Y for Yeti

[Note: Any non-gamers tuning in to this series of posts are invited to consult my New Reader Introduction for some RPG-specific definitions and a general introduction to the Lands of Ara blog.]

The Yeti is one of my favorite D&D monsters, perhaps because I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was, for years, scared of bigfoot (also called the sasquatch). I always felt that yeti (or abominable snowmen) were Himalayan cousins of the North American sasquatches -- a snow-adapted version of bigfoot.

So in celebration of the awesomeness of the yeti, I offer a deadly undead variant, statted for Labyrinth Lord:

Yeti, Undead
# Encountered: 1d6 (2d4)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 90’ (30’)
AC: 6
HD: 6
Attacks: 2 (claws)
Damage: 1d6 / 1d6 plus paralysis
Save: F6
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: XXI
XP: 820

The Undead Yeti possesses all ghoul defenses and capabilities, including paralysis.

[Special Thanks to Peter Regan, editor of Oubliette Magazine, for his Zombie Monster rules in Oubliette Issue #4, crucial to the creation of this monster.]

 The shocking truth finally comes out!

U for Undead Stirge

[Note: Any non-gamers tuning in to this series of posts are invited to consult my New Reader Introduction for some RPG-specific definitions and a general introduction to the Lands of Ara blog.]

Special Thanks to Peter Regan, editor of Oubliette Magazine, for his Zombie Monster rules in Oubliette Issue #4,  which were instrumental to the creation of this monster.

Stirge, Undead
# Encountered: 1d10 (3d12)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 60’ (20’)
AC: 8
HD: 2
Attacks: 1 (blood sucking)
Damage: 1d3
Save: F2
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: none
XP: 29

An undead stirge cannot fly, but instead hops from place to place like a grotesque cricket. It does NOT get the +2 to hit granted to living stirges. Undead stirges have all the usual undead immunities.

A successful attack by an undead stirge deals 1d3 damage, and the stirge is then considered attached to its opponent, draining blood for 1d3 damage per round until the victim dies or the undead stirge is destroyed.

"I'm coming to kill you, Barbara!"

S for Sloth of Death

[Note: Any non-gamers tuning in to this series of posts are invited to consult my New Reader Introduction for some RPG-specific definitions and a general introduction to the Lands of Ara blog.]

During my recent revisit of the unfinished Crimson Blades of Ara Referee section, I became reacquainted with the "Sloth of Death," a favorite monster of my 1990s gaming group. Actually, I don't recall that the group actually encountered many Tree Wildens in the course of their adventures, but they sure as hell talked about them a lot. So the "Sloth of Death" became something of a legendary creature in those early CBoA sessions, at least by player word of mouth.

And here it is, statted for Labyrinth Lord:

Illustration copyright 2011 Kelvin Green.

Tree Wilden (Sloth of Death)
# Encountered: 1d4 (1d8)
Alignment: neutral
Move: 90' (30'), Brachiation: 120’ (40’)
AC: 3
HD: 5
Attacks: 2 or 1 (2 claws or strangulate with tail)
Damage: 2d4 / 2d4 / special (see below)
Save: F5
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: none
XP: 350

The Tree Wilden, popularly known as the "Sloth of Death," is a 3 foot tall tree-dwelling primate with an incredibly strong, 3-4 foot long prehensile tail. The Wilden’s greenish skin and brownish fur make it very difficult to spot; it waits silently in trees for unsuspecting prey to pass by below. Once a victim is in range, the Wilden lowers its powerful tail and attempts to strangulate. A successful tail strangulation attack does 1d3 initial damage and indicates that the victim is now held fast; s/he takes 1d3 strangulation damage per round until s/he breaks free. Furthermore, for each round of strangulation after the first, there is a cumulative 1 in 6 chance that the victim passes out.

Breaking free from the tree wilden's stranglehold requires a successful force doors roll -- STR bonuses apply. Furthermore, any round in which the strangling sloth itself takes combat damage (or is affected by a spell) grants the victim an additional +1 to his/her force doors escape roll.

The Tree Wilden can also attack with its claws, but rarely does so, preferring its strangling tail attack to direct melee. It often hunts by twilight or night and has 30' infravision. It is a tree dweller who prefers warmer climes, and is most often encountered in Southern Achelon, Blint, and Noffel.

E for Eyepecker

[Note: Any non-gamers tuning in to this series of posts are invited to consult my New Reader Introduction for some RPG-specific definitions and a general introduction to the Lands of Ara blog.]

Before my triumphant return to playing older-edition D&D via the superb retro-clone Labyrinth Lord, I spent much of the 1990s playing a home-made fantasy RPG called Crimson Blades of Ara (CBoA). That RPG was the origin point for my current fantasy setting of Ara, and was also a receptacle for many great custom-made monsters.

Since I started playing Labyrinth Lord a couple years ago, I haven't raided the CBoA coffers for much monster-related content. Sure, I've adjusted and customized a few standard Labyrinth Lord monsters (like hobgoblins and vampires) for use in the Arandish setting, but I guess I've been too busy getting the geographical and cultural ideas about the setting online to pay much attention to any of the Ara-specific monsters Dave and I created back then.

But monsters deserve love too, and on my recent trip back through the unfinished Crimson Blades of Ara Referee section, I came across the following little gem. I honestly cannot remember now who came up with the "Eyepecker" -- it may well have been something Dave and I invented together. Its name reeks of my style, but even if I came up with the name, Dave and I would have hashed out its characteristics and game stats together.

And now, my revamped version for Labyrinth Lord:

Eyepecker
# Encountered: 3d12 (1d00)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 90' (30'), Fly: 120’ (40’)
AC: 5
HD: 2 hp
Attacks: 1 (beak)
Damage: 1d3 plus blindness
Save: F1
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None
XP: 6

This hostile, birdlike creature (with a 16" average wingspan) earned its name by showing a marked taste for the eyes of its prey. Attacking in small swarms, it will typically attack weak or unarmed beings, but has been known to go after armed adventurers as well. On each successful attack, the eyepecker does 1d3 damage AND has a 1 in 6 chance of putting out one of its victim's eyes. Some Arandish folklorists believe that the eyepecker, which looks like a furry bird with a particularly long beak and batlike wings, is in actuality a minor demon and not really a "bird" at all.

D for Dimetrodon

[Note: Any non-gamers tuning in to this series of posts are invited to consult my New Reader Introduction for some RPG-specific definitions and a general introduction to the Lands of Ara blog.]

As is well known to regular readers, I love dimetrodons. I love ALL dinosaurs really, but dimetrodon -- which is not technically a dinosaur but a "prehistoric synapsid" -- has always been a particular favorite. That sail on its back gets me every time.

So as the first portion of my present celebration of Dimetrodon, I want to offer this new "flying" variant, statted for use in old-school versions of D&D.*

Illustration copyright 2011 Kelvin Green.

Flying Dimetrodon
# Encountered: 1d6
Alignment: Neutral
Move: 120’ (40'), Fly: 150’ (50')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 2d8
Save As: F4
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: none
XP: 570

The dreaded tree- and cliff-dwelling Flying Dimetrodon "flies" in the same sense that a flying squirrel does: it has a membranous webbing along its sides that allows it to glide through the air. A Flying Dimetrodon may only fly for short distances; its favorite tactic is to glide down upon unsuspecting victims. It is 8-9' long, just a wee bit smaller than a standard, ground-dwelling Dimetrodon.

