Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Shrieker, Skeleton, Giant Skunk, Slithering Tracker, Giant Slug, Giant Snake, Spectre, and Sphinx

Lots of conversions for you today!

In fact, let's call it a Yuletide Miracle, because I wasn't planning on posting this until after Boxing Day. Yet, after being visited by three ghosts last night (four if you count Marley's ghost), my heart grew three sizes. So here are some beasts to roast and carve. 

The various sphinxes are from Creatures of the Sands, but there are plenty of new conversions here. I had done a shrieker conversion for Purple Duck (Purple Mountain II: Desolate Dwarven Delve), but I didn’t reference that for this conversion.

Skeletons, shriekers, and giant snakes are all creatures I have used relatively frequently, and is fitting that the core rulebook covers two of these. Or mostly covers them, as I have had a bit to add to giant snakes.  Sphinxes are also an excellent monster for campaigns in regions suited to using them, and they are also monsters I have used fairly regularly. The idea that sphinxes may hold spell knowledge in DCC makes their inclusion invaluable.

The remainder are good monsters that I have used infrequently, largely because they can be devastating to encounter. The flavor of these monsters is excellent, though, and I hope my versions of them meet with your approval. In the early days of the hobby, the idea of killing a PC through a slithering tracker, or taking away 2 levels with a single attack might have been easier to swallow than they would be today. My spectre may be gentler (especially if you have access to restore vitality), but my slithering tracker is not. In the case of the slithering tracker and the giant slug, I have tried to give a little more guidance as to description in one case or abilities in the other than the original Monster Manual did.

Anyway, today’s post includes a dozen statblocks. I hope that you find them useful!

Shrieker: Init always last; Atk none; AC 13; HD 3d6; MV 5’; Act 1d20; SP plant, shriek; SV Fort +6; Ref -10; Will +0; AL N.

These slowly-ambulating fungi are about as tall as a halfling, with thick, leathery bodies that can survive a fair amount of abuse. They feed on carrion and, although incapable of attacks themselves, they have the means to ensure a reasonable food supply. Light or movement within 30 feet of a shrieker cause the fungus to emit a loud and high-pitched shrieking noise which can be heard from a great distance. Each round of shrieking, there is a 1 in 6 chance of a random encounter (in addition to any set encounter the shrieking triggers). The fungus continues to shriek for 2d6 rounds even after it detects neither movement or light, and even after it stops there is a 1 in 10 chance per round of a random encounter being drawn to the shrieker’s location each round for the next 3d10 minutes.

Random encounters may be able to track adventurers, but, if they cannot silence a shrieker quickly, retreat is often the best option they may have. Judges are encourages to have distance shrieker noises heard occasionally by characters exploring vast dungeons or cave systems.

Skeleton: See the core rulebook, pages 426-427.

Giant Skunk: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Slithering Tracker: Init +0; Atk touch +3 melee (paralysis); AC 15; HD 5d8; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP paralysis (1d6 hours, DC 15 Fort negates), tracking, semi-fluid, blood drain (1d3 Stamina per turn), stealth +18; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4; AL N.

This creature is an evolved type of primordial slime, no more than 3 feet long, which moves in a puddle shaped much like a flattened snake. Because they are semi-fluid, they can pass through almost any aperture not less than three inches in diameter. Flattened out, they can easily pass beneath most doors. Because they are almost transparent, they nearly always gain a surprise round – when discovered before this, it is usually because a slithering noise made their prey wary.

As their name suggests, slithering trackers are nearly faultless trackers, and once they have begun trailing a target they seldom stop unless killed or something (such as taking a ship) stymies the trail. Many an adventurer may curse trudging in the rain back to town after a dungeon raid, but slithering trackers do not hesitate to leave the underworld, or to enter civilization, and a heavy enough downpour may wash the adventurers’ tracks and scent away.

Slithering trackers do not attack immediately, in general, but wait to get their chosen target alone. Their only useful melee attack paralyzes targets for 1d6 hours unless a DC 15 Fort save is successful. Once a victim is paralyzed, the slithering tracker spreads out across the body and slowly begins draining blood plasma, causing 1d3 Stamina damage per turn. If the victim’s Stamina reaches 0, they die. A victim in contact with a slithering tracker when paralysis wears off must succeed in another DC 15 Fort save or be paralyzed anew. It is possible, though unlikely, that a victim might survive the blood plasma draining, become mobile again, and escape or fight the monster off without outside help.

Be thankful that these monsters are seldom encountered.

Giant Slug: See the core rulebook, pages 427. The underdark slug in the core rulebook is not as large as the one in the Monster Manual, so I have included an additional statblock below.

Giant Slug: Init -6; Atk bite +4 melee (1d12) or acidic spit +3 ranged (acidic spit); AC 12; HD 12d6; MV 20’ or burrow 1’; Act 1d20; acidic spit (SP 60’ range, 3d6 damage, DC 13 Fort for half), half damage from bludgeoning weapons, possible slime; SV Fort +10, Ref -10, Will -4; AL C.

Giant slugs are horrendous creatures which can spit acid, and use their rasping tongues to slowly burrow even through solid stone. At the judge’s discretion, their slime trails may have traits similar to underdark slugs (core rulebook, page 427).

Giant Snake: See the core rulebook, page 428, for giant constrictors, poisonous snakes, and spitting snakes (boas, cobras, and vipers). See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for giant sidewinders and giant sea snakes. The giant sea snake in the Cyclopedia is not a destroyer of ships, so I include another statblock below.

Amphisbaena: : Init +6; Atk bite +8 melee (3d6 plus venom); AC 16; HD 4d8; MV 30’; SP venom (DC 12 Fort or 1d4 Stamina); Act 2d20; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2; AL N.

