Print versions of the Cyclopedia of Common Animals

Well, I finally got my proofs and approved them. For those who are interested, print versions are now available.

Both softcover and hardcover versions are ready. If you need stats for anything from an aardvark to a zebu, this is your chance. 

With over 500 statblocks, rules for rabies and malaria, and such animals as the sun bear, caimen, galapagos tortoise, and shrew (to pick a few at random), this work is sure to contain something for everyone!

Get It Here!

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: What the H?!? Halfling, Harpy, Hell Hound, Herd Animal, Hippocampus, Hippogriff, Hippopotamus, Hobgoblin, Homonculous, Horse, Hydra, and Hyena

While this is a bit larger than the average post in this series, a plethora of these entries can be found in the core rulebook, the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, or (in one case) both. The homunculus is covered to some degree by the find familiar spell, but I have decided to include a separate version anyway, which you may use as a familiar for enemy spellcasters. As the core rulebook says, these beings may have powers unavailable to the PCs, and that is completely okay.  I have corrected the spelling from the Monster Manual.

Halflings are, of course, a character class in the core rulebook, and I am again doing a “Men & Magicians” style series of statblocks for common halflings your PCs might meet. Because halflings are a pastoral people, this is a fairly short entry (pun intended).

Halfling Farmer: Init +0; Atk club +0 melee (1d4) or pitchfork +0 melee (1d8); AC 10; HD 1d4; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL L.

Halfling Mayor: Init +0; Atk dagger +0 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 3d4; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2; AL L.

Halfling Sheriff: Init +2; Atk staff +1 melee (1d4); AC 12; HD 2d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1; AL L.

Halfling Deputy: Init +0; Atk staff +1 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 1d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +1; AL L.

Halfling Boundary Warden: Init +2; Atk staff +2 melee (1d4) or short bow +4 ranged (1d6); AC 12; HD 3d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision, +3 stealth; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; AL L.

Halflings live fairly pastoral existences, and this is reflected in their statistics. Halfling sheriffs keep the peace within their own communities, which seldom requires much overt action. Boundary wardens, on the other hand, patrol the borders of halfing communities to keep the riffraff out, and are more used to armed conflict.

Tallfellows and stouts are not differentiated enough to require separate statblocks, but if the judge wishes to do so, tallfellows are large enough to ride ponies and may be better armed, while stouts tend toward better armor.

Harpy: See core rulebook, page 417.

Hell Hound: See core rulebook, page 417.

Herd Animal: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for many examples of herd animals.

Hippocampus: Init +1; Atk bite +5 melee (1d5+1); AC 14; HD 4d8; MV 60’ or swim 100’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2; AL N.

Hippocampi are oceanic horses with fish-like tails and fins instead of hooves.

These statistics came from this post. Interested parties may also find this post to be of some interest.

Hippogriff: Init +1; Atk beak +7 melee (1d8+3) or hoof +5 melee (1d4+3); AC 14; HD 3d8; MV 40’ or fly 120’; Act 2d20; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4; AL N.

Winged horses with eagle-like heads and forelimbs, hippogriffs are proud and willful. They avoid humanoid contact, although they can sometimes be trained as mounts if raised from the egg. They nest in high, hard-to-reach locations, usually far from civilized lands, and defend their nests with their lives. A viable hippogriff egg may fetch 1d4+1 x 100 gp if a buyer can be found.

Exceptional individuals may gain the trust and affection of an adult hippogriff, which will then allow itself to be ridden, but such cases are rare indeed.

Hippopotamus: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Hobgoblin: See core rulebook, page 417.

Homunculus: Init +3; Atk bite +0 melee (1d3 plus sleep); AC 14; HD 2d6+2; MV 20’ or fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP sleep (5d6 minutes, DC 14 Fort negates), familiar connection; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2; AL variable.

Winged humanoids a foot and a half high, a homunculus is created through an alchemical ritual requiring an expenditure of at least 5d4 weeks, 5d6 x 20 gp in materials, and the casting of a find familiar spell. The resultant being cannot speak, and has the statistics above, but in all other ways is treated like a normal familiar – and may be of any type. See the core rulebook, pages 316-317 for details. A homunculus’s extra hit points may be a great boon to its master, but allowing the creature to die has a rather deleterious effect.

Homunculi of this type can cause victims to fall into a deep sleep which cannot be ended by normal means, but this ability is magical and cannot be extracted as a poison.

Horse: See core rulebook, page 418, or the Cyclopediaof Common Animals for expanded options.

Hydra: See core rulebook, page 418.

Hyena: See the Cyclopediaof Common Animals for both normal and giant (hyaenadon) varieties.

