A booth picture and Day Sixteen

I'm back from the Smithsonian Show. Here's a picture of my booth:

Anyway, day 16 of 30 monsters in 30 days brings us . . . another ooze. It's a pillar or column (result of 63), immune to blunt weapons (roll of 56, followed by 13), and attacks via direct contact (result of 62), meaning that it attacks by oozing into a target, rather than striking it with a pseudopod. We're told to roll on the special attacks table (2-79) to determine the attack form. We can also roll on Table 2-43 to come up with a name for our ooze: A 32 and 22 gives us the Gobbling Coalescence.

The roll on the Special Attacks table is a 94, or Stun.

Hmmmm.

Gobbling Coalescence
# encountered: 1d6

% in Lair: 100%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60 (20')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: Slam
Damage: 1d8 + stun
Save: F5
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: VII
XP: 200

The dreaded Gobbling Coalescences appear to be solid pillars of stone and grow from between 10 and 20 feet tall (add 1 HD for every foot above 10). They blend in well with their surroundings, and surprise on a roll of 1-4 in 6. Capable of sensing living prey within 60', they attack by falling towards living creatures that come within range (i.e. 10' for a 10' tall column), making an attack roll against an initial target. Once they have made their initial attack the gobbling coalescence begins to roll towards their victims like an enormous, sticky rolling pin, potentially attacking more than one target in a single round (i.e. a 10' coalescence could attack as many individuals as are lined up over 10').

Targets that are struck must take damage and make a Save v. Paralysis or be stunned (move at 1/2 speed, -4 to attack rolls) for 1d4 rounds due to secretions on the ooze's surface. Only warm blooded targets are affected by the coalescence's stunning ooze, and, in fact, they will only attack warm-blooded creatures, so oftentimes grounds of lizardmen, froglings, etc. will use these creatures to guard their lairs.

Gobbling coalescences take no damage from blunt weapons. Once a target has been slain they roll over it, slowly absorbing into their mass in a process that takes 1d4 turns. If slain, the ooze may contain the indigestible treasures of their previous victims, as they are only capable of dissolving flesh and blood, not bone, metals or gems.

Lair Encounter

A group of a dozen lizardmen have cultivated a pair of Gobbling Coalescences to stand watch inside the entrance to their lair. The pillar-like oozes stand ten feet tall thirty feet within the opening of a cave mouth, beyond which lies the lair of the lizard-folk. Any warm blooded creature that approaches within 10' will be targeted by both oozes.  

As a result of their presence the cave floor is preternaturally clean and smooth, totally free of debris. If slain, one ooze contains a small iron box with three gems inside, each worth 75 gold.

Gobbling Coalescence (2). 28, 27 hp

And now for some woodworking . . .

I'm going to be taking a break from the monster creation, halfway through, as I'm leaving soon to head up to DC and participate in the 2018 Smithsonian Craft Show. I'll update when I get a chance, and post pictures as well.

Day Fifteen -- Skeletal Shark

We've got another undead for Day 15. A roll of 63 tells us we have a non-human, corporeal, non-intelligent, non-reproductive undead. There aren't any more tables for non-intelligent undead, so I'm going to use the Beast table to generate an undead: 39. Shark! There's otherwise not much here; it's a shark that's also undead! What do you want, lasers for eyes?

Skeletal Shark
# encountered: 1d12

% in Lair: 0%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 2+1
Attacks: Bite
Damage: 2d6
Save: F3
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP: 35

Skeletal sharks are often created by necromancers to guard their towers, swimming ceaselessly around and around in a moat surrounding their keeps. Not only do they attack those who enter the water, they possess the ability to leap from the water and attack individuals who approach within 10' of the water's edge. Doing so renders them mostly immobile, but they obviously do not die, and they can wriggle back to the water at 5' per round in addition to attacking those who come within melee range.

Necromancers who use such guardians will often either create wards or amulets that allow the bearer to approach the water's edge without being attacked, or program their creations to not attach those who follow a specific approach and walk a certain path.

Day Fourteen -- Senescent Vapor

Day Fourteen results in "Mist Monster". Rolling 1d100 three times gives us the results of: 86 (sucks away youth), 3 (to feed), 74 (central organ is solid or liquid and can be damaged).

Senescent Vapor
# encountered: 1d2

% in Lair: 0%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4+2*
Attacks: Aging attack
Damage: See below
Save: F4
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP: 215

Senescent vapors appear as 10' diameter clouds of greenish vapor, with a central core that glows a brighter green color. They drift along the ground, seeking sentien beings to envelop and drain of youth and vitality. Every round a creature is within the radius of the mist they must make a Save v. Breath weapon or age 1d10 years. A senescent vapor is sated after draining 4d10 years, and will attempt to flee once that point is reached, rather than continue to drain life. The mists have not fixed lairs, but are most often found haunting dungeon corridors, remote cavern systems deep under the earth, and forgotten tombs.

