Encounter Guide

For Gods & Monsters Adventure Guides

Encounter Guide

For Gods & Monsters Adventure Guides

by Jerry Stratton

Copyright © 2018

godsmonsters.com/Encounters

“Yes, it is easy not to believe in monsters, considerably more difficult to escape their dread and loathsome clutches.”—Stanislaw Lem, The Cyberiad

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3, published by the Free Software Foundation. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License”.

June 23, 2018

Bestiary Terminology

While many creatures are presented, you will often find it useful to choose only a few at any time, and add further detail to your chosen creatures’ lives in your world. You can add to or create their culture (if they have one), their eating, mating, and sleeping habits, create legends about them specific to your world’s peoples, and even modify them, perhaps adding special powers on occasion or special goals.

The Adventure Guide’s Handbook has more advice on populating your campaign world.

Creature statistics

Abilities and reaction rolls

Sometimes you’ll need to make ability rolls for creatures. If you have a good estimate of a creature’s ability score and skill, use it. If you don’t, a good rule of thumb is that the creature will roll against 10 plus half level plus any appropriate bonuses the creature has. Use this rule of thumb wisely, and remember that most creatures already have an estimate of intelligence and charisma. When wisdom is necessary, assume the lower of intelligence or charisma. Reaction rolls will be 4 plus half level, or 4 plus level for their archetypal reaction.

A creature’s size will affect fortitude rolls for large or larger creatures. Large creatures gain +2, huge creatures +4, gigantic creatures +8, and titanic creatures +16. If they have any bonuses on their level numbers these affect strength, endurance, fortitude, and health.

Frequency

Some creatures are common, some are rare, some are one of a kind. These ratings are especially variable from world to world and campaign to campaign, and can be only seen as the vaguest of guidelines. Within your own games, these creatures may have widely varying goals and desires, inhabit different areas, and be more or less common.

Reactions and survival

Creatures acquire their creature level through natural growth to maturity; younger creatures have lower levels. Intelligent monsters may also acquire archetypal levels. When doing so, their creature level counts in their total number of levels for experience costs. They also do not gain initial skills or an initial specialty when taking an initial archetypal level. Their first archetype was monster, and that was their specialty.

Creatures gain survival, fighting skill, and reaction bonuses according to their creature level. The archetypal reaction of most creatures is according to their creature type, unless otherwise specified in the description.

Non-player characters and creatures regain level survival each night. Once their survival is at maximum, they lose one injury per night. Non-player characters go unconscious or are incapacitated, unless otherwise specified, on a failed fortitude roll when they lose all survival or gain injuries. When they gain more injuries than their current survival, they die on a failed endurance roll at a penalty of their injuries. There is no contest between endurance and injuries as for player characters. Endurance is 10, plus half level, plus the per-level modifier if there is one.

Statistics block

Many of the statistics listed for creatures are there to assist rather than dictate. For example, the number appearing can be used when you didn’t have anything planned and need to let the dice determine what’s happening.

Activity cycle

Diurnal creatures are active during the day and sleep at night. Nocturnal creatures are active during the night, and sleep during the day. Crepuscular creatures are active during twilight, dusk, and dawn.

Attacks

Poisons and other carried attacks require a called shot. Whether creatures make a called shot is up to the Guide, and will often depend on how much damage the creature does without their carried attack.

Charisma

A creature’s charisma is its force of personality and leadership capability. When in a hurry, a creature or group’s morale may be rolled on d20 vs. charisma, to determine if the creature is willing to stand its ground. Most often you’ll know when the creature’s fear of continuing a fight exceeds their fear of running. Otherwise, you can make a morale roll whenever you think they might run but aren’t sure.

Intelligence

Creatures do not by default have all of the ability scores that player characters have. This would be tedious over the long-term. But intelligence and charisma are useful enough to be separated out into general categories.

Mindless unintelligent creatures such as walking corpses, skeletons, and moss will not be affected by attacks or divinations that work on or control the mind. Creatures of alien disposition, such as ash-shubab al-muthlimum, will gain a bonus of 2 to reactions against such effects.

Level

Creatures grow into their level as they mature. A creature with a listed level of 5 will have the benefit of fifth level as a creature if full-grown, and less if not full-grown. Some creatures have a bonus or penalty after their level. This is the number of additional survival points the creature receives (or loses, if negative) per survival point die. This modifier also applies to health, fortitude, endurance, and strength.

For example, Orcs have 2+1 listed for level. The average Orc will get two dice for survival and another +1 per die, for a total of 2d8+2 survival. The average Orc also gains a bonus of 1 on health rolls, fortitude rolls, endurance rolls, and strength rolls. Individual creatures can have greater or lesser bonuses as you wish. No survival die can produce less than 1 point, regardless of penalties.

When level is listed as ½ or ¼, the creature is otherwise treated as a level one creature except for survival. Multiply the survival rolled on the creature’s per-level die by that fraction and round up, or use an appropriately lowered die. For ½, use d3 instead of d6, d4 instead of d8, or d5 instead of d10. For ¼, use d2 instead of d8.

Magic resistance

Some creatures, especially demons and powerful spirits, will cause havoc with magic by their presence. Magic resistance is rated from one on up. Whenever a spell is cast or targeted within range of a resistant creature, the Guide should roll d20; if the result is less than or equal to the creature’s magic resistance, the spell fails. For every yard beyond the first yard, the creature’s magic resistance drops by one.

Magic resistance applies to any spellcasting devices as well, such as wands. If the resistance that blocks a spell affects the caster (or the spellcasting device), spells are not lost from the caster’s mind, charges are not lost, and verve is not used. But if the resistance only takes effect at the target, spells and charges are lost, and verve is used.

Magic resistance does not affect prophet spirits or psychic powers unless specified.

Moral code

In general, most individuals are not bound to a moral code, but the species as a whole has a cultural or inborn affinity for this moral code. In some cases, especially for divine or demonic creatures, the nature of the creature will require that moral code.

Movement

Many creatures have more than one means of moving, such as walking and flying, or walking and swimming. Flying creatures can move more easily than walkers. Outside, long-distance movement for fliers is movement miles per hour rather than miles per day, which lets them move eight times further in a day than a walker of the same movement could go.

Flying creatures attacking land-bound creatures usually receive a high ground bonus in combat.

Number

This estimates how many creatures are usually found together when encountered. This number varies greatly depending on circumstances.

Size

Creatures have a general size of fine, tiny, small, medium, large, huge, gigantic, or titanic. Size affects the fortitude roll of large or larger creatures: +2 for large, +4 for huge, +8 for gigantic, and +16 for titanic.

Smaller and larger warriors adjust combat movement differently. Small, medium, and large warriors are all able to add 3 to combat movement per combat bonus point used. Tiny creatures can add 2 per point, and fine creatures 1 per point. Huge creatures can add 6 per point, gigantic creatures 12 per point, and titanic creatures 24 per point.

Special Defenses

Some creatures will have as their special defense “+1 or better required to attack”. This means that any attacks on the creature will be unsuccessful unless the weapon used has at least a bonus of 1 to attack. The bonus must be a magical or divine bonus.

Special Vision

Many monsters have underground or night vision. Night vision is the ability to see in darkness using ambient light from stars or a sliver of a moon. This ability is useless around bright lights. A creature with night vision suffers fewer, if any, penalties due to darkness. Underground vision is a combination of senses, with the creature able to see differences in heat, feel the motion of air, and triangulate from sounds and echoes. A creature with underground vision is able to see and work with no light within enclosed spaces. In the open and outdoors, this vision is less useful. The default penalty for using underground vision in the outdoors is increased by 3. Determining fine differences with underground vision is difficult if not impossible. It can’t be used to read normal text, for example.

Special vision is rarely as good as daylight vision. Creatures have a penalty to perception rolls as shown in their entry. Circumstances may make the special vision less useful, and at the extreme not function at all. If there is no ambient light whatsoever, night vision will not function. If the character is in a wide open space such as a desert, underground vision will function poorly or not at all.

Badlands

Barking spiders

Bobcats

Carrion worms

Cougars

Grey men

Lizards, giant

Orcs

Caves

Barking spiders

Bears, black

Crickets, giant

Dwarves

Hill giants

Ogres

Orcs

Mountain giants

Petraiads

Rats

Snakes, poisonous

Spiders, large and huge

Trolls

Xolome

Chaotic Mist

Bandersnatch

Beaked sweepers

Borogoves

Crazy crabs

Cyclopeata

Fire spiders

Hooded dashers

Jabberwock

Jubjub birds

Leeches, giant

Mist wraiths

Pink horrors

Pink trumpets

Raths

Spinneretts

Toves

Violents

Cities and Towns

Brownies

Elves

Halflings

Humans

Restless dead

Revenants

Wererats

Death Havens

Barrowmen

Carrion worms

Ghosts

Ghouls

Phantoms

Restless dead

Vampires

Vampire slaves

Deserts

Bobcats

Cougars

Grey men

Ogres

Saurians

Spiders, giant

Spiders, large and huge

Lizards, giant

Rocs

Dry City

Echoes

Greythorn vines

Headless men

Memory moss

Not flies

Oblivion fleas

Poltergeists

Prayer bees

Scissormen

Trivial pursuits

Forests

Bears

Bloodthorrns

Bobcats

Brownies

Buzzflies

Carrion worms

Centaurs

Cougars

Dire wolves

Dryads

Gnomes

Gorillas

Grey-hooked bats

Hop snakes

Jaguars

Naiads

Ogres

Orochs

Pigasi

Pixies

Snakes, poisonous

Snakes, large and giant

Spiders, giant

Spiders, large and huge

Squirrel, faerie

Treeherders

Unicorns

Werebears

Werewolves

Wolverines

Wolves

Hell

Bat, screeching

Blood puddles

Crowns of Eyes

Death’s heads

Emotional demons

Gargoyls

Gorgons

Perytons

Shadows

Strigae

Jungles

Bloodthorns

Buzzflies

Gorillas

Ground sloths, giant

Jaguars

Leeches, giant

Lizards, giant

Mold zombies

Pigasi

Pixies

Snakes, poisonous

Snakes, large and giant

Spiders, large and huge

Treeherders

Lakes

Dunkleosteus

Ghouls

Naiads

Snakes, poisonous

Mountains

Bats, giant

Bears

Bobcats

Blood hawks

Cheimon

Cougars

Dire wolves

Dwarves

Goblins

Grey-hooked bats

Grey men

Gryphons

Hill giants

Hippogriffs

Manticores

Mountain giants

Ogres

Pegasi

Petraiads

Phoenix

Pixies

Rocs

Snakes, poisonous

Storm giants

Trolls

Werebears

Wolverines

Wolves

Wyverns

Xolome

Yeti

Plains

Bobcats

Buzzflies

Hop snakes

Horses, wild

Orochs

Snakes, poisonous

Snakes, large and giant

Spiders, large and huge

Prehistoric Lands

Ankylosaurus

Achaeopteryxes

Beetles, giant

Brontosaurus

Burrweeds, giant

Butterflies, giant

Capybara, giant

Centipedes, giant

Crocodiles, giant

Deer, dwarf

Dire wolves

Dragonflies, giant

Dunkleosteus

Great lizards

Ground sloths, giant

Horned gophers

Leeches, giant

Lizards, giant

Mosquitos, giant

Moths, giant

Pterodactyls

Saurians

Stegosaurus

Swinging chain cacti

Triceratops

Tyrannosaurus

Venus flytrap, giant

Wetas, giant

Summoned

Ash-shubab al-muthlimum

Bats, creeching

Blood puddles

Crowns of eyes

Death’s heads

Perytons

Shadows

Skeletons

Strigae

Walking corpses

Swamps

Buzzflies

Jaguars

Killer toads

Leeches, giant

Mold zombies

Pixies

Saurians

Underground

Aeagarsut

Bats, giant

Brilliarch wights

Bubbling eyes

Carrion worms

Creeping slimes

Crickets, giant

Cucumbers, giant

Gakemai

Gangai

Gas molds

Great lizards

Grey men

Hanging vines

Kamekkipialo

Karuat

Ketelekrae

Kugesum

Lizards, giant

Oruat

Sakmat

Spiders, giant

Spiders, large and huge

Tentamort

Trolls

Creatures

Animals

Bats

These bats have adapted to life underground by developing their sense of hearing to such a degree it resembles sight. While darkness, fog, and other sight impairments do not affect bats, silence blinds them.

The normal bat is unlikely to attack anything larger than rat or rabbit-sized creatures. They are more likely to be dangerous in fear, as when a swarm of bats escaping one danger swarms someone while on the run. Normal bats, when they do attack, use their claws or (more often) their sharp but tiny teeth.

The giant bat will attack small creatures alone, or swarm with three or more other giant bats to attack medium-sized creatures. The giant bat has a wingspan of three to six feet and attacks with its sharp claws rather than by biting.

Bears

Bears will generally eat nuts, berries, grasses, insects, fish, deer and moose fawns, and carrion, and become more carnivorous as you move from black to brown to polar. They are solitary, though they may come together at feeding or watering holes. The territories of male bears can range to 200 square miles or more and may overlap with other males’ territories. Female territories will be much smaller and generally will not overlap. Females usually weight about half what males weigh.

Bears hibernate in dens in winter, from October or November to March or April (for males) or until April or May (for females).

Bears most commonly move on all fours. They can stand and walk on their hind legs, but this is usually done in order to see farther. They are very intelligent for animals, and very curious.

Bears attack with their front claws, getting two attacks per round doing so. Bears will often, especially if attacked with long weapons, attack as a called shot. If both called shots are successful, the opponent must make an evasion roll or be caught in a bear hug. Once its victim is caught in a hug, the bear is at a bonus of four to attack and two to damage, and only short weapons, such as knives or daggers, may be used against the bear. The victim may attempt to struggle out of the bear hug instead of attacking by making further evasion rolls each round.