The Rules

Shanthopal Multi-Player Online Game

1.       Characters

a.       Players may have any number of active characters, but all active characters must be posted in the “character-sheets” channel.

b.      Characters starting at level 1 are made in the usual way, but can have no more than 20 gp in coinage remaining when they first enter play.

c.       Base Luck is the Luck rolled at level 0, or when the character was first created, which is considered the character’s Luck for thing like Lucky Weapon, Lucky Spell, and so on. Thieves and halflings naturally regain Luck to this baseline.

d.      Characters used in other games are considered “clones”, and nothing which occurs in those games – XP, treasure, character death, etc. – affect the character in the Shanthopal game.

e.      There is hope to eventually publish the setting with a “Rogues Gallery” of PCs, and playing is taken as permission to use your characters (with proper credit) for this purpose. Make them interesting, treating them like protagonists of your own Appendix N novels. Quest For It is your friend; no character needs to be generic.

f.        Class-Specific:

                                                               i.      Clerics: The setting uses unique gods, and clerics must adhere to those gods. There is a growing document in my Patreon covering the specifics of those gods, and, in at least one case (Fortuna) an entirely new class. If you want a cleric where the specifics are not yet generated, I will move that god up the queue. All gods have unique tables for generating spells for their clerics.

                                                             ii.      Wizards:

1.       Wizards must learn spells, and do not automatically know their randomly generated spells. You may reserve slots for spells you want, and seek them out. If you are truly daring, you may forego level 1 spells altogether and try to survive long enough to learn higher-level spells.

2.       Shanthopal uses unique patrons in addition to those of the core rulebook and the Angels, Daemons, & Beings Between volumes.

                                                            iii.      Elves: Elves must have a patron to cast spells, and do not need to learn patron bond. Shanthopal uses unique patrons in addition to those of the core rulebook and the Angels, Daemons, & Beings Between volumes.

                                                           iv.      Other Classes: Open source classes, such as the faerie animal in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, are fair game, subject to the judge’s approval.

2.       Adventures:

a.       Apart from 0-level funnels, each player may only play one character during any given session. This can be any character available in their “stable” of characters.

b.      It is up to players to determine who comprises a party for each game session, what the party intends to do, and when you would like to play. There is an “expedition-planning” channel for this purpose, but you can use any means you like. The party spokesman then contacts me (DM or email is best) with this information and, if I am available, we play at that time. Please allow me some time to prep.

c.       An expedition must always include at least one PC who has played in the campaign previously. I.e., the first post-funnel game must include at least one funnel survivor, but characters introduced in that game can then plan expeditions of their own.

d.      Opportunities Arise: I will occasionally create events which represent some time-sensitive game events or opportunities. Play in them or not as you like.

e.      It is up to you whether or not to share the unique things you learn in each game session with those who were not present.

f.        Because note-taking is no longer easy for me, I record sessions for later review. These recordings are not shared with anyone else.

g.       PVP is allowed, and to the extent that it enriches the game, even encouraged. Just remember that the goal is to make the game fun for all, and you may find yourself no longer invited on expeditions if you take it too far. It is up to the players, not the judge, to make this determination and plan their expeditions accordingly.

3.       Between Adventures:

a.       As of 1 October 2025, time between adventures passes on a 1:1 scale. Upkeep rules will be available before this time and, yes, living in squalor may adversely affect your PCs. The goal, of course, is to give PCs motives to earn and spend more treasure, as well as to provide a level of verisimilitude and give my cholera rules a workout.

b.      Shanthopal will eventually have its own rules for regaining Luck between outings. In the meanwhile, each session will open with a chance to use the DCC Lankhmar carousing rules, so long as the PCs are in an area where that makes sense.

c.       If a session ends mid-expedition, time freezes for those characters until they are played again. If the circumstances in other expeditions intersect with the frozen characters, then something else has happened to them (per judge). It is unreasonable to assume that PCs will always return to a place of safety before a session ends in an exploration-based game.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Finishing the “G”s: Grey Ooze, Green Slime, Griffon, and Groaning Spirit

I admit to never having used a groaning spirit when I was DMing AD&D 1e, but I have used many a grey ooze to good effect. Of all the oozes, slimes, and jellies, I think that the grey ooze has always been my favorite. One of my most memorable ooze encounters was with a tiny grey ooze within a humanoid skull. When the skull was picked up, the ooze attacked through the eye socket. The “tiny grey ooze” stats herein are included you to reproduce this incident in your home games.

In the case of these statistics, the core rulebook’s entries for primeval slimes and ghosts are the basis for my conversions.

Grey Ooze: Init +4; Atk pseudopod +4 melee (2d4); AC 10; HD 1d8; MV 10’, climb 5’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, metal digestive, immunities (magic, heat, and cold), half damage from slicing and piercing weapons; SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N.

Tiny Grey Ooze: Init +4; Atk pseudopod +1 melee (1d4); AC 14; HD 1d3; MV 5’, climb 5’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, metal digestive, immunities (magic, heat, and cold), half damage from slicing and piercing weapons; SV Fort +3, Ref -5, Will -6; AL N.

Large Grey Ooze: Init +2; Atk pseudopod +5 melee (3d4); AC 10; HD 3d8; MV 10’, climb 10’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, metal digestive, immunities (magic, heat, and cold), half damage from slicing and piercing weapons, psionic potential; SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N.

Grey oozes appear to be nothing more than wet stone until they move. They move with snake-like undulations, making them faster than most primeval slimes, and their pseudopod strikes are also serpentine in nature.