Those killed by senscent vapors appear as brittle corpses, with hair turned white in seconds. If a senescent vapor doesn't feed within a month they enter a state of hibernation; the presence of sentient creatures within 30' cause them to awaken and stalk their prey. In this state they must consume twice the number of years they normally would (8d10), and if they can't they die within one day of re-awakening. Senescent vapors can only be damaged with magic or weapons that carry a +1 or better enchantment; in order to damage them the central core must be targeted. Doing so with melee weapons requires entering the mist, unless the attacker has polearms, spears or other similar weapons.

Day Thirteen -- Hypnodrakes

Day 13 brings us the first repetition, another draconic form. The first roll is a 7: dragon has elephant-like feet instead of claws and may be able to trample. It might also have hooves. Its unusual ability is a hypnotic theme, either due to a physical feature or vocal component. We haven't had any Lawful monsters yet, so I decided to go ahead and make them Lawful.

Hypnodrake
# encountered: 1d4

% in Lair: 50%
Alignment: Lawful
Movement: 90' (30')
     Flight: 240' (80')
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: Bite plus kick
Damage: 1d6/2d8
Save: F5
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP: 200

Hypnodrakes have bodies about the size of large horses, with general dragon-like appearances: wings, prismatic scales, a whip-like tail and long, skinny neck and horned head. Curiously, their legs are those of horses. They are highly intelligent and curious.

Their shimmering scales are hypnotic to observe; anyone who looks at a hypnodrake must make a Save v. Spells to avoid being hypnotized for 1d4+1 rounds, incapable of performing any actions during this time. If the result of the Save is a natural 1 the target is charmed, as per the spell Charm Monster. They attack with a bite and a kick, but typically only do such in self-defense, as hypnodrakes are peaceful creatures and prefer to avoid conflict.

The creatures prefer to dwell in plains or hilly terrain, as likely to gallop on the ground as to fly through the air. Hypnodrakes are good parents, raising their young until they're old enough to survive on their own. 1 in 4 hypnodrakes cast spells as level 5 illusionists, without the need to have spellbooks. Hypnodrakes speak Common, Draconic and 1d4-1 other languages. They are long-lived, collecting information throughout their entire lives. Each hypnodrake specializes in a given subject, as a sage.

Lair Encounter

A family of three hypnodrakes dwells in an abandoned fortress in the Basilisk Hills. Actis and Shukar, a mated couple, and Drotral, their fifteen year-old foal, live in relative solitude, perfect for conducting their research. The two elder hypnodrakes are busy researching the remains of an ancient temple to a long forgotten antelope god, Yahdudrek; Actis specializes in the study of local gods and Shukar in the history of the Basilisk Hills. Drotral is old enough to leave the lair, but has proven useful in assisting her parents and so they have allowed her to stay.

Shukar can cast spells as a 5th level illusionist and knows the following spells: Color Spray, Light, Wall of Vapor, Detect Magic, Invisibility, Misdirection, Nondetection, Suggestion. Actis has 20 hp, Shukar 26 and Drotral 14. They have accumulated the following treasure in their exploration of the temple complex: 5000 cp, 1000 gp, a horn of blasting fashioned from an enormous antelope's horn and bound in silver, a warhammer +1, a staff of striking, two potions of healing and a clerical scroll containing a spell of Resurrection. 

The three hypnodrakes have been stymied in their research, however, as there are several chambers within the abandoned complex they cannot enter due to their size. They would be interested in hiring willing adventurers to complete their exploration.

Day Twelve -- Thorny Rambler

Day Twelve of 30 Monsters in 30 Days brings us a plant monster. A roll of 69 tells us it's a thorn-bush, the second roll (58) tells us it is Mobile. It's got mobile limb attacks (table 2-74) *and* a physical distance attack from Table 2-62 that causes physical damage. a result of 50 means it pulls itself along with vines. The result of Table 2-62 suggests the physical distance attack is a spray, a line of liquid, ooze or sap. Finally, the plant reduces by producing a tiny, gem-like seeds that birds carry away.

The result for limb attacks on Table 2-74 is a result of piercing limb. That is a good result, because it makes sense in the context of the monster.

Thorny Rambler
# encountered: 1d8

% in Lair: 0%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 10'
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 1+2
Attacks: Spray or thorn
Damage: 1d4
Save: F1
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP: 15

Thorny ramblers are semi-nomadic, barely intelligent thornbushes that ambulate slowly through thick woods and jungles, seeking prey to subdue and drain of blood. They move slowly, pulling themselves along on short vines.

