 Stamina damage, Fort DC 12 for half); SV Fort -4, Ref +6, Will +0; AL N.

These appear to be natural trees of other kind, but are possessed of a low, evil intelligence. When creatures approach within 50 feet, they release 1d10 leaves, which seem to drift downward as do leaves everywhere. When they come in contact with a body, the leaves attach themselves. The following round, they drain blood from their victims, at a rate of 1d4 Stamina damage per round (Fort DC 12 for half), until their victim is drained of blood, moves more than 360 feet from the parent tree, or they are forcibly detached. Surviving leaves return the their parent tree to feed it with their victim’s blood.

A vampire tree can only control 10 leaves at a time, but its supply of replacement leaves is effectively limitless. They take twice normal damage from fire and fire-based attacks, and consequently fear flames.

Vulture Lion

Vulture Lion: Init +4; Atk claw +6 melee (2d6) or bite +4 melee (3d6); AC 18; HD 8d8+16; MV 40’; Act 3d20; SP immunity to fear, +5 to saves vs. spells and magic, death throes; SV Fort +10; Ref +4; Will +5; AL C.

These huge creatures were created by the Melnibonéans from the raw fibers Chaos itself. They appear as enormous lions, 10 feet tall at the shoulder, with the head and talons of vultures. In Limbo, they hunt in prides of 3d4 members. Summoned to the Fields We Know, they are fierce combatants, but the summoner must succeed in an additional DC 15 Intelligence check to command these creatures. Failure means they turn on their summoner, killing them if possible. If their summoner is slain, the powers of Chaos return the vulture lions to Limbo. When a vulture lion is slain, the Chaos bound within it unravels – creatures within 30’ must succeed in a Luck check or suffer a random corruption effect. Roll 1d10 modified by Luck: (3 or less) Greater Corruption, (4-6) Major Corruption, (7 or more) Minor Corruption.

Let’s Convert the Melnibonéan Mythos: Nihrain Horse, Oonai, and Quaolnargn

Once more we are looking at converting the Melnibonéan Mythos from the original version of Deities & Demigods. As before, these are based off the D&DG write-ups, and may not be 100% consistent with the Michael Moorcock source material. In the case of Quaolnargn, one might also be directed to The People of the Pit, by Joseph Goodman, which includes a toad demon of Bobugbubilz which seems to be inspired by Quaolnargn.

Whether or not they are completely accurate to Moorcock’s writing, the D&DG entries were flavorful enough to pique my interest when the book came out. I actually made use of some of the creatures therein (both in this section and in others) when populating my AD&D 1e adventures. Not too many, of course, because of their general power level and extraplanar nature (often), but enough sprinkled here and there to make them felt in the world. I disguised and recast gods as well, creating worlds with what one player described as “a sense of brooding doom”.

Back in those days, I bought into Gary Gygax’s spiel about using only “official” AD&D products and my own work. As my series of conversion posts show, I eventually realized that was nothing more than a sales pitch keeping me away from other fantastic resources. When I am finished, I will also convert creatures from the Hawkmoon and Stormbringer games, eventually to post them here.

Nihrain Horse

Nihrain Horse: Init +4; Atk hoof +5 melee (1d4+2); AC 22; HD 7d8; MV 70’; Act 1d20; SP planar shift, endurance, immunity to fear; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +5; AL N.

These horses from Nihrain belong to the Ten Who Sleep in the Mountain of Fire, and their use may be gifted to those mortals in direct service to the primary forces of Neutrality. They appear as great black stallions, but are not fully within our own plane of existence. As a consequence, any successful attack against one passes through it harmlessly 25% of the time (a successful Mighty Deed or a spent point of Luck can negate this miss chance). In addition, because its hooves interact with the stuff of its own plane, a Nihrain horse can appear to travel over both water and land in the Fields We Know, and fly over chasms and other impediments in our world with ease.

The horses of Nihrain are immune to fear, and never make morale checks. They have a fantastic level of endurance, and can move at full speed for 48 hours without requiring a rest. This doesn’t prevent their riders from being fatigued by sustained riding, however.

Oonai

Oonai: Init +0; Atk variable +12 melee (1d10 or variable); AC 20; HD 10d10; MV 30’
or variable; Act up to 3d20; SP shape-changing; SV Fort +8; Ref +8; Will +8; AL C.