Grey oozes corrode metal on touch. Metal weapons are rendered useless after one touch (including a successful attack against the creature) and metal armor loses one point of Armor Class bonus for every round of contact or successful attack from the ooze. Magic items receive a special save against DC 12 for a normal or large grey ooze and DC 7 against a tiny one. This save is made by adding the weapon’s attack bonus to a d20 roll. The wielder may spend Luck on this save.

Normal grey oozes are about 6 feet long and 3 feet wide. Tiny grey oozed are only 1 foot long and six inches wide. Large grey oozes are 1d8+8 feet long and 1d3+2 feet wide. Large grey oozes have a 1 in 10 chance of developing an alien intelligence roughly equal to normal human intelligence (3d6). Intelligent grey oozes further have an INT% chance of developing 1d3 psionic abilities. Roll 1d5 for each ability:

1. Telepathy: The ooze can communicate telepathically in a 60’ range. If rolled again, increase range by 30’.

2. Psychic Defense: Each time this is rolled, the ooze gains a +4 bonus to its Will saves.

3. Psionic Attack: Once per turn, the ooze can cause 1d6 damage to all living creatures with a mind within 30’; Will DC 13 negates. If rolled again, roll 1d4: (1) increase damage by +1d6, (2) increase range by 20’, (3) increase Will save DC by +2, or (4) increase the times the ooze can use this attack by +1 per turn.

4. Illusion Generation: The ooze can create simple illusions within a 30’ radius with auditory, visual, or scent components. These illusions can one have one component at a time, and are automatically dispelled when interacted with. If rolled again, increase the number of components usable by the ooze.

5. Telekinesis. The ooze can move a single object weighing no more than 5 pounds within a 30’ radius. Each time this is rolled again, the number of objects, weight limit, and radius double.

Green Slime: Init –6; Atk Contact +0 melee (infection); AC 5; HD 1d8; MV 1’, climb 1’; Act 1d16; SP infection, metal digestive, only harmed by fire or cold; SV Fort +0, Ref –10, Will +0; AL N.

Green slime is a primeval ooze which moves slowly, digesting metal, animal tissue, and wood. When it comes into contact with metal, it eats through it quickly. Metal weapons are rendered useless after one touch and metal armor loses one point of Armor Class bonus for every round of contact or successful attack from the slime. Magic items receive a special save against DC 12, made by adding the weapon’s attack bonus to a d20 roll. The wielder may spend Luck on this save. If an attack made by green slime misses due to AC bonus from armor, the slime has come into contact with the armor.

Green slime typically is found in places where it can drip down on creatures passing below, but it is sometimes found in murky shallow water where creatures may accidently step on it (Luck check to avoid). In contact with living flesh, it infects the tissue over the next 1d4+1 rounds. During this time, it may be burnt, frozen, or scraped away (doing a minimum of 1 damage to the slime’s victim per round of contact) or neutralized as a disease. Failure to do so within this time frame means the victim dies and is turned into a new patch of green slime over the next 3d6 rounds. Anyone looting the body during this time must succeed in a Luck check to avoid coming into contact with green slime themselves.

Griffon: See core rulebook, page 417.

Groaning Spirit: Init +2; Atk incorporeal touch +6 melee (paralysis) or banshee scream; AC 10; HD 2d12; MV fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead traits, incorporeal, immune to non-magical weapons, paralysis (1d4 hours, Fort DC 14 negates), banshee scream, future sight, family ties; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +6; AL C.

Believed by some to be the ghosts of evil elven women, groaning spirit can attack with a bone-chilling scream. Every living creature within 100’ automatically takes 1d4 sonic damage and is potentially deafened for 1d4 hours (DC 12 Fort save to resist). The ghost can issue this scream up to 3 times per hour. Dogs, horses, and other domesticated animals are automatically spooked by the scream.

Like all ghosts, something prevents a groaning spirit from resting in death, and resolving that wrong allows the ghost to depart forever. Groaning spirits are often harbingers of disaster, and many are tied to the fortunes of specific extended families, appearing only as a warning or a prelude to misfortune.

Any creature that gazes into a groaning spirit’s eyes receives a shocking glimpse of a possible future. A character attacking the ghost must make a DC 10 Reflex save or inadvertently gaze into the ghost’s eyes. This glimpse is always a potential death of the most disturbing fashion. The judge is encouraged to describe the vision as one associated with a potential future encounter in the current adventure, or one related to the looming disaster the groaning spirit heralds. When the character reaches that encounter or event, they suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls due to fright and fear of death. Paralyzed characters, of course, get no save.

Fortunately, groaning spirits seem to wish only to deliver their warnings before disappearing again, but victims of their scream may die from it, and paralyzed characters may find themselves facing predators drawn by the spirit’s wailing. If a character encounters a groaning spirit alone, and is paralyzed, this may well be the vision that the un-dead creature imparts.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Giant Goat, Goblin, Golem, and Gorgon

I was going to try to forge on and finish the “G”s in this post, but there is a bit of work to do with golems, so I decided to end after the gorgon. The giant goats listed here are built from the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, and I supplied two types for your judging amusement.

I have used every monster in this post, but none leap out as having been the basis of some favorite encounter of my youth. Well, I have used (and continue to use) a lot of goblins, but those are covered by the core rulebook!