It can sense living, warm-blooded creatures within 30', surprising them on a roll of 1-4 on 1d6. The thorny rambler attacks first with a spray of liquid paralytic with a +2 bonus to hit, with a range of 30', that can target a single individual per spurt. The target, if hit, must make a Save v. Poison or become paralyzed instantly for 1d6 hours. Once immobilized, the rambler drags itself towards its target and wraps its vines around it, hitting automatically, sucking 1d4 points of blood damage per round.

Once per year, in the spring, ramblers set a single, ruby-red flower that produces a small gem-like seed. It sprouts eight hours after eaten, driving small vines into the belly of the animal that ate it, killing it and feeding upon the blood of the critter.

Day Eleven -- The Nephropid, mastermind lobstermen

I'm taking the first 30 days of my blog to create a monster per day using Matt Finch's Tome of Adventure Design. Rolling to get the monster type we get Humanoid. The first result in this section tells us to roll on Table 2.2 (Beast types) and make the result bipedal with arms and opposable thumbs. Rolling on Table 2.2 we get  . . . 53, or Lobster. Rolling again, we are told to give it a human upper body (but not head). Moving on to Table 2.36, a result of 86 tells us the new species contains a subspecies larger than norm, and either more or less intelligent than the norm. Our lobstermen are also a mastermind race.

Table 2.37 gives us some ideas for the leaders of the lobster men; they are shapeshifters or lycanthropes, and less like the subtype and more like humans than other members of the race. Table 2.38 tells us that the theme for this mastermind race is brains. Table 2.39 provides details for the origins of the mastermind race, and we get results of:

1. Bred by another race.
2. Enslaved or bred by another race.
3. Consider humans to be nothing more than slaves or food.

Okay, let's throw all of this together.

Nephropid

# encountered: 1d6 (3d6 in lairs)

% in Lair: 15%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30')
           Swimming: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: Weapon
Damage: 1d6+4
Save: F4
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: VII
XP: 80

Bred aeons ago by aboleths to serve as a slave race, the nephropids threw off the yoke of slavery long ago upon developing a native intelligence, and have since built stealthy societies under the waves, always in small numbers. The standard nephropids have a lobster-like body, some eight feet in length, topped by a humanoid torso and arms with opposable thumbs and a the head of a lobster.

Because of their eyes nephropids are surprised only on a roll of 1 in 1d8. They attack using large tridents dealing 1d6+4 points of damage, due to their strength. The creatures can survive for up to an hour out of water, and can occasionally be found scuttling along beaches. They lair in areas where the continental shelf drops off close to the water's edge, burrowing into the face of the shelf and creating elaborate networks of tunnels that can run for miles, and occasionally contain rooms with trapped pockets of air. Captured Men, forced to work as slaves, often inhabit these air-filled rooms.

Nephropids cannot speak; they instead communicate via a complicated language using their eyestalks and body movements. They possess infravision to 120'. Nephropid regenerate 1 hp per round.

Nephropid Master

# encountered: 1

% in Lair: 50%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30')
           Swimming: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 1
Hit Dice: 8*
Attacks: Weapon or spell
Damage: 2d8+2d6 electrical damage
Save: F8
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XIX twice
XP: 1060

Every nephropid lair is led by a master, an enormous creature with a lobster-like body twice the length of their lesser kin and humanoid torsos twice the size of Man. These nephropids attack with enormous tridents that flash with electricity with each stroke. The electricity affects the target plus every creature within a 5' radius of the target. The tridents are sized for creatures of hill giant size or larger, and the electrical discharge only functions when in the hands of the masters.

The nephropid masters are capable of casting spells as 8th level magic-users. They can also shapechange twice per day, as per the spell Polymorph Self. The masters direct their lesser kin to perform inscrutable tasks furthering their nefarious goals; they seek to thwart the ambitions of the aboleths when possible, and yearn to exert their influence over the surface world.

Nephropid masters, when in their natural form, communicate in the same manner as their lesser kin, possess infravision to 120', and regenerate 1 hp per round, regardless of their form. They share the same chance of being surprised as their lesser kin, although lose this when polymorphed. Nephropid masters can use any items usable by magic-users or fighters.

---------

As a race, nephropids prefer to stay in the shadows. They are much more likely to kidnap and enslave single individuals, lone sailors, etc. instead of mounting raids on coastal communities. Most of the treasures they accumulate will be salvaged from wrecks of merchant ships.

Since this was a long entry, I'll put up a lair encounter for the nephropid tomorrow.

Day Ten -- Ardes, the marshstalkers

Day Ten of 30 Monsters in 30 Days.

I haven't been posting much of the background for the monsters I've been generating, so here's a brief rundown of what the random rolls resulted in and what the monster ended up being: Beast, heron, human head or face, stalking predator,

# encountered: 1d12
% in Lair: 45%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30')
           Flying: 120' (40')Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: Beak 
Damage: 1d6
Save: F2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: XX
XP: 20

Ardes are large, ill-tempered heron-like creatures with the elongated faces of Men that taper to a sharp beak. They stand about eight feet tall, but as birds are relatively light and fragile. They stalk the waters of marshes and swamps, subsisting mostly on fish, eels and small mammals but delighting in the flesh of Man if any are foolish enough to wander into their territories.

