Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Goldbug, Gorbel, and Gorilla Bear

There are a few monsters in the original Fiend Folio which are not graced with an illustration; the Goldbug is the first of these I am converting. As a monster, this creation leaves a lot to be desired. As a living trap, which has other potential uses, it works brilliantly. Discerning readers will note that I have tried to include some reference to The Gold Bug, by Edgar Allan Poe, which I believe was the original inspiration.

The Gorbel is an interesting creation. I seem to recall a similar creature in a cheesy science fiction movie – my mind wants to say The Ice Pirates, but that came out in 1984, and could not have provided an inspiration here. 1980’s Galaxina also comes to mind. (Two movies that were definitely of their time and would not have been made today). My Gorbel cleaves pretty closely to the Fiend Folio material; in my AD&D days I had them be related to certain other spherical monsters with multiple eyes on stalks.

The final monster in this post, the Gorilla Bear, is a gorilla crossed with a bear. I don’t believe that I have ever used this monster.

 

Goldbug

These insects are flattened, circular beetles related to scarabs. They have golden chitinous bodies which resemble gold coins both in size and shape, from which they get their name. The hard outer wings of these beetles appears to resemble a human skull, both heightening their resemblance to coins and differentiating them from the vast majority of gold currency.

Goldbugs subsist off of raw meat and carrion, but they can also feed off of the foison (or inherent metaphysical properties) of gold. Feeding in this way does devalue the gold they feed from, but it takes the lifetimes of many beetles to have an appreciable effect. This form of feeding also makes goldbugs sluggish, and gives them an odor which dwarves may mistake for gold.

A disturbed goldbug inflicts a venomous bite on bare skin (gloves and gauntlets negate this). The venom does 1d4 points of damage, and requires a DC 10 Fort save to avoid taking 2d4 points of temporary Stamina damage (which heals normally). Something about the venom offers a strange bonus to those who succeed in their saving throw – these fortunate souls gain a +1d3 bonus to Intelligence checks for the next 1d5 hours, and gain double this bonus if making a check to understand a language, understand a cipher, or perform any similar act of cryptography.

Goldbugs are too small to extract useful venom from, but they have been intentionally transferred (using carrion or gloves) to protect treasures. Some mages and thieves’ guilds keep goldbugs for the potential intellectual boost they can provide, although this practice can be perilous!

 

Gorbel

Gorbel: Init +5; Atk Claw +2 melee (1d4 plus cling); AC 17; HD 1 hp; MV 50’; Act 1d20; SP Infravision 60’, cling, immune to blunt weapons, explosion; SV Fort +0, Ref +7, Will +2; AL C.

This creature appears as a 3-foot diameter sphere of rubbery, deep red material. It has a tiny mouth, six eyes on short retractable stalks equally spaced around the upper hemisphere, and two clawed legs. With a successful attack, a gorbel clings to its victim’s back, doing an automatic 1d6 damage each round until dislodged with a successful Mighty Deed, its victim reaches 0 hp, or it is destroyed. A clinging gorbel cannot dodge effectively, so that there is a +5 bonus to attack rolls against the creature.

Blunt weapons do not harm gorbels, merely bouncing off their rubbery hides. Likewise, a gorbel can fall any distance and will simply bounce rather than be harmed, However, if hit with a sharp weapon – including any with a point or edge – the creature bursts asunder, killing it and doing 1d4 damage to anyone within 5’ (no save).

Gorbels are mischievous, fickle, and irritable creatures.

 

Gorilla Bear

Gorilla Bear: Init +1; Atk bite +4 melee (1d8) or claw +6 melee (1d6); AC 16; HD 4d8; MV 30’ or climb 20’; Act 2d20; SP Keen senses, bearhug; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +8; AL N.

These aggressive monsters have the head, body and legs of a gorilla with the sharp teeth and powerful arms of a bear. They have excellent hearing, smell, and eyesight, making them hard to sneak up on or surprise. If both claws hit a single target, the victim is pulled into a bearhug that does an additional 2d6 damage.

Once a victim is caught in a bearhug, the gorilla bear can use one Action Die to automatically do 2d6 damage while attempting to bite the same target at a +4 bonus to hit. A victim can escape with a successful Mighty Deed of 4+, or an opposed Strength check vs. +4.