Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Finishing off the “M”s: Merman, Mimic, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, Mold, Morkoth, Mule, and Mummy

Happy Halloween!

Like the last post, this one will be somewhat long, but it covers a few important monsters. Mimics and mind flayers may be the most requested critters from the Monster Manual, and they are certainly monsters I have used, despite the complicated psionics rules in the original AD&D. The converse, though, is the morkoth, which I have never used. I will try to make it more to my tastes, anyway, herein.

Merman: Init +3; Atk spear or trident +4 melee (1d8+1); AC 15; HD 3d6; MV 10’ or swim 60’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +2; AL N.

Mermaid: Init +5; Atk none; AC 15; HD 3d6; MV 10’ or swim 60’; Act 1d20; SP charming voice (1/day, Will DC 14 resists, lasts 1d4 days), kiss confers water breathing for 1d3 hours; SV Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +3; AL N.

These statistics come from this post. Merfolk generally shy away from land-dwellers, although they sometimes attack ships, and mermaids will sing to charm sailors onto reefs. A mermaid’s charming voice affects all who can hear it, and has a range of 500’.

Small Mimic: Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +2 melee (1 plus sticky); AC 12; HD 1d6; MV 5’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, half damage from slicing and piercing weapons, sticky (Strength DC 15 to break free); SV Fort +4, Ref -2, Will -6; AL N.

These creatures are made of primordial slime, which has a rudimentary intelligence able to reshape itself into an object that appears to fit within the area it inhabits. Shape, texture, and colors are all reproduced although a suspicious character may see through the disguise with a DC 16 Intelligence check. The mimic otherwise gains surprise automatically.

Creatures that touch the mimic or are hit by a pseudopod are stuck to the creature, and cannot break free without a DC 15 Strength check, granting the mimic a +2 bonus to future attacks. Weapons which strike the mimic also become stuck, taking a -2d shift to damage, unless pulled free or the mimic is slain. A weapon stuck to a mimic stuck to a PC is useless until either the PC or weapon is freed.

Medium Mimic: Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d4 plus sticky) or bite +2 melee (1d8); AC 10; HD 2d8; MV 5’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, half damage from slicing and piercing weapons, sticky (Strength DC 19 to break free); SV Fort +6, Ref -4, Will -4; AL N.

These creatures are made of primordial slime, which has a rudimentary intelligence able to reshape itself into an object that appears to fit within the area it inhabits. Shape, texture, and colors are all reproduced although a suspicious character may see through the disguise with a DC 20 Intelligence check. The mimic otherwise gains surprise automatically.

Creatures that touch the mimic or are hit by a pseudopod are stuck to the creature, and cannot break free without a DC 19 Strength check. Stuck creatures have a -2 penalty to attack rolls, spell checks, and skill checks until they pull free. Weapons which strike the mimic also become stuck, and therefore useless, unless pulled free.

Large Mimic: Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +6 melee (1d6 plus sticky) or bite +4 melee (1d10); AC 10; HD 4d8; MV 5’; Act 3d20; SP camouflage, half damage from slicing and piercing weapons, sticky (Strength DC 21 to break free); SV Fort +8, Ref -6, Will -2; AL N.

These creatures are made of primordial slime, which has enough intelligence to be able to reshape itself into an object or group of objects which appears to fit within the area it inhabits. Shape, texture, and colors are all reproduced although a suspicious character may see through the disguise with a DC 20 Intelligence check. The mimic otherwise gains surprise automatically.

Creatures that touch the mimic or are hit by a pseudopod are stuck to the creature, and cannot break free without a DC 21 Strength check. Stuck creatures have a -2 penalty to attack rolls, spell checks, and skill checks until they pull free. Weapons which strike the mimic also become stuck, and therefore useless, unless pulled free.

Huge Mimic: Init -4; Atk pseudopod +10 melee (1d8 plus sticky) or bite +6 melee (1d12); AC 10; HD 8d8; MV 5’; Act 5d20; SP camouflage, half damage from slicing and piercing weapons, sticky (Strength DC 24 to break free); SV Fort +10, Ref -8, Will +0; AL N.

These mimics are intelligent enough to speak, and can reshape themselves into reasonably complex objects or groups of continuous objects. Shape, texture, and colors are reproduced well enough that even a suspicious character may only see through the disguise with a DC 22 Intelligence check. The mimic otherwise gains surprise automatically.