They possess the ability to stand stock-still, surprising on a roll of 1-4 in 6, and attack with lightning fast beak attacks, gaining a +1 bonus to all initiative rolls. Ardes have the ability of flight, but are slow, clumsy fliers, and rarely take to the skies unless absolutely necessary. 

They have roughly the intelligence of an average Man, and communicate via a croaking language that can be understood by the frog-folk, whom they often live in close proximity to them. There's a 1 in 20 chance that an ardes will have the spellcasting capabilities of a 1d4+1 level cleric, worshipping an obscure avian swamp god.

They collect shiny trinkets and baubles; any treasure they possess can often be found woven into their massive nests.

Lair Encounter

Deep in a marsh dwells a sedge of 5 ardes, their nests located on a small hillock rising out of the marsh. They keep a close eye on their surrounds, and any intruders are stalked. If the ardes judge them to be too great a threat they will stay hidden amongst the reeds; otherwise the massive birds will attempt to pick off those that look weak or are stragglers.

They possess a relatively large hoard: 11,000 copper coins, 4,000 gold coins, and 6 emeralds, each worth 1,000 gold. All of this treasure can be found in the three nests that comprise their lair. In addition, a moldering corpse half submerged in the marsh on the slopes of the hillock is wearing a suit of chain mail +1 and wearing waterlogged boots of levitation. The body will only be found on a roll of 1-4 in 6, as it is partially buried in the mud, and only if the entire island is searched.

New Patreon post

A new hex is up on my Populated Hexes Patreon, featuring hex 17.23. In it can be found a northern spur of the haunted forest known as the Darkwoods, inhabited by giant black widow spiders, and a remote village of owlfolk that hunt for rare mushrooms that grow only in the hunting grounds of the spiders:

https://www.patreon.com/Populatedhexes

Day Nine -- Ice Automata

Day Nine of 30 Monsters in 30 Days is the ice automaton. 

Ice Automaton

# encountered: 1d6
% in Lair: 80%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 3+2
Attacks: Ice spray
Damage: 2d4
Save: F3
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP: 65

Shaped like small dragons, ice automatons are constructed entirely of polished riveted steel, with two small sparkling sapphires for eyes. They were originally built Cycles past by the legendary Crocodile Kings to maintain the temperatures in the Meat Vaults; since the fall of the mecistopic empire the secrets of their construction have been lost. Because of the low temperatures at which they operate, a surprising number can be found sealed in forgotten burial vaults or the sunken cities of the Crocodile Kings.

Once per round they can breath a cone of frost twenty feet long and ten feet wide, inflicting 2d4 points of damage to all within the cone's path. Those hit by the cone must make a Save v. breath weapons or be slowed, as per the spell, for 1d6 rounds. They have no treasure, but if they are destroyed there is a 1-3 in 6 chance that their sapphire eyes can be salvaged. Each eye is worth 75 gold each. They are immune to all Charm, Sleep and Hold spells, and any spells that specifically target living organisms. They have no increased vulnerability to fire.

Ice automata possess a rudimentary spark of intelligence and are capable of following simple instructions and commands. Over the centuries of neglect many of them have developed independent personalities and relatively simple goals.

Individually -- or even in a small group -- ice automata are not especially deadly, but they are often encountered other, more dangerous, creations of the Crocodile Kings, and in these instances their ability to slow their opponents make them difficult to deal with.

Day Eight -- Verdant Spectres

Day Eight of 30 Monsters in 30 Days brings us a result of "undead".

Verdant Spectres
# encountered: 1
% in Lair: 100%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 0
Hit Dice: 8+4**
Attacks: Touch, spells
Damage: 3d6, as spells
Save: F8
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP: 1820

When a druid rejects her vows and way of life, spurning nature for another goal -- power, prestige, the decadence of civilization -- there exists the chance that, upon her death, she will rise again as a verdant spectre, cursed to undeath for betraying nature itself.

Verdant spectres retain the semblence they possessed in life, but with rotted, decayed bodies covered in greenish lichen and moss. Their very presence is inimicable to to vegetative life; the land surrounding their lair will be devoid of plant or animal life in a radius equal to 2d6x100 yards. Their very touch drains life essence, inflicting 3d6 points of damage per hit, and the spectre retains its ability to cast druidic spells as if they were a druid of levels 6+1d4, although where possible spells are cast in their reversed form: Purify Water becomes Spoil Water, etc.

Verdant spectres are semi-corporeal and require +1 weapons to hit. They retain the intelligence and memories they had in life, but rather than feel remorse for the betrayal of their vows they have grown to hate the living with burning fury.