Not to be confused with the lovely and terrible city of lutes and dancing beyond the Karthian hills, the oonai are natural shape-changers which can take the form of any beast or monster of 10 Hit Dice or lower. Regardless of their form, they can use any of the new form’s non-magical powers or attacks, and have up to three action dice. Regardless of form, their AC does not change. An oonai can change shape only once a round, and doing so uses an action die.

It is recommended that the judge know the attacks, move, and special powers of several potential shapes that the creature might use. To make the judge’s life easier, however, a base move of 30’ and a base damage of 1d10 are suggested.

Oonai are reasonably intelligent, and can be bargained with. Despite this, when in combat they always attack singularly, with the most powerful oonai attacking first. No one knows what their actual form looks like, if indeed they have one.

Quaolnargn

Quaolnargn (Type III Demon): Init +5; Atk claw +8 melee (1d4+2) or bite +6 melee (1d8+2 plus soul drain); AC 15; HD 7d12; hp 38; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP demon traits, soul drain (Will DC 19 for half), immunity to petrifaction and polymorph, crit 18-20; SV Fort +8; Ref +7; Will +8; AL C.

Quaolnargn is an enormous and loathsome toad-like demon with slimy claws. Like all Type III demons, it has 60’ infravision, can communicate through speech or telepathy, and can cast darkness (with a +12 bonus to the spell check). Quaolnargn is immune to weapons of less than +2 enchantment or natural attacks from creatures of 5 Hit Dice or less, and takes half-damage from fire, acid, cold, electricity, and gas. I can teleport back to its native hell, or to any point on the plane it occupies, as long as not bound or otherwise summoned. In addition to those standard demonic powers, it is immune to petrifaction and attempts to polymorph or otherwise change its form.

When Quaolnargn succeeds with a bite attack, it drains the soul of its victim, doing 1d4 points of Strength damage and draining XP by 1d8 points (Will DC 19 for half). Drained XP cannot make a victim lose a level, but must be made up before any new level is gained. If either XP of Strength reaches 0 from this effect, the victim is irrevocable dead, its soul consumed by Quaolnargn. So powerful is this effect that, if the demon is successfully attacked with a soul-consuming weapon or spell, the attack affect the wielder/caster rather than the demon, and the demon gains any benefits the caster/wielder would normally receive.

If the demon is slain, driven off, or otherwise prevented from completely draining a victim, the victim regains lost Strength and XP at a rate of 1d4 points each per turn.

“It did not eat flesh and it did not drink blood. It fed on the minds and souls of adult men and women. Occasionally, as an appetizer, it enjoyed the morsels, the sweetmeats as it were, of the innocent life-force which it sucked from children. It ignored animals since there was not enough awareness in an animal to savour. The creature was, for all its alien stupidity, a gourmet and a connoisseur.”

-          Michael Moorcock, The Bane of the Black Sword

Let’s Convert the Melnibonéan Mythos: Mist Giant, Mordagz, and Myyrrhn

This is the third post converting the Melnibonén Mythos from the original version of Deities & Demigods. As before, these are based off the D&DG write-ups, and may not be 100% consistent with the Michael Moorcock source material.

When I am finished, I will eventually convert creatures from the Hawkmoon and Stormbringer games.

It strikes me that this is a good time to discuss why I am doing this at all. Like other conversions that have appeared in this blog, this is a reminder that conversion isn't really all that difficult. Part art, part science, there is no "right" way or "wrong" way to convert things. The Conversion Crawl Classes posts are the same - I am trying to encourage the Gentle Reader to not only convert material to Dungeon Crawl Classics, but also to share with the wider community!

In the end, though, there is also a hope that some of this material gets used in your home game. If you do use it, please let me know! It helps motivate me to keep putting stuff out there!

Mist Giant

Mist Giant (18’ tall, 1,000 lbs.): Init +0; Atk claw +18 melee (3d6); AC 20; HD 12d10; MV 20’; Act 4d24; SP Stealth +10, half damage from non-magical weapons, crit on 20-24; SV Fort +12; Ref +8; Will +6; AL C.

