Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Denzelian and Devil (Styx)

It is a fact that fandoms overlap. It was always just a matter of time before references to Star Trek appeared in Dungeons & Dragons. The Denzelian appearing in the Fiend Folio is a little less obvious than when it appeared (under a different name) in the Fiend Factory, and a very different take on the same theme appears in In the Wake of the Zorkul.

In this blog post we pair one Devil in the Dark with a devil from the River Styx. Dungeon Crawl Classics recognizes both demons and devils in its critical hit tables, but there is no mention of the alignment divide between demons and devils. In The 13^th Skull, Joseph Goodman has a devil appear which is of Chaotic alignment, and, if anyone should be an authority on the subject of this game, it is him. The Styx Devil herein therefore is Chaotic, and is built in part using the rules for demons.

Frankly, the Styx devil never did anything for me in my AD&D days. If you have a near-TPK, though, this version will offer you the means to reunite the party so that they can traverse Hell together. And, who knows? If the gods smile and the dice are kind, the dead might return to the land of the living once more…?

 

 

 

Denzelian

Denzelian: Init +0; Atk Super-heated touch +3 melee (1d8); AC 20; HD 6d8; MV 5’ or burrow 1’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +8; Ref -4; Will +0; AL N.

Denzelian, Large: Init -2; Atk Super-heated touch +5 melee (2d8); AC 22; HD 16d8; MV 5’ or burrow 1’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +12; Ref -6; Will -2; AL N.

This small creature is peaceful and silicon-based, getting all of its dietary need met by consuming minerals while tunneling through solid rock. They do not consume metals, and detour around even small deposits, creating meandering passages that are nonetheless invaluable to miners. Being silicon-based, they are rarely bothered by other creatures. They can, however, defend themselves.

Denzelians live for around 1,000 years. During their long lives, it is uncommon for a female to encounter a make more than once, so that they typically lay no more than a single clutch of eggs. These eggs look like smooth stone nodules, laid in 2d10 clusters of 1d6+2 eggs each hidden throughout their territory.

Although these eggs are valuable to certain wealthy mine-owners, the adult denzelians will protect them with their lives. These creatures are intelligent, and can use their super-heated underparts to carve messages onto stone surfaces. Establishing communication may well result in mutual benefit to all parties, although denzelians need little from carbon-based lifeforms but to be left alone.

A larger version of this creature exists, being about 10' across and more aggressive in defending its territory and eggs. The larger denzelians are not as intelligent as their smaller cousins, and far less common. Some seemingly nonsensical dungeon paths may have been reworked from the tunnels these larger creatures left behind.

 

Devil (Styx)

Styx Devil: Init +5; Atk touch +7 melee (2d4 plus transport); AC 21; HD 4d8+4; MV 20’ or fly 40’; Act 2d20; SP Infravision 60’, only harmed by silver or magic weapons, half damage (fire, acid, cold, electricity, and gas), transport (Will DC 17 negates), return to home plane at will (unless bound), crit range 19-20; SV Fort +6; Ref +8; Will +3; AL C.

Styx devils come from the Fifth Circle of Hell, and their main task is to bring souls to the infernal Duke to whom they are bound. They appear humanoid, but their hideously ugly heads are disproportionately large. Their wings are black trimmed with silver.

Their main attack is a mere touch, but, in addition to taking damage, those affected must succeed in a DC 17 Will save or be immediately transported to the Fifth Circle of Hell. Crack open your copy of Dante’s Inferno. It is going to be quite a journey back to the Lands We Know.

Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Demon (Lolth)

The letter “D” is a particularly tough one to convert in the Fiend Folio because Lolth, like the Elemental Princes of Evil, really deserves a full patron write-up. I am only doing the invoke patron results here. Call me lazy, but a good full write-up of Lolth would require conversions of material from The Vault of the Drow and Queen of the Demonweb Pits at a bare minimum. Assault of the Aerie of the Slave Lords and the entry for Lolth in Deities & Demigods would also seem applicable. Maybe one day. But not today.

If you want a more robust spider elf lady, I strongly recommend you look at Lumgolit in Angels, Daemons & Beings Between Volume 2: Elfland Edition. The Spider Goddess in Hubris is another good resource.

If you are looking for giant arachnids to go along with Lolth, the DCC Annual Volume 1 has a lot of useful statistics, including a chart for personalizing your giant spiders, etc. You can find statistics for giant rhadogessa in this post.