Up next, both for the sake of contrast and to consolidate all the relevant Dimetrodon variants into one convenient post, I hereby reproduce the "basic" Dimetrodon as originally presented by Moldvay/Cook in The Isle of Dread p. 29:

Illustration copyright 2011 Kelvin Green.

Dimetrodon
# Encountered: 1d6
Alignment: Neutral
Move: 120’ (40')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 7
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 2d8
Save As: F4
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: VII
XP: 440

A dimetrodon is a sail-backed, meat-eating dinosaur. The "sail" is a comb of long bony spines connected with a skin webbing. The dimetrodon is about 10' long and weighs nearly a ton. Dimetrodons hunt most often in hills and in the drier areas of swamps.

Followed by my Fire-Breathing Dimetrodon variant, first unveiled here:

Illustration copyright 2011 Kelvin Green.

Fire-Breathing Dimetrodon
# Encountered: 1d4
Alignment: neutral
Move: 120’ (40’)
AC: 5
HD: 7
Attacks: 1 (bite or flame breath weapon)
Damage: 2d8 / special
Save: F4
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: none
XP: 790

This 9' long flaming-sail-backed reptile is fiercely territorial. It is a voracious meat-eater often found in mated pairs or small packs. It is impervious to flame-based attacks. Its breath weapon, usable 3 times per day, emits a cone of flame 60' long and 20' wide which inflicts a number of hp damage equal to the creature's total number of hp when the attack occurs (save vs. breath attack = half damage).

And lastly, my own first take on the Dimetrodon, slightly re-edited and now re-dubbed the "Aquatic Dimetrodon":

Illustration copyright 2011 Kelvin Green.

Aquatic Dimetrodon
# Encountered: 1d4
Alignment: neutral
Move: 90’ (30’), Swim: 120' (40')
AC: 4
HD: 7
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 3d4 +3
Save: F4
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: none
XP: 790

This 9' long sail-backed reptile is fiercely territorial and can swim. It is a voracious meat-eater often found in mated pairs or small packs.  It breathes air but may stay underwater for up to ten minutes at a time.

[FINAL NOTE: Special thanks to Kelvin Green, who created all four of the wonderful dimetrodon illustrations above.  Kelvin also deserves the credit for coming up with the flaming sail for the fire-breathing dimetrodon, which is utterly badass.  Kudos Kelvin!]

--

* By statted I mean I have generated numerical game "stats" (statistics) for the creature so that it can be used in-game. By old-school editions of D&D I specifically mean Labyrinth Lord, the retro-clone that I play, but this term indicates that this monster would work in any first-edition D&D ruleset, including "Original" 1974 D&D, B/X D&D [which Labyrinth Lord clones], AD&D, Swords and Wizardry, OSRIC, etc. See this glossary for more information on these kinds of abbreviations.

The Strangeness of Blogger Stats

Part I: My Most Popular Post Ever
Of course, no sooner did I mention (in this post) that I tend to assiduously avoid consulting The Lands of Ara's blogger stats, than I started feeling inexorably drawn to do so. I checked them out late last week and learned something quite interesting: that the three posts with the all-time greatest number of visits are those that

(a) Include pictures, and

(b) Relate to some creature or phenomenon that has wide appeal outside the RPG'ing community.

So what were the three most trafficked posts (by far) on the Lands of Ara blog, you may ask?

1. Dimetrodon for LL

2. Sleestak!

and

3.  Killer-Looking Harryhausen Cyclops

I am immensely pleased that the Sleestak post is getting out there; I can only hope that those hits include a fair number of gamers who are using those terrific creatures in their games. Ditto for my "Horned Cyclops" variant monster inspired by Harryhausen.  But the insane popularity of the Dimetrodon post -- it has had more visits than any other post on the blog, by a factor of ten -- is clearly a case where my inclusion of a couple pictures (horked from the net) and the basic fact that DINOSAURS ARE COOL have drawn craploads of non-OSR folk to the post. I'm not complaining, but it just goes to show that my gut instincts (to avoid looking at the stats) may have been the smart play in the first place. Call me an elitist if you will, but I would much rather have gamers coming here and using this stuff rather than my posts simply getting massive hits because Dimetrodon pics are en vogue.

But the best part of the "Dimetrodon" story is yet to come.

Part II: My Own Embarrassing Admission
Paul Gorman at Quickly, Quietly, Carefully recently confessed some embarrassment over having never before played module B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Yet, as I pointed out in my comment, there are so many classic modules I have never played either, and one of those -- the one I most regretted missing out on in the olden days -- is Cook and Moldvay's X1 The Isle of Dread.

In fact, other than the (AWESOME!) cover, I never even laid eyes upon X1 until very recently. Some of the holiday money I got in December went toward a classic D&D module order from Noble Knight, and along with a few old, familiar favorites (S2, G1-2-3), I finally acquired Isle of Dread.

I suppose I should have expected this, given my awareness of the module's "Lost World"-esque theme, but imagine my surprise when -- reading through the module just a few weeks ago -- I realized that right in there were complete B/X stats for my favorite quasi-dinosaur, Dimetrodon!

So to some extent my efforts at statting this beloved creature were for naught -- or at least were redundant with Cook & Moldvay's earlier work. My version is 2 HD weaker than theirs (my 5 vs. their 7), but has better AC (my 4 vs. their 5), improved saving throws (my F5 vs. their F4), and slightly higher damage for its bite attack (my 3d4 +3 vs. their 2d8). However, the biggest difference between the two (besides those two hit dice) is the fact that my Dimetrodon can swim -- not historically or physiologically accurate, I don't suppose, but ever since I saw that sail-backed dinosaur in Jurassic Park III swim after its prey, I need swimming Dimetrodons!

The swimming "Spinosaurus" sail in JPIII. 

So, since my most popular post of all time turned out to be a bit of a dud in terms of presenting truly fresh content for my gamer audience, and since I believe in the sanctity of the Joeskythedungeonbrawler protocol, I now offer two new Dimetrodon-related goodies:

Fire-Breathing Dimetrodon
# Encountered: 1d4
Alignment: neutral
Move: 120’ (40’)
AC: 5
HD: 7
Attacks: 1 (bite or flame breath weapon)
Damage: 2d8 / special
Save: F4
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: none
XP: 790

This 9' long sail-backed reptile is fiercely territorial. It is a voracious meat-eater often found in mated pairs or small packs. It is impervious to flame-based attacks. Its breath weapon, usable 3 times per day, emits a cone of flame 60' long and 20' wide which inflicts a number of hp damage equal to their total number of hp when the attack occurs (save vs. breath attack = half damage).

Ring of Dimetrodon Control
This rare and coveted magic item confers the following powers upon its wearer:

(1) Summon 1-4 standard dimetrodons once per day, and

(2) Command 1-6 dimetrodons once per turn, as per a Ring of Animal Command (see Labyrinth Lord p. 113); applicable toward dimetrodons and fire-breathing dimetrodons only.