Black Bears: Black bears are the smallest and least aggressive of these three bears. They are generally aggressive only when mating, injured, or protecting young. They den in caves, in hollow trees, or behind fallen trees. They are fond of honey. They tend to avoid habitats that include the more aggressive brown bear. They mark their territories with scent, and by making claw marks on trees. Black bears are from four to six feet long and generally weigh 150 to 400 pounds. Males average about 300 pounds but may weigh up to 800 pounds.

Black bears have shorter claws then the brown bear. Their claws are curved. They are agile tree-climbers. A female will often have her cubs climb a tree when danger lurks. The black bear has small eyes, rounded ears, a long snout, and a short tail. Their color ranges from white through chocolate brown, but most are black or dark brown.

Brown Bears: The brown bear includes the grizzly and the Kodiak. Their color varies from creamy brown to black. They have long claws and are known for their aggressive behavior. They have been known to go after larger animals such as moose and elk. Males weigh from 300 to 850 pounds. They can be up to nine and a half feet long.

Brown bears prefer dense forests, tundra, and lower alpine mountain regions. They have a concave face, high-humped shoulders, and shorter, rounder ears than black bears. They den by digging through the roots of large trees.

Polar Bears: The polar bear is the most carnivorous and aggressive of bears. They are almost exclusively carnivores, preying on seals, walruses, and even narwhals or beluga whales. They are patient, sitting near a known hole or den for hours waiting for an animal to emerge. The polar bear eats only the skin and fat of its prey, leaving the rest of the carcass for other animals such as the arctic fox.

Polar bears are from eight to eleven feet long and generally weigh 500 to 1,000 pounds but can weigh up to 1,700 pounds. They sport a four inch layer of fat that keeps them warm and protects them from physical aggression. The polar bear has a longer, narrower head and nose, and smaller ears, than other bears. The polar bear appears white because of the optical qualities of its fur, but its skin is black to draw in heat. It can easily handle temperatures as low as –34 degrees Fahrenheit.

The polar bear can walk on ice easily due to special adaptations on their feet. They are also excellent swimmers. They move as well on ice or under water as they do on land. They do not hibernate unless pregnant. They tend to live in areas of annual ice such as northern shores. They spend their winters on pack ice. Pregnant females will, however, winter by digging a large den in the snow. They are not particularly territorial.

Cats, wild

The wild cats are all fearsome, known for their cunning and regal mien. Whether for their ferocity or their piercing, almost unearthly eyes, these cats will often play an important role in local lore. Cats are solitary, with each male patrolling a territory that includes one or more females.

They have keen senses: sight, hearing, and smell, gaining a bonus of 2 to any perception rolls. All are excellent climbers, all can swim (though most avoid water), and all are exceptionally strong for their size. They can jump great distances even with large prey in their mouths.

Their camouflage makes them difficult to see in forest or brush. There is a penalty of 2 to perception rolls to see a wild cat that is hiding.

Bobcat: The bobcat is only about twice the size of a housecat. Their fur is somewhat brown with dark streaks and a mottled appearance. Bobcats are great climbers, and will wait in trees for prey to come by, or for predators to leave. The bobcat primarily hunts small prey such as rabbits, squirrels, and birds. When hungry they may hunt prey as large as a deer. When they do, they will cover the remains with snow or leaves and return to it later.

Bobcat territories run from one square mile to twenty square miles. Their territories can double in winter or other times of scarcity, and their territories will often overlap with other bobcat territories. The bobcat is the most adaptable of the wild cats, and will live anywhere from the far north to near-desert areas, including right near urban areas.

Cougar: The cougar’s fur is brown to orange with lighter patches, though this varies from region to region. The cougar’s habitat ranges from snow to desert, and to mountains throughout that spread.

Cougars weigh about 200 pounds. They will drag prey up to a thousand pounds, and prefer large mammals such as deer and elk. Their territories run from ten to four hundred square miles. They run up to 40 miles an hour, jump up to ten feet straight up (even carrying prey), and leap up to forty feet, half that from a standing position.

The cougar is also known as panther, puma, or mountain lion. Unlike other large cats, it will not roar, instead sounding more like smaller cats.

Jaguar: The jaguar’s fur is yellow or orangish yellow, with dark patterns spotting it. A rare and fearsome form is all black. The jaguar prefers dense jungle, but will also live in forests and areas of water. The jaguar, unlike other cats, enjoys swimming.

Jaguars weigh about 200 pounds, and will carry creatures of up to 600 pounds in its jaws. Their territories range from fifty to a hundred square miles. They will occasionally share territory with a cougar.

The jaguar prefers large prey, and will even attack and kill armored creatures, its powerful bite piercing right through the armor. Its preferred attack is to bite straight through the top of the skull.

Jaguars are also known as panthers (especially the black version) and in some areas will be called a lion or tiger if no actual lions or tigers exist.

Crickets, giant

These noisy crickets are more annoying than dangerous, though any victim caught in a swarm of them may disagree. The cricket’s chirping drowns out any normal noise; even yells are nearly impossible to hear over the chirping of three or more giant crickets.

While the giant cricket is herbivorous (eating any sort of plant product, including paper and cloth), they will investigate any new creatures within six yards as a possible source of food, hopping onto the creature and causing (on a successful attack roll) d4 points of damage.

They tend to live in large open caverns underground, where they will have room to hop (giving them their faster movement rate).

Gorillas

Because of their resemblance to humans, gorillas often have a special place in the local mythology. Gorillas are highly intelligent for animals and will use crude tools to solve simple problems. The giant gorilla will throw rocks at enemies, for 2d6 points damage.

A troop of gorillas will be lead by a silverback, usually the strongest or canniest among them, the alpha male. The silverback will likely have more survival points than the rest of the gorillas and may have a bonus of one or two to damage per attack.

Normal gorillas run about five and a half to six feet tall, and weigh 300 to 450 pounds The giant gorilla stands ten to fourteen feet tall, and weighs 1,200 to 2,000 pounds.

Ground sloths, giant

In shape vaguely like a bear, with thick red skin and long spiked tails, the giant ground sloth is a fearsome predator. The creature can stand and fight upright, but usually moves on all fours. It has a long face, almost like a camel’s or horse’s.

The giant ground sloth is also known for its unearthly scream, which gives other creatures a penalty of 2 to surprise rolls if they have not yet detected the sloth. The thick skin of the sloth can be difficult to penetrate, even by arrows, and provides the sloth with its high defense.

One species of giant ground sloth sports a prehensile, spiked tail. When attacking smaller creatures (small or smaller), the sloth will often swing this tail. On a successful attack, the target must make an evasion roll or be stuck. The sloth will then be more easily able to attack with its claws, as the opponent is now immobilized.

Horses, domestic and wild

Horses are commonly used as pack, draft, and riding animals among humans and, sometimes, Elves. In some areas, domesticated horses outnumber wild horses.

Wild horses roam plains and other relatively unforested grasslands, such as plains, steppes, and lightly-forested low hills. They graze on the grasses almost continuously. Each herd is led by a dominant mare and stallion, other mares, and offspring. They are mildly territorial, and more protective of the herd (especially mares) than of the territory.

Other herds can consist of colts who have been driven away by the lead stallion but who have not yet established dominance in another herd.

Some wild horse herds are actually herds of feral domestic horses. The statistics for a feral domestic horse is the same as for its fully domesticated relatives. Feral horses will be much more skittish, however, and more easily frightened. While riding horses can be captured and trained by skilled horsemen, feral warhorses cannot be trained as warhorses unless captured very young.

Horses can sleep lying down or standing up, and are ready to awaken and flee predators at a moment’s notice. Horses only need two or three hours of sleep each day, and may grab it in slices as short as 15 minutes. They need one to two hours of deep sleep—lying down—every day or two.

Humans

Humans are short-lived bipedal creatures. They come in many colors. Humans usually attack with weapons, though they can attack bare-handed. Humans live in tribal orders, often based on families. Families will often congregate together to form villages, which, if economically advantaged, may attract other families to form towns or cities.

Humans grow plants in fields for consumption, and will also both hunt animals and keep them for slaughter. They may also forage for foodstuffs, and will eat anything if they have enough salt or other spices available.

Leeches, giant

Purplish black, bloated slugs a foot long and half as wide, giant leeches attach to creatures and suck their blood. While slow, their rubbery skin makes it difficult to harm them.

On a successful attack by one of these creatures, the victim must make an evasion roll or the leech has attached itself and does one point of damage per round. It will unattach itself after taking ten points.

Salt or other such material will cause two points of damage per round to the leech. Removing a living leech requires a successful attack roll at a bonus of 3, and causes d4 points of damage to the victim. Removing a dead leech only causes 1 point of damage to the victim.

Lizards, giant

These great green lizards resemble the much smaller desert iguana. They have long, thin bodies with a longer tail extending the length again of their bodies and more. They can sit motionless for hours and blend in well in jungle or cavern. Giant lizards are mostly herbivorous but do eat large insects, worms, and small creatures, and can be dangerous if attacked. They defend with their sharp claws and with their whip-like tail, which can snap even at targets in front of them. For this, the giant lizard is often known as a tailsnapper.

Octopuses, giant

These undersea creatures have a pouch-shaped bodies and eight sucker-covered tentacles. Their bodies and tentacles can grow up to eight yards end to end.

When threatened, the giant octopus can loose a cloud of blank ink that darkens an area twice level yards in diameter. The octopus will then leave as quickly as possible. Giant octopuses rarely attack anything that is as large as they are. Besides their ink, they can also change their color to blend in to their surroundings, granting a penalty of four on any rolls to detect the octopus. They may eject ink level times per day.

Giant octopuses will attack with their strong tentacles or their hard, sharp beak. The giant octopus may make up to two attacks with its tentacles, using its powerful suckers to tear its prey apart. On a successful called shot, if the victim fails an evasion roll the octopus has grabbed the victim and further tentacle or beak attacks are as for immobile targets. This may only be done on medium or smaller targets.

Giant octopuses move either by walking or by propelling themselves through the water by sucking in and then expelling water. Giant octopuses are very intelligent for animals and will learn from experience and may even be trained. They have excellent visual, smell, and taste perception.

Giant octopuses den beneath coral, rocks, or other natural features. Their dens are filled with the remains of their prey. They may squeeze through very narrow passages, as long as their hard beak can fit.

Orochs

Standing six feet tall at the shoulder or more, with horns two to four feet long, these fierce ancestors to domesticated cattle cannot be taken lightly. Rare except for in deep, virgin forests and isolated plains, these herbivores will nonetheless attack at the slightest provocation those who encroach on their territory.

Rats

The normal rat is generally cautious, avoiding human contact. It is only dangerous in packs, where the packs use the mass combat rules.

The giant rat, also known as the swamp beaver, is a furry, black-eyed giant rat, inhabiting both fresh and salt water areas. It is a master swimmer. It can easily stay submerged for ten minutes, and under extreme conditions for up to half an hour.

Giant rats often carry disease, and on a successful attack there is a 1 in 20 chance that the victim must make a health roll to avoid disease.

Snakes, large and giant

These larger than normal snakes come in many varieties. Large snakes can be four inches to six inches in diameter, and up to seven to twelve yards long. Giant snakes will be two or more feet in diameter and twenty to forty yards long or more.

Medium snakes can constrict around small or smaller victims. Huge snakes can constrict around large or smaller victims. Constriction requires a called shot, and the victim is allowed an evasion roll to avoid. Large snakes cause d6 points of constriction damage and giant snakes cause d10 points of constriction damage. Constriction damage is automatic, per round, once the evasion roll is failed. A victim trapped by a constriction attack can devote their efforts to trying to get out; an evasion roll will get them out, or a fortitude roll at a penalty of the snake’s level.

Most larger snakes are not poisonous, but some can be. As a general guideline large snake poison will have a strength of 4, an action time of one round, and cause d3 injuries. Giant snakes will not be poisonous.

Snake, poisonous

Poisonous snakes come in many varieties, and can be described as needed. Poisonous snake venom can vary in potency depending on the species, but as a general guideline has a strength of 2, an action time of one round, and causes d2 injuries.

Spiders, large and huge

Large spiders are fairly horrific: they look like large tarantulas the size of a small house cat, with the same temperament (they'll kill anything in sight as long as it moves) but not nearly as cuddly. Huge spiders are even worse, two to three feet high and as wide.

Anyone bitten by a spider must make an evasion roll or be poisoned. Large spider poison is relatively powerful. It has a strength of 1, an action time of one round, and causes d2 injuries. Huge spider poison has a strength of 2 and causes d3 injuries.

Many spiders will have a poison that, rather than injures, paralyzes for d2 or d3 minutes. They will then wrap the victim in webbing, drag back to their web, and eat the living victim at their leisure.

Squirrels, faerie

The faerie squirrel is generally indistinguishable from a normal grey squirrel during the summer and fall, but during winter its fur turns a light blue, its bushy tail a faded white.

The most amazing appearance given by the faerie squirrel (known as the komorleran, or snow squirrel among the Elves), is the twice yearly mating season. In early spring or early fall, the faerie squirrel turns nocturnal, and its bushy white tail becomes phosphorescent. At such a time a traveler in the northern forests can suddenly see tens or hundreds of glowing lights move quickly from tree to tree and finally out of sight again.

Faerie squirrel nest in trees, building their nests from twigs, leaves, and broad ferns.

Wolves

Wolves are carnivorous pack animals. They will usually stay away from humans unless conditions warrant otherwise, but they do eat domesticated animals whenever it is easy to do so. The wolf attacks with its claws and powerful jaws. If both claws are successful, it will also bite.

The dire wolf is an ancient animal, dating from the Pleistocene. In size only a little larger than a normal wolf, its jaws are much larger and more dangerous, tearing flesh and crushing bone. Dire wolves travel in slightly smaller packs, but are somewhat more cunning than the wolf, and make dangerous opponents in the dark forests of the world where older creatures still lurk.

Otherwise very much like a wolf, the dire wolf is braver around humans and preys on larger herd animals.