Lair Encounter

Many years ago the druid Cenroy Hol forsook his vows and his grove, leaving the forest he was sworn to protect for the life of the decadent city. Upon his death from alcohol poisoning he rose from the dead as a verdant spectre, returning to the grove he had rejected in life, his presence slowly killing the surround woods, where he sits and broods, hating all life. The grove is in a remote part of the world, with few if any traveling nearby, and as such he has not had a chance to amass any treasures from his victims. Cenroy has 47 hp and casts spells as a 10th level druid.

Day Seven -- Azure Slime

Day Seven of 30 Monsters in 30 Days.

Azure Slime
# encountered: 1
% in Lair: --
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 10'
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 4+4
Attacks: Gas cloud
Damage: see below
Save: F5
Morale: None
Hoard Class: None
XP: 140

Largely immobile and unintelligent, azure slimes appear as puddles of brilliant blue slime, with most being about 5' in diameter. They sense the presence of potential prey through vibrations, and can tell when one enters within 90' of them. Once prey is sensed they exude a cloud of nearly invisible (same chance to spot secret doors) vapors that causes those within range to makes a save v. spells or fall asleep, as per the sleep spell. Creatures with 5 or more HD gain a +2 bonus to the Save. The cloud is initially a 10' radius, expanding at a rate of 5' per round, until it reaches its maximum range of a 45' radius. The cloud lingers for one turn before dispersing, and can be used thrice per day.

Azure slimes possess an innate resistance to spells. Any time a spell is cast upon them there is a 1-3 in 6 chance it does not. If it does, the slime is still entitled to a saving throw.

Once potential prey have been rendered unconscious, the azure slime slowly creeps over them, disolving they with strong acidic excretions. Azure slimes have no lair; they travel constantly throughout the cave or dungeon, always searching for prey. Any treasure belonging to their victims is therefore left behind, where it fell. Items of leather or paper are automatically destroyed by the acid, although it is not strong enough to eat through bone, metal or stone.

There are legends of large, ancient azure slimes with double or even treble the base HD. These possess a larger gas cloud, one that is typically more potent than normal, and occasionally (1-2 in 6) will also be able to manifest a pseudopod, striking nearby targets for 24d or 3d4 points of acid damage.

Day Six -- Brimlak, the acid wyrms

Day Six of 30 Monsters in 30 Days.

Brimlak
# encountered: 1 (solitary)
% in Lair: 50%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 1 (bite), plus special
Damage: 1d8
Save: F5
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: XXI
XP: 200


Distantly related to dragons, brimlaks are 20' long, serpent-like creatures with scales shimmering in blues, reds and greens. Their scales excude a strong acid -- powerful enough to gradually dissolve stone given enough time, although it has no effect on metals. They are solitary creatures, lairing in mountainous and hilly terrain, with their exuded acid gradually enlarging and shaping their lairs and the surrounding landscape.

Brimlaks attack with a single bite; if it hits the victim must make a Save v. Paralysis to avoid being encircled by the serpentine coils of the brimlak. If a target is encircled they suffer 2d6 points of damage per round of squeezing damage, plus an additional 1d6 points of acid damage. Any organic material the target is wearing -- leather or hide armor, robes, etc. -- must Save v. Breath each round or be damaged by the acid. Armor loses one "plus" for every failed save; magical objects automatically gain a +2 bonus to save, plus any intrinsic bonuses (an elven cloak saves with a +2 bonus while a suit of leather armor +2 saves with a +4 bonus). Any gems, scrolls, or other treasure made of organic material will gradually be dissolved by their acidic excretions.

The creatures have inherited the longevity of their draconic kin, often living for several centuries. Roll 1d6-1. For every additional century add 1 HD, reduce their AC by 1, increase their damage by +1 and impose a -1 penalty to the save to avoid being constricted. Brimlaks are roughly as intelligent as an average human and will use their surroundings to their advantage when hunting. They rarely attack when outnumbered, preferring to wait until one or two individuals seperate from a larger group.

Lair Encounter

An old brimlak (three centuries old) lairs in a system of caves alongside a mountain pass, preying on the occasional shepherd or wanderer that comes this way. It has 8 HD, 30 hp and an AC of 0. Its bite inflicts 1d8+3 points of damage, and anyone bitten suffers a -3 penalty to their save to avoid being constricted. If failing, the target suffers 2d6+3 of constriction damage, plus 1d6+3 points of acid damage. Over the years the terrain surrounding its lair has been worn smooth by its excretions, and there is no vegetable matter within 400 yards.

The brimlak's lair is a maze-like warren of tunnels entered through a cliff-face near the pass. In the center of the maze is a pile of coins it has collected over the years: 5,000 cp, 2,000 ep and 3,000 gp. There's also a set of leather armor that once possessed a +1 enchantment, but is now tattered and worthless.