ROCC, Psionics, and Mind Flayers

My copy of Goblinoid Games' Realms of Crawling Chaos arrived last Saturday, and I have really been enjoying reading it.  It is, as Dan Proctor emphasizes in the opening pages, a Sourcebook, NOT a complete setting unto itself.  I think that that is a key point to bear in mind when assessing this product and appreciating what it has to offer.  Anyone expecting completeness or over-arching coherence will find ROCC to be a bit uneven and possibly disappointing; but those who see it as a modular ideas compendium will find a lot to like about this succinct and content-rich book.

I recently read my very first Lovecraft stories ever, so the timing of ROCC's publication couldn't be better for me.  In some ways, ROCC serves as a superb primer on the HPL "mythos" -- and the fallacy of thinking that there is such a thing, at least in any truly unified sense.  Proctor makes clear from the outset that neither HPL nor ROCC has much concern for presenting a coherent setting / mythology.  He supports this with a really excellent list (provided as Appendix 4 to the Supplement) that runs down all the various creatures and concepts from the book, referring the reader to the various HPL stories (and a select few other texts) in which they appear.  This is a really smart move; I could easily see myself (now that I am a bona fide Lovecraft fan) going back to those source texts to reflect upon the creatures etc. in ROCC as described in the Old Gentleman's own words.  In general, I am quite fond of ROCC's relatively high degree of fidelity to the work of HPL, rather than accounting for all the universalizing tendencies that arose in the post-HPL "Cthulhu" texts.

That said, it must be emphasized that I used the word relatively in that last sentence for a reason: Proctor and his co-author Michael Curtis definitely present material here that goes beyond HPL's stories and thought.  The most notable of these "loosely inspired by" sections is the one on Psionics, the section I want to focus on for the rest of this post.  In other words, this will NOT constitute a thorough review of Realms of Crawling Chaos -- that task has already been admirably performed here, here, here, and here.  Instead, I want to riff on one of my favorite parts of the Sourcebook, and, in adherence to the Joesky Protocol, conclude by offering ROCC-inflected stats for a classic, much-beloved D&D monster.

As my prior wording suggests, I identify as more of a "riffer" than an "originator" -- I may not be all that intrinsically creative, but give me a genre or a template or a loose set of guidelines to work within, and I can generate usable gaming content like nobody's business. Like many folks, I have long struggled with psionics in D&D, and by "struggled" I suppose I really mean I have mainly ignored them. But this saddens me: I like the IDEA of psionics a great deal, but they have always seemed too complicated to be worth it, at least as presented in the AD&D Player's Handbook Appendix A.

But Realms of Crawling Chaos solves all that for me by presenting a simple, Labyrinth Lord-compatible psionics system. The system is based upon the psionic practitioner's "Psionic Strength" (PS) which is an attribute equal to a creature's wisdom. This is similar to the Mutant Future mental attacks mechanic, wherein "Willpower," that game's substitute for LL's Wisdom, is used in conjunction with mental-mutation-based attacks as well. For the purpose of arriving at a WIS/PS score for monsters, ROCC provides a conversion table based upon the monster's intelligence level (i.e., low, average, genius, ultra-genius, etc.).

So, armed with the newfound psionics treasure trove ROCC provides, I hereby offer my own take on the most dreaded and important psionics-dependent monster of all time, the Mind Flayer. Before presenting the stats, however, I wish to acknowledge the work of Justin at Old School Psionics, who offered this superb analysis of the Mind Flayer, with which I happen to totally agree. An excerpt:

Mind Flayers are EPIC, straight up. They are the kind of arch-foe you can design a campaign around. Using them as some random creature encounter in some room in a dungeon is a complete waste, not to mention totally illogical. It is almost a certainty that any dungeon they are in, they are the masters of. [. . .]

Mind Flayers are the ultimate EVIL GENIUSES. For one, that means they have PLANS, big plans... For two, that means they have slaves, lots of slaves. And minions, lots of minions. They look at the world world like we look at the animals in the zoo: a bunch of lesser beings to be collected and manipulated as they see fit.

Well said Justin!

[Note: Anyone who is interested in old-school psionics should also be sure to check out Justin's OSRIC update and expansion of 1e Psionics, including a new class, the Psionic Adept. Justin's well-fleshed-out system is still WAAAY too complex for me, but worth checking out for sure.]

And now, the Labyrinth Lord Mind Flayer:

Mind Flayer
# Encountered: 1d4 (1d4)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 120’ (40’)
AC: 5
HD: 8 + 4
Attacks: 4 (tentacles)
Damage: 2 each
Save: F8
Morale: 10
Hoard Classes: XXI, IX, VIII
XP: 1820

Intelligence: Genius (WIS/PS 2d6+6)
Special Defenses: 90% magic resistance

The mind flayer's physical attack is a simultaneous strike with all four of its tentacles. If a tentacle hits, it reaches the opponent's brain in 1-4 rounds, drawing forth the brain and immediately killing the opponent.

Mind Flayer Psionic Abilities:
Psionic Blast: See ROCC p. 44.

Neural Telekinesis: See ROCC p. 44. [Partially subs for "Levitation" in AD&D]

Psionic Flight: The character may fly through the air with a movement of up to PS x 10. Any encumbrance will hinder the movement by reducing the speed at a level set by the Labyrinth Lord. [Adapted from Mutant Future p. 29.] [Partially subs for "Levitation" in AD&D]

Id Insinuation: See ROCC p. 43. [Subs for "Domination" in AD&D]

ESP: See ROCC p. 43.

Body Equilibrium: Allows the user to adjust the weight of his or her body to correspond with the surface upon which he or she is. Thus, the possessor can walk upon water, quicksand, mud or whatever. With respect to falling, this discipline has the effect of the magic-user spell feather fall (AEC pp. 62-3).

Dimension Projection: See ROCC p. 43. [Subs for "Astral Projection" in AD&D]

Dimension Travel: See ROCC p. 43. [Subs for "Probability Travel" in AD&D]

[Mind Flayer adapted from Monster Manual p. 70]

pdf version available here.

Sleestak!

Marshall, Will, and Holly face off against a group of vicious Sleestak.

I am of the generation who grew up watching the various television productions of Sid and Marty Krofft: Far Out Space Nuts, The Bugaloos, The Lost Saucer, H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and, of course, my all-time favorite, the classic Land of the Lost.  Like many kids then and now, I LOVED dinosaurs, so of course that was a major part of the draw of LotL.  But personally I was always far more scared of and fascinated by the sleestak, those underground-dwelling, bug-eyed, lizard-looking humanoids that couldn't move very fast but had that eerie hiss than haunted my youthful nightmares.

So of course, as a grown-up (?) Labyrinth Lord, I could not resist statting up my beloved sleestak for potential dungeoneering use.  [A pdf version of the Sleestak description and stats is available here.]

Sleestak
# Encountered: 3d4 (8d8)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 60’ (20’)
AC: 8
HD: 1
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: per weapon
Save: 0-Level Human
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: XX
XP: 16

Sleestak are pale green humanoids with huge eyes that dwell exclusively underground.  Sleestak suffer extreme penalties (-3) to attack in full sunlight, and they are notoriously afraid of fire. Even a lantern or weakly burning torch is enough to drive them back; they attack groups of dungeon delvers by overwhelming them in numbers, using their unique group-based Mesmerizing Hiss (see Special Abilities below) to disable opponents, then knocking aside and extinguishing torches and other light sources. Sleestak use primitive spears, clubs, and daggers, but do not wear armor or use shields.