Giant Goat: Init +2; Atk butt +2 melee (1d6); AC 11; HD 2d6; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP charge for +4 to hit (-4 AC until next action); SV Fort +3; Ref +4; Will +2; AL C.

Monstrous Giant Goat: Init +0; Atk butt +4 melee (2d6); AC 14; HD 3d6; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP charge for +4 to hit (-4 AC until next action); SV Fort +4; Ref +4; Will +4; AL C.

These giant goats are wild dwellers in hilly or mountainous country. Giant goats are 4 feet tall at the shoulder, while the shaggy monstrous giant goats are 5-6 feet tall at the shoulder. Although not predators, they can be territorial, and some remote humanoids have managed to tame them enough to use as mounts.

Goblin: See the core rulebook, page 417.

Golem: The DCC Annual and Weird Frontiers both have information to aid you in creating adventures with golems and/or creating golems of your own. I have not referenced those works for these conversions, which were intended make using older AD&D modules easier.

Clay Golem: Init -4; Atk fist +5 melee (3d10 plus lingering); AC 13; HD 5d12 (50 hp); MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP construct, lingering (damage can only be healed magically), +1 action die for 1d5 rounds 1/day; immune to non-blunt weapons, immune to most spells; SV Fort +10, Ref -4, Will +0; AL N.

Clay golems are a product of idol magic, and some powerful clerics or cults may know the expensive secrets of their creation. It is said that the creation of these beings takes something from the creator’s soul, so that there is a personal cost as well as a financial one in their creation.

Clay golems are only harmed by blunt weapons, and they are immune to the direct effects of most spells. Shatter, transmute earth, turn to stone, and earthquake can affect a clay golem, doing a minimum of 1d10 damage per spell level when cast directly upon a clay golem. If the spell check result indicates more damage would be done, the result takes precedence. Secondary effects, like summoned animals or an adventurer being protected by magic shield, function normally.

Wounds caused by a clay golem’s fists do not heal naturally, but can be affected by magic. Once each day, a clay golem can move faster, gaining an additional action die which if may use to move or attack.

Flesh Golem: Init +0; Atk fist +4 melee (1d8+6); AC 11; HD 4d12 (40 hp); MV 10’; Act 2d20; SP construct, half damage from non-magical weapons, immune to mind-affecting, extraordinary strength, healed by magical fire and cold, rampage; SV Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N.

Stitched together from cadavers and artificially-created flesh, these golems are very powerful, but somewhere within the biological material used to create them, there is an awareness of and horror at what they are. When engaged in combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance per round that the golem will go on a rampage, attacking everyone and everything it meets until stopped. If its creator is present, a DC 15 Personality check stops the rampage. Likewise, a scene or encounter of great innocence and tranquility might halt the rampage (10% chance or judge’s discretion). Otherwise, the golem’s rampage continues until it is destroyed.

These creatures are not un-dead, and cannot be turned as such.

Iron Golem: Init +0; Atk enormous short sword +10 melee (4d10) or fist +8 melee (3d10); AC 17; HD 10d12 (80 hp); MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP construct, breathe poison cloud (1 in 7 chance per round, 10’ diameter, 1d6 damage plus DC 15 Fort or 2d6 Stamina damage), immune to non-magical weapons, healed by magical fire, electrical attacks also slow (half speed and actions for 1d6 rounds); SV Fort +14, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N.

Standing at least 12 feet tall, iron golems are enormously strong (+10 to Strength checks). In addition to their melee attacks, there is a 1 in 7 chance that an iron golem breathes out a cloud of poisonous gas directly in front of it each round.

Stone Golem: Init +0; Atk fist +6 melee (3d8); AC 15; HD 6d12 (60 hp); MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP construct, half damage from non-magical weapons, slow 1/round; SV Fort +12, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N.

Stone golems tower over humans, at a height exceeding 9 feet. Once per round, they can cast slow at an opponent directly in front of them no more than 30 feet away. The golem need not use an action die, nor make a spell check, automatically gaining a result of 16-17 (DC 16 Will save negates).

Gorgon: Init +3; Atk gore +5 melee (2d6) or trample +6 melee (1d8) or deadly breath; AC 20; HD 6d8; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP deadly breath every 1d5 rounds; SV Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +0; AL C.

Deadly Breath: A gorgon has a breath weapon that forms a cloud with a 20' diameter, affecting all creatures within. To determine the effects of any given gorgon's breath weapon, roll 1d12:

(1-5) Petrifying. Victims must succeed in a DC 10 Will save or take 1d8 points of permanent Agility damage. This represents the body of the victim turning slowly to stone, and can be healed only by strong magic or bathing in the blood of the gorgon responsible. If Agility reaches 0 through this damage, the creature is completely petrified.

(6-9) Poisonous. Victims take 1d6 damage and must succeed in a DC 12 Fort save or take 1d4 points of temporary Stamina damage.

(10) Caustic. Victims take 1d6 damage, and must make a DC 10 Fort save or take 1d6 damage each round until the save succeeds.