Day Five -- Thotharcxa, the corpse beetles

Day Five of 30 Monsters in 30 Days.

Thotcharcxa
# encountered: 3d4 (3d4)
% in Lair: 100%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60' (20')
       Flight: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 1*
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 1d4 + special
Save: F1
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None (see below)
XP: 13

Thotcharcxa are a voracious and invasive beetle found in tombs, mausoleums and crypts. They feast on flesh and are capable of stripping a corpse in a matter of minutes. While preferring to feed on the dead they will happily attack any living creatures that stumble into their lair. They are about two feet long and pale green in color.

Any living creature bitten by a corpse beetle must make a Save v. Poison or be injected by a liquifying agent that deals gradual damage; one point of damage in each subsequent round, lasting a number of rounds equal to the initial damage dealt. If a target is bitten by a Thotcharcxa, taking 3 points of damage and failing their saving throw they take an additional one point of damage for the next three rounds. A Neutralize Poison spell will end the damage.

Lair Encounter. The family crypt of a local noble has been infested with nine Thotcharcxa; they discovered the beetles the previous day when attempting to inter a recently decessed cousin. There is nothing of value in the tomb, but the family is willing to pay 500 gold to have the beetles removed. The crypt consists of a single room, under their manor house, twenty feet wide and forty feet long. The dead are interred in a series of niches dug into the walls; there are forty niches, and each niche has a 1-3 chance of containing 1-2 corpse beetles. The beetles will not emerge from the niches until the party makes a commotion or an indivdual niche is disturbed. The dead cousin's corpse is on the floor in the center of the crypt, stripped to the bone.

Day Four -- Qara, steam elementals

Day Four of 30 monsters in 30 days.

Qara, elemental
# encountered: 1d4 (1d8)
% in Lair: 5%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 5*
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite) or 1 (steam breath)
Damage: 1d4+2/1d4+2/2d4+2 or 3d6
Save: F7
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None
XP: 350

The Qara are a race of amphibian shaped elementals from the Plane of Steam. They possess a rudimentary intelligence, seeking out steam vents to bask in. Qara outside of environments less than 120 degrees F begin to take one point of damage per minute.

In combat they attack with two claws and a bite, each of which inflicts an extra two points of damage due to the heat they radiate. This extra two points can be blocked by spells or magical items that resist heat. Qara also possess a breath weapon of pure steam, which they may use twice per day. The cloud of steam is twenty feet in diameter, with a range of twenty feet, that inflicts 3d6 points of damage to all within it. Those affected by the cloud may make a Save v. Breath Attacks to take 1/2 damage. The steam affects creatures that are immune to heat and/or water based attacks, and is unnaffected by magical items that convey a similar immunity (such as a ring of fire resistance).

Qara appear on the Prime Plane mostly in locations of great heat and humidity, but are occasionally summoned by magic-users to act as guardians for specific objects or locations; in these cases their summoner must prepare the enviroment to be suitable for the Qara to survive in.

Qara enjoy the immunities and characteristics of elemental creatures. They suffer double damage from cold based attacks. When slain, they collapse into a puddle of water, at the heart of which is a large, milky pearl worth 350 gold. This pearl can be used to fashion a SummoningTotem (see below).

Lair Encounter

The lava flow from a nearby volcano is feeding into a river, throwing up great plumes of steam and opening a temporary portal to the Plane of Steam, through which a solitary Qara with 14 hit points has passed into the Prime. It is relishing the opportunity to feast upon creatures made of flesh and blood and has ranged some distance from the clouds of steam to hunt prey, which accounts for its low hit point total. The portal has since closed, and the Qara has no way of returning to its Plane. The lava flow will stop in 1d4 days, at which point the Qara will die.

Summoning Totem, Qara

A small statuette wrought from brass in the rough shape of a salamander, the totem is continuously hot to the touch and dripping with condensation. When thrown to the ground and a command word spoken it summons a Qara from the Plane of Steam, which will obey the summoner's verbal commands to the best of its abilities until either killed or reduced to 0 hp by exposure to cool temperatures.

Day Three -- Varr (giant-kin)

To start off the blog I'm going to try to do thirty monsters in thirty days, using Finch's Tome of Adventuring Design as a jumping off point. Today we've got a giant.

Varr (giant-kin)

# encountered: 1 (1d2)
% in Lair: 35%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 8+4**
Attacks: 1 (club or rock)
Damage: 2d10 or 3d6
Save: F8
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: XVIII+5000 gp
XP: 1820

Varr are a rare variety of giant, usually solitary in nature, dwelling on remote islands or sea-cliffs. They stand about 14' tall, with wild hair and loose, baggy skin. Varr survive largely by fishing. 50% of Varr will maintain a cast of 1d8 giant crabs, which they are able to give simple commands in the ancient, clacking language of crustaceans.