Sleestak see incredibly well in the dark -- they have Infravision to 90' and even have limited vision capabilities in magically generated darkness (see Special Abilities below). Sleestak are literally never encountered singly -- they always travel and hunt in groups of two or more. If a sleestak is encountered alone or is separated from its group by trickery or combat attrition, it will always flee.

Special Abilities:

Mesmerizing group hiss: When approaching enemies or entering combat, Sleestak continuously hiss. This hissing does not count as a separate attack action; Sleestak can hiss at will, and always do so when attacking or when threatened. Two or more sleestak hissing together will Stun all hearers within 100' for 3 rounds -- an initial saving throw vs. Spells is permitted to avoid this effect. Creatures Stunned by sleestak group hissing cannot attack or take other actions, and are themselves attacked at +4, with no DEX- or shield-based AC bonuses (see AEC p. 143). The undead and other creatures immune to charm effects are immune to the effects of the Sleestak group hiss. One sleestak hissing alone has no effect; in fact, sleestak rarely hiss when alone.

See in magical darkness: Sleestak can see up to 30' in magical darkness such as that generated by the 1st-Level spell or by certain magical items.

"Now which way did those pesky humans go?"

Dimetrodon for LL

As I have previously posted, I am a big fan of the "Valley of the Dinosaurs" motif, no doubt because I am a lifelong dinosaur fan.  Interestingly, one of my favorite "dinosaurs" is not technically a dinosaur at all, but a prehistoric synapsid (perhaps more closely related to mammals than to reptiles) called Dimetrodon.

Dimetrodon -- its "two-measure" teeth help it shear the flesh of its hapless victims.

And since I name-dropped this creature yet again in last post's Top Ten Monsters List, here is Dimetrodon, statted for Labyrinth Lord:

Dimetrodon
# Encountered: 1d4
Alignment: neutral
Move: 120’ (40’), Swim: 90' (30')
AC: 4
HD: 5
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 3d4 +3
Save: F5
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: none
XP: 200

This 9' long sail-backed reptile is fiercely territorial and can swim. It is a voracious meat-eater often found in mated pairs or small packs.

[Adapted from "Dimetrodon" in Monster Manual II p. 52.]

Ara Needs Elementalists!

I have wanted an Elementalist NPC class for my Lands of Ara campaign for some time, and have a few ideas brewing along this line, but have hit something of an impasse in the development stage.  The main source of that impasse is mostly my own laziness, but this post is intended as a partial corrective to that entropic tendency -- at least here I will start getting my ideas out in a public forum, and maybe some other folks will be able to help me fill in the gaps and get me inspired to complete this mini-project.

In terms of not totally re-inventing the wheel here, I am aware that EGG (or, more likely, Len Lakofka) developed a Pyrologist class, and I have access to the original publication in which that class appeared, Liaisons Dangereuses #74.  However, this class has two major limitations as far as my own intentions for Elementalists are concerned: (1) it seems to mainly consist of an alternative spell list grafted onto a standard Magic-User mechanic (though a clerical version is cryptically mentioned), and (2) it covers only the element of fire.  I admit that some of those new Pyromage spells are great, and I will surely hork them for my Arandish Fire Elementalists, but I want my Elementalists to be more like a combination spellcaster / summoner, and even more importantly, elementalists in Ara are Clerics, NOT Magic-Users.  So to make the kind of Elementalist class I envision, I will need:

(1)  More Elementalist-specific spells,

(2)  More types of elemental creatures for my Elementalists to summon -- a point that elf23 also makes in his tantalizing post over at The City of Iron on this topic -- and

(3)  The whole thing placed upon a Cleric-like or Druid-like chassis.   

So to begin with, does anyone know of more good resources for element-specific spells?  I have raided the Ancient Vaults and Eldritch Secrets blog for relevant spells many times (and am thankful for this index provided by ChicagoWiz).  Any other resources or ideas that would help me here?

Also, thanks to elf23 for his recent post of a Labyrinth Lord general elementalist spell list.

Deep Gnomes and Deep Hobbits

In preparing for my first Core World Labyrinth Lord session on Monday, I have been statting up a few key races.  Of course, one of the main ones I want in there for an all-underground campaign are the Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin) from Gygax's D1-2-3 series, and a new race I am introducing as a major player in the Core World campaign, the Deep Hobbits.  So I have generated Labyrinth Lord stats for both races.  Hopefully I am not repeating anybody's work here -- has someone else already converted Svirfneblin for B/X / Labyrinth Lord use?

At any rate, here are my stat blocks for Deep Gnomes and Deep Hobbits.

Deep Gnome (Svirfneblin)
# Encountered: 2d8 (5d8)
Alignment: Neutral
Move: 90’ (30’)
AC: 2
HD: 3 + 6
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: per weapon
Save: D3
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XX
XP: 170
See p. 28 of Module D1-2 for a complete description of the Deep Gnome. 

Deep Hobbit (Darkfoot)
# Encountered: 3d6 (5d8)
Alignment: Neutral
Move: 90’ (30’)
AC: 4
HD: 1
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d6 or weapon
Save: H1
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: VII (XXI)
XP: 13

Slightly tougher than their surface-bound cousins, Deep Hobbits live their entire lives in underground caves deep beneath the surface of the ground (the second Hoard Class figure is for when Deep Hobbits are encountered in their home cavern). Deep Hobbits may hide in shadows or behind cover in underground caverns and labyrinths with 90% ability.  Like Arandish rodians, deep hobbits have limited infravision (30' range).  Like their allies the deep gnomes, deep hobbits may use the blur ability (as per the 2nd Level Illusionist spell) once per day.  

Like above-ground hobbits, Deep Hobbits gain a +1 to initiative when alone or in parties of deep hobbits, and a +1 to all missile attacks.  They prefer crossbows, short swords, and hand axes as favored weapons.  Their skin is dark gray to black, and they do have hairy feet!

Playing Deep Hobbits as PCs
Deep hobbits level as regular hobbits, with the following features:

Requirements: DEX 9, CON 9
Prime Requisites: STR and DEX
Hit Dice: 1d6
Max. Level: 8

Allies: morlocks, deep gnomes, dwarves, gnomes, some surface hobbits

Enemies: deep elves, hobgoblins, drow, ponaturi (Kua-Toans), mind flayers

Random Blog Post Topic - Four Demons

A short while back The Rusty Battle Axe posted another random blog post topic generator, and this one was so damn inventive that I vowed to roll and respond honestly this time.