Amphisbaenas are simply snakes with a second head instead of a tail. To make an amphisbaena from any serpent, simply add an extra action die for the second head. Normal-sized snakes as well as giant snakes can be modified this way, although amphisbaenas are far more likely to be venomous snakes than constrictors. These stats were modified from the giant viper in the core rulebook.

Hoop Snake: This snake can form a rigid “hoop” by keeping its tail (or second head, if an amphisbaena) near its head, using an action die. It can then roll along at twice its normal move speed, and can still attack at the end of its move if it has an available action die to do so.

Colossal Sea Snake: Init -4; Atk bite +4 melee (1d12 plus venom) or crush ship; AC 18; HD 10d8; MV swim 70’; Act 1d24; SP venom (3d6 damage plus Fort DC 16 or death), crush ship, crit 20-24; SV Fort +12, Ref +0, Will +8; AL N.

Sea serpents of incredible size, there is only a 1 in 5 chance that sighting such a creature results in an attack. The initial attack of a colossal sea snake is to coil about the ship (assuming that such is present), an attack which takes 1d6 rounds for the creature to accomplish. Once it has succeeded at this, the snake crushes the ship, which requires no action die. For a normal-sized galley, there is a cumulative 1 in 10 chance of sinking the ship per round. Smaller ships are easier to sink (1 in 8, 1 in 7, 1 in 6, and so on), while larger ships are harder to sink and take longer to coil around (+1 round per die shift).

When a colossal sea snake attacks a ship, it is usually because it has mistaken the vessel for a prey item. In this case, it ignores life boats and those fleeing into the air or water. If it is attacked by those on the ship, however, it may use its venomous bite against them.

Thieves can recover 1d6 doses of venom from a slain colossal sea snake, if they manage to gain access to its body, with a successful Handle Poison check. This check has a -1d shift due to the nature of the creature it is being collected from, but a thief may make 3d6 attempts if they have access to the body long enough.

Spectre: Init +2; Atk non-corporeal touch +3 melee (1d6 cold plus life drain); AC 10; HD 5d12; MV fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead traits, life drain (DC 13 Will or 1d4 permanent Stamina damage), create spawn, immune to non-magical weapons; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +8; AL C.

Spectre Spawn: Init -2; Atk non-corporeal touch +0 melee (1d3 cold plus life drain); AC 10; HD 3d12; MV fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead traits, life drain (DC 13 Will or 1d3 Stamina damage), immune to non-magical weapons; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2; AL C.

A particularly powerful and nasty type of ghost (see core rulebook, pages 413-414), specters are intelligent and evil. Unlike many ghosts, they actively conceal the means by which they may be laid to rest, for they revel in their un-death. Unless a spectre is permanently lain to rest, anyone slain by a spectre arises as a spectre spawn 1d3 nights later. It may take decades for a spectre spawn to become a full spectre, and until that time they may be laid to rest by permanently laying to rest the “parent” spectre. This often revolves around righting some wrong the spectre performed in life or destroying some object that binds it to the Lands We Know.

Androsphinx: Androsphinx: Init +5; Atk claw +6 melee (1d6); AC 16; HD 6d8+6;  MV 40’ or fly 50’; Act 2d20; SP spellcasting; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +8; AL L.

Criosphinx: Criosphinx: Init +4; Atk ram + 5 melee (1d6+2) or claw +3 melee (1d4); AC 15; HD 4d8+4; MV 40’ or fly 50’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +1; AL N..

Gynosphinx: Init +6; Atk claw +5 melee (1d6); AC 17; HD 6d8+6; MV 40’ or fly 50’; Act 2d20; spellcasting; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6; AL N.

Small Gynosphinx: Init +7; Atk claw +5 melee (1d4); AC 18; HD 2d8+4; MV 30’ or fly 50’; Act 2d20; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +5; AL C.

Hieracosphinx: Init +4; Atk claw +5 melee (1d4) or bite +3 melee (1d6); AC 15; HD 5d8+5; MV 40’ or fly 50’; Act 3d20; SV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +2; AL N.

The names of the various types of sphinxes come to us from the ancient Greeks, and particularly by Herodotus when he travelled to Egypt. All sphinxes have leonine bodies and bird-like wings, but there are several different types which may be encountered.

Androsphinxes are the largest group, with make human heads. These sphinxes serve as guardians, and generally ally themselves with the gods of Law. Androsphinxes have the spellcasting abilities of level 1d3 clerics, including the ability to turn the unholy and lay on hands.

Criosphinxes have the heads of rams and are not particularly intelligent. 

Gynosphinxes have female human heads, and come in two varieties, both of which love esoteric knowledge.  The larger gynosphinxes can cast spells as level 1d5 wizards, and may sometimes be sought for spell knowledge. These sphinxes may sometimes act as guardians, but more commonly seek their own pleasure. They are not evil, or even ill-willed, but they do seek a high price for knowledge gathered over centuries.

Smaller gynosphinxes are decidedly malevolent. Although they may be dispatched by the gods to punish transgressors, in truth they do not care who gets punished, and they will kill and devour all they can until their proper target should appear. Like their larger kindred, these sphinxes love knowledge, and particularly love riddles. It is a favorite game to ask a riddle of their intended prey, who – if they can answer correctly – may be allowed to go free unscathed.

Hieracosphinxes are falcon-headed and intelligent. They have been known to aid humans, acting as guardians or hunters, but they are equally likely to be encountered raiding livestock, or far in the wastes where all but the most hardy travelers may be avoided. Hieracosphinxes have a great store of wisdom, but only those who understand the languages of hawks and eagles may prise secrets from them successfully.