Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Chimera, Cockatrice, Coatl, Giant Crab, Giant Crayfish, and Crocodile

I’ve been asked to convert the original Monster Manual in a manner similar to my conversion of the Fiend Folio. I am going to do this a bit differently, though, and just try to stick to the essence of creatures without referring to the text of the original work. This is, in part, because of my plans to create a monster book in the upcoming year. In this case, we are dealing with IP that is currently held by Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro, so I can’t imagine a published version of everything here coming out!

I have used every monster in this post, but I have an especial fondness for giant crabs, giant crayfish, and crocodiles both monstrous and mundane. For crocodiles, that love probably comes from a mixture of their actually existing plus various jungle films I saw as a child. Giant crabs and crayfish probably speak to me because of their use in early published adventures. Plus, of course, I had frequent experience with crayfish growing up, and giant crabs were a B-movie staple! In this, the dungeon in the Holmes Basic boxed set and The Village of Hommlet were probably most influential.

It was noteworthy even at the time how D&D plundered diverse cultures for material – especially monsters – while remaining Eurocentric in its outlook. The publication of Oriental Adventures, Maztica, and other products would ameliorate this to some degree as time went on, but in your DCC campaigns I hope you will widen the field even further. You don’t have to create an entire world to transport your PCs briefly to other cultures – and you do not need to even have these appear on the same world. The core rules encourage you to make use of strange planes early and often, and so do I. Several of the published DCC adventures take your PCs to other planets, and this is another way to make use of cultures which are not representative of your “home” campaign area.

Note that the reverse is also true. If your base campaign takes place in fantasy India, there is no reason why you cannot allow your PCs to experience fantasy Germany for an adventure or two.

Chimera: See the core rulebook, page 399.

Cockatrice: See the core rulebook, page 399.

Coatl: Init +6; Atk bite +9 melee (3d6 plus venom) or spellcasting; AC 16; HD 8d8; MV 30’ or fly 50’; Act 1d20; SP venom (1d4 Stamina damage plus DC 14 Fort or death), telepathy 120’ range, shapeshifting, spellcasting (+10 to spell check); SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +6; AL L.

Its name taken from the Nahuatl language from Central Mexico, this creature is a celestial feathered serpent vaguely modeled after the Aztec god Quetzalcōātl, largely by way Hernán Cortés and the Florentine Codex. It is a large serpent with a feathered tail and large, brightly-colored bird-like wings. In addition to their venomous bites, all coatl are potent spellcasters, able to cast 3d5 of the following spells (roll 1d24): (1) Animal summoning, (2) banish, (3) blessing, (4) charm person, (5) cure paralysis, (6) curse, (7) neutralize poison or disease, (8) detect invisible, (9) detect magic, (10) dispel magic, (11) gust of wind, (12) holy sanctuary, (13) invisibility, (14) magic shield, (15) phantasm, (16) planar step, (17) remove curse, (18) restore vitality, (19) second sight, (20) sleep, (21) snake charm, (22) speak with the dead, (23) ventriloquism, or (24) word of command.

All coatls are telepathic to a range of 120 feet, being able to sense living minds, read their surface thoughts, and communicate telepathically within this radius. As a result, it is difficult (if not impossible) for living creatures to surprise a coatl at close range. These beings can also change their shapes to that of a natural animal or humanoid or back as an action – this affects only their movement speed (including losing the ability to fly if the new shape has no wings), and not their other statistics, and does not grant them special powers.

A coatl is 1d10+10 feet long in its natural form, with a wingspan equal to its length.

Giant Crab:  See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Giant Crayfish:  See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Crocodile: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.