So here goes.  The rolls:

Initial d10 roll = 1 :  "Roll on Table 2 then on Table 4"
Table 2 roll 1d12 = 6 : "Four"
Table 4 roll 1d100 = 26 : "Demons"

Four Demons
Note that all these demons have the common "demon" abilities listed on p. 108 of the AEC, to wit:
Infravision (90')
Half damage from cold-based attacks
Half damage from electrical-based attacks
Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
Half damage from gas-type attacks
Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)

Gark, Demon Prince of Hobgoblins 
 # Encountered: 1 (unique)
Alignment: chaotic (evil)
Move: 120’ (40’)
AC: -3
HD: 99 hp (20 HD)
Attacks: 1 (special weapon)
Damage: 3d6 (+ special)
Save: F20
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP:  10,250

Gark appears as a huge (9' tall) demonic hobgoblin wearing black chain mail and wielding one of his preferred weapons: his long sword or his morningstar.  Gark's Long Sword and Morningstar each inflict 3d6 damage per hit when wielded by him, and also have the following additional effects:

Gark's long sword - when struck by the sword, the target must save vs. magic or experience fear (as per the 4th Level MU spell, see AEC p. 62 or PH p. 76).

Gark's morningstar - when hit with the morningstar, a saving throw vs. magic must be made or the victim is confused (as per the 4th-level MU spell).

Gark can also Teleport without error at will.

[Note that Gark, Demon Prince of Hobgoblins, is very loosely based upon Yeenoghu, Demon Lord of Gnolls, described on p. 19 of the Monster Manual.  The "Demon" descriptions and stats in Goblinoid Games' Advanced Edition Companion (p. 108) were also incredibly helpful in statting Gark.]

Nazzeb
# Encountered: 1 (0)
Alignment: chaotic (evil)
Move: 90' (30')  Fly: 120’ (40’)
AC: 0
HD: 10
Attacks: 3 (2 claw, 1 bite)
Damage: 1d4 / 1d4 / 2d4
Save: F10
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP: 3,100

The demon Nazzeb fancies eating manflesh, but is allergic to magical (or even magically inclined) beings.  Thus he prefers eating dwarves, non-magic-using humans, and halflings.  In exchange for being provided with dwarves to eat, Nazzeb sometimes grants loyal followers on our plane special physical powers.

Indeed, Nazzeb is a shape-shifter who can assume many forms in our dimension -- he can Polymorph Self (MU 4) at will.  No one knows for sure what his true form is (or if he even has one), but he most often assumes the shape of a Nalfeshnee (AEC p. 112).  Further at-will powers include fear (MU 4) and the ability to gate (50% chance of success) a vrock, hezrou, or glabrezu demon (determine randomly).  Nazzeb also has Limited Wish (MU 7) three times per day.


Note: These next two demons threatened to rip out my soul if I revealed their vital statistics publicly, so a short descriptive paragraph for each will have to suffice.



Slor, the Snake Demon 
Imagine Jubilex (AEC p. 111) but made out of snakes instead of slimes, oozes, and puddings.  That describes Slor, the Snake Demon, who non doubt lives in a snake-infested lair surrounded by demonic snakes of all descriptions.  I would probably stat Slor like a slightly weaker version of Jubilex, say, 9-10 HD instead of 21 HD -- but again, that is just supposition and you didn't hear it from me.

Gorbeezak, Demon of the Gates
This powerful, invisible demon is believed to haunt stable gates in order to to ambush and make trouble for planar travelers.  No physical description of Gorbeezak exists, because (a) it seems to be invisible most of the time, and (b) only one mortal has ever encountered Gorbeezak, and that mortal, Morag the Arch-Summoner, has lived in total secrecy for the past hundred years -- he may even be dead or residing permanently in another dimension for all anyone knows.  Further, even before his disappearance from human society, Morag was known to be quite insane, therefore his records concerning Gorbeezak should be treated with healthy skepticism.

New Monster - Dark Orc

As I mentioned in my latest campaign session report, my Labyrinth Lord group ran into a new monster, the Dark Orc, in the lower levels of the underground orc hideout they were exploring. 

In truth, the Dark Orc is essentially a substitute for a standard LL hobgoblin. . . its stats are quite similar.  I suppose my "conversion" of hobgoblin into Dark Orc stems from my general love of orcs, and my contention that hobgoblins should be more powerful than they are in the standard D&D / Labyrinth Lord rules.   So, bring on the Dark Orcs!

Dark Orc
# Encountered: 1d6 (4d6)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 90’ (30’)
AC: 5
HD: 1 + 1
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d8 or weapon (long swords preferred)
Save: F1
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: XIX
XP: 15

Larger, darker skinned, and far more disciplined than typical orcs, dark orcs are quite often encountered wielding long swords and crossbows, and wearing scale mail.  Dark orcs are highly organized fighters, and use ambush and surprise attack techniques to gain the advantage on their opponents.  Relations between dark orcs and their "regular" orcish cousins are often strained at best, due to the dark orcs' preference for martial discipline over brutal, chaotic violence.  But in some cases dark orcs have been known to combine forces with and even lead combat groups of standard orcs.

Hill Orcs Kick Ass - And So Does Goblinoid's AEC!

In a recent post on his excellent "Behind the Screen" blog, my friend Carl shared a great new monster that I am rather taken with: the Hill Orc.  Hill orcs are bigger and badder than their typical orcish cousins, are greenish rather than grayish, and favor poleaxes as their main weapons.  As Carl writes:

[Hill Orcs] can be easily recognized by the floppy wide-brimmed hats they wear to shield their eyes from the daylight, and the striped kilts emblazoned with their clan colors.  Hill Orc warriors share a special bond with the giant dogs that serve as mount and companion; as a young hill orc draws closer to the initiation ceremony that will mark his entrance into the warrior fraternities, a puppy is selected for him by the shaman. For the next year, the young orc must spend all of his time with his dog, training it and building a bond of mutual love and trust strong enough to survive the rigors of battle.

Wow!  Big poleaxe-wielding orcs who ride wargs!  How can I resist?  Yet Carl's post only includes stats for these creatures in the modified D&D 3.5 system he was using when he created them.  So what does a poor old-school Labyrinth Lord like me do?  Convert this great monster to Labyrinth Lord, of course!  [I have Carl's blessing to post this conversion, and I welcome comments from him or anybody else if I miss anything here.]

Hill Orc
# Encountered: 2d4 (3d8)
Alignment: Chaotic
Move: 120’ (40’)
AC: 4
HD: 2
Attacks: 1 (claw or weapon)
Damage: 1d6 / weapon damage
Save: F2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP: 20

Like standard orcs, Hill Orcs suffer a penalty of –1 to hit rolls when in sunlight - unless they are wearing their usual protective brimmed hats.  There are Hill Orc leaders who fight as 3 HD monsters.  On Ara, Hill Orcs live in the northern and eastern mountains of Telengard, and could be substituted into this encounter table -- maybe swap "Hill Orc" in for result 23, Neanderthal, or result 19, Werewolf.
Rage: Hill Orcs can fly into a combat rage like a berserker.  During a rage, which lasts 1-4 rounds, the Hill Orc gets -2 to AC, +1 to hit, and +2 to all inflicted damage.  For 1-4 rounds after the rage subsides, the Hill Orc loses all initiative and suffers a -1 penalty to hit and -1 to inflicted damage. 
Wolf mounts: For a hill orc's canine mount, I would simply use the Dire Wolf stats from p. 102 of Labyrinth Lord.

[Edit: Check out this badass illustration of a Hill Orc by Eli Arndt.]