Demon (Lolth)

Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders (Type VII Demon): Init +14; Atk Sting +21 melee (2d8 plus poison) or by weapon +21 melee (by weapon +4) or webs or spellcasting; AC 27; HD 17d12 (111hp); MV 40' or climb 40’; Act 4d20; SP Infravision 60’, demon traits, poison (Fort DC 24 or die), webs (as spider web spell, +16 to spell check, natural “1” means failure only), speech, telepathy, spellcasting; possession +21, holy water vulnerability (2d8 damage); SV Fort +12, Ref +16, Will +13, AL C.

            Spells (+22 to spell check): Banish, charm person, darkness, demon summoning, detect invisible, detect magic, dispel magic, lotus stare, magic shield, monster summoning, paralysis, and phantasm.

            Demon traits: Telepathy, immunities (weapons of less than +5 enchantment or natural attacks from creatures of 12 HD or less, fire, cold, electricity, gas, acid), projection (teleport at will to any location, as long as not bound or otherwise summoned; can project astrally and ethereally), crit range 15-20.

Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders, is a lesser goddess worshipped by the subterranean drow elves. She can also act as a patron to elves, wizards, and others who fall within her clutches. If encountered in person, she is a hideous, bloated spider with the face of a beautiful woman. Alternatively, she can appear as an exquisitely beautiful drow elf. She sometimes uses this latter form to take lovers, whom she consumes after mating with. Although vulnerable to holy water (taking 2d8 damage per vial), she is vulnerable to little else. None but the bravest or most foolhardy descend to her demonweb in the Abyss; fewer return, and none unscathed. Lolth is able to converse with all kinds of spiders and other arachnids, and they obey her unquestioningly.

Both wizards and elves can bond to Lolth, although non-drow elves who do so are outcasts from Elfland for all time. The ceremony to bond with Lolth must be underground, and it must be in some area where spiders are common. When casting patron bond, casters gain a +1d shift on the dice chain if this area includes giant arachnids of a monstrous nature. Such creatures are not a danger to the caster unless the patron bond fails and Lolth rejects the caster. In this case, the caster becomes just another free meal gifted to them by their demonic goddess. The drow elves are female-dominated, and males have very little cultural worth. If the caster or subject of a patron bond to Lolth is male, there is a -1d shift on the die chain to the spell check. If a male caster attempts to bond a male target, the penalty is -2d on the dice chain.
Invoke Patron check results:
12-13	The Demon Queen of Spiders is barely interested. A spider (or similar creature) bites or stings a target chosen by the caster. This causes the target to forego their next action, but has no other effect.
14-17	The caster’s bite becomes venomous for 1d6 + CL rounds. A caster without a bite attack only does 1 point of damage, but the target must succeed in a DC 15 Fort save or take an additional 1d6 + CL damage. The caster can also spit this venom to a 10’ range, which does no bite damage and reduces the Fort save DC to 12.
18-19	Lolth grants the caster the ability to move on sheer surfaces and webs as though they were a spider. In addition, all arachnids encountered are friendly to the caster, and will take reasonable orders – including allowing the caster’s friends to pass, or attacking the caster’s enemies. This lasts for CL turns.
20-23	The caster’s abdomen swells, producing six additional legs, and turning the caster into a drider-like creature. The caster retains their own upper torso, head, and arms. While in drider form, the caster can move at 40’, and has a 40’ climb speed. The caster can use an Action Die to cast a web from their spinnerets, effectively casting spider web with 1d16, but with no penalty on a failure (even a natural “1”) as this is a biological process. The transformation lasts for 1d3 + CL turns.
24-27	As 20-23, above, except that any weapon used by the caster also drips poison for the duration, causing an additional 2d6 damage (Fort DC 15 for half).
28-29	1d5 + CL targets, chosen by the caster, are bitten by virulently venomous spiders, causing them to suffer 3d6 damage each. Affected targets must also succeed on a DC 20 Fort save or die.
30-31	1d4 + CL spider swarms (as insect swarm, core rulebook p. 419, except with MV 20’) appear within 500’ of the caster, at points specified by the caster. They remain for 2d8 + CL rounds, attacking only targets which are not friendly to the caster. At the end of this duration, they converge on the caster, rapidly covering them, and then disperse. The caster is instantaneously transported to any location known to the caster, where another swarm appears and disgorges the caster before scattering.
32+	Lolth chooses the caster as a paramour. For a year and a day, the caster gains a bonus equal to CL on all attack rolls and saving throws, and is immune to poisons and venoms of all types. At the end of this period, the caster is summoned to the demonweb for a brief period of passionate consummation before being consumed. Lolth does not discriminate based on species or gender. If the caster has a willing replacement, who considers the caster a friend, the caster may attempt a Luck check to make a last-minute substitution!

Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Death Dog and Death Knight

Is it possible to look at the Death Dog and not think of Dioskilos, the two-headed wolf in the original version of Clash of the Titans? Both movie and book came out in 1981, although I am not certain whether or not the Death Dog appeared in the Fiend Factory earlier than this. In the movie, Dioskilos was the guardian of Medusa's abode on the Isle of the Dead, which would seem to tie into the name. If anyone out there has a better collection of White Dwarf issues than I do, and knows the answer, I would love to hear from you!

In any event, the Death Dog was iconic because of Ray Harryhausen's work on that movie. I had certainly seen Clash of the Titans, and it informed my use of the creature. Nowadays, the image that comes to mind are the long tunnels beneath the Sea of Dust on the World of Greyhawk.

The Death Knight has been so linked to DragonLance's Lord Soth (later a resident of Ravenloft) that some may not be aware that it was originally from the Fiend Folio. Nonetheless, it is. Interestingly, the original text says that Death Knights wear light armor (while still having a great Armor Class), but you would be hard pressed to find an illustration of a Death Knight that doesn't suggest they are eternally encased in full plate. I decided to simply accept that they wore full plate and move on.

Death Dog

Death Dog: Init +5; Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+3); AC 15; HD 3d6; MV 40’; Act 2d20; SP Disease, knock prone; SV Fort +5; Ref +4; Will +4; AL C.

These large black hounds have two heads, and are perhaps descended from Cerberus, the three-headed mastiff which guards the passage into Hell. They usually live in dry places, such as scrublands and deserts, but can also be found underground (perhaps reflecting their antecedent’s subterranean habitation). They typically hunt in packs of 3d6 individuals. Their double barking sound is eerie, but has no special effect other than potentially spooking horses and pack animals.

Death dogs carry disease. Anyone bit by one must succeed in a DC 10 Fort save or suffer from a debilitating weakness causing 1d3 Stamina damage each day until cured or the victim reaches 0 Stamina and dies. This Stamina damage heals normally. The judge may choose to substitute another disease. The core rulebook lists several options under the listing for bats (see page 397). In addition, if both bite attacks hit a single opponent, they must succeed in a DC 15 Reflex save or be knocked prone.

 

 

 

 

 

Death Knight

Death Knight: Init +6; Atk Longsword +1d8+3 melee (1d8+1d8+3); AC 18; HD 6d12+12; MV 20’; Act 1d20 + 1d16; SP Un-dead, d8 Deed Die, cannot be turned or banished. +8 bonus to saves vs. spells, fear aura, spellcasting; SV Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +5; AL C.

Spells (+6 bonus to spell check): Chill touch, control ice, demon summoning, detect invisible, detect magic, and fireball.

There are only twelve death knights known to exist, the un-dead forms of virtuous human knights which have fallen from grace and into the patronage of a demon prince. They are a form of warrior-lich, immune to being turned or banished by clerics, and with great resistance to magic spells. They maintain the ability to perform Mighty Deeds of Arms which they had in life, making them formidable indeed upon the battlefield.

Death knights have a +3 bonus to Strength checks. If the judge so desires, their swords may be magical – in fact, facing a death knight may be the ultimate challenge in obtaining a legendary weapon, should that being wield it. A death knight continuously projects an aura of fear, so that creatures within melee range of the un-dead warrior must succeed in a DC 15 Will save or take a -1d penalty on the dice chain to all attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and spell checks so long as they remain within 5’ of the death knight, and for 1d8 rounds thereafter.

The death knight also gains the ability to cast wizard spells from its demonic patron. Although these spells are arcane in nature, the death knight casts them as a cleric, gaining an increased disapproval range (and ultimately demonic disapproval) from failure.

When mounted, death knights ride demonic warhorses with flaming eyes, hooves, and mouths. These use the following statistics:

Death Knight Steed: Init +4; Atk hoof +7 melee (1d6+3 plus fire); AC 17; HD 6d8; MV 60’ or fly 60’; Act 1d20; SP Fire (1d6 damage, Reflex DC 15 for half, plus Reflex DC 10 or catch fire); SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6; AL C.

Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Dakon, Dark Creeper, and Dark Stalker

I think that I have mentioned before that not every monster in the Fiend Folio is a gem. In this case, to keep the Dark Creeper and Dark Stalker together, I am doing three monsters, and the first is definitely rather blasé. I have tried to include some ideas for making the Dakon more interesting in actual play. Ultimately, using less inspiring monsters well might be the hallmark of a great judge, but there are limits.

Actually, going over the old Fiend Factory column from White Dwarf, it is unclear to me why some monsters got picked while others did not. I might do a series of posts converting some of the better (IMHO) Fiend Factory monsters that didn’t make it into the Fiend Folio. If this is something that would be interesting or useful to you, let me know!