Mist giants are vast four-armed beings comprised of living, semi-sold mist. They have shapeless heads, yellow eyes, and their lower body is a snake-like mass well suited to slithering over the tops of bogs and water. The creature is hard to see in fogs or mist, and is capable of moving soundlessly. Because its body is only semi-solid, it takes half damage from non-magical weapons.

Mordagz

Mordaga (22’ tall, 10,000 lbs): Init +3; Atk sword +22 melee (6d6+6); AC 21; HD 16d10; hp 80; MV 40’; Act 1d24; SP Shield of Chaos, sacred trust, fated death, crit on a 20-24; SV Fort +12; Ref +4; Will +8; AL C.

Mordaga the Sad Giant (called Mordagz in the Deities & Demigods Cyclopedia) was once a Lord of Chaos. It is difficult to imagine the crimes he committed against his fellow gods, but as punishment for his defiance against other, more powerful, Lords of Chaos, he was cast out and made mortal. He now guards and protects the Shield of Chaos as his sacred trust, and no force can part him from the Shield or force him to give it up as long as he lives.

Although now mortal, Mordaga is fated to be slain by one of four men who come to take the Shield from him. As a result, whenever he is down to his last 10 hp (or lower) the Lords of Chaos always whisk him (and the Shield) away, and if reduced to 0 hp he always recovers. In the works of Michael Moorcock, the only men who could permanently slay Mordaga were Elric, Moonglum, Rackhir, and Dyvim Slorm, although the judge may rule otherwise.

Mordaga gains all the benefits of the Shield of Chaos while alive (see below).

Shield of Chaos

Also known as the Shield of the Sad Giant, this round shield is 5’ in diameter I made from silvery-green metal. It bears the device of the eight-pointed arrow of Chaos, radiating out in amber from the Shield’s central boss. Although created by Mordaga when he was still a Chaos Lord of the Higher Worlds, the Shield was created to protect him in his rebellion against his fellow gods, and is sovereign against the powers of Chaos.

The Shield of Chaos grants a +5 bonus to AC (already calculated into Mordaga’s stats). In addition, each round the wielder may direct it to a single quarter. Attacks from the quarter, whether physical, magical, or otherwise, cannot harm the Shield’s bearer if they come from a chaotic creature or source. Unless surrounded by enemies, the wielder can freely move the Shield to counter foes.

The wielder of the Shield cannot be transformed or warped by the power of Chaos. Further, the touch of the Shield undoes any existing transformation. In addition, any Chaos Lord or chaotic demon struck by the Shield (or even coming into contact with it) takes 3d20 damage. Mordaga himself was immune to this last power when he was a Lord of Chaos.

The Shield of Chaos is an Object of Power. Anyone bearing it for over 3 months (except its creator) loses 1 point of Luck per month so long as the Shield is retained.  Worse, powerful creatures, wizards, and agents of  both Law and Chaos continually seek to recover the Shield for their own ends.

Myyrrhn

Winged Folk of Myyrrhn: Init +2; Atk by weapon +1 melee (by weapon); AC 12; HD 4d6; MV 30’ or fly 60’; Act 1d20; SP +1 bonus to saves against spells or magic; SV Fort +1; Ref +2; Will +1; AL N.

Despite their hawkish (but human-looking) faces and avian wings (which span 10 feet) the Winged Folk of the land of Myyrrhn are said to have evolved from the clakars. These people enjoy fighting, and in particular fighting from the air where they have an advantage. If wounded to 5 hp or less, individual Winged Folk seek to escape by flight, leaving their comrades to cover their escape and continue the battle.

A typical warband of the Winged Folk numbers 3d10 members. They generally use longswords (1d8 damage), but may use spears (1d8 damage), javelins (1d6 damage, ranged) or other weapons. Their hereditary enemies are a race of giant owls, which we might as well also supply stats for:

Giant Owls of Myyrrhn: Init +3; Atk claw +7 melee (1d6) or bite +2 melee (1d8); AC 15; HD 4d10; MV 10’ or fly 70’; Act 2d20; SP keen senses, silent flight; SV Fort +3; Ref +5; Will +1; AL N.

These intelligent owls are nocturnal, with a height of 9 feet and a wingspan of 20 feet. They are often solitary, or found only in small groups, which gives the Winged Folk some advantage against them.