Speaking of statting up new monsters, last weekend I was working on a creature that I hope my Labyrinth Lord party does not encounter for quite some time, for it is an undead version of a rather powerful classic monster from AD&D.  I was working on my undead version's stat block and had pulled out my 1e Monster Manual to check out the official characteristics of the original, non-undead version of the creature, when it suddenly dawned on me: Wait a minute!  I have a pdf of the Labyrinth Lord Society member's sneak preview of the Advanced Edition Companion!!  Why the hell am I dragging out my old Monster Manual when the stats I need are probably already in the AEC?? 

And indeed, what a glorious moment it was when I opened that AEC pdf and found the exact monster I was looking for, statted for Labyrinth Lord!  This made my undead-ification of the monster go very smoothly and swiftly, and will no doubt be the first of many successful encounters I have with the AEC.  Don't get me wrong, I am still quite happy to have possession of my 1e books, for obviously there is information, nuance, and nostalgia there that are not reproduced (nor reproducible) in AEC.  But in terms of a practical working text that will be of immense help to me in my current Labyrinth Lord campaign, I can hardly imagine a more useful book than the AEC right now.

Devotees will remember that I have been eagerly anticipating the Advanced Edition Companion since at least late October, in part because I am one of those people whose "default" rules system from the old days was a kind of "AD&D lite" approach that made primary use of the three core AD&D books, which the AEC emulates.   So I was thrilled to learn yesterday that the Advanced Edition Companion is finally out in print form!  I have ordered my copy and eagerly await its arrival.  I know I am going to make much use of this tome over the coming months and years.  Great job Daniel Proctor and Goblinoid Games!

Killer-Looking Harryhausen Cyclops

I recently obtained an awesome 3-DVD set of the Ray Harryhausen "Sinbad" movies: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977).  I dig all these movies (along with Clash of the Titans of course) and especially Harryhausen's monsters; my all-time favorite Harryhausen creations include the statue Talos from Jason and the Argonauts (1963), the baboon prince in Eye of the Tiger, and this awesome looking cyclops from 7th Voyage.

In celebration of this great cinematic creature, here are proposed B/X stats for it -- not substantially different from a standard D&D cyclops, but I figure those cloven hooves make him a bit lighter on his feet (hence the faster movement rate and lowered AC), plus there's his horn attack.    

Horned Cyclops
No. Enc. 1 (1d4)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
AC: 4
HD: 13
Attacks: 1 (Club, Horn or Thrown Rocks)
Damage: 3d10 / 4d6 / 3d6
Save: F13
Morale: 9
Hoard Class:  XVIII + 5,000 gp
XP: 2,400

Indigenous to the Novellan Mountains of northern Telengard, the horned cyclops is in most respects identical to its non-horned brethren (see LL p. 69), except that this type may opt to attack with its horn, which inflicts 4d6 damage.

"Hi!  I'm from the Novellan Mountains!  Let me eat you for lunch!"

Northern Arandish Forest d30 Encounter Table

To accompany my previous post on the geography and culture of Achelon, I here offer an exciting encounter table usable in any northern forest in Ara, be it in northern Achelon, the Western Lands, even near the Ghardash Wilderness in Telengard -- though the latter will also have its own particularly nasty encounter table (forthcoming).

For the d30-less (poor forsaken souls!), I also offer a d20 version of this encounter table, included on the free downloadable pdf version of the Northern Arandish Forests d30 table.  See also two new Arandish forest-dwelling monsters at the end of this post!

Northern Arandish Forests Encounter Table – 1d30
1: Bear, Grizzly
2: Bee, Giant Killer
3: Bugbear
4: Cat, Panther
5: Dwarf
6: Elf
7: Ghoul
8: Hobgoblin
9: Lycanthrope, Werewolf
10-11: Men, Brigands (30% chance that the band includes rodians)
12: Men, Lone Mad Hermit
13-14: Men, Local Patrol*
15: Men, Ranger
16: Ogre
17: Ogre, Wild**
18: Orc
19: Owlbear
20: Roc, Small
21: Snare: One PC rolls initiative vs. the snare and is caught if s/he loses.  The trappers (50% chance human brigands, 50% chance tree trolls) appear swiftly and attack.
22: Spider, Giant Black Widow
23: Troll, Hill
24: Troll, Tree**
25: Wight
26: Wolf
27: Wolf, Dire
28: Encounter a Ruin***
29: The party stumbles across a partially decayed corpse
30: A dying Magic-User propped against the base of a tree hands a party member an indecipherable scroll, then perishes

* In Achelon, this would be the Queen’s soldiers; in Telengard, the Roughriders; in the Western Lands, any one of many possible local militias – maybe two competing ones!
** New Arandish monster, described below.
***I suggest you use the Random Ruin Generator by Robert Lionheart, in Knockspell #3.

New Monsters

Ogre, Wild
No. Enc. 1d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
AC: 4
HD: 6
Attacks: 3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage: 1d10 / 1d10 / 1d12 + rabies infection
Save: F5
Morale: 10
Hoard Class:  II + V
XP: 570

Faster, stronger, and far more bloodthirsty than normal ogres, the wild ogres of northern Ara are fearsome opponents.  Wild ogres are larger and hairier than standard ogres, and attack mainly with long, sharp, deadly claws.  Wild ogres are fiercely territorial and do not like to be disturbed by humans or other "civilized" beings.  A wild ogre's bite attack infects its target with rabies unless a save vs. poison is made -- the rabies infectee goes mad and dies within 1d6 days unless cured via the cleric spell Cure Disease.

Troll, Tree
No. Enc.  1d6 (3d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Move: 120' (40')
AC: 5
HD: 3
Attacks: 3 (2 claws, 1 bite), set traps (see below)
Damage: 1d4 / 1d4 / 1d8
Save: F4
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: X
XP: 65

A smaller and more mischievous cousin to the larger trolls of Ara, tree trolls are in fact extremely rare EXCEPT in the forests of Northern Ara, especially in Achelon, where they seem to proliferate.  Tree trolls are not typically keen on direct attack strategies, preferring instead to soften their foes with tricks, psychological warfare, and rope or vine snares before attacking in large groups.  Unlike, say, rock trolls, who tend to fight to the death once they smell blood, tree trolls will retreat in the face of particularly strong foes and/or combat circumstances that turn against them.  Tree trolls have the same regeneration abilities and susceptibilities to acid and fire as their larger brethren.  Tree trolls live in treetops and hollow stumps and logs.  

Arandish Goblins and Hobgoblins

Goblins
In Ara, goblins feature as a PC race only -- hats off to James Maliszewski for coming up with that idea.  That's right, you heard correctly, goblins are not used as monsters in Ara.  Use frikkin' orcs instead!

 
Hobgoblins
Like so many other monsters, Arandish hobgoblins are more powerful and feared than hobgoblins found elsewhere.  In fact, part of the reason for the virulence of Arandish hobgoblins -- and the source of the fearful legends that surround them -- may be the longstanding yet unproven rumors of a fiendish underground race of super-hobgoblins thought to dwell somewhere deep beneath Ara. . .  