Wolverines

Wolverines live in high rocky foothills, usually near or above the timberline. They tunnel dens out of the hillsides and their tunnels can reach fifty yards. Their dens are sometimes hidden behind snowfields. They live in areas of high snowfall and their fur is particularly adapted to surviving in snow and cold. Because of this, wolverine fur is highly regarded and desired among human populations.

Wolverines are a form of weasel rather than wolf. They can sometimes resemble a small bear, with dark brown fur sometimes with a silvery facial pattern and sometimes streaked with two tan stripes down their length. They range from 30 to 60 pounds. Wolverines tend to live off of rodents such as squirrels and hare, and carrion of larger animals, but are capable of taking down larger prey. They have powerful teeth.

Wolverines generally travel or nest in groups of one male and one or more females, with one to three young per female. Wolverines can and will climb trees. While considered diurnal, the wolverine can be active both day and night and ranges widely in search of food. The wolverine will not generally attack any creature larger than itself but may scavenge among packs and tents for food, or attack weakened creatures.

The Chaotic Mist and the Dry City

The mist and the city are loosely inspired by some of the writings of Stephen King, some of the comic book work of Grant Morrison, some science fiction novels by Frank Herbert, and the Alice books of Lewis Carroll. In some places, the mist is a permanent fixture that none dare enter. In others, it appears and disappears on a regular basis, once every hundred years, or according to the stars. The chaotic mist is aimless chaos, wetness, swamp, jungle. The Dry City is empty order, desiccation, desert, ghost town.

Bandersnatch

Bandersnatch (also, nerve runners) are tiny, fish-like creatures that burrow into their victims towards the victim’s brain. They are thin and flat, and usually live in swamps or ponds. They spawn once a month. During spawning ‘season’, the fish will attempt to lay their eggs in their victim. On a successful attack by the fish, the target must make an evasion roll or the bandersnatch has attached itself to the character’s flesh. The character has two rounds to pull it off (fortitude roll) or it has successfully burrowed into the victim. It does d6 points damage while burrowing in automatically. If the victim fails a fortitude roll (independent of any attempts to pull the creature off), the bandersnatch has successfully burrowed in and now does d10 points damage per round. If the victim fails another fortitude roll, the bandersnatch has reached the spinal cord (the victim will be unable to walk). Another failed fortitude roll (made each round) indicates that the bandersnatch has reached the brain, and the victim is dead. It will lay 10+d10 eggs, from which 2d4 nerve runners will hatch in seven days. The bandersnatch itself will die on laying its eggs.

Borogoves

Borogoves are small, rodent-like creatures, furry, and green, with large, flat tails. These membranous tails expand when the borogoves eat, filling with an extremely light gas and expanding to six or more feet across, lifting the borogoves into the air. Their feet are very tiny, serving mostly to move them from mouthful to mouthful. They have long snouts. Borogoves will generally not attack unless provoked.

Crazy crabs

Crazy crabs are crab-or lobster-like creatures, mottled brown and pink, with unevenly-sized legs and claws. They breathe air, but may remain active underwater for two days and can remain inactive for months. Crazy crabs prefer meat and will swarm living creatures.

Cyclopeata

These gigantic creatures feed on trees, water plants and creatures, and other large animals. The Cyclopeata reproduce asexually by leaving huge, rock-like eggs two to three yards wide. These things are huge. A cyclopeata averages 120 yards long, 40 yards wide, and sixty yards tall. Their legs alone (they have about sixteen, eight pairs) are three yards wide, and their “stumpy” tail can extend another fifteen yards.

Echos

There are strange angles that reflect not the world, but distortions of it. Viewing such a reflection can return an echo of the viewer: the echo will be an almost identical counterpart of the character and will have the same abilities (with perhaps one or two different abilities which, if not opposite, will be strangely similar). However, the echo will be malevolent. It will be Evil. If the original is Ordered, their echo will be Chaotic. If the original is Chaotic, their echo will be Ordered. The echo will always work in opposition to the original, even if both are Evil.

An echo cannot be permanently killed while reflected in a mirror or other reflective surface. Echos will always try to ensure that there are mirrors nearby. Their lairs are reflection-filled junkyards. If an echo is killed while reflected, the echo’s reflection will take form when the echo feels it is safe to return. The echo will return one level higher. At the first new level and each odd level thereafter, the echo gains a new specialty according to the nature of the reflection.

Enveloping grasp: The echo can grow forward in hideously lengthened shapes to attack and move, bypassing any obstacles as long as some reasonable route exists to their destination. Their combat movement is multiplied by their echo level, and they gain +2 to attack. Often gained if killed while reflected in a funhouse or large concave mirror.

Eyelink: If killed while reflected in someone’s eyes, the echo can view the world through that person’s eyes, no matter where that person is.

Facial reflection: The echo may reflect and hold a person’s face. While their body remains the same (the original body they are an echo of), their face, hair, and head become a perfect duplicate of the person they’re looking at. They can then hold this reflection for as long as they wish. The person whose face they’re reflecting will usually notice it since it happens immediately, so this power is most often used against captives or sleeping individuals. Often gained if killed while reflected in a hand mirror or bureau mirror.

Insubstantiality: The echo can fade to a translucent, insubstantial form. This form is difficult to see at night and makes it easier to hide in shadows, behind windows, and around corners during the day. There is a penalty of the echo’s level to any attempts to see the echo. The echo can also walk through transparent and translucent barriers at half movement. This will include not only glass but thin ice, rice paper, and gauzy fabrics. If lights and shapes are visible through the barrier, the echo can move through it. Often gained if reflected in dusty or misty mirrors, or hazy bodies of water.

Invisible corner: The echo can turn around any corner into an extradimensional space. The echo ceases to exist in the “real world” and can neither see nor be seen, but can hear and be heard as if they still were at or in that corner. Often gained if killed while reflected in a faceted crystal or mirror.

Mirror motion: The echo can travel from mirror to mirror as long as the mirrors are in line of sight or the same building. Often gained if killed while reflected in a mirror, especially a full-length mirror.

Quicksilver motion: The echo can take a mercury-like form and move at 24 through any terrain or passage, however small. The liquid form cannot attack. It has +2 to defense and is immune to non-magical weapons. Often gained if killed while reflected in liquid.

New form: The echo returns from the mirror with the form of another person who had been reflected when the echo died. The echo can switch between their new form and their old form by stepping into a mirror, then stepping out in the new form.

Refracted damage: Half of all damage done to the echo goes to the original instead. Often gained if killed while fighting their original, and both are reflected.

Shiver: The echo can break into up to charisma smaller, identical bodies, each with identical clothes, weapons, etc. If the echo splits into two bodies, each will be half the size of the other with half the survival. Each will attack as normal, although size will likely reduce the damage of their weapons as normal. If a shiver dies, that shiver’s survival is lost as normal, and can be healed as normal. Often gained if killed while reflected in a faceted crystal or broken mirror.

Shadowcast: The echo may become a two-dimensional shadow and move about walls and other mostly vertical surfaces at movement 18. The shadow must remain in contact with the point where the vertical surface meets the ground, but can otherwise move about, foreshorten, and lengthen, as desired. The shadow cannot attack. It has a +4 to defense and is immune to non-magical weapons. Often gained if killed while reflected in obsidian or other jet-black material.

Fire spiders

Fire spiders are huge, white, spider-like creatures with red eyes and slavering teeth. They appear mostly in caves or dense forest.

The webs of fire spiders burn flesh. Each fire spider can shoot one strand of web each round, up to three yards away. If the target fails an evasion roll, the web sticks and thus continues doing damage even after the initial hit, for d6 points per round. It will do this for d4+3 rounds. Characters can devote their attention to removing the web strand and are allowed an evasion roll each round. A successful reaction removes the web and no damage is taken that round. The webs burn hotter in water. If a character attempts to put the fire out by jumping in water, the damage is increased to 2d6 per round.

Greythorn vines

These tall, grayish-green fuzzy plants sport six flailing vines extending from a central bulbous axle on a thick stalk. Each vine ends in a bulbous, spiked, star-like appendage. The stalk rises from a fuzzy grayish-green mound of roots. The greythorn may attack up to three targets with one vine each, or may attack any one target with two vines.

Headless men

The headless men, or acephali, are strange creatures of the dry city with, as their name implies, no head. Their eyes, and their huge mouth, are in their chest.

Any three or more headless men may, instead of attacking, emit a silent scream that causes terror in all other living creatures within range. The range is ten yards forward for each headless man screaming. Victims must make a fortitude roll or run directly away from the headless screamers. Headless men may scream once per hour. The scream of the headless men also creates a great wind. Those within the path of the wind who are holding papers or similar light objects must make an evasion roll or the papers blow away out of their hands at least to the end of the scream’s range.

The headless men appear as muscular men. Their gaping mouths contain large teeth but no apparent tongue. Their eyes, where nipples would normally be, are slightly larger and blink slightly less often, than a human’s. They generally use spears to attack any who withstand their terror attack, though they may use any weapon. Because of their peculiarity, they do not wear armor, nor any clothing above the waist.

Hooded dasher

Hooded dashers are flat, silvery, jellyfish-like creatures that live among gently rolling hills. If both front claws successfully hit an opponent, the victim must make an evasion roll or the dasher has crawled upon them and also attacks with the rear claws, and bites them as well.

Jabberwocks

Jabberwocks are winged, dragon-like creatures, slate grey, with tough scaly skin and eyes of fire. They appear on dry plains or in the dry cities of the mist. Anyone meeting a jabberwock’s gaze loses 2d10 survival from desiccation. If they die from the gaze they turn to grey ash, falling apart at the slightest touch. Any wishing to fight the jabberwocky without meeting its gaze must make a perception roll each round.

Jubjub birds

The jubjub is a vulture-like creature with grey feathers tinged with a metallic green at the edges, mottled black on the underside. They usually live on rocky cliffs.

Jubjubs rarely attack large creatures, doing so only if the nest is threatened or if they need a corpse for laying eggs. The nest of the jubjub is lined with bodies. The young eat the grubs and worms which form on the corpses.

Adult jubjubs have a paralyzing scream which they may use once per day. It affects a cone three yards wide at six yards. Targets are allowed a fortitude roll to avoid paralysis. Paralysis lasts 2d4 rounds.

Memory moss

Memory moss appears as a thick bright green moss growing in small patches on man-made structures, usually stone walls.

Memory moss has only one attack: it can shoot small astral tendrils out towards anyone within ten feet. If the target is within three feet, physical tendrils come out as well, giving the target a penalty of 2 to the reaction roll. Victims are allowed a willpower roll to avoid short term memory loss: the moss eats their memory of what they were just doing, and they forget the last d4 minutes. Memory moss may attack one potential victim at a time.

Anyone eating memory moss will acquire some of the memories that the moss has eaten, but must make a perception roll or go insane for d20 hours. They must also make a health roll or lose d6 survival.

Mist wraith

Mist wraiths inhabit deep swamps, and their tentacles can reach 30 to 100 yards. Most adventurers attack only the tentacles, which have 2d6 survival points each. A mist wraith which loses one tentacle is unlikely to risk more.

Mist wraiths may attack with up to six tentacles at a time, and may extend one tentacle per round. (At their center, they may attack simultaneously with up to twelve tentacles.) The tentacles can “hear” rough sounds, at a perception penalty of four.

On a successful attack, the target must make an evasion roll or be caught by the tentacle, losing d4+1 survival points per round thereafter. The defense of the tentacle while it is holding a victim is reduced to +3.

Mushroom walker

These mottled brown and orange upside-down mushrooms with woody, ambulatory trunks are the scourge of the swamps of the Chaotic Mist.

The tough, woody mushroom walker can eject three kinds of spores: protective spores, hallucinatory spores, and reproductive spores. It may eject protective spores once per round for up to four rounds, whereupon it may eject protective spores once every four rounds. Protective spores are a chronic ailment of strength 3, that cause d4 survival points of damage per round from choking.

It may eject hallucinatory spores given three rounds of not ejecting any other spores. These are a chronic poison with a strength of 2 and an action time of one round, that cause extreme hallucinations of fear. Affected characters are likely to see extreme versions of what they fear from the mist or from swamps: mold zombies, quicksand, thousands of poisonous spiders, huge spiders, poisonous snakes writhing all over their bodies, suffocation, leeches covering their bodies.

It may eject reproductive spores four hours after deciding to. Reproductive spores are chronic poisons with strength zero, that cause d4 injuries per day. Six days after death, the corpse of the victim will sprout d4 more mushroom walkers.

If it detects movement over a period of three rounds, it will usually eject hallucinatory spores. If it is attacked, or the second round after it ejects hallucinatory spores, it will eject protective spores. After ejecting protective spores, it will usually eject reproductive spores.

Not flies

Not Flies are attracted to nothing. They have the head of humans and perpetually look as if they are about to say something. The look on the face of the Not Fly requires its opponents to make a willpower roll or lose concentration and not do anything for a round.

Unlike normal flies, which are attracted to and feed of animal dung or human waste, Not Flies are attracted to nothing and they feed of the waste of time. When nothing is getting accomplished, or nothing is getting done, Not Flies are sure to swarm about, leaving as soon as something is accomplished.

Anyone who dies in the vicinity of a Not Fly is likely to bear a swarm of 2d20 Not Flies, each with the corpse’s likeness, in 13 to 24 hours, depending on how little is getting done during that time period.

Oblivion fleas

Oblivion fleas infest people who are dreaming, and suck away their dreams. Those bitten by a swarm of oblivion fleas are allowed a willpower roll. If successful, the fleas could not suck their dreams away. If unsuccessful, that character is infested with oblivion fleas, which will try to suck the character’s dreams every time the character sleeps (as well as infect the sleeper’s companions).

Not dreaming incurs the same penalties as not sleeping; even though the character might have received a full night’s sleep, it is as if the character hasn’t slept at all.