Creatures that touch the mimic or are hit by a pseudopod are stuck to the creature, and cannot break free without a DC 24 Strength check. Stuck creatures have a -2 penalty to attack rolls, spell checks, and skill checks until they pull free. Weapons which strike the mimic also become stuck, and therefore useless, unless pulled free. Unlike lesser mimics, mimics of this size can choose to release creatures or objects, or suppress their natural stickiness to lure creatures into a false sense of security – possibly getting creatures to willingly enter it before the entrances disappear and the creatures attack!

Because these mimics possess a low intelligence, there is a chance of parlaying with them.

These creatures were modified slightly from this post.

Mind Flayer: Init +2; Atk facial tentacles +4 melee (2d4 plus latch) or psionic blast; AC 15; HD 6d8; MV 30’; SP latch, eat brain, psionic blast (3/day, 30’ cone with 30’ base, 3d8 damage, DC 20 Will negates), immune to broken bones, regenerate 1/turn; Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +8; AL L.

These subterranean humanoids arrived in the Lands We Know from some alternate world or plane. They have squid-like faces, and their flexible bodies indicate that their bones are malleable in a way our own are not.

When a mind flayer attacks with its facial tentacles, it latches onto its victim, who can escape with either a DC 16 Strength check or a successful Mighty Deed (4+). On the following round, and each round thereafter until the victim is freed, or either the mind flayer or the victim is dead, this alien creature begins the process of extracting its victim’s brain to consume. The victim takes 1d4 Intelligence and Personality damage each round; when both reach 0 the brain is extracted and the victim irrevocably dead. Even if the victim is rescued before full extraction, they must succeed in a Fort save (DC equals 10 + the total amount of Intelligence and Personality damage taken), or half the Intelligence and Personality damage taken is permanent, rounded up.

These creatures can also create a psionic blast, a cone of psychic force which damages all within it unless they succeed in a DC 20 Will save.

Mind flayers are said to live in communities deep beneath the surface of the world, where they hate and despise us. In addition to weird experiments and entertainments beyond the understanding of ourselves, mind flayers spend their time plotting our downfall, travelling to distant planes or planets, and even scheming ways to put out the light of the sun.

Minotaur: See the core rulebook, page 422.

Yellow Mold: When disturbed, this gives out a cloud of poisonous spores in a 10’ radius. All within spend 1d3 rounds incapacitated from choking, taking 1d3 Stamina damage in the process. Thereafter, they must succeed on a DC 10 Fortitude save or die in 1d5 turns. A new patch of yellow mold grows from the corpse 1d3 days later.

Yellow mold is susceptible to fire, and may be destroyed thereby. A thief seeking to obtain a sample of yellow mold sufficient for one use must succeed in a Handle Poison check with a -1d penalty.

Brown Mold: This fungal growth feeds on heat. Within 100’ of a patch of brown mold, it becomes noticeably colder. Within 30’, living creatures take 1d4 damage per round from the intense cold. Should a living creature actually touch brown mold, it takes 3d4 damage (or 3d4 damage per round of contact) as the mold feeds off the creature’s heat. Un-dead infested with this stuff or pit traps coated in it are therefore extremely dangerous!

An application of extreme cold or magical cold destroys brown mold, but little else (if anything) affects it.  

Morkoth: Init +0; Atk bite +4 melee (1d10) or charm; AC 17; HD 7d6; MV 30’ or swim 40’; Act 1d20; SP hypnosis, charm, spell reflection; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3; AL C.

This monster is variably referred to as a morkoth, morlock, or “wraith of the deep”. It is a dim, shadowy monster, said to combine aspects of a humanoid and cephalopod, but reports vary and few who come face-to-face with the monster survive.

Morkoths are solitary beings, who make their lairs in dark, deep waters, inhabiting the nexus of a series of 1d5+3 spiraling tunnels. These tunnels draw creatures passing within 30’ to them hypnotically, drawing the victim further and further in, until they draw close to the nexus (DC 15 Will negates). The tunnels are so constructed that creatures larger than a typical humanoid cannot enter.

Once a creature reaches the nexus, the hypnotism fails, but the morkoth can charm its victim, forcing it to hold still, unaware and unacting, while the creature devours it with its squid-like beak. Once charmed, a victim is held by this effect for 1d6 hours, allowing the morkoth to feed at its leisure.

Spells targeting a morkoth instead reflect back to the caster (and possibly affecting others nearby also; the caster is the center of any area effect, which might still include the morkoth).

Mule: See the core rulebook, page 418, or the Cyclopediaof Common Animals for expanded information.

Mummy: See the core rulebook, page 422.