Arandish Hobgoblin
# Encountered: 2d4 (5d4)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 90’ (30’)
AC: 5
HD: 3
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d8 or weapon
Save: F2
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XXI
XP: 65
 
Arandish hobgoblins live primarily underground, and suffer a –1 penalty to all attack rolls when in full sunlight.  In Ara, hobgoblins are archenemies of dwarves, who they hate above all other humanoids (though humans run a close second). 
Arandish hobgoblins seem to prefer large weapons like battle axes, two-handed swords, and heavy flails.  When in the presence of a hobgoblin king -- a 6HD hobgoblin usually accompanied by 1d4 4HD bodyguards -- all hobgoblins have a morale score of 11.  Hobgoblins are sometimes, but not always, encountered in mixed parties that include bugbears (40% chance).

Three Badass Dragons

I happen to agree with noisms at Monsters and Manuals that D&D dragons should be more powerful than they are, more godlike and feared.  Thus, as with Arandish vampires, Arandish dragons are much more powerful than the ones listed in the Labyrinth Lord rulebook.  Dragons in fact rarely appear in my campaigns; I am much fonder of using humans and the undead, with a dash of orcs, hobgoblins, and trolls thrown in, as my main foes and villains.  When a dragon does appear -- and I cannot even think of a time in the recent past when one has -- I feel it should be immensely powerful, godlike, and absolutely terrifying.

Therefore I present three badass Arandish dragons: 

Krakko the Iron Drake
# Encountered: 0 (1)
Alignment: lawful (evil)
Move: 90’ (30’), Fly: 300’ (100’)
AC: -3
HD: 21 (168 hp)
Attacks: 3 or 1 (2 claws, 1 bite, or breath)
Damage: 2d6 / 2d6 / 6d8 
Save: F11
Morale: fearless
Hoard Class: XV
XP: 13,000

[Note that Krakko’s basic stats are based loosely upon Bahamut from MM p. 33.]

Krakko [CRACK-oh] the Iron Drake, the only dragon of his kind ever encountered in Ara, is not a native of the Arandish dimension.    Krakko hails from some unknown neighboring dimension, and can travel inter-dimensionally at will.  Due to his inter-dimensional travel ability and sadistic nature, Krakko occasionally appears in Ara and wreaks momentary but catastrophic havoc. 

Iron scales render Krakko’s hide resistant to almost every form of physical attack. Only magical weapons of +1 or higher, or weapons made of dwarven steel, can harm Krakko.  He is utterly immune to fire attacks.  Krakko's breath weapon is as a red dragon's, a 90' long, 30' wide cone of fire, and his spell abilities are equal to those of a gold dragon.  Krakko loves torture and oppression, and seemingly has no regard for life other than his own, at least not when he visits Ara. 

Certain incomprehensibly powerful summoners are rumored to have first summoned Krakko to Ara during the waning days of the Old War -- in effect showing him where Ara is and royally pissing him off -- but this is the stuff of legend and cannot be verified.   Whatever his origins, Krakko is undoubtedly the most feared creature in Ara.  Though his legend has been in place since the earliest conceptions of the Lands of Ara, I have never actually deployed Krakko in an Arandish campaign -- he is too powerful.

Razgar the Red Dragon
# Encountered: 0 (1)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 90’ (30’), Fly: 240’ (80’)
AC: -1
HD: 18
Attacks: 3 or 1 (2 claw, 1 bite, or breath)
Damage: 1d8 / 1d8 / 4d8
Save: F11
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: XV
XP: 5,250

Razgar [RAZ-gar] inhabits the Novellan mountains in northern Telengard, and is the de facto master of those mountains and the dreaded Ghardash Wilderness just to the south.  Razgar is legendary throughout northern Ara.  He actually does not need to do much to enhance his reputation anymore, so he typically only hunts humans and humanoids for food and to acquire their treasure.  He rarely raids a city or larger settlement unless someone there has directly wronged, challenged, or insulted him.  Besides Krakko, Razgar is the most feared dragon in Ara.

This is one of my favorite illustrations from the Monster Manual.

Bublar the Black Dragon
# Encountered: 0 (1)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 90’ (30’), Fly: 240’ (80’)
AC: 1
HD: 9
Attacks: 3 or 1 (2 claw, 1 bite, or breath)
Damage: 1d6 / 1d6 / 3d8
Save: F9
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XV
XP: 3,100

Bublar [BOOB-lar] dwells in the northern end of the Great Western Swamp, somewhere in the southern foothills of the Gray Mountains.  He is as ill-tempered a dragon as you could hope to meet, and delights in frightening, terrorizing, torturing, killing, and mutilating almost anyone.  Note that parties traveling in the Swamp and randomly encountering a black dragon are very likely encountering Bublar (100% chance in the north, 60% chance in the southern half, closer to Noffel).

Other Arandish Dragons
Note that since I think that D&D dragons are generally under-powered, even “run of the mill” dragons randomly encountered in Ara should have 2 or 3 extra Hit Dice beyond their standard Labyrinth Lord listing—for example, the typical Black Dragon encountered in the Great Western Swamp should be a 9- or 10-Hit Die monster (like our friend Bublar).

Vampires – Ara’s Dark Masters

As I revealed in a previous post, vampires have always scared me a great deal, and I think of them as extremely powerful, evil, and cunning foes.  So in the Lands of Ara, with very few exceptions, vampires are the most powerful and dreaded evil creatures to be found in the region. 

Arandish vampires are in fact ancient necromantic magic-users and/or chaotic clerics who participated in the centuries-past Old War between Achelon and Telengard.  At the end of the Old War, these necromancers were imprisoned in the Spire of Mornlyn by Arlon the Wise and Sarkon of Telengard.  Unfortunately, the imprisoned wizards figured out how to preserve themselves forever as evil undead beings, and subsequently escaped imprisonment in Mornlyn to roam Ara by night as vampires, seeking dire vengeance upon humankind.

Thus Arandish vampires are really more akin to liches from AD&D (see Monster Manual p. 61): ancient, incredibly powerful evil sorcerers turned undead by force of their own will.  In terms of game statistics, I treat an Arandish vampire like a hybrid of a D&D vampire and a D&D lich. 

Arandish Vampire (Undead Necromancer)
# Encountered: 1 (1)
Alignment: chaotic
Move: 120’ (40’), Fly: 180’ (60’)
AC: 1
HD: 11+
Attacks: 1 touch (see below)
Damage: 1d10, drain life energy
Save: F9
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: XVII
XP: 9200+

Arandish vampires borrow from D&D liches the following characteristics and special abilities:

Arandish vampires never have less than 11 HD.

Arandish vampires are at least 18^th Level magic-users and/or clerics (often both).

Arandish vampires cause fear in all beings of 5^th Level (or 5 HD) and lower.

The following spells / attack forms have no effect on Arandish vampires: charm, sleep, enfeeblement, polymorph, cold, electricity, insanity or death spells/symbols.

Besides these enhancements, Arandish vampires otherwise behave as standard D&D vampires (see Labyrinth Lord pp. 101), with the same aversions to garlic, running water, etc.

I may use the standard D&D vampire (see Labyrinth Lord pp. 101) for select purposes, like when characters and other beings get bitten and turned vampiric – a kind of lesser vampire type always enslaved to a Vampire master.  But those will be relatively rare, as Arandish vampires are particularly megalomaniacal and do not tend to create much vampire spawn with whom they must share feeding grounds – they prefer lesser, non-vampiric undead minions and servants.