Dark Creepers and Dark Stalkers are a great, flavorful monster that will leave your players wondering just what they look like under those robes. It is questionable whether even a charm person spell would make them strip, until you get to higher spell check results, but your players may well burn resources to satisfy their curiosity. Feel free to be as Lovecraftian as you like if that occurs!

 

 

Dakon

Dakon: Init +2; Atk Slam +4 melee (1d6+3) or bite +2 melee (1d3+3); AC 15; HD 1d8+1; MV 40’ or climb 30’; Act 2d20; SP Stealth +10 in jungle terrain; SV Fort +5; Ref +2; Will +4; AL L.

A shabby, intelligent ape with a reasonable grasp of the common tongue, dakon are not as powerful as the average jungle ape-man (see the core rulebook, p. ), but are far better organized. They often have alliances and goodwill with human or near-human neighbors, so long as they are not hostile. Dakon cannot swim, and avoid large expanses of water as a result.

Dakon will not usually attack unless attacked, and may be a safe haven for PCs in the tropics. In a way, this is a nice contrast to the pulp era trope of the dangerous and violent apes. However, as written, these creatures are a little boring, so let’s roll 1d10 to see how this dakon village is different: (1) The creatures have aggressive displays despite being peaceful, (2) These dakon vent their pent-up violent emotions by having periodic times when nothing is considered a violation of the law, and all acts are forgiven, (3) These dakon are the custodians of an ancient (or alien) computer system with a Patron AI, (4) A powerful creature watches over the village and protects against violent acts, (5) The village has given itself over to the worship of a Chaos god, and is no longer peaceful, (6) Although personally non-violent, the dakon have surrounded their village with deadly traps, (7) There is an aberrant murderer in their midst, and strangers are set up to take the fall, (8) They are desperate for help against aggressive neighbors, (9) They have mastered some craft (for example, making ropes which are stronger and lighter than standard) which puts their work in high demand, or (10) Their pacifistic asceticism has led them to immortality, so that none dies save by violence or accident, and none of them ages or grows ill.

 

 

 

Dark Creeper

Dark Creeper: Init +0; Atk Dagger +1 melee (1d4); AC 20 (or 12); HD 1d8+1; MV 25’; Act 1d20; SP Infravision 120’, thief skills, cast darkness 3/day (+6 bonus to spell check and extinguishes non-magical flames), detect magic 15’, spontaneous combustion; SV Fort +3; Ref +2; Will +1; AL C.

            Thief Abilities: Backstab +5, Sneak Silently +5, Hide In Shadows +3, Pick Pocket +1, Climb Sheer Surfaces +3, Pick Lock +3, Find Trap +3, Disable Trap +1, Forge Document +0, Disguise Self +4, Read Languages +0, Handle Poison +5, Cast Spell From Scroll d10.

Dark creepers are halfling-sized humanoids which dwell deep underground. They are pale skinned, where their eyes peep out of their coverings, but they swaddle themselves in layer after layer of dark clothing, so that few have ever seen them. They hate light, seeking to extinguish light sources wherever they can, and are attracted to small magical items such as rings and magic daggers — the judge may devise items of this type which are being carried by a group of dark creepers, or held in common by one of their villages. If a dark creeper is ever encountered without its coverings, its AC is 12.

Dark creepers have thief abilities as outlined above. They do not gain a Luck Die. Dark creepers sense magic items within 15’ without having to specifically concentrate. They are able to cast darkness three times each day, with a +6 bonus to the spell check, and with no penalty for failure (except the use of one of their attempts). In addition, when this power is used, all torches, lanterns and other non-magical sources of illumination within 50' are extinguished and cannot be re-ignited during the next hour if the spell check is even minimally successful.

A dark creeper reduced to 0 hp spontaneously combusts, causing 1d6 damage to all within 10’ for a full 1d6 turns (Reflex DC 12 for half). Metal items survive 80% of the time, but otherwise all traces of the creeper are destroyed.

Dark creepers seem to have two main objectives. First they seek the destruction of lanterns, tinderboxes, flasks of oil, and other objects used to create illumination. Secondly, they are driven to steal any small magical items detected. Self-preservation ranks marginally above such objectives.

 

 

 

Dark Stalker

Dark Stalker: Init +2; Atk Short sword +3 melee (1d6); AC 20 (or 12); HD 2d8+4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Infravision 120’, thief skills, cast darkness 3/day (+8 bonus to spell check), detect magic 15’, spontaneous combustion; SV Fort +4; Ref +4; Will +6; AL C.

Thief Skills: Backstab +8, Sneak Silently +8, Hide In Shadows +7, Pick Pocket +3, Climb Sheer Surfaces +7, Pick Lock +7, Find Trap +7, Disable Trap +3, Forge Document +2, Disguise Self +7, Read Languages +2, Handle Poison +8, Cast Spell From Scroll d12.