(11) Memory-Eating. Victims must succeed in a DC 10 Will save or lose 1d6 XP. This can reduce characters' levels, as their memories of past success are eaten away. Anyone reduced to 0 XP takes Intelligence damage instead on a failed save.

(12) Pestilent. Victims must succeed in a DC 15 Fort save or become ill, taking an immediate 1 point of temporary Strength, Stamina, and Agility damage. Each day thereafter, the victim must make a DC 15 Fort save or suffer an additional 1d3 temporary damage to Strength, Stamina, and Agility. This damage does not begin to heal until the character has succeeded in three saves, which ends the pestilence, or the disease is removed by other means. Worse, the victim is contagious, and anyone in their company must make a DC 15 Fort save after each hour or fall victim to the same pestilence.

(From this post.)

 

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Giant Gar, Gargoyle, Gas Spore, Gelatinous Cube, Ghast, Ghost, Ghoul, Giant, Gnoll, and Gnome

After the last short Monster Manual conversion post, this one is a bit longer. I was somewhat chagrinned to discover that I hadn’t included a giant gar in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, but that is remedied here. Still, a lot of monsters in the Monster Manual are covered in the core rulebook, so this post will not be as long as the title might suggest.

Of all the monsters I am converting today, the gelatinous cube holds the fondest memories for me. Even in its original incarnation, if you spot it most of the time you can simply walk away from it. But what happens when you hit a dead end? If there is a secret door, can you find it before the cube catches up to you? In some cases, PC fleeing from one encounter have run smack-dab into a cube while running. And, of course, partially-digested remains, bones, or armor seeming to float down a corridor can be both eerie and misleading.

Giant Gar: Init +4; Atk bite +6 melee (1d6); AC 14; HD 3d8; MV swim 50’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +2; Ref +3; Will +0; AL N.

Torpedo-shaped fish which grow to 1d10+20 feet in length, giant gars prefer to attack by ambush, but are willing to openly attack anything smaller than them, including adventurers.

Like smaller gars, giant gar roe is toxic to humans when consumed (Fort DC 18 or 1d3 Stamina damage), and a thief can distill this toxic quality to a more lethal version (Fort DC 22 or 2d4 Stamina damage) with 3 helpings of roe, suitable equipment, and a DC 10 Handle Poison check. Failure that does not result in poisoning indicates that the roe was overheated, and the toxic qualities lost. A gravid female giant gar has 2d6+3 helpings of roe. Masses of roe can also be collected once the fish have spawned, at the judge’s discretion.

Gargoyle: See the core rulebook, page 413.

Gas Spore: I did this post in 2015, which to my mind covers the gas spore better than a direct conversion.

Gazeball: Init –2; Atk Slam +2 melee (1d3) or infect –4 melee (0); AC 8; HD 4d8; fly MV 10’; Act 1d20; SP symbiotic spores, reproductive spores, slime, infestation, explosion, immune to mind-affecting, half damage from bludgeoning; SV Fort –5, Ref –4, Will –2; AL N.

A gazeball is a fungal horror which appears to be a large eye, floating in midair, perhaps due to some form of levitation. Rhizomatic growths at its apex appear almost like a crown of eyes, each at the end of a short tentacle-like growth. In fact, pustulant sacs in the gazeball’s mass create a volatile gas that provides lift, and the “crown of eyes” are designed to incubate, and eject the spores of, a secondary symbiotic fungi. The gazeball can shoot a line of symbiotic spores up to 30’ (Ref save DC 15 or suffer 1d3 temporary Agility damage).

When a target is paralyzed, or can barely move due to the symbiotic spores, the gazeball uses another growth to deposit its own spores on the victim. These spores are laid in a thick coat of slime over the victim’s face. The slime can be broken down by alcohol, or dissolves on its own after a period of 2d10 minutes. While the slime is present, the victim is blinded. During this period, the spores travel into the victim’s skull, where they infest the brain (a DC 20 Fort save prevents this from occurring). If the slime is washed off within the first 10 rounds, the victim gains a +1 to +10 bonus to the save, with the highest bonus indicated it is washed off within a single round.

The gazeball’s spores cause 1d3 Intelligence damage immediately upon infestation, and then cause 1d3-1 points of Intelligence damage each day thereafter. When damage causes a PC to fall to 10 Intelligence or less, the character’s entire head becomes tender. Thereafter, there is visible cranial swelling. If a victim falls to 0 Intelligence, roll 1d3-1. On a result of 1-2, the victim’s skull explodes, revealing new gazeballs equal to the number rolled (1 or 2) with 1 HD each. On a roll of “0”, the victim manages to defeat the infection, and slowly returns to normal. Otherwise, the infection can only be cured by magic or clerical healing (4 HD result or better).

A gazeball’s slam attack is only used in self-defense. The fungal creature is not looking for a meal, but for the chance to reproduce.

Finally, when damaged there is a percentage chance equal to the total damage taken that a gazeball will explode due to the weakening of the gas pustules. This causes 1d3 damage to all targets within 30’, who must also succeed in a DC 5 Fort save to avoid infestation with the gazeball’s spores. If there is an open flame within the radius of the blast, it causes a secondary explosion for 2d6 damage (Reflex save DC 10 for half damage; characters who take 6+ damage are set on fire). Each point of fire damage counts as 5 points when determining the chance of explosion.