Pink horror

Pink horrors are the pink of burnt flesh healed over. They have fiery red eyes set upon two short, limber stalks, twelve pod-feet with fat sucker-pods, and a triangular head with a heavy, hooked beak.

Three times per day, a pink horror may make a called shot bite for poison in addition to its other attacks, and will usually do so if a potential meal has fallen or is very bloody. The chronic poison has a strength of 0, an action time of 2 rounds, and its effect is to paralyze the victim. The pink horror will not bite unless biting to poison.

Pink horrors are generally of low intelligence, however, some exceptional Horrors may have average intelligence.

Pink trumpets

Pink trumpets are a crawling vine that grows to cover the ruins and dead trees of the Chaotic Mist. Their trumpet-like, bright pink flowers hang down from the masses of vines that overrun wall, ceiling, branch, and stone. The acidic juice of their flowers digests wood, bone, and stone, very slowly over time.

Once every six rounds, per level, they can shoot a cone of acid that does d6 points of damage to anyone within a cone one yard at the start and three yards at the end, four yards long. Victims can make an evasion roll for half damage.

If disturbed (or attacked), the vines will move to strangle the source of their discomfort. On a successful attack (at –4), the victim must make an evasion roll or a fortitude roll to avoid being caught in the vines. Caught victims will take d4 points damage automatically each round thereafter until the vine patch is destroyed (or the victim destroys at least 4d6 points of vine in a four round period).

Prayer bees

Prayer bees are creatures of pure sound, brought forth by strident prayer. Out of the Dry City they are attracted to any loud noises, especially prayer meetings. The Prayer Bee sounds like a swarm of bees, though if a victim listens closely they might hear the high-pitched mumblings of the prayers or other monologues the Prayer Bee has eaten.

Prayer bees may be attacked with magical weapons (+1 or greater needed), or by creating silence. Each round of normal silence, the Prayer Bee loses one survival point; each round of magical silence causes the Prayer Bee to lose two survival points.

Prayer bees attack with pure noise. Their standard attack is a powerful noise attack that causes 2d4 points damage to armored individuals, 3d4 to those wearing plated armor, and d4 to those wearing padded, leather, or no armor.

The Prayer bee may instead, however, send forth a destructive cone of sound three yards long, one yard wide at the start and two yards wide at the end. All items within the cone must make a fortitude roll or shatter.

Or, the prayer bee may send forth a thunderclap of immense sound in a deafening cone seven yards long, one yard wide at the start and three yards wide at the end. Any characters in the cone must make a fortitude roll or be deafened for 2d4 rounds. Characters deafened by the prayer bee’s deafening cone will be at a penalty of 1 to attack and 1 to defense.

Raths

Raths are darkish, chimp-like creatures, but thinner. They have low intelligence, and some tribes or individuals within tribes may use clubs or spears. Many also continue to fight unarmed. Their long arms are very strong.

Raths gain a bonus of 2 to damage due to their strength. Raths have their own language, and are attracted to shiny objects left unattended.

Scissormen

The scissormen herald the coming of the Dry City. They appear as paper-thin (and may be mistaken for playing card men, usually red-clothed jacks). They carry huge scissors, which they use to attack. They prefer to hunt children and young women.

Scissormen are rarely surprised and have a bonus of 3 on perception rolls for surprise. Outside of the dry city, victims who are hit by their scissors must make a willpower roll or they are cut out of this world and into the Dry City. All that remains is a paper-like outline covered in the words of the victim’s life. Inside the city, the victim mindlessly rushes about searching for nothing they can vocalize. If the victim and the victim’s words are brought together, the victim returns to normal.

Scissormen can become invisible, if they are away from bright light, by turning to their sides and remaining still. Scissormen can travel from the dry city through open books. They can return to the city through the cut-out words of their victims.

Dead scissormen float to the ground as children’s drawings.

Spinnerett

Spinneretts are balloon-shaped creatures with flaps and baffles and six tentacles hanging down two or three yards. They have a tail which acts as a rudder in the wind, so they may move in any direction except directly against the wind.

Spinneretts achieve buoyancy with hydrogen, and any flame attack has a 10% change per point of damage of causing one to explode. When a Spinnerett explodes, anyone in a radius equal to twice its diameter must make a fortitude roll or lose 3d6 survival points. Those who succeed take half damage.

Up to three tentacles may attack in unison, only two may attack a single medium-sized individual.

Once per day, a spinnerett may drop a three yard diameter web from their tail area. Anyone hit by the web (evasion roll) must make a health roll at a penalty of one (cumulative) for each round that they remain trapped by the web. A successful fortitude roll gets them out of the web.

Toves

Toves are scaled, lizard-like creatures with many wings and no legs. They inhabit areas where a small bit of sunlight shines through the mist, usually a meadow or clearing. Their mouths are a corkscrew-like appendage able to dig through dirt and tear through flesh. They can act cute and cuddly (to those who like lizards, anyway) when multiple creatures are nearby, but attack in droves (at least six toves) if they encounter a lone creature.

Toves attack by burrowing. A corpse that has been fed on by toves will be riddled with holes.

Trivial pursuits

Trivial pursuits (or trivial tasks) are the pathetic ghosts of people who died while desperately worried over some trivially inane task.

Trivial pursuits possess their victims to complete their task. Victims are allowed a willpower roll to avoid possession. If possessed, the victim will complete the task, which can include things like going to the bathroom, making a shopping list, or writing a thank you note. Most trivial pursuits are sated once their task is completed. Some (perhaps 10%) are doomed to continually perform the same task over and over; they will leave the victim once the task is completed in either case.

Violents

The violet, deliciously-fragrant clover-like flowers of the violents carpet some forests of the Chaotic mist. The sticky flowers emit an intoxicating smell. Those walking through a carpet of violents must make a health roll or be affected by the delicious but deadly fragrance of these plants. The odor of the plants is a strength zero sleep poison, with an action time of three rounds. It causes those affected to sleep for 2d6 hours.

If the affected creature falls within a carpet, the violents will begin to grow over the creature, doing one point of damage per hour. If the affected creature falls outside of a carpet, there is still a 30% chance that the carpet was able to attach some flowers to the creatures feet and legs, which will begin to work in d6 hours. After that time, they will act as above, doing one point of damage per hour.

Demons

“Know that there are two worlds of life and death: one of which you now behold, but the other is underneath the grave, where inhabit the shadows of all forms that think and live, till death unite them and they part no more.”——Percy Bysshe Shelley, Prometheus Unbound

With the first light on the Gods was cast the first shadow. Demons are almost a mockery of the Gods, but are more aptly the shadow of them. Demons will have strange powers, and the more powerful ones will have spheres of influence. By their nature, demons will form hierarchies of control. This is not to say that they are Ordered, but that stronger ones will attempt to rule over weaker ones. Demons are the embodiment of evil: everything is practical; morality is a myth.

Where the pantheons exist separately for many cultures, the shadows are a hodge-podge, jumbled together and ill-defined. Some demons will take part in some pantheons, but will always live apart.

Major demons are generally restricted from appearing in the normal world unless summoned or in weakened avatars. When they do appear it will usually be at night. While in the normal world, they are susceptible to banishment by prophets and to dispel or control by ritual.

Demons are not susceptible to old age, malnourishment, starvation, or disease. They are not born, they are created from their own flaws. Where a demon type is noted as eating their victims’ flesh or drinking their victims’ blood, this is not for physical nourishment but to satisfy a spiritual craving or addiction.

If a demon is killed on the physical plane, it will usually bubble away to nothing within a number of rounds equal to its level. Once dead, its spirit returns to the plane that spawned it.

Demons will take d6 points of damage from appropriately blessed holy water. Against demons who have the ability to regenerate damage, holy water damage will not heal at greater than 1 survival point per night.

All demons, unless otherwise specified, have the equivalent of underground vision at a penalty of two. In many cases it isn’t actually vision—some demons don’t have eyes—but is an equivalent sense common to the shadows.

Demonic Powers

Named demons usually have access to demonic abilities. Some of these abilities require the use of demonic power points.

Places of power that are morally aligned with evil grant demons more power. For every use of their demonic powers, the level of the place of power reduces the demonic power point cost. Every power that would otherwise cost power points must still cost at least 1 point, however.

When attempting to use demonic power in Good areas, such as holy ground or blessed areas, costs are ten times normal.

These powers are most easily used within level times two yards. If the demon tries to use the power within level times twenty yards, the cost is increased by one, success chances are penalized by (or victim reaction rolls increased by) two. If within level times 200 yards, cost is increased by two and success chances penalized by four. If within level times 2,000 yards, cost is increased by three and success chances penalized by six, etc.

For free powers, costs are not increased, but the penalty to the chance of success is doubled.

Demonic powers can work across dimensions if there are doorways that cross those dimensions. Apply distance penalties according to the distance to and from the doorway.

Casting time is the amount of time it takes to use the power. Each additional demonic power point will half the casting time.

If the victim is allowed a reaction roll, the demon may penalize that reaction by the number of extra power points used for that purpose. The demon may apply extra points to any roll affecting them as a bonus on a one to one basis, as needed. That is, if a successful summoning were to require a 13 or less, and the Guide rolls 15, the Guide can have the demon use two extra points to turn the failure into a success.

If a power summons or creates creatures that have a level, the demon may only easily summon or create creatures with a level equal to or less than their own level. The per level costs are doubled if the summoned or created creature is higher level than the demon.

Normally, summoned or created creatures are like henchmen. They will take orders from the demon but are basically autonomous. If the demon would like to summon or create a creature under their domination, the per level costs are increased by one point. The demon may then fully control the creature.

Burn: Burning takes a long time. The demon may brown up to one square inch of burnable material such as paper or cloth. Burning twice blackens. Burning three times will burn the target into ash. (Flammable material such as oil can be lit aflame with one use of burn.)

Delusions: The demon can twist the victim’s perceptions so that what they see, hear, taste, touch, and smell take on different meanings and altered forms. People are still there, but their gender is altered, hair changes shape, and teeth perceived as fangs; footsteps might sound like gunfire (or gunfire like footsteps); or the sweet aroma of baking bread like bodies baking in the sun. Delusions may be disbelieved in the same way that illusions can.

Dominate: Dominate gives the demon full control over the victim’s actions. Victims are allowed a willpower roll to avoid domination. Attempts to make the victim perform suicidal actions or seriously harm close friends will allow further willpower rolls to throw off the domination.

Emotional High: The emotional demon can cause any target to feel the emotions that the demon normally feeds on. Victims are allowed a willpower roll to avoid the effects. The demon cannot feed off of emotions that they cause through emotional high but they can benefit from any appropriate emotions that the victim might cause.

Glamer of Life: Glamer of Life makes a skeleton or corpse appear as it did in life. It can also affect food, making it appear as it did when fresh. For an extra point, this can apply to a raised skeleton or corpse’s actions. The corpse won’t be as intelligent or loquacious as it was in life, but it will have the same verbal and physical mannerisms that it had in life.

Influence: Influence allows the demon cause the victim to perform one action. The act being influenced must be somewhat reasonable. The influence will manifest itself as a strong desire. Victims are allowed a willpower roll to overcome the influence.

Invisibility: If the demon is inhabiting a living creature, the demon may make their host invisible to normal, night, and underground vision. They are not so much invisible as they are unnoticeable.

Notice Power: The demon can sense magical or divine power used within range. Every time such power is used, roll d20 against the demon’s level, with a bonus of the spell level or the spirit level. On a success, the demon knows that a spell was cast or that a spirit was manifested. It does not know what the spell or spirit manifestation was, however.

Raise Skeleton/Corpse: The demon may animate a skeleton or corpse as an undead creature. The Guide makes a roll against the demon’s wisdom, with a penalty of half the level of the undead. The demon can give these undead simple instructions from anywhere, and can see through the eyes of one such undead at a time. Improperly buried or vandalized corpses are easier to turn into undead: it only takes one minute per desired level, and there is no penalty to the demon’s wisdom roll. If the demon ties the undead to some earthly treasure, or limits them to a specific action, the point cost and wisdom penalty is halved.

Ride-along: The demon can ride along in the mind of an intelligent creature, seeing what they see and perceiving what they perceive. The demon can also manifest their powers from the ride-along. The target gets a willpower roll to avoid becoming an unwitting host to the demon, but once the demon is riding along, the demon can enter or leave that creature at will, for as long as its demonic power point(s) remain in play.

Summon Unnamed Demon: The demon may summon a demonic creature from the shadows. Only general creatures may be summoned, such as a screeching bat or a blood puddle. Named or specific demons cannot be summoned with this power. The Guide must make a roll against the demon’s charisma, with a penalty of the level of the summoned creature. The summoning demon can sense where the summoned demons are at any time as a conscious action.

Surface Telepathy: The demon may read the surface thoughts of anyone in range. The chance of success is ten plus the demon’s level. Surface thoughts are limited mostly to what the victim is actually saying. The demon may also speak to the victims telepathically, either as an external voice or an internal voice. To the unaware, it will seem as if they are thinking these thoughts themselves (internal) or that someone is speaking to them (external). Internal speaking can give the victim a penalty of two on any rolls to do things that they aren’t so sure about, such as looking for secret doors (there might not be any at all). If the victim recognizes that such influence is happening or otherwise actively resists their own insecurity, the penalty will not apply. If the demon is inhabiting a host, surface telepathy can give it a bonus of two to attack.

Teleport: The range of teleport is normally level times two yards. For every additional cost, range can be multiplied by ten. For example, to teleport someone else level times 20,000 yards away (normal range multiplied by ten, four times) will cost eight points instead of two. Victims of teleport are allowed an evasion roll to avoid the teleport. The demon may teleport up to level times ten pounds, and may double this for each additional power point used.

Words of Power: There is a special phrase that will draw the demon’s attention and allow the demon a presence where the words are spoken. The demon must somehow have access to the plane or dimension that the words are spoken on, such as by being on that world or having doors to that world. The demon can choose to manifest their powers——or themselves——within level yards of the speaker. The words of power will include the demon’s name and usually some honorific, such as “Lord of Chaos” or “Heaven’s Scourge”.