Dark stalkers are the rarely-seen leaders of the dark creepers. They are nearly a race apart, for they breed almost exclusively amongst themselves. They are instantly noticeable amongst a group of dark creepers as they are man-sized and stand head and shoulders above their underlings. Each dark creeper village has a dark stalker leader. There may be more than one dark stalker present, but this usually occurs only when they are mating.

Dark stalkers have the same abilities as dark creepers, excepting that their bonuses for thief skills and casting darkness are higher. In addition, when a dark stalker spontaneously combusts, it creates a fireball doing 3d6 damage to all within 30’ (Reflex DC 15 for half) and is instantly consumed. Metal items still have an 80% chance of surviving.

Neither dark creepers nor dark stalkers are immune to fire damage. The combustion of one – especially a dark stalker – can set off a chain reaction, causing additional dark creepers to spontaneously combust. This may also ignite broken flasks of oil, causing further havoc.

Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Crabman and Crypt Thing

There is not a lot of reason to love Crabmen. They are a good all-around monster, and useful in almost any setting (save one which is completely arid). Yet these were one of the monsters that struck my fancy early on when I encountered the Fiend Folio, and I have made good use of them with every subsequent version of Dungeons & Dragons that I ran. It has taken me a while to get around to converting them, but now they are ready to give me the same joy in Dungeon Crawl Classics. There is just something wonderful about adding humanoids that are not just goblins; I also have an inordinate fondness for Dire Corbies.

The Crypt Thing is also clearly useful. In the Fiend Folio, they make a point of having un-dead looking monsters that are not un-dead. I think this was probably intended to limit reliance on turning the un-dead, and to create a shocking moment for a party which expected to use encounter-ending powers of that nature. In Dungeon Crawl Classics, the point is moot – you turn the unholy, which may or may not include the un-dead. The Crypt Thing is also the “Split the Party” monster. If you aren’t ready for that to happen, don’t use it!

Next post we start the “D”s. Buckle up.

 

 

 

Crabman

Crabman: Init +0; Atk Claw +3 melee (1d4); AC 16; HD 3d6; MV 20’ or swim 30’; Act 2d20; SP: Infravision 60’, amphibious; SV Fort +5; Ref +2; Will +2; AL N.

These amphibious humanoids have a hard, reddish-brown exoskeleton and two crab-like pincers instead of hands. They are usually found in sea-shore caves, in groups of 2d6 members. On rare occasions, they mount savage inland raids of 1d10+30 individuals. Although they are mostly pacifistic if not molested (apart from their periodic raids), crabmen greatly value silver and will go to any lengths to obtain it. Exactly what influence silver exerts on them, or what they do with it once obtained, is a matter of speculation.

 

 

Crypt Thing

Crypt Thing: Init +6; Atk claw +4 melee (1d4); AC 17; HD 6d8+6; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP Teleportation, immune to non-magical weapons; SV Fort +9; Ref +4; Will +12; AL N.

These pale skeletal beings are always found alone. They wear dark hooded robes (black, brown, or midnight blue). Although not un-dead, despite their appearance, they lair in crypts or similar places, where they sit quietly, contemplating the multiverse and drawing sustenance from the confluence of the planes of existence.

A crypt thing is harmless if left undisturbed, but once engaged, it can very quickly teleport annoyances away from it once per turn. Those who fail a DC 15 Will save are teleported to a random location (1d10): (1-2) 1d10x100’ north, (3-4) 1d10x100’ south, (5-6) 1d10x100' east, (7-8) 1d10x100’ west, (9) one dungeon level up, or (10) one dungeon level down. Distance and direction are determined individually for each victim teleported. Victims never arrive in solid material and will arrive in the closest open space to the target spot, although victims need not arrive at floor level.

Those who make their saving rolls may attack the crypt thing, but it can only be hit by magical weapons. The crypt thing will attack in return, using a two-handed clawing movement which Inflicts 1—8 hit points of damage.

Crypt things serve the powers of Neutrality, and only speak the Neutral tongue, maintaining to those who understand them that those who were teleported were instead disintegrated. There are rumored to be aberrant crypt things which, instead of teleporting victims, paralyze them and simultaneously turn them invisible for 2d6 turns. Neither type feeds on mortal flesh, so that their victims are in no danger from the crypt things themselves. Although they do seem to obtain pleasure by creating confusion and dissent, these creatures wish nothing more than to be left alone to their contemplation of reality.

It is, in fact, believed by some scholars that crypt things are the still-living remains of powerful wizards who serve the Neutral powers, and who have been granted this strange existence as a result of their studies.

And now for something not so completely different….