Gelatinous Cube: This listing is based off the primeval slime found on pages 423-424 of the core rulebook. A 10’ x 10’ x 10’ cube would consist of eight 5’ cubes. I also included a smaller, 5’ cube which would be easier to defeat.

Gelatinous Cube (10’ cube): Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d4 plus paralysis) or engulf; AC 10; HD 8d8; MV 5’, climb 5’; Act 8d20; SP near-transparent, paralysis (1d6 hours, DC 14 Fort negates), engulf, immune to mind-affecting and electricity, half damage from slicing and piercing weapons; SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N.

Gelatinous Cube (5’ cube): Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d4 plus paralysis) or engulf; AC 10; HD 1d8; MV 5’, climb 5’; Act 1d20; SP near-transparent, paralysis (1d6 hours, DC 14 Fort negates), engulf, immune to mind-affecting and electricity, half damage from slicing and piercing weapons; SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N.

Gelatinous cubes are nearly transparent, and hard to see in the uncertain light of a dungeon. They are effectively invisible at as far as 10’ away unless one is specifically looking for one (DC 10 Intelligence at 10’; DC increases by +2 per additional 5’ away.

If it does nothing else that round, a gelatinous cube may engulf a paralyzed victim, doing an automatic 2d4 damage each round until the cube is slain and the victim rescued. A 5’ cube can only engulf a single victim, but a 10’ cube can engulf up to 4 human-sized creatures. Slain creatures are likewise engulfed, and engulfed creatures are digested over the next 1d4 hours. It takes an additional 1d4 hours to digest bone. Gelatinous cubes cannot digest metal, and generally expel engulfed metal objects after 2d6 days.

Ghast: Init +2; Atk bite +4 melee (1d4 plus paralyzation) or claw +2 melee (1d3); AC 12; HD 4d6; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead traits, paralyzation (1d6 minutes, DC 15 Fort negates), stench (10’ radius, -1d penalty to all rolls, DC 13 Will negates), infravision 100’; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.

Ghasts are similar enough to ghouls that they cannot be told apart at a distance, but their stench is such that anyone coming within 10’ of a ghast must succeed in a DC 13 Will save or take a -1d penalty for as long as they remain within melee range of a ghast.

Ghasts sometimes lead packs of ordinary ghouls.

Ghost: See the core rulebook, pages 413-414.

Ghoul: See the core rulebook, page 414.

Giant: See the core rulebook, page 414-416. Cloud, fire, hill, stone, and storm giants are covered.

Gnoll: See the core rulebook, page 416.

Gnome: The first published gnome class for DCC was by Yves Larochelle, appearing in Crawl! #6. I received kind permission from the author to use his creation with slight tweaks for Gnome Jambalaya.  The Pax Lexque Campaign Guide (Ed Stanek and Xuân Stanek, with contributions by Susan Stanek) includes another gnome class. A third gnome class appears in Brendan LaSalle’s Xcrawl Classics RPG. That niche has been more than adequately covered.

But what if you don’t want a class, but just want some small faerie-types living in your woodlands? Let’s do that instead.

Gnome: Init +4; Atk tiny spear +4 melee (1d3) or tiny bow +6 ranged (30’ range, 1d3); AC 18; HD 1d3; MV 10’; Act 1d16; SP heightened senses, speak with animals, healing, stealth +10; SV Fort -4, Ref +10, Will +2; AL N.

Gnomes are fey creatures of the forest, ranging from six inches to a foot in height. They live in underground communities dug out around the roots of large trees. They can speak with mammals, birds, and similar animals, and get along well with them, save for weaselkind and rats. They hate weasels of all types, save otters, and will trap and slay them if possible.

Gnomes have a great store of healing lore, and can cure 1d6 hp once per week with 1d8 minutes of work. Other conditions, such as blindness, paralysis, and disease, can also be cured, but the process may take days or even weeks (per judge). Likewise, they understand which plants are toxic, and are not above using this knowledge to be rid of problematic intruders.

Gnomes are very good at hiding. They prefer muted and woodland colors for the most part, but have a deep and abiding love for their conical red hats.  When a gnome is spotted, it is almost always due to their cap, although sometimes what is mistaken for a gnome’s cap is actually a mushroom, and not all mushrooms are safe to touch (let alone eat)!

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: All the “F”s: Flightless Bird, Giant Frog, and Violet Fungi

This is a pretty short post, but we can easily get it out of the way.

Flightless Bird: The Monster Manual doesn’t differentiate between ostrich, emu, and rhea. The Cyclopedia of Common Animals contains these, plus the axe-beak, cassowary, dodo, giant dodo, elephant bird, and giant ostrich as flightless birds. It also covers kiwis and penguins.

If this is seemingly like another advertisement for the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, it is just because the work covers so much. It is, essentially, a product I have been wanting since the early 80s.

Giant Frog: The original Monster Manual includes giant frogs, poisonous frogs, and killer frogs. Let’s face it, giant frogs are fun to use…I know that I have used them on multiple occasions! Both giant frogs and giant poison dart frogs are covered in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, but killer frogs are not.