Bats, screeching

A screeching bat is a large, dangerous bat-like creature, pitch black with ice-blue unblinking eyes. It is a touch and ferocious creature.

When the screeching bat screeches, any who can hear it within six yards must make a fortitude roll or be unable to do anything except cover their ears and try to avoid the painful noise. Their defense is at a penalty of four.

Screeching bats do not usually appear in large numbers in hell, but appear on Earth in hellish infestations or accompanying a demon.

Blood puddles

Blood puddles are black putrescent slowly bubbling puddles of thick, gooey blood, formed from the tormented souls of murderers and torturers. The puddles are immune to normal weapons. They may be affected by fire or cold attacks (at half damage). Magical weapons do only their bonus in damage.

Blood puddles may combine into larger puddles. Multiple blood puddles may combine into a single blood puddle with a level equal to their total levels. Large puddles may break apart into smaller puddles of lesser levels.

Blood puddles move by pooling across and up surfaces. They move at half speed moving straight up a surface. Their touch burns living flesh for level d6 points of damage. Armor is only half effective against the blood puddle’s oozing attack. Thus, armor that would give a bonus of 4 only gives a bonus of 2 against a puddle attack.

Brood of Kerberos

The brood of Kerberos are the offspring of the underworld’s canine guardian. These hell hounds have from one to three canine heads. The more heads they have, the more powerful they are. Their level is two plus the number of heads they have. They may attack as many times per round as they have heads.

The brood look like dogs at first sight, but closer examination reveals a reptilian cast to their thick skin. Some even have a snake for a tail.

The brood are often summoned to serve as guardians, and are difficult to surprise. They have a bonus of 4 to surprise and other perception rolls even when sleeping.

The bite of one of these hell hounds is poisonous. The poison is strength 5, with an action time of 1 minute, and causes d4 injuries.

A quarter of the brood have a snake for a tail. The snake may attack separately from the head(s) and is as poisonous as a head.

Crowns of eyes

Crowns of eyes often appear as part of a demon lord’s retinue. It appears as a rubbery, rust-red ball of bumps and cracks, two to three feet in diameter. Seven blood-red heavy-lidded eyeballs emerge from prehensile stalks around the top, forming the Crown of Eyes. The eyes are equidistant, allowing the Crown to see in any direction. When sleeping, four of the eyes sleep at a time, leaving three eyes awake covering most directions.

It has three clawed, bird-like legs. Crowns move quickly and are difficult to surprise. They may jump to a height of two yards, and may crawl up walls and upside down on wooden or dirt ceilings. They will often try to attach their long, sharp claws to their victims. A called shot is required, and the victim is allowed an evasion roll to avoid attachment. Once attached, the crown of eyes does d6 points automatically each round, though its defense bonus is reduced to 2.

Blunt weapons do little harm to a crown of eyes. Unless the blunt weapon has a bonus of at least +1, it causes no damage to the crown, otherwise it does one quarter damage. A crown of eyes is generally immune to non-magical fire, and will take no damage if it makes its reaction against magical fire, half if it fails.

When a crown of eyes ruptures, it explodes in a fire of hot ash, causing 2d4 points of damage to anyone in two yards, or d4 to anyone in four yards. An evasion roll is allowed to take half damage. (This counts as magical fire, so it might damage nearby crowns, rupturing them also.)

The crown of eyes eats the eyeballs, ears, and tongues of its victims with its gummy grey mouth. Crowns may talk, but generally make little sense. These souls have been tortured beyond imagining in the fires of hell and have lost all semblance of sanity.

Death’s heads

The death’s head is a skull attached to a boney spinal column. It moves in a snake-like fashion, its rear bones slithering silently, its forward bones supporting the grinning skull. Death’s heads are usually encountered guarding some place or item for an evil master.

It may gaze to paralyze once per three rounds. The victim must make a willpower roll to avoid being paralyzed for d6 rounds. A paralyzed victim drops to the ground quivering. Otherwise, the death’s head attacks by biting or by strangling. Strangling requires that it make a called shot, though on a paralyzed victim this might not be difficult. If not paralyzed, the victim may make an evasion roll to avoid strangulation. If the evasion roll is failed, the death’s head automatically strangles the victim for d4 points per round thereafter.

Emotional demons

Emotional demons are individual, named demons that have no physical form of their own, but only of the thing or creature they are summoned into or take control of. They may possess other creatures if the appropriate ritual is performed.

Each emotional demon has a name. As named demons, emotional demons may gain demonic power. They gain their power through the intense emotions of living, intelligent creatures. Each emotional demon feeds off of a specific emotion, such as fear, lust, or anger. When any living, intelligent creature within level hundred yards of the demon undergoes intense emotion of the type the demon feeds from, that creature should make a willpower roll at a penalty of the demon’s level, or gain one injury point. That injury point becomes one point of demonic power for the demon. An emotional demon can suck no more than one demonic power point per creature per day.

An emotional demon may store up to level times three points of demonic power. They may have up to level times four points of power in play at any one time. If they start to exceed that number, they’ll need to start dismissing summoned creatures, dropping illusions or mental control, or de-animating undead.

Emotional demons will have three demonic powers or specialties, plus one demonic power for every odd level.

Emotional demons usually start at fifth level when summoned from the shadows, but may gain levels over time.

While emotional demons are immune to normal weapons, their hosts might not be. The demon may or may not care if the host body dies. They can retain control of the host body after it dies, as long as they had control when it was alive.

Gargoyle

Gargoyles are covered in a crusty, stone-like skin. These grey creatures sport curved horns and dark, bat-like wings that seem far too small to lift them into the air. The gargoyle is immune to non-magical weapons.

Gargoyles are often found as part of the retinue of demon lords, and are sometimes summoned by powerful evil sorcerors or sent to the service of powerful evil rulers. They are crafted from the souls of thin-skinned petty tyrants and vindictive bureaucrats.

Gorgon

Gorgons are beauty and terror combined. They often guard paths to the underworld. They are formed from the souls of those narcissistic sinners whose own physical beauty seduced themselves. Their demonic forms are extremely beautiful, except for their hair, which is covered in writhing and hissing snakes.

When attacked, the gorgon may attack up to three opponents at a time with these snakes, and may also attack with a weapon if so skilled. The snakes are venomous. On a successful called shot, the victim must make an evasion roll or be poisoned. Gorgon poison is strength 3, with an action time of one round, and causes d3 injuries.

Worst of all, though, is that merely to look upon the hideous snakes of a gorgon’s head is to become petrified, turned to a marbled statue. Each look requires a willpower roll to avoid petrification.

If a viewer attempts not to view the snakes, this can become an evasion roll instead. However, anyone in combat with the gorgon under such circumstances will be at a penalty of two to attack the gorgon and the evasion roll will need to be made each round.

The blood of a gorgon, if allowed to fall to natural ground, spawns poisonous snakes. On any successful bladed or pointed attack against a gorgon, roll d20 against the damage done. If successful, a number of snakes equal to the d29 roll rise in the next round. When a gorgon is killed, it spawns d6 snakes per round while it bubbles away, if it dies on natural ground. Snakes automatically attack the gorgon’s opponents.

Gorgons are lesser named demons. Normally they have no demonic powers beyond the special ones listed here, but at 5th level and every odd level afterwards they can gain one demonic power. Gorgons do not gain demonic power points on their own, but are granted it while performing specific tasks.

Perytons

Having deer-like heads and feet, with bird-like bodies covered in shining green feathers (which shine turquoise in the sun), but with man-like shadows when they fly, the peryton is a beautiful but deadly creature. Their hooves and horns are sharp and hard. A peryton may attack with its hooves while flying or its horns while on the ground.

Perytons are usually found in the service of some Evil, and attack if seen. If time permits, perytons wallow in the gore of their victims.

Perytons are said to be made from the souls of travelers who have left their land and faith, explaining their shadows.

Shadow

Shadows are human-like shadows formed from souls too insignificant to make into other demonic servants. They are the most common demonic servants in Hell.

Wherever there are normal shadows, shadows may become nearly undetectable. Attempts to perceive a shadow in such circumstances are at a penalty of 10. Even when a shadow is attacking, it is difficult to see, which is why it has such a high defense.

The grab of a shadow is a soul-chilling cold. Shadows will also often throttle their opponents. The latter requires a called shot by the shadow. Targets are allowed an evasion roll. If the evasion roll is failed, the shadow has grabbed the victim by the neck and its cold grey hands automatically hit every round.

Because a shadow clings so well to its victims, anyone attacking a shadow runs the risk of harming the shadow’s victim, in the same way as firing into close combat. Even attacks that automatically hit the target can also hurt the shadow’s victim.

Striga

The strigae are hideous bird-creatures with long beaks that suck the blood of the living. They are the size of large birds, vaguely resembling a huge hummingbird up to a foot and a half long with a nose-like beak extending half that distance again. Their feathers are a hellish red the color of dried blood and their eyes glow yellow like a wolf's.

In Roman legend, the strigae are made from the twisted souls of old hags, and are said to take the souls of bad children into hell. In flocks, striga make a horrible screeching noise when they attack that can paralyze with fear. Anyone hearing the screeching of a flock of at least ten strigae must make a willpower roll or freeze in fear, able to defend at a penalty of three but unable to attack. This reaction may be made once per round, and once made need not be made again.

When a striga successfully attacks, the victim must make an evasion roll or the striga has attached its beak and will begin sucking blood the next round. It will do an automatic d4 points of damage per round.

For every two survival points that a striga does through bloodsucking, the striga regains one point of lost survival. When hungry, they will continue sucking for six more of the victims' survival points before detaching and flying away. Detaching (whether by the striga or by someone else) does another d3 points of damage to the victim.

Striga do not generally appear in large number in hell, but appear on Earth in areas of hellish infestation or accompanying a demon.

Waxen assassin

Waxen assassins (or shadowcasts) are clever, wily, and cunning. They will use their charisma and illusions to take over their twin’s life. These demons are summoned in the form of another creature, their twin, usually the victim they’re sent to kill or someone emotionally attached to their victim (whether through love or hate). The summoning ritual will require something special from the form they’re assuming, as well as a mass of bee’s wax. When destroyed, the waxen assassin leaves behind a mass of wax.

Waxen assassins take on the mannerisms, voice, and basic knowledge (important memories, skills, and fields but not archetypal abilities) of their twin. They don’t actually know these things, but they will have the knowledge when the knowledge is necessary. For example, a waxen assassin wouldn’t know the name of their twin’s distant cousin—until that distant cousin shows up, or someone else discusses them. The knowledge and skills arrive as necessary to perform the twin’s duties. For all practical purposes this means that they have this knowledge but can only use it for purposes of fitting in.

An assassin’s clothing can be part of its form, and they can quickly change to any appropriate clothing that their twin might wear for the occasion.

Waxen assassins are masters of illusion and will use illusion to mimic any archetypal or magical abilities of their current form. They will also use it to move surreptitiously, for spying and escape. An assassin’s illusions can take place within level yards of the assassin. On a perception roll at a penalty of the assassin’s level, a wary victim will recognize the illusion for what it is, a stringy and brittle waxy simulacrum. The assassin’s illusions stimulate all senses of either their summoned form or their current form, and can cause damage as normal for phantasms. There can be level minus three independent illusions within the overall illusion.

Assassins may use their illusions at will, but the illusion will fade half level rounds after they stop concentrating, for example by becoming involved in combat. They fade immediately if the assassin leaves.

Waxen assassins are immune to non-magical weapons and dangers. They are immune even to magical cold, and magical fire, lightning, or other elemental attacks cause half damage.

Waxen assassins cannot withstand the daylight kiss or embrace of someone who deeply cares for their twin. Within such an embrace, their form will melt away as wax, revealing a necrotic shadowy core.

Waxen assassins can temporarily take other forms, but they must ingest a part of the person or creature they’re trying to mimic. The portion must be at least the size of a finger or earlobe. Such temporary forms melt away in high sunlight, and in divine light the waxen assassin must make a fortitude roll to avoid losing the form.

Once an assassin’s form melts they cannot regain it, but they can continue to take on temporary forms.

Waxen assassins do not need to eat, but relish the eating of souls. If a waxen assassin eats the soul of a defeated creature, it may take that creature’s form at any time, even after melting and across summonings. If possible, a waxen assassin will eat the soul of anyone they kill. The soul of their twin is especially desired, and will raise the assassin’s level by one, though it also sends them back to hell for a time.

Any particular waxen assassin will have at least level minus four alternative forms and probably several more, though some of them may be archaic or alien. It takes one minute and touch to eat a soul.

Dinosaurs

From Skull Island to the Land of the Lost to Jurassic Park, prehistoric creatures tiny and titanic hold a special place in our fantasies.

Inspirational material

Ankylosaur

In a world of predators, the ankylosaur survives by being difficult to eat. They attack as they flee, swinging a large lump of tailbone at pursuers. Their backs are covered in a shell of fused bone lumps and spikes. Their heads form a beak almost like a bird’s.

Archaeopteryx

Common:	prehistory
Class:	animal
Organization:	flock
Activity Cycle:	diurnval
Diet:	omnivorous
Number:	d20
Level:	1
Intelligence:	animal
Charisma:	animal
Movement:	32
Attacks:	bite, claw
Damage:	d2, d3
Defense:	+4
Size:	small (1-2 feet)

Often encountered in a flock, the archaeopteryx is at home above and below the canopy. While it looks like a bird, it is almost as much a dinosaur. Its mouth has teeth, which it uses to eat small rodents, smaller birds, and fish in shallow water.

Beetles, giant

These bugs eat plants, fungi, and dead things in the jungle. Giant corpses deserve giant beetles to clean them! Giant beetles break down dinosaur corpses so that smaller, normal-sized insects can eat the rest.