Horse Wolf: Init +5; Atk Hoof +3 melee (1d4+2) or bite +2 melee (1d8+2); AC 15; HD 4d8; MV 60’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +4; Ref +4; Will +2; AL C.

A horrid amalgam of equine and canine, it is almost impossible not to throw a creature like this into your game. And if you imagine that toothy grin will give you nightmares, imagine the creatures strong and savage enough to use something like this for a mount!

Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Clubnek and Coffer Corpse

Last conversion post, I talked about not wanting to carry more books around than necessary. Well, this post I am going to consider carrying the Mutant Crawl Classics core book just to make the Clubnek more interesting. Another, and probably better, way of using a more-mutated Clubnek is to simply copy the relevant pages rather than carry the entire book. In any event, I hope that I have made the creature a little more interesting, and perhaps a little more usable in your game.

The Coffer Corpse, on the other hand, is one of the jewels of the Fiend Folio. I tried to keep this one as true to the original source as possible. Although magic weapons are not as common in Dungeon Crawl Classics as they are in 1^st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, DCC does have some mechanics which would allow for breaking the Coffer Corpse’s grip without damaging the core of the monster. Besides, even with its Turn Resistance, this foul un-dead does give the cleric a chance to shine! Or not….

And with this post we draw close to the end of the “C”s.

 

 

 

Clubnek

Clubnek: Init +0; Atk Claw +2 melee (1d4) or beak +0 melee (1d6); AC 12; HD 2d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP: Burst of speed, possible mutations; SV Fort +1; Ref +2; Will +0; AL N.

Carnivorous Clubnek: Init +2; Atk Claw +3 melee (1d6) or beak +1 melee (1d8); AC 14; HD 3d8; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP: Burst of speed, possible mutations; SV Fort +3; Ref +4; Will +2; AL N.

The Clubnek is a herbivorous form of mutated ostrich with green feathers and a bony yellow beak.  Found in meadows and woodlands in small family groups, it attacks only to defend itself. It can put on a burst of speed once every 5 rounds, achieving a move of 60’ for one round. These flightless birds are large enough to be ridden. There is a rarer carnivorous version which is stronger and more dangerous.

If the judge has access to Mutant Crawl Classics, 10% of clubneks (of either variety) are further mutated. Roll 1d16 and consult the table below for mutations. The judge may substitute mutations from Silent Nightfall, Hubris, The Umerican Survival Guide, or another source at their discretion.

1-3: Roll 1d3 defects on Table 3-2 (MCC, p. 44); 4-5:  Roll a single defect on Table 3-2 (MCC, p.44); 6: Clubnek gains Increased Speed (MCC, p. 53); 7: Clubnek gains Electrical Generation (MCC, p. 47); 8: Clubnek gains Regeneration (MCC, p. 59); 9: Clubnek gains Heightened Intelligence (MCC, p 72; assume a starting Intelligence of 1); 10: Clubnek gains Mental Blast (MCC, p. 80); 11: Clubnek gains Teleportation (MCC, p. 83); 12: Clubnek gains Death Field Generation (MCC, pp.66-67); 13: Clubnek gains Metallic Skin (MCC, p. 106); or 14: Clubnek gains Life Force Drain (MCC, p. 114); 15-16 Roll 2d14 and consult the table again, rerolling any duplicates.

Passive mutations are rolled using 1d20+2 (with a minimum success on any failure); active mutations use the clubnek’s Action Die with a +2 bonus (and failure can occur). Somewhere out there is a carnivorous clubnek with metallic skin that can drain your life force. Beware!

 

 

Coffer Corpse

Coffer Corpse: Init +0; Atk claw +2 melee (1d4 plus throttle) or weapon +2 melee (by weapon); AC 12; HD 2d12; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP Un-dead, immune to non-magical weapons and attacks, false death, throttle (1d6), turn resistance; SV Fort +7; Ref +2; Will +7; AL C.

The coffer corpse is the un-dead remains of an individual who did not receive proper burial rites according to their culture. They are often found in places where a funerary rite was interrupted, such as on a funeral barge or near a burial chamber, but may also be found on battlefields or other places where the dead are too numerous to care for, of no one remains to do so. Coffer corpses may well result when adventurers leave their own dead behind in some place deep underground.

A coffer corpse may be mistaken for a zombie (or similar un-dead), but non-magical attacks cause it no damage whatsoever. Normal weapons appear to be damaging it, though, and if a non-magical weapon does 6 damage or more the coffer corpse collapses, apparently finished. It rises again the next round, causing all in melee combat with it to succeed in a DC 10 Will save or flee in panic (in random directions) for the next 1d4 rounds.