Great Western Swamp - Monsters

A Blaag.

As a continuation of my previous post on The Great Western Swamp, here are the gaming stats for some more exciting NPCs and deadly monsters who inhabit the notorious Swamp.  The first two entries are for Rogath, a fairly well-known Ranger from The Western Lands, and Rabbit-Head, a guide from Marsh Town; please note in this connection that I have recently decided to go with the two Ranger options outlined in Brave Halfling’s Delving Deeper: Ranger, a superb product I highly recommend.  [See also James Maliszewski’s review of DD: Ranger.]

Rogath the Swamp-Ranger

Ranger (With Damage Bonus) Level 3

Sex: male

Alignment: neutral (balance)

STR 14, DEX 11, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 13, CHA 9

HP: 16

AC: 5

Weapons: Long Sword, Short bow

Armor: chain mail (base AC 5)

Rogath originally hails from Noffel, which is probably why he favors the long sword as a primary weapon.  Rogath’s current “home” is actually Tradefair, the largest city of The Western Lands, but he is not there very much; he prefers to wander the Swamp.  In case this isn't already obvious, his giant- and humanoid-fighting abilities extend to Swamp Trolls.

Rabbit-Head, an erratic yet surprisingly effective Swamp Guide

Ranger (With Additional Skills) Level 4

Sex: male

Alignment: chaotic

STR 12, DEX 16, CON 12, INT 11, WIS 14, CHA 8

HP: 13

AC: 5

Weapons: skinning knife (treat as dagger)

Armor: leather (base AC 7)

Rabbit-Head is a relatively young, severely mentally unbalanced, yet exceptionally talented swamp guide who mainly operates out of Marsh Town (Sluggerton).  Rabbit-Head is not much interested in money, and prefers to barter for his services, demanding unique trinkets, treasures and services as payment for his Swamp guide work.  Due to his unstable personality, Rabbit-Head has on occasion abandoned clients in the middle of the Swamp, and has even once or twice sold them out to brigands, but he is not so much conniving as whimsical, and more often than not he can be trusted to complete the guiding and scouting jobs he contracts for.  Rabbit-Head’s greatest weakness as a hireling may be his penchant for pickpocketing his clients while they sleep, something he does more for fun than strictly for gain.  Rabbit-Head is a physical coward and will typically try to avoid confrontation or combat at all costs, but, as a result of his cowardice, he is very good at evading indigenous Swamp aggressors, a benefit he passes on to parties he travels with (see +1 bonus to Encounter Table Rolls mentioned in the previous post).  All in all, Rabbit-Head is considered one of the best Swamp guides to be found in Sluggerton, and he therefore maintains a busy schedule.   

Next, a few key new monsters that dwell in the Great Western Swamp: the frog-like Blaag, the man-eating Swamp Tiger and, in case you missed it in my post about Arandish Trolls, the dreaded Swamp Troll. 

Blaag

# Encountered: 1d8 (3d12)

Alignment: chaotic

Move: 120’ (40’), Swim: 150’ (50’)

AC: 5

HD: 2

Attacks: 3 (2 claw, 1 bite)

Damage: 1d4 / 1d4 / 1d6

Save: F2

Morale: 8

Hoard Class: XXII

XP: 29

Named, perhaps, for the guttural sound they make when attacking, the blaag are small, frog-like humanoids with razor-sharp teeth and a taste for human flesh.  They will go after food (preferably humans and their brethren) voraciously and without any thought of retreat.  They are usually encountered in groups of 3-36.  Their principle weakness is their method of attack, a lunging bite (they can leap up to 20’) that only allows each blaag to attack every other turn, albeit at a +1 to hit.  Blaag are speedy swimmers and will use water to their defensive advantage, diving to retreat and surfacing to leap and attack. 

A deadly Swamp Tiger named Roscoe.

Swamp Tiger

# Encountered: 0 (1d3)

Alignment: neutral

Move: 150’ (50’), Swim: 90’ (30’)

AC: 6

HD: 6

Attacks: 3 (2 claws, 1 bite)

Damage: 1d6 / 1d6 / 2d6

Save: F3

Morale: 9

Hoard Class: VI

XP: 320

Swamp Tigers are very similar to typical tigers, except that, perhaps uniquely among the big cats, they do not mind water.  Swamp Tigers prefer land, and are excellent tree climbers, but will swim short distances to reach prey or escape death.  All swamp tigers have a taste for human blood and prefer to hunt humans over any other prey.

Swamp Troll

# Encountered: 0 (1d4)

Alignment: chaotic

Move: 90’ (30’), Swim: 180’ (60’)

AC: 4

HD: 9 + 3

Attacks: 3 (2 claw, 1 bite) or 1 trample

Damage: 1d8 / 1d8 / 1d12 / 3d8 (trample)

Save: F9

Morale: 8

Hoard Class: XIV

XP: 1700

The most dreaded of all trolls, the gigantic swamp troll inhabits the Great Western Swamp (which I will describe in detail in a future post).  The swamp troll lies in wait for prey, its leathery, muck-encrusted back sticking out of the water like a small island.  When something gets close enough, the troll rises to its full height of 16 feet, striking with terrible, 3-foot claws.  A swamp troll knows little fear, and will not hesitate to attack small boats and other swamp-going craft.  Swamp trolls are nomadic, going where the hunting is good.  They are excellent swimmers, and if forced to flee will dive into the swamp-water and swim away from danger.  Swamp trolls are amphibious and can hold their breath underwater for very long periods.  Swamp trolls have all the same regenerative abilities, and susceptibilities to acid and fire, as other trolls do (see Labyrinth Lord p. 100).

And lastly, here is a Monster Encounter Table for the Great Western Swamp.  (Generic “marsh” or “swamp” encounter tables can be used if you prefer a wider variety of monsters).  Remember that The Great Western Swamp is so notorious for being difficult to navigate that even skilled scouts and rangers from other regions have difficulty finding their way.  Thus local scouts and barge captains who specialize in traversing the Great Western Swamp get a +1 bonus to any scouting / tracking activity in the Swamp, and also add a +1 modifier to rolls on this Encounter Table.

Great Western Swamp Encounter Table

roll d20
1-2	Swamp Troll (see above)
3	Black Dragon
4	Carnivorous Beetle
5	Babbler (see Fiend Folio p. 13)
6	Ghoul
7	Giant Bat
8	Giant Killer Bee
9	Giant Toad
10	Blaag (see above)
11	Swamp Tiger (see above)
12	Rat
13	Giant Rat
14	Thork (see Fiend Folio p. 88)
15	Orc
16	Owlbear
17	Berserker
18-19	Brigand
20	Fugitive Magic-User*
21	Vendetta Seeker (vs. the guide)**

* 2% chance of encountering the apparition of Awra (see forthcoming post); in all other cases, it is a typical magic-user (level 1-6, rolled randomly) fleeing from Noffellian authorities.

** This can be any type of monster or NPC that the guide or barge captain has wronged / made enemies with in the past.  The creature will attack the guide as well as the party indiscriminately.