Brontosaur

One of the largest land animals ever, the brontosaur weighed up to 64,000 pounds. They eat constantly, preferring wide open fields or plant-choked marshes and rivers. They whip their long tails to ward off predators; the sound alone is loud enough to deafen anyone in 20 yards for d10 rounds on a failed health roll. Even leisurely flicking their tail makes a loud whip-like crack that sends smaller creatures fleeing. They walk on all fours, but their young can run partially upright. Their heads are remarkably small, the size of a large horse’s head, and their eyes are mounted atop their head like an amphibian’s.

The brontosaur can attack two targets with its feet, doing 2d12 to each, if both targets are within 18 feet of each other.

Burrweeds, giant

Burrweeds develop a relationship with local carnivores. Their roots thrive in bloody soil. There is always a faint musty odor within burrweed patches. These giant reed-like plants are covered in a sharp, stiff fuzz that digs deeply into hair, fibers, and fur. A character caught in a burrweed patch must make an evasion roll; if failed, the number failed by is the number of reeds attached to the character. The character gains that as a penalty to all actions.

If victims thrash about trying to escape, they’ll gain d4 more reeds each round, and the burrweeds will emit a special odor to attract carnivores. The more the victim(s) struggle, the more carnivores will appear. The best way to escape a burrweed patch is to remain perfectly still and carefully remove the fabric (or hair) that is attached to the reeds.

Victims can cut the reeds or tear them up, but this will cause the weeds to release their odor, and the victim will need to make an evasion roll or gain d4 more reeds.

After one minute of thrashing, the reed and all reeds nearby will soften their unused hooks. Any victims caught will remain caught, but the patch will be safe temporarily for anyone who needs to pass through it—such as carnivores arriving for a tasty snack.

Butterflies, giant

Giant butterflies live above the canopy and in open fields. There’s nothing like climbing above the canopy to see a flock of these colorful creatures flitting about. Beautiful creatures, they have no attack. When threatened, they flee, and they’ll do so at the slightest provocation.

Cacti, swinging chain

These large, tree-like cacti have spiny, oblong, fuzzy fruit hanging down in long chains, with fruit growing out of other fruit. The spines are sharp and dangerous. It’s goal, as far as plants have goals, is to spread its seed far and wide.

The cacti can tighten any of their chains and swing them sharply around. When any medium-sized creature comes within ten yards without being careful, the cacti will swing their chains towards the creature(s), hurling spiny oblong fruit towards them. Generally about half will hurl fruit the first round, and the other half (if there is still movement towards the cacti) the second round. Victims will, if hit, be covered with bits of the fruit, and if they fail an evasion roll they’ll have a fruit stuck on them.

When the cactus or its fruit are touched, this will also initiate a swing, swinging the full chain of fruit at the person touching.

Capybara, giant

The largest rodent known, its skull is 20 inches long and it weighs 2,000 pounds. It lives in marshy areas, and its slightly webbed feet allow it to swim quickly. It eats plants and fruit. Outside its home environment, the giant capybara is easy prey for predators.

Centipedes, giant

It moves quickly across the jungle floor and can also go underwater. Its tough crustacean-like shell protects it from predators. It is vulnerable underwater when it molts. Its low profile lets it survive even brontosaur stomps sometimes. Powerful jaws allow it to eat any vegetation and many tiny creatures. It has 30 pairs of legs and skitters through the underbrush. In a hurry its body stretches and twists like an accordion.

Crocodiles, giant

The giant crocodile’s skull is as long as a man. It can make a called attack on any large or smaller creature to grab that creature in its jaws. The victim is allowed an evasion roll. While chomped, the victim takes 2d6 damage per round as the crocodile carries it to its watery lair. Giant crocodiles usually lie in wait submerged, only their eyes above water.

Deer, dwarf

These tiny deer sport long two-pronged antlers, used for fighting amongst themselves. They avoid prey by hiding in the underbrush. Their hide is reddish brown and sometimes mottled white.

Dragonflies, giant

Found skimming the surface of the marshes and lakes of the jungle searching for smaller insects and young amphibians, dragonflies have two pairs of wings, large, bulbous, multi-faceted eyes, and a long, thick, segmented body.

Dunkleosteus

Rare:	oceans
Class:	animal
Organization:	solitary
Activity Cycle:	any
Diet:	carnivorous
Number:	d4
Level:	6
Intelligence:	animal
Charisma:	animal
Movement:	18
Attacks:	jaws
Damage:	3d6
Defense:	+8
Special Attacks:	suction, tail
Size:	huge (6-8 yards)

This giant, toothed fish from the late Devonian measures six to eight yards and weighs a ton. It is the top of its food chain. Despite lacking predators, it is heavily armored, probably because dunkleosteus are perfectly willing to attack other one another with their powerful jaws.

The dunkleosteus opens its jaws so rapidly that it creates a powerful suction underwater. Any creature within three yards of its mouth must make a fortitude roll or be sucked into the jaws; creatures at the edge—two to three yards away—have a bonus of two on the roll. The dunkleosteus gains a bonus of four to bite anyone overcome by suction. Victims of suction have a penalty of two to any action, including attacking the dunkleosteus and avoiding subsequent suction attacks.

The dunkleosteus can attack simultaneously with its tail if there are targets within reach. Its tail does not require an attack roll: anyone within its sweep must make an evasion roll or take d10 points damage.

Gophers, horned

This ancient offshoot of the gopher closely resembles their modern counterpart: they burrow underground and live on roots and seeds. They also sport two horns a centimeter long between their eyes and nose. They use their horns and claws for defense.

Mosquitos, giant

Compared to the other giant insects of the jungle, this 2 to 3 inch long bug might not seem like much of a threat, but it’s a 2 to 3 inch long mosquito. They prefer larger creatures such as the triceratops, capybara, and ground sloths but will also suck the blood of smaller creatures such as humans if the need arises. Because the bite only does a half point damage, victims take no damage unless hit by a swarm.

Moths, giant

The giant moth’s wings are a dull brownish red mottled with white spots and yellow lines. This nocturnal creature does not eat; it survives on fat reserves from its larval life. The larvae eat plant leaves. Moths are eaten by birds (such as the archaeopteryx), by capybara, and by Saurians. They will congregate around light sources, flying randomly around and into lanterns and flames like a drunken tornado of wings.

Pterodactyl

The pterodactyl’s head is three yards long, with a long crest extending above it into the air. When they walk, they walk on all fours, and can move fairly quickly. They can take off from the ground, and will soar where they can but can also power their flight with their wings. They bury their eggs, and live in the lagoon-like lakes and marshes of the jungle. They eat fish and giant insects.

Stegosaur

Easily recognizable by two rows of plates along its back and an odd cat-like walk, the stegosaur’s main defense is its four powerful bone tail spikes. Fourteen feet tall, it has shortened forelimbs and an arched back. It walks with its head close to the ground and its tail in the air. It eats green plants, fruit, and seeds. Its small teeth are augmented by stones in its stomach to masticate its food. It can walk partially up trees (leaving its hind limbs on the ground) to access fruits, seeds, and leaves.

Triceratops

One of the most iconic of dinosaurs, the triceratops is easily recognized by the three horns in front of a flared shield-like bone on its head. They stand ten feet tall and weigh over 20,000 pounds. Their head is six-feet long. They eat large plants low to the ground. They will charge creatures smaller than them, and stand their ground against creatures larger than them if they can’t easily run.

While they only eat plants, triceratops are aggressive and easily agitated. They will charge any creature large enough to catch their eyes 20% of the time. The more triceratops in the herd, the more likely stampede becomes: at 5% for each extra triceratops.

Tyrannosaur

The tyrannosaur’s head is five feet long, its jaws incredibly powerful. Its forelimbs are small compared to its body, but they are very strong. The arms can hold prey in place while they’re being eaten. A called shot will grab a medium-sized creature in its mouth and hands (an evasion roll is allowed to avoid capture), doing 2d12 damage each round thereafter.

Standing 13 feet tall at the hips, they run with their tail thrust behind and their head thrust forward. Their feet are 3 feet long and 2 feet wide.

They have a strong sense of smell and are difficult to surprise. The smell of prey near a tyrannosaur will even awaken the creature from sleep. Unless smell is somehow masked, the tyrannosaur gains a bonus of four to detect hidden creatures and creatures have a penalty of four on attempts to hide or surprise the tyrannosaur.

Venus flytrap, giant

The white clustering flowers of the flytrap stand on a long stalk high above the flytrap's billowy, spiked, reddish, vaguely heart-shaped leaves, which lay close to the ground and have a slight, sour smell reminiscent of peaches. Some leaves point upwards to attract flying creatures; others point sideways and down to attract crawling creatures.

Normally the soft leaves of the flytrap are wide open, but if anything touches the sensitive hairs inside the leaves, the spikes immediately stiffen and the leaves snap shut (evasion roll at -2). The spikes cause d3 points of damage on snapping shut, and the leaves’ digestive juices then cause 1 point of damage per round thereafter. One day after killing its prey, the leaves will open and let the bones or shells fall to the ground.

The flytrap is not mobile, and will not attack other than as above.

Weta, giant

The weta looks like a cross between a grasshopper and cricket. Its long back legs let it jump four feet up. They eat plants and other insects smaller than them, and usually flee if threatened by larger creatures. They can play dead, suddenly bite if a creature nears (at +4 to attack), then flee. A minor poison in their bite causes discomforting pain giving a penalty of 1 to any action for d4 hours.

Dragons

“Where there have been dragons, there have always been dragon-slayers, and the story of their struggle runs as a thread through the narrative of all cultures.”——Jonathan D. Evans, “Mythical and Fabulous Creatures”

Dragons are guardians of treasures; one way or another, the defeat of a dragon opens the path to great wealth, though this wealth will not always be obvious to the victor. Dragons are rumored to love games of riddling and to also be very vain, but to have a cleverness that outmatches vanity. The treatment of dragons, more than any other creature, determines the flavor and course of a campaign. In some campaigns, dragons will be extremely rare, possibly with a unique or elder dragon for each type, or at least (as assumed here) for each greater type, with bastard dragons of lesser types existing in greater quantity.

Common dragons

Each dragon is descended from the two greater dragons corresponding to its moral codes. A fire dragon, Chaotic Evil, is descended from Absoloth and Tiemen, for example. Dragons often are sorcerors. They will either be non-specialized, or specialized in one of the two types of magic of their greater ancestors. Dragons are vain, and prone to riddle-solving even if no riddle exists. They are cunning and crafty, but not always wise.

Dragons may use their breath attack once every four rounds, and their eye attack once every two rounds. Eye attacks must be targeted at a specific individual. Dragons may use their breath attack at half power and thus use it again at half power in the very next round if they wish.

Entire adventures can be played around the defeat of a dragon, as in Tolkien’s Hobbit. The adventure won’t end with the dragon’s defeat. The death or removal of a creature as powerful, as wily, and as old as a dragon can easily create a bloody and wide-ranging power struggle in the region the creature once controlled, as we saw in Tolkien’s story. The dragon’s treasures didn’t come from nowhere. Everyone is going to want their old treasures back, and some will want someone else’s old treasures. The Elves will want the items of cultural and historical significance to them. The Dwarves will want the items the Dwarves created or were given. Elves and Dwarves may or may not bicker over the ownership of items of joint manufacture, but both will agree that such creations should not fall into the grubby, clumsy hands of humans. Each local government will send armies and representatives to bargain for their fair share of what was once theirs, or which they believe should be theirs because of the depredations they have suffered under the dragon’s tyranny. Merchants will petition their governments to send armies; and if the merchants are powerful enough to have their own armies, the local governments will send representatives to ensure that these private armies do not become too powerful. Even those who do not want treasure will want a say in how the treasure is distributed.

And then all the old enmities that were held in check by the dragon’s power will awaken, nearly fresh because they’ve been held in check only by tyrannical might, ensuring that such enmities have been nursed in private to even greater heights than such enmities originally scaled. (See the fall of the Soviet Union.)

The dragon held treasure and power, and both will be vied for when the dragon is gone.

Fire Dragon: The most commonly-known dragon is the red, or fire, dragon, and when “dragon” is mentioned, it is the fire-breathing dragon that comes to mind. Its scales glisten an earthy red and orange when it leaves its brooding and takes to the air.

Its fiery breath melts iron and burns stone, and boils water to steam in an instant. Those caught in its flame will lose 8d6 survival points, half if they make a successful Evasion roll. Its flame affects a cone a hundred yards long and thirty yards wide at its end.

Anyone caught in the gaze of the fire dragon’s evil eye must make a willpower roll or be charmed into submission. A charmed individual will assume a generally trusting attitude towards the dragon and be inclined to assist it. The charmed individual will not immediately attack friends and comrades, but may be convinced by the dragon over time.

The fire dragon is solitary and ruthless. Its depredations turn the surrounding lands into a wasteland, devoid of life, filled with the charred remains of forest and city.

Forest Dragon: The golden green dragon of the wood haunts the great forests of antiquity in solitude. Its gaseous green breath is poison to all who breath it. Those caught in its billow will lose 3d6 survival points, and must make an evasion roll or be sickened. This chronic ailment is strength 6, has an action time of 1 round, and causes 2d6 survival damage. The cloud can be up to twenty yards diameter, up to 70 yards from the dragon.

Those caught by the forest dragon’s eye must make a perception roll or fall into a dangerous pride. The victim will accept nothing even remotely resembling an order or command. They will expect their own orders, commands, and suggestions to be followed immediately. Their own judgment is infallible; that of others should always be second-guessed by their own. They are as great as the dragon, and only the dragon is worthy of their companionship.

The forest dragon is often the leader of a small roving band of like-minded, powerful creatures. It has no love for cities, nor for the steady expansion of farmland and field.

Storm Dragon: The bright blue, white-tinged storm dragon lives atop tall mountains and amidst high clouds. Its lightning breath splits tall trees and. Those caught in its lightning will lose 4d6 survival points, and must make an Evasion roll or be stunned for d6 rounds. All surprise, advantage, attack, and defense rolls while stunned will be at a penalty of half the damage done. Movement is similarly penalized. The storm dragon’s lightning affects everything in a straight line two yards wide at its start, four yards wide at its end, and a hundred yards long.