According to the Monster Manual, killer frogs are on the small side and “employ talons and teeth in attack. They are man-eating, specially bred mutants. Only their cannibalistic habits keep them from becoming common and thus a real threat.” It seems reasonable enough, then, to build them from the giant frogs in the Cyclopedia, like so:

Killer Frog: Init +2; Atk bite +0 melee (1d4+1) or claws +1 melee (1d3); AC 11; HD 1d4; MV 20’ or swim 30’ or jump 30’; Act 2d20; SV Fort -4, Ref +5, Will +0; AL N.

Killer frogs average a length of 2 feet and weigh about 50 pounds. They are almost never found alone; where one is encountered, 3d6 are certain to be lurking nearby.

Violet Fungi: Init +0; Atk branch-like growth +0 melee (rotting excretions); AC 13; HD 3d6; MV swim 1’; Act (1d4)d16; SP fungi, rotting excretions; SV Fort +4, Ref -10, Will +0; AL N.

These hardy fungal growths look like shriekers, and when they are found, it is often in symbiotic relationships with them. Shriekers provide camouflage for violet fungi, and in return the violet fungi provide rotting animal matter for both fungi types to consume.

Violet fungi can be distinguished from shriekers by 1d4 branch-like growths coated with a thick semi-liquid excretion. Animals coming into contact with these excretions must succeed in a DC 15 Fort save, or their flesh rots starting from the point of contact at a rate of 1d3 Stamina damage per round, with every full 3 points resulting in an additional 1 point of permanent point of Strength, Agility, or Stamina damage (equal chances of each). Once it begins, this rotting can be halted as a disease via magic, clerical laying on of hands, or by a DC 20 Intelligence check made by a healer, dwarven mushroom farmer, or similar.

Violet fungi have one action die per branch-like growth. A thief can harvest 1d3 doses of the rot-inducing excretions from a dead violet fungus with a successful Handle Poison check, per branch-like growth. These excretions remain potent for 1d6 after collection.

I have, of course, used violet fungi, and converted them previously for Purple Mountain II: Desolate Dwarven Delve (Purple Duck Games). I did not consult that conversion when doing this one. Apart from being an iconic danger when exploring deep places below ground, violet fungi reward players for paying attention to their surroundings. With their slow movement rate, they are easy to avoid in many cases, and their threat can be removed with ranged weapons. They, do, however, make silencing shriekers more difficult!

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Finishing the “E”s: Elemental, Elephant, Elf, Ettin, Floating Eye, and Eye of the Deep

As we go on with converting the original Monster Manual, we will eventually run into more creatures which have already been converted in the DCC core rulebook or in my blog. In the case of blog conversions, I will include both a link to the original post and statistics here. I have already made one exception (drow elves) which I covered when converting the original Fiend Folio.

Elves appear in the core rulebook, but we will do the same thing we did with dwarves, and provide some “Men and Magicians” style elves as NPC templates. These will differ somewhat from the elves of The Revelation of Mulmo and Stars in the Darkness, but not so much that you cannot use them together.

It might be argued that Ettins are covered in the rules for variations on giants, but this monster is simple enough to convert that we might as well offer full statistics. I am sure that I have used ettins in the past, but I can’t remember any single use of them. This is a shame, because ettins are an iconic monster both in folklore and in the original Monster Manual.

I have never used the floating eye or the eye of the deep, but who knows what tomorrow brings? As far as I know, the floating eye was not even popular enough to include in later editions of D&D. I am not even sure that it appeared in any AD&D modules….? Anyway, that sounds like a challenge to turn it into a useful monster, so you will have to judge whether or not I met that challenge.

Elemental: See the core rulebook, pages 411 to 412.

Elephant: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals. If these posts are beginning to seem like an extended advertisement for that work, that is simply because the Cyclopedia covers so much.

I am, I hope fairly, proud of how much it covers, as I really did try to make it useful. As the last post saw, however, there were still a few more animals I could have included!

Elven Commoner: Init +0; Atk staff +0 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 1d4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP heightened senses, sensitivity to iron; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.

Elven Soldier: Init +0; Atk spear +1 melee (1d8); AC 13; HD 1d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP 60’ infravision, sensitivity to iron; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1; AL C.

Elven soldiers are armed with bronze-tipped spears, wear leather armor, and bear shields.

Elven Archer: Init +1; Atk short bow +2 ranged (1d6) or dagger +1 melee (1d4); AC 11; HD 1d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP 60’ infravision, sensitivity to iron; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1; AL C.

Elven archers use flint-tipped arrows, as well as daggers of bronze or stone.

Elven Knight: Init +2; Atk mithral longsword +2 melee (1d8) or mithral dagger +2 melee (1d4); AC 18; HD 3d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 60’ infravision, sensitivity to iron; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; AL C.

Armed with mithral weapons, and wearing mithral full plate mail, an elven knight may be mounted on an exception warhorse, or even a unicorn at the judge’s discretion.

Elven Sorcerer: Init +2; Atk staff +2 melee (1d4) or dagger +2 melee (1d4) or spell; AC 12; HD 3d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP 60’ infravision, sensitivity to iron, spellcasting; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3; AL C.