Varrs attack with a giant club dealing 2d10 points of damage, can toss boulders to a range of 200' dealing 3d6 points of damage each, and can inflict curses upon their enemies. Once per day they can curse an opponent within 60'. The target must Save v. Spells or be transformed into a giant crab. The transformation is permanent unless dispelled, and can only be used against intelligent, humanoid targets. The target retains her native reasoning, losing one point of Intelligence per day until it reaches 1 and they become a giant crab irrevocably, short of powerful restorative magics. Varr themselves are immune to all forms of transmutation magics.

Lair Encounter

A single Varr named Brugrom dwells on a remote, treeless island in the middle of the Silver Sea, tending to the cast of five giant crabs he has tamed. His dwelling is a shallow cave, partially created by a crazily leaning rock and the soft dirt of a hill overlooking the ocean. Brugrom is both hungry for the taste of man-flesh and lonely, so he tries to capture men alive, so as to have some one to chat to before hunger overwhelms him. He currently has no captives, but the survivors of a shipwreck washed ashore a week ago, one of whom, a magic-user, was turned into a giant crab and has a current Intelligence score of 9.

Brugrom has 46 hit points and carries a massive cudgel carved from a driftwood log. He has amassed quite a treasure from years of combing through the flotsam that washes ashore on his island, as follows:

• 4000 ep
• 7000 gp
• 1 scroll containing the spell Web. This scroll was waterlogged and damaged, and there's a 1 in 6 chance the reader is targeted by the spell.
• 1 scroll containing the spells Haste and Lightning Bolt
• a rolled up, once fine carpet in reds and blues that is actually a flying carpet. Brugrom is using it as a tablecloth.
• 6 crossbow bolts +1
• a cursed set of chain mail that gives the wearer an AC of 9. 

Day Two -- Ilree

New monster created using Matt Finch's Tome of Adventure Design. I'm shooting for one a day; let's see how long I can maintain this momentum.

Ilree
# encountered: 1d2 (1d6)
% in Lair: 15%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 2+1**
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d6+1 (see below)
Save: E3
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: VII (per individual)
XP: 59

Ilree are man-sized, cantankerous Fey that lurk in abandoned villages, forgotten moors and lonely hills. Their true form is man-shaped, covered in hair, with a bestial visage and twisted horn protruding from their forehead. They are shapechangers, able to take the form of any man or woman as the polymorph self spell, except that they can mimic specific individuals successfully on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6. The ilree's shadow remains that of their true form, however. Iron weapons inflict an additional 1 point of damage per hit and force them to return to their true form for 2d4 rounds.

They dwell in small stone huts and prey upon travelers through their desolate territories, not necessarily to kill, but they have no issue with robbing or humiliating Men they encounter. Once per turn they can bind the feet of a single target within 30' at but a word, entangling them with vines and roots that rise from the very earth, preventing movement for 1d4+1 rounds.. A Save v. Petrification negates the effects. If an Illree suffers damage they fly into a berserker rage, increasing their movement by 30', gaining a +2 to hit and damage but suffering a -2 penalty to AC. The rage increases their morale to 12, and lasts for 1d4 rounds.

They can be bribed to ignore travelers with gifts of ale or fresh horseflesh, and if given an appropriately sized-gift an Ilree will grant a single boon to an individual. The boon takes the form of a single reroll that can be made at any time within seven days of being granted. Make a reaction roll, subtracting the giver's Charisma score and an additional -1 for every three casks of ale or one horse. On a roll of 2 or less the Ilree deigns to grant a boon.

Ilree Lair Encounter

Atop a lonely tor, some dozen miles away from any major roads, three Ilree dwell in a small mushroom shaped hut. They rarely see visitors, and their hill has an ill reputation to the few shepherds that dwell nearby, tending their small flocks. The tor commands quite a view of the moors, and they've got a 1-4 in 6 chance of seeing a party some miles away.

The small group is led by Toruilos, a male Ilree with 15 hp, and his two wives Beleg and Vadris. They spend most of their days roaming the hills surrounding their home. Toruilos is old, wizened and relatively chatty for an Ilree, and receptive to bribes of liquor in addition to ale. Their treasure is secured under a flat rock thirty paces from their hut: 120 gp and three agates, each worth 50 gp.

Campaign Notes

In my campaign world of Absalom there is a separate world of Faery. Fey creatures such as Ilree are vulnerable not to iron, but to bronze. In this setting, Ilree are immune to Charm and Sleep spells and regenerate 1 hp per round when raging. They gain an additional two asterisks to their HD. In Faery they are rather common; they are the rough equivalent of peasants, and are often found in the employ of Faerie Lords as workers or guards.