The storm dragon’s gaze awakens intense desire in the victim. The victim must make a willpower roll or intensely desire whatever the storm dragon has chosen: it might be a great treasure, or sexual desire for another individual, or some great knowledge, for example. The victim will move immediately to acquire that which is desired.

The storm dragon often stands at the head of a wide-ranging organization of righteous Order. It rules in secret from a strict hierarchy where each level often knows only its head and its subordinates.

Water Dragon: This grayish-blue monstrosity may move quickly in the air and under water, but not as quickly on land. They move at 28 while flying and at 16 while in or on water. Its breath freezes water to ice in a moment, shatters glass, and chills to the marrow. Anyone caught by its breath will lose 6d6 survival points, half on a successful Evasion roll. Its icy breath affects everything in a cone 80 yards long and twenty yards wide at its end.

The numbing gaze of the water dragon removes all willpower. A perception roll is required to withstand the gaze. If failed, the victim must make a willpower roll to initiate any action; even when taking action, attack rolls, defense rolls, reactions, and movement are at a penalty of six.

The water dragon is cunning and selfish, often heading great undersea kingdoms with an icy rule.

Dragon young

Dragons hatch from eggs as long, coiled snakes with prehensile heads. Within three years they learn to speak and are as intelligent as a child. They will usually by this time know both the dragon tongue and the local human or humanoid tongue. By the time they are six years old they have grown wings and can fly, but are still, in appearance, large flying snakes. In intelligence, the flying snake is a teen-ager. By the time they are twenty years old, they have grown claws and have begun to fatten around the middle. They have entered dragon puberty and will go through immense changes. By the time they are forty, they are recognizable as a dragon and may use their special breath attack. They are now a young adult dragon and will grow to adulthood, gaining increased size and power.

Throughout these stages they are always cunning, but cunning in different ways. Their cunning begins as childishness, progresses through naïve idealism, and finally progresses through greater and greater skills of manipulation as they grow older. Even a Good dragon cannot be trusted. Their goals are not the goals of mortals.

Greater dragons

Greater dragons live practically forever, outliving even Elves. Some have been worshipped as gods.

Greater dragons may fight with their powerful claws, however, they also have great magical attacks. Each has a unique breath attack, which attacks their opponents physically, and an insidious eye attack which attacks their opponents mentally.

Greater dragons are also sorcerors of great power. Each individual is a classical sorceror, specialized, of at least tenth level. Besides their gigantic winged serpentine form, the greater dragons may also change to a human form and so walk among mankind in secret. In human form, the greater dragons retain their level and their sorcerous and eye powers, but may not use their breath. An eye power may affect any number of creatures in a 90 degree arc from the dragon’s head.

Greater dragons may use their eye attack once per round, and their breath attack once every two rounds. They may use their breath attack at half power and be able to use it every round.

If a greater dragon is destroyed, a new greater dragon of that type will be born from one of its offspring.

Sun Dragon: The golden flame of the Sun Dragon can melt even metal and stone. It does 12d6 survival points to whatever it contacts (an evasion roll will result in half damage), in a range of 120 yards, with a diameter of thirty yards. Items not carried by a character and caught in the direct breath of the Sun Dragon make their reaction rolls at a penalty of five.

The eyes of the Sun Dragon will exacerbate any vices of the victim; only the most pure may withstand the gaze of the Sun Dragon without melting inside. Anyone falling under the gaze of a Sun Dragon must make a willpower roll at a penalty of four, or fall immediately into a frenzy of their top one to three vices.

Night Dragon: Diving up into the night sky, the Night Dragon’s bluish-grey form will blot out the stars like a huge thundercloud. The Night Dragon’s breath causes rot and decay. Food and flesh will bubble with maggots, leather and wood deteriorate and crack. The breath has a range of 120 yards and a diameter of thirty yards. It does 6d6 points damage, 3d6 on a successful evasion roll. On an unsuccessful evasion roll, items that the character carries must make reactions (at –2) or deteriorate. Armor will lose 2d4 points of defense; weapons gain a penalty of 2d3 to attack and to damage. Paper, wood, and cloth will fall to dust.

The eyes of the Night Dragon will decay mental and physical faculties. On a failed willpower roll, the target will lose 1 point each of intelligence, strength, agility, and endurance.

Cloud Dragon: Erilenian appears as a dragon of pure white, its white wings tinged with red at their tips. The storm breath of the Cloud Dragon may be ice storm, lightning storm, rain storm, wind storm, and/or cloud. The storm breath has a range of 200 yards and a diameter of 100 yards.

Cloud obscures all vision in a roiling, misty white vapor within the area of the vapor. A rain storm is a driving rain that soaks into everything, extinguishing any non-magical flame (and probably many magical flames). A lightning storm may target up to five victims per round. Victims must make an evasion roll or take 6d6 points damage from the lightning. An ice storm is a forceful hail that tears into everything. Victims will take 8d6 points damage, but may make an evasion roll to take only half that. Items such as papers or glass may need to make reaction rolls or be destroyed. A wind storm is a gale-force wind that blows anything and anyone who fails a fortitude roll 10 to 60 yards. (Non-medium sizes gain a bonus or penalty to this roll of twice the distance from medium.)

Erilenian may use any combination of storms each round the storm is in effect. Storms (except for lightning storms) last at half intensity for two rounds after they are started. (Reactions are at a bonus of four.)

Erilenian’s gaze causes sleep and then dreams. Victims must make a willpower roll at a penalty of 2 to avoid falling asleep. Once asleep, their dreams are under Erilenian’s control, though further willpower rolls may be allowed to break out of the dream at the Guide’s discretion.

Rainbow Dragon: The Chaos Dragon’s silvery skin reflects the full spectrum of colors. The defeat of the Chaos Dragon by culture heroes heralds the coming of civilization. In Sumerian, her Elvish name, Tiemed, became synonymous with Chaos itself.

Tiemen’s acidic breath tears down metals and clings to its victims. It does 6d6 survival points in the first round, 4d6 in the second, 3d6 in the third, 2d6 in the fourth, and d6 in the fifth. An evasion roll will result in half damage, but once failed is no longer applicable. It has a range of 100 yards, with a diameter of twenty yards.

The gaze of Tiemen can create fantastic, utterly immersive illusions covering all senses. Tiemen can thus apparently grant any wish. Tiemen’s illusions may draw on both Tiemen’s knowledge and the knowledge of the target, as long as Tiemen knows how to name that knowledge. Thus, a person asking for the return of their long-lost love could apparently be granted this return, even though Tiemen has no idea what that person or thing looks like.

Victims are allowed a perception roll, at a penalty of five, to avoid falling sway to the illusion. Tiemen’s illusions last for one day; at the end of that day the victim is allowed another perception roll with no penalty; if failed, the illusion lasts forever.

Lesser dragons

Lesser dragons are the result of interbreeding between common dragons. While generally weaker than normal dragons some of their powers hearken back to their Greater forebears and they are less limited by the constraints of their bloodlines. Lesser dragons retain the haughtiness, craftiness, and obsessiveness of their forebears, and while they have a lower intelligence it is still quite high.

Lesser dragons are long-lived. Many are mid- to high-level sorcerors.

The breath attacks, eye powers, and special forms of lesser dragons vary from dragon to dragon. They generally resemble those of their immediate ancestors, or of their dominant greater ancestor. Some lesser dragons will only have breath attacks, some will have a breath attack and either an eye power or a special form, and some will have all three.

Lesser dragons may use their breath attacks three times per day. If they have a medium-sized form, that form may use the breath attack at half power, six times per day. If they have an eye attack, they may use it once per day, and it will last up to an hour. If they have a secondary form, it may be used at any time. It will take one round to change.

Mud Dragon: Descended from water and forest dragons, the mottled-brown mud dragon may bury its opponents in a spew of thick, clay-like mud and roots. The spew entangles its victims for 2d6 rounds (d6 for large creatures, and d4 for huge creatures). An evasion or fortitude roll is allowed to half this time.

The mud dragon’s gaze can cause plants to grow tall and dense, and may also control such plants and grant them limb-like movement. The mud dragon may use this control to attack nearby victims for up to 3d6 points damage divided amongst up to three victims.

The mud dragon may transform into a flock of birds that may claw and peck for 2d6 points of damage to up to two opponents. It may separate itself into its separate forms of one bird per survival point which may exist up to two hundred yards apart.

Rotting Dragon: Descended from fire and water dragons, the dark blue rotting dragon lives amidst vermin and death. As its breath, it may spew clouds of maggots and biting insects onto its victims, doing 4d6 damage the first round, 3d6 the next, 2d6, and then d6. Victims may make an evasion roll each round for half damage. The vermin will affect any creature in a cloud centered up to five yards diameter, and up to 30 yards from the dragon.

The rotting dragon may also control any animal-intelligence insects, worms, rodents, or other vermin in their sight.

The rotting dragon may take the form of a swarm of insects. In this form it bites for 3d4 damage, and may do so to up to three opponents. It may separate itself into up to three swarms which may be up to a hundred yards apart and do d4 damage to up to three opponents.

Albino Dragon: Descended from water and storm dragons, the pale albino dragon takes obsessiveness to new levels. Albino dragons often have hobbies that require immense categorization and record-keeping. When the albino dragon screams, sharp obsidian shards spew from its mouth in a tearing spray. These shards do 6d6 points of damage to any in their path. An evasion roll is allowed for half damage. The shard beam is one yard at its base, and ten yards wide at its end forty yards down.

The albino dragon may command any victim that meets its eyes. The target is allowed a willpower roll to avoid the command. The target will remain under the effects of the command for 2d10 minutes.

The albino dragon may take the form of a normal sized, if gangly, pale human.

The albino dragon prefers darkness, and is at a penalty of one to attack and defense in bright light.

Laughing Dragon: Descended from fire and forest dragons, the yellow laughing dragon’s breath attack is an invisible gaseous cloud that causes its victims to laugh uncontrollably for 2d6 rounds. An evasion roll is allowed to avoid the effects, after which a health roll must be made each round, until the gas fades away or the victim leaves the gaseous cloud. The cloud is ten yards in diameter and up to thirty yards from the dragon.

The laughing dragon may affect any creature meeting its gaze with overperception. The victim will lose all ability to filter or prioritize incoming information or to tell the difference between their internal thoughts and external voices, people, and things. A willpower roll may be made to avoid the effects.

The laughing dragon may take the form of a human child.

Cheimon

These stormy creatures resemble great, winged lions from the front. Their massive cat-like heads sport two long, sharp horns, and their sharp teeth conceal an iron-strong tongue that can slash flesh and bone. The cheimon has relatively small wings, scaled on the bottom and feathered above, in the middle of its body. It has two claws, in its front. Its hind part is of a huge, slithering serpent or dragon’s tail. Its sharp tongue can impale or slice.

The cheimon may move quickly both on land and in the air. On land, its front part is upright and it slithers on its tail.

The cheimon breathes blazing fire and intense cold. its breath affects a cone fifty yards long, fifteen yards wide at its end. Its flame causes a loss of 6d6 survival points, and its cold a loss of 4d6. These losses are halved on a successful evasion roll. Further, anyone caught in its cold breath must make a fortitude roll at a penalty of two or be chilled: a penalty of three to attacks, reaction, and movement for as many rounds as they lost survival points. The cheimon may use each of its breath attacks once every eight rounds.

The cheimon’s wings can create an intense wind. It may choose to beat its wings and blow back any creature of large size or smaller. This wind extends in a cone thirty yards long, ten yards wide at its end. Anyone caught in the wind must make a fortitude roll or fall backwards as many yards as they missed the reaction roll by. Small creatures are at a penalty of 2, tiny creatures at a penalty of 4, and fine creatures at a penalty of 6 on this roll. Large creatures are at a bonus of 2.

The cheimon may choose either its physical attacks or one of its breath attacks (if available) or its wind attack, in any round.

These ancient creatures are of unknown origin, but may be some strange offspring of Tiemen or birthed by lightning in great storms atop the tallest of mountains.

Wyverns

The bastard children of dragons are often deceptively beautiful but not the bat-winged, barbed, and leathery wyvern. This predatory and destructive creature symbolizes war, pestilence, envy, and viciousness. Its attacks do not heal, and its tail can putrefy water, turning it into an undrinkable, poisonous mess.

The wyvern can attack with either its deadly claws and its rough and tearing teeth, or its barbed tail. Biting or tail biting each do d6 damage, but each are also poisoned. On a successful attack, the target must make an evasion roll or the damage—both injuries and the scratches and bruises of survival—do not heal. Only rest, and careful and repeated cleaning will allow the damage to heal, and then only per week instead of per day. The wyvern may attack separately with its claws/bite and its tail.

The wyvern’s tail contains a deadly poison that can be used three times per day. Its effect is d3 injuries, with an action time of one round and a strength of 4.

Once per day, if it has not used its tail poison, the wyvern can discharge its poison into a small body of water, causing the water to turn murky and brown, and making it poisonous and unable to maintain life. Wyvern lairs tend to be stinking cesspools, barren and devoid of any life other than that of the wyvern itself.

Faerie

NEED A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT ARE FAERIE.

Brownies

Known as domovoi in Russia and lares in Rome, these shy, tiny sprites may live in hearth, field, or forest. One must never speak of a brownie by name. Rather, call them “the good people,” “the gentle folk”, “grandfather”, or “himself/herself”. Brownies love singing and dancing. While they are almost always invisible to human eyes, they may be heard faintly, as if through a long distance. Their singing and dancing can be heard as groans, creaks, or a very soft conversation.

Domestic brownies often wear brown; their wild cousins green. In groups they may sing forth fog, rain, and flood. One brownie may fog up a house. Two brownies may call a short (d20 minutes) rain over a single house. More brownies may call stronger, wider, and longer rain. Each additional brownie may double the duration, the size, or the strength (five brownies may call a tiny thunderstorm). A dance of sixteen brownies may call a great thunderstorm that lasts for a week.