Elven sorcerers can cast up to three spells each day, and can choose from the following effects:

(1) Charm a target within 60’ (as charm person spell result 14-17, Will DC 15 negates but leaves target dazed 1d4 rounds as result 12-13).

(2) Second sight (spell check 1d20+6, cannot result in disapproval).

(3) Elf shot (120’ range, 1d8 damage, Ref DC 15 for half, negated by magic shield).

Elven Lord: Init +0; Atk mithral longsword +3 melee (1d8) or longbow +3 ranged (1d6) or spell; AC 13; HD 5d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20 + 1d14; SP 60’ infravision, sensitivity to iron, spellcasting (+5 spell check: animal summoning, detect magic, invoke patron, locate object, and phantasm); SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +3; AL C.

Elven King: Init +2; Atk mithral longsword +4 melee (1d8) or spell; AC 15; HD 7d6; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP 60’ infravision, sensitivity to iron, spellcasting (+9 spell check: animal summoning, charm person, detect magic, invoke patron, invisible companion, magic shield, runic alphabet [fey], sleep, and shatter; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +6; AL C.

These statistics may be used to represent average elves. If the judge wishes to differentiate types o elves they may consider the following changes:

Aquatic elves are amphibious and gain a Move speed of Swim 50’. However, they suffer an inability to heal away from water similar to (and in addition to) sensitivity to iron.

Drow elves are fully covered in this post and will not be reproduced here.

Gray elves have a +2 bonus to spell checks and Will saves. The judge may also consider using the elder kith from Curse of the Kingspire and Through the Dragonwall to replace gray elves.

Half elves gain +1 hit point per Hit Die and a +1 bonus to Fort saves, but have a -2 penalty to spell checks and Will saves. These suggestions pertain only to quick NPCs; both third party sources and XCrawl Classics contain half elf classes which can be used for more detailed work.

Wood elves have a +2 bonus per Hit Die on stealth checks, but a -4 bonus on spell checks.

Ettin (13’ tall, 1,400 lbs.): Init +1; Atk club +15 melee (3d6+8); AC 17; HD 10d10; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP infravision 60’, hard to surprise, two heads; SV Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +5; AL C.

The ettin is a giant which has two heads, which are completely individual and often in disagreement. This disagreement is reflected in a reduced move speed and reduced action dice (for giants). Because of their two heads, though, they are difficult to surprise and, where Will saves are required, each head counts as a separate target and is allowed a separate saving throw (if any).

Thankfully, although they have two brains, ettins are rather stupid and may be tricked by canny adventurers.

Floating Eye: Init +0; Atk hypnotism (Will DC 12 negates); AC 11; HD 1d4; MV swim 60’; Act 1d20; SP hypnotism; SV Fort -1, Ref +1, Will -2; AL N.

Floating Eye Swarm: Init +0; Atk swarming bite +1 melee (1d3) or hypnotism (Will DC 15 negates); AC 11; HD 4d10; MV swim 60’; Act 1d20; SP attack all targets in a 20’ x 20’ x 20’ area, half damage from non-area attacks, hypnotism; SV Fort +1, Ref +10, Will +0; AL N.

These rare fish are transparent, about a foot long, and have a single large eye about three inches in diameter. They are found in warm salt water, where those who see them are often hypnotized by the sight of their seemingly-disembodied eyes, becoming paralyzed until a save succeeds.

Solitary floating eyes often accompany predatory fish, which consume paralyzed creatures, allowing the floating eye to feed off of the scraps. Sometimes, though, shoals of floating eyes come together to form a swarm, which can be deadly to victims where a single fish would not be.

For surface-dwelling adventurers, hypnotism has the added danger of death by drowning. Since there is no compulsion to approach the creatures, however, sailors have been entranced by floating eyes, watching as long as they were visible, in a disquieting but not overtly dangerous trance.

Eye of the Deep: Init +2; Atk claw +3 melee (2d4) or bite +1 melee (1d6) or eyes; AC 15; HD 10d8; MV swim 20’; Act 3d20; SP eyes (see below); SV Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +12; AL L.

Found only at great ocean depths, the eye of the deep has two huge crab-like pincers to seize its victims and a mouth full of small sharp teeth. Its primary weapons, however, are its eyes. The creature has a large central eye which emits a blinding flash of light in a 30’ cone with a 20’ base (Fort DC 20 or stunned and unable to do more than move at half speed for 2d4 rounds) and two smaller eyes on long stalks with which it is able to create illusions which appear real until touched or interacted with. Acting independently (which dispels any ongoing illusion), each eye can paralyze a single target within 60’ for 1d6 rounds (Will DC 13 negates). Its eye stalks can potentially be severed with a Mighty Deed of 5+ per eye stalk, growing back in about a week if the creature survives.

The eye of the deep is hateful and aggressive, using its great intelligence to organize other deep-dwelling creatures with similar temperaments. It is fortunate for surface-dwellers that these creatures are seldom seen outside of ocean trenches or other areas of great depth and pressure, for they hate us and constantly seek to do us harm.