First post

Hey there! I've decided to start up a little blog, entitled Sword and Board, to focus on OSR role-playing, and, occasionally, my day job, which is cabinet and furniture-making (hence the "Board"). My role-playing interests are concerned primarily with the OSR, and I figured I'd start out with some easy posts.

One of my favorite go-to books for running games is Matt Finch's excellent Tome of Adventure Design; I especially like his section on creating monsters. It seems that this might be a good way to start off blogging.

For those of you following along at home, the Monster section of ToAD starts on p. 55, and has us roll an initial 1d100 to determine the basic monster category. I do so, and get a 47. Our monster is a Horror!

The section on Horrors starts on p. 75. I roll 1d100 six times and get the following: 59, 81, 61, 74, 24 and 58. Our new monsters is: a horror out of a mad wizard's lab, is extremely intelligent (can act as a mastermind, and likely able to use spell-like abilities). It's basic form is that of a moth, with attributes of an octopus or squid, with diseased skin and the ability to levitate or float.

That gives us its basic profile, and I can work with this. Moving on to p. 105 we start to determine more about the creature. It attacks using its head and body and has one special attack (58), one special defense and two distinctive attributes. Rolling for head attacks we get 56, "mouth-bite (giant swallowing mouth), which doesn't make much sense at this point. For body we get 68 "enfolds and crushes".  Hmm. Let's see what else we get.

The special attack result is 53, or "Smell (radius)" for the delivery method and 47, or "emotion (despondency or sorrow) for the effect. I like that. The special defense is 5, for armor plates. Two distinctive attributes are 16 and 15, with results of "builds traps" and "builds strange and complex houses, lairs or nests." So, is the monster unique or are there many of them. Since it's the product of a mad wizard's experiment I'm going to roll 1d6, giving it a 1-4 chance of being unique: the result is a 1, so it is a unique monster. I like using random name generators, and will do so to name it.

ToAD doesn't provide actual scores for monster creations, so I'm going to make some judgement call here. Note that the creature is made using Labyrinth Lord Basic.

Xo'thar, the Weeper
# encountered: 1 (unique)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30')
AC: 3
HD: 7* (30 hp)
Attacks: 3 (2 tentacles and one probiscus)
Damage: 1d8/1d8/3d4
Save: F7
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XXII (see below)
XP: 790

Created by a cross-breeding experiment gone horribly wrong, Xo'thar resembles an enormous gray moth, 7' tall, with small, non-functional wings and octopodal tentacles instead of legs. Its body is covered with thick plates of armor. Xo'thar levitates through magical means and uses its wings to push it in the direction it wishes to travel. Xo'thar is silent and difficult to spot in the gloom of its lair, surprising on a roll of 1-4 in 6.

Xo'thar exudes potent phermones that cause despair in those living creatures within a 20' radius of it, emitted from the almost constant mucous-like tears emitted from its faceted eyes. All of those within that range must Save v. Poison with every round or be filled with overwhelming sadness, unable to act or move for 1d4 turns, even to defend itself. It uses its tentacles to lash out at targets; the rough surface inflicts 1d8 points of damage. If both tentacles hit the same target it draws the victim into its embrace, driving its prehensile probiscis deep into their prey's body.

The horror possesses incredible intellect and makes its lair in the former home of its now-dead creator. It has reshaped the interior of the tower with a rough, sticky material similar to that used to make cocoons. The tunnels of its new home are arranged in seemingly chaotic fashion and are infused with the same phermones its body releases, though much less concentrated. For every two turns living creatures spend in its lair they must save v. Poison with a +2 bonus. Failure indicates they begin to suffer from a general ennui, taking a -2 penalty to all rolls. In addition, spellcasters must roll under their relevant ability score (Int for magic-users, Wis for clerics) on 4d6 whenever they attempt to cast a spell. Failure indicates they are unable to cast the spell (but don't lose the spell slot). The effects of both wear off in 1d4 rounds after being removed from area. Immunity or resistance to poison function to prevent or reduce the effects of the phermones. Failing an initial save against the residual pheremonal effects imposes a -2 penalty to the Save made when within 20' of Xo'thar.

Xo'thar has accumulated a fair amount of treasure in its lair since it was created, in addition to that belonging to the wizard that created it. The following can be found within the tower: 5,000 gold coins, in an unopened chest in the wizard's bedchamber, alchemical equipment worth 2,000 gold, three volumes dealing with the creation of magical cross-breeds, each worth 750 gold, the wizard's spellbook containing the spells of a 10th level magic-user, and a ring of protection +1. If desired the spellbook can contain vivimancer spells, as per Gavin Norman's Complete Vivimancer.

Possessed of great intelligence, Xo'thar likes to play cat and mouse games with those entering the tower, letting them explore the lower levels until they succumb to the initial despondence, then silently approaching in an attempt to get the intruders within the main radius of its phermones.