Instead of a storm, the brownies may instead call forth a river. A dance of twenty brownies may call a flash flood of sufficient force to destroy a house. The flood arrives 2d10 minutes after called.

Brownies may also prevent or ameliorate rain and flood for the same period of time, reducing by equivalent strength.

Brownies are not so much invisible as elsewhere. Brownies live in a world adjacent to our own, and which shares many of the places of our world. Thus they may be here and not here at the same time. They may not attack while elsewhere, and must come fully here to attack. This they rarely do. While here, brownies may take the form of small animals such as cats, rats, puppies, and foxes.

Brownies may move from elsewhere to here or back, or shift shape, at will. They take little notice of humans though they live in the same house or farm. They will use food, livestock, and household objects without regard to ownership, and may even clean up after themselves and the other inhabitants of the house. They will take offense to being called thieves or to attempts to block them from using these things. But they are just as likely to take offense at direct attempts to appease them or to thank them for something they’ve done. If one wishes to leave food or rewards for brownies, they must be placed in such a manner as to have reasonably been accidentally left and be accidentally found.

Brownies are especially fond of fireplaces and campfires. They will keep such fires going as long as they need them, and they are also mindful of the need to extinguish fires when they are no longer needed. (They are not mindful of the desires of those who actually started the fire.)

Brownies keep tiny treated darts and blowguns. The sleep poison of a brownie’s elf-shot is an ailment with a one round action time, and a strength of zero; its effect is to immediately put the victim to sleep.

Brownies rarely acknowledge the presence of humans, and speak to them even less often. They may over time view one reasonably friendly, non-threatening human with favor, and perhaps even speak with them.

Centaurs

The origin of the centaur is obscured behind the gauze curtains of prehistory. In the past they involved themselves far more in the affairs of Elves and Men than they do today. Now, they frequent only the out-of-the-way forests where Nymphs and Pixies live.

With its six limbs, the Centaur is an odd hybrid. It has two humanoid arms and four horse-like legs. The male may mate, horse-like, with other Centaurs, or humanoid-like with Nymphs, Elves, or humans. From their torso up, they resemble an extremely muscular Elf or Half-Elf. From the waist down and back they resemble a warhorse or strong pony. They have limited night vision, at a penalty of 4.

Often loud and boisterous, like the Dwarves Centaurs tend to love their drink and their socializing. The celebrations of the Centaurs of old are renowned even among the gods. Centaur society also values medicine, music, and hunting. The Centaur warrior’s knowledge of the art of war is unparalleled. While Centaurs tend towards the Chaotic moral code, they might also be Good, or more rarely, Evil.

Centaur warriors are masters of the bow, and gain a bonus of 2 to attack when using one. Centaurs usually fight with swords and short bows, though they may also fight with their powerful feet. When fighting with short swords, they may use their feet in addition to their sword, for two attacks per round.

Centaurs live about four times as long as a human.

Dryads

These are red-cheeked, fair-haired, beautiful, green-clad, female faerie. They live inside of special trees, and wane to death if they leave their tree for any appreciable length of time, or if their tree is destroyed.

Their homes have no entrance: a dryad may enter her own home magically, and may take one medium-sized creature if desired. While alive, their trees are larger inside than outside. Dryads are initially shy, but may be friendly to individuals. Their shyness increases in proportion to the number of non-dryads. A party of adventurers is likely to send dryads scurrying to their trees, where an individual may well find himself befriended. Dryads are often happy to hear well-told tales of great doings in other forests.

Dryads may tree-walk, entering one tree and exiting another within one hundred yards. They speak with plants as if plants were young children.

Dryads can cast Fast Friend three times per day, and will do so if threatened or to capture a handsome or powerful male. Targets have a penalty of three to their reaction roll. Once “befriended” in this way and brought into a dryad’s home, a target must make an endurance roll or never return; on a successful roll they will return 2d20 months later.

Dwarves

Dwarves live in caverns and mines under mountains. They are short, stout, and long-lived, and competitive. Dwarves are resistant to certain magicks, and are very hardy. They gain a bonus of two on health rolls, and a bonus of 3 to reactions against magical items and spells.

Elves

Elves live in out-of-the way, usually heavily forested, places, with bodies of water nearby. Elves are very long-lived, perhaps the most long-lived civilizing species. They tend to be thin, with swept-back ears and keen vision. Elves are difficult to mind control or surprise, and gain a bonus of 3 on reactions against sleep and mind control effects, and a bonus of 2 on perception rolls. When traveling unarmored, Elves’ opponents have a penalty of 3 on surprise rolls.

Half-Elves have +1 to perception and against sleep or mind control.

Gnome

Gnomes are very short, and live in remote wooded and hilly areas. They are difficult to surprise, hide from, and misdirect, and gain a bonus of 3 to all perception rolls. They can make a perception roll to know if an item is cursed.

Goblins

Goblins are tiny, pale creatures with ugly but elflike features. They tend to live in dark forests or shallow caves. When traveling unarmored Goblins’ opponents have a penalty of 2 to surprise. Goblins are hardy creatures, and gain +3 to reactions against disease, sickness, and poison.

Halfling

Halflings are small, human-like creatures who live in small huts or long houses in hills, in wooded areas, though they will often farm as well. Halflings have some immunity to magicks and gain a bonus of 3 on reactions any magical effects. They are hardy, and gain a bonus of 1 to health rolls. When traveling unarmored, Halfling opponents have a penalty of three to surprise rolls)

Naiads

These shyly playful, beautiful, sea-weed-clad, female faerie live within bodies of water, usually springs, small rivers, or remote lakes. They wane to death if they leave their water for any appreciable length of time, or if their water source dies out. Naiads like to eat lilies, roses, and other flowers. Their hair is the green, yellow, red, and orange of the flowers they eat.

The Naiad lives underwater, often in giant shells, undersea caverns, or sunken ships. Like other nymphs they are shy, but may be friendly to individuals. They are more playful than other nymphs, and more likely to travel out of sight of their home. They are very suspicious of non-playful strangers, and will hide (preferably underwater) at the first opportunity. Larger bodies of water may hold larger numbers of Naiads, who will usually be on friendly terms with each other.

Naiads can breathe water, and can grant the ability to breathe water to anyone they’ve charmed. They can speak with fish as if the fish were young children.

Naiads can cast fast friend once per day, and will do so if threatened or to capture a handsome or powerful male. Targets have a penalty of three to their reaction roll. Usually the Naiad will send the new friend on a hastily-made quest, however, prized specimens may be brought into their underwater home. Once befriended in this way, a target must make an endurance roll or never return; on a successful roll the victim will return 2d20 months later.

Nymphs

There are currently three known types of nymph: the dryad, the petraiad, and the naiad. Nymphs are all female. They generally mate with satyrs, occasionally with centaurs or other faerie. The offspring of a nymph and a faerie is either another nymph of the same kind (if a girl) or a faerie of the father’s type (if a boy). Nymphs will also sometimes try to charm a human (and sometimes a human will try to charm a nymph). The offspring of a human and a nymph is a nymph (if a girl) or a unique monstrosity (if a male).

Among the more primitive or remote, nymphs may be worshipped as goddesses, more for their beauty and capriciousness than any wisdom or power. They often collect items powerful enough to serve as gifts to the appropriate culture hero.

Nymphs are dangerous creatures to cross. Immortal or practically so, they are also charismatic and know everyone. The gods themselves are often counted among a Nymph’s allies. The unfortunate who harms a Nymph usually finds that they have made more enemies than they can handle.

Petraiads

These are hauntingly beautiful, pale, female faerie, like tree dryads, but who live in huge geodes or hidden caves. Petraiads wane to death if they leave their rock home for any appreciable length of time, or if their home is destroyed.

Their homes have no entrance: a petraiad may enter her own home magically, and may take one medium-sized creature if desired. While intact, their homes appear larger inside than outside. Petraiads are shy and non-violent, but very suspicious of strangers.

A petraiad can cast mud to rock or rock to mud up to four times per day, and can cast fast friend once per week (with a penalty of three to the reaction roll), usually sending the charmed person away unless it is a particularly handsome human or Elven male with great musical ability.

A petraiad can bestow a phase through rocks ability, which lasts one day, upon any person they have charmed.

Pixies

Pixies tend to live far from civilization, in forests, mountains, or swamps. Pixies are Elvish in appearance, with swept-back ears and keen vision. They are known for their emerald green eyes, and their gossamer wings which flutter constantly, even twitching in their rare sleep.

Pixies sleep only for short periods when they feel like it, usually about an hour or two in half hour increments throughout any twenty-four hour period. Pixies tend to be difficult to mind control or surprise. They gain a bonus of 3 to reactions against sleep and mind control, and a bonus of 1 to perception rolls. When they walk, their opponents have a penalty of three to their surprise rolls.

Pixies tend to live as high off of the ground as they can, in treetops, or on mountains or plateaus. They have short lives, perhaps thirty years is a good average, and their social structure reflects this. Pixies prize experiences of all kinds and rarely tie themselves down to one place or one situation.

Some Christians believe Pixies to be fallen angels diminished in stature along with their morals, but not quite as evil as the angels fallen to hell. Most of the faerie races believe them to be related to Elves.

Satyrs

Satyr are known by many names in many languages (faun in Latin, ljeschi in Slavic). They are licentious and lecherous, half-man, half goat creatures. Their horns are sharp and deadly. They are fond of wine, revelry, and mischief. They will turn angry and violent if their jokes are not taken in good nature. They will always welcome a friendly face with a jug of wine, especially if accompanied by good fruit and other foods.

When satyrs play music on their pipes, everyone wants to join in on the revelry. Anyone within six yards, plus one yard per satyr, must make a willpower roll or fall into the revelry along with the satyrs. There is a penalty of one to the roll for two satyrs pipe, a penalty of two if four satyrs pipe, a penalty of three if eight satyrs pipe, and so on. The revelry generally lasts until the “victim” falls asleep from exhaustion. When the victim awakes late the following afternoon, the satyrs will be gone (along with, perhaps, any items or people the satyrs wanted to bring along with them).

Satyrs are not easily surprised. They gain a bonus of two to perception rolls to avoid any kind of surprise. They may also hide and move silently on a roll of 15 or less, with a bonus of two in the forest.

Satyrs especially enjoy frolicking with nymphs, and with female humans.

Satyrs will often fight with spears as well as their horns.

Xolome

Xolome are tiny, misshapen humanoids who live in caves and deep warrens. Xolome will often herd and ride small animals such as dogs, raccoons, or weasels. Xolome dislike light but are not adversely affected by it.

Xolome are known for playing tricks on miners, and are hated by Dwarves. Xolome can transform good ore into bad: gold ore into fool’s gold, or silver ore into cobalt, for example. They can also cause rock-falls and cave-ins by merely slapping against loose or cracked stone.

To appease them, human miners will sometimes call them “the good men” or “the good men of the mountains”.

Fantastic Creatures

Need some notes on fantastic creatures.

Aeagarsut

Eight tentacles extending from a blubbery face, hands ending in sharp, rending claws, one almost misses the vestigial leathery wings protruding from the tall creature’s back. This ancient race of underground creatures is as at home under deep waters as in caverns deep below the ground.

The Aeagarsut have white, pupil-less eyes that see clearly in even the darkest places of the world. Their greater members are all powerful psychics, with additional monk levels and Telepathic powers. Their most powerful members will also have Dimensional powers.

Aeagarsut may attack with their claws, or with four tentacle pairs, up to two pairs per opponent. If they can make a successful called shot with two pairs on a single opponent in the same round, they will begin to suck out their opponent’s brains. This causes d6 points of damage per round, and reduces intelligence by 1 point.

Aeagarsut regenerate 1 point damage per round unless they’re dead.

The race is old, older than most human cultures, but the legend of them sometimes remains in primitive lands. The one thing all cultures whose myths remember them recall is that their favorite delicacy is the brain of intelligent creatures. Whether, in the stories, they suck it out the ear, insert a straw, or lop the top of the skull off and dig in, the Aeagarsut are a feared portion of any culture’s mythologies if they appear at all.

Ash-shubab al-Muthlimum

The Ash-shubab are shambling, hairy creatures with a multitude of hooved legs and tentacled hoof-claws. They may attack with up to four clawed tentacles at a time, although only two on any one medium-sized creature, and only one on a small or smaller creature. It may attack more than one creature at once.

With the proper magical rituals, Ash-shubab can interbreed with humans. These half-breeds will vary in appearance from almost human (of primitive and rough appearance) to as inhuman as the Ash-shubab with only a hint of humanity remaining.

Barking spiders

The barking spider is relatively small for giant spiders, and usually blends into the ground. Barking spiders in different areas will have different colors—they seem to adapt to new surroundings within three to five years.

The barking spider is relatively weak and non-poisonous, living mostly on large insects or small rodents. It has developed a skunk-like defense, however, that meets the skunk and betters it. If the barking spider is losing to potential food, or threatened by something it doesn’t see as food, it can emit noxious fumes that cause any victims to run uncontrollably away. The fumes cover a 4 yard radius around the spider, and anyone in that radius must make a health roll or run for the nearest clear area. If the reaction roll is failed but running is not an option, the victim will be rendered immobile from retching until the fumes dissipate four rounds later.

It can emit the fumes up to three times in succession, and can regenerate one fume attack per hour. While unaffected by their own noxious fumes, a barking spider can be affected by another spider’s fumes. The reaction roll is at a bonus of 2.

The spiders get their name from the loud noise that they make when they emit their noxious defense.

Beaked Sweepers

Resembling brains with hooked beaks and long hanging tentacles, few creatures are more horrific than the beaked sweeper. Its tentacles resemble those of the octopus, and the pustules of its brain-like body writhe and pulsate as separate creatures.

On a successful