There is a 1 in 4 chance that a coffer corpse is found with a weapon, which it will use in combat. A disarmed coffer corpse attacks with its claws. It if hits, it locks its hands around an opponent’s throat, thereafter doing 1d6 damage automatically each round, until it or the opponent is dead. An opponent can use an Action Die to attempt a DC 25 Strength check to break the grip. A Mighty Deed of 5+ can also free an opponent from the coffer corpse’s throttling (even if the coffer corpse is not damaged by the attack).

Coffer corpses are treated as 4 Hit Die creatures when resisting Turn the Unholy attempts or banish spells.

Here is another version.

Learn From My Mistakes!

Cross-posted from this thread on Reddit. This was a thread on judging tricks for people new to Dungeon Crawl Classics, but it touched upon both why I love this game and my GMing philosophy in general. I thought it might be worth sharing to a wider audience.

I posted this advice:

(1) Roll your dice in the open. This is a big part of tension in a role-playing game.

(2) Lean into the Dice Chain. Instead of tracking niggling modifiers, pop attack rolls, damage, whatever, up or down on the Dice Chain.

(3) Start with a funnel. It sets the expectation that life is cheap and balance is an illusion.

(4) Have fun. This is so much more important than people might realize, but if you don't have fun running a game, what is the point of running it?

(5) Things will go south. This game is swingy. Spell checks (good or bad), crits, and fumbles call all cause the narrative to turn on a dime. Embrace the chaos. It isn't your job to know how it is all going to end, just to determine what happens now because the entire thing has shifted sideways.

Which is all fine, as far as it goes. Then a post was made about the 1^st level cleric spell, blessing. The author of the post seemed to think that it needed serious nerfing, and I disagreed. I wrote:

I wouldn't nerf it, personally. Sooner or later the cleric will roll in their disapproval range and you are going to really enjoy that.

Remember that every failed spell check increases disapproval range by 1, and you cannot Luck yourself out of disapproval.

Also, there are natural consequences to clustering around the cleric and waiting for a blessing. You need at least a 28 to get a 30' aura, because the PCs are unlikely to remain within 5' or 10' and be effective. Opponents will not wait for the spell to go off, and will eventually start targeting the cleric if they are intelligent. Theater of the mind (which I use) should not make this difficult; the warrior who charges forward is no longer 5 feet away from the cleric. And if 6 PCs try to stay within 5 feet of one of their number, the judge is 100% correct to deny non-ranged attacks, or even penalize attacks and damage as they get in each other's way like the Six Stooges.

This also requires the cleric to cast the spell on themselves, and whether you are blessing an ally, an object, or yourself should be determined before the dice are rolled. An ally gets a max 20' radius at 32+.

A 6th level cleric with an 18 Personality has a +9 bonus to spell checks, and would have to roll a 19 or better to get a 30' aura blessing. The same cleric at 1st level needs to roll a natural 20 to double their spell check bonus. If this is happening during every combat, the problem is not in the rules.

Also, read the rules about Sinful Use of Divine Power. If the cleric treats their god disrespectfully, there are consequences. Standing outside a door, casting the same spell again and again until you get what you want certainly counts.

As the evening progressed, my thoughts kept circling around to this:

I've been thinking more about this

The biggest mistake you can make when judging DCC is thinking that some particular outcome should occur. The fight should be easy. The fight should be tough. The PCs should find the treasure, or negotiate with the hermit, or have to run from the dragon.

But DCC is its own thing, and it is swingy, and you are far, far better off just letting what happens...happen. Some games want to force the outcome that the writer/GM envisioned. Or that the players envisioned. DCC is not one of those games.

Distance, spell check requirements, and disapproval already put limits on Blessing. I've had a similar discussion regarding the spell Enlarge, where the judge allowed the player to gain all the bonuses of being 12 feet tall with none of the obvious drawbacks (like door size and ceiling height). If you allow all the benefits, but none of the drawbacks, it isn't the rules that are broken.

In a way, DCC is like gambling. Every class has a trap built into it, where yes, you have this really cool class power (be it Luck Die, spells, Mighty Deeds, etc.), but if you push it too far sooner or later you are going to have to pay the piper. Using that Luck Die (or Lucky Halfling ability) can do amazing things, but it means that your Luck is now lower, and a Luck check may be just around the corner. Spellcasting risks disapproval (for clerics), and patron taint, corruption, or misfire for wizards and elves. That shield bash for the dwarf looks great - but it is also a 1 in 14 chance of a fumble. Those Mighty Deeds put you at the forefront of combat where, sooner or later, something is going to roll a critical against you.

Let them laugh and play while the dice are hot and on their side. You might as well enjoy it. It won't last. Revel with them when they are victorious. It won't last. Roll your dice in the open. Don't pull punches. Don't nerf their clever ideas. The Wheel of Fate is always in motion.

