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.