This isn’t what you’d do in, say, Dungeons & Dragons, and is the most important lesson Dungeon Crawl Classics taught me. I didn’t learn it right away. I resisted. But I am glad it got through my thick skull eventually.

Learn from my mistakes!

Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Caterwaul and CIFAL

Early this afternoon, I paid the shipping invoice for all of the Weird Frontiers goodies that are coming my way. It is appropriate, then, that the monsters from the Fiend Folio in this post would work particularly well in a Weird Frontiers game. The Caterwaul practically screams “American West!” while the CIFAL would be at home in almost any setting.

The CIFAL is actually an unusual creature, in that it was called out by earlier reviewers for its science fiction name, but it is a creature one could see in almost any fantasy setting. The CIFAL is at home in Mutant Crawl Classics, Umerica, Crawljammer, or lurking around the town of Portsmouth. It is as close to a universally usable monster as there ever was.

My versions of each of these monsters vary somewhat from the source material. I have eliminated the need for a table to determine the Caterwaul’s uncanny Agility, hopefully making the creature easier to include in random encounter tables. Back in the day, I didn’t want to transcribe the table into my notes, and I didn’t want to have to carry more books with me than I had to. Here, there is a die roll involved, but it is hopefully not to onerous to cut and paste into your adventure.

The CIFAL I made both easier to deal with in the short term (reduced its Hit Dice by half), but more potentially dangerous in the long term (it might collapse into insect swarms). I prefer published adventures to have all the stats in their text, but understand why some adventures refer you back to the core rulebook. I am still traveling away from home to run games, and still prefer to carry as little as possible. I would recommend including insect swarm stats in any adventure where you use a CIFAL…possibly because there are insect swarm encounters leading up to it.

And this seems to be a good time to address the elephant in the room: Most of the Fiend Folio creatures are OGC, but I am working here directly from the Fiend Folio. That means that, if I wanted to publish this content, I would first have to revise to remove any text coming directly from the Fiend Folio. It also means that, should you ask and receive permission to use my conversions in a published adventure, you would be well advised to do the same. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but protect yourselves out there!

Likewise, if you are a publisher, and you are thinking “Raven Crowking Monster Book!”,  yes, I have already done enough material to fill it, and yes, I would be interested.  Just make sure you have talked to Goodman Games first, because I believe a monster book kickstarter is coming out soon, and I am not sure how open they would be to the idea.

 

 

 

Caterwaul

Caterwaul: Init +2 (or better); Atk Claw +3 melee (1d4) or bite +1 melee (1d6) or screech; AC 14 (or better); HD 4d8; MV 30’ or sprint 90’ or climb 20’; Act 2d20; SP: Screech, sprint, uncanny Agility, stealth +8, keen senses; SV Fort +2; Ref +2 (or better); Will +3; AL C.

The caterwaul is an unusual bipedal feline, similar to an evil mountain lion, which can drop to all fours to sprint for up to 2 rounds each turn. Their fur is midnight blue, and their eyes yellow. They have an uncanny Agility, which is variable by specimen, and which potentially adds a bonus to Initiative, Armor Class, and Reflex Saves. When encountered (or when preparing an encounter), roll 1d7: (1-2) No additional bonus, (3) +1 bonus, (4) +1d3 bonus, (5) +1d4 bonus, (6) +1d5 bonus, or (7) +1d6 bonus, and the creature gains an extra Action Die.

It can screech once per combat, and is usually part of its initial attack. This does 1d8 damage to all that can hear it within 60’ (Fort DC 10 for half). Deaf creatures are immune. Its keen senses mean that it is seldom surprised, while its stealth allows it to often surprise others.

A caterwaul pelt in good condition can fetch 50 gp or more from those with the means to pay.

 

 

CIFAL

CIFAL: Init +0; Atk contact +4 melee (1d12); AC 14; HD 5d12; MV 20’ or fly 20’; Act 1d20; SP Damaging touch, break apart at 0 hp; SV Fort +8; Ref +4; Will +2; AL N.

A CIFAL is a Colonial Insect-Formed Artificial Lifeform, comprised of several insect swarms that have come together as a single amorphous creature. Its contact attack does damage through thousands of tiny bites and stings; and this damage is sustained by any creature touching the CIFAL through a natural attack, attempt to grapple, and so on.

When a CIFAL is reduced to 0 hp, the insects which form it lose cohesion. The individual who caused the final damage must make a Luck check. If this succeeds, the insect components simply flee, crawling or flying as their nature dictates. If the Luck check is failed, they instead form 1d3 insect swarms (see the core rulebook, page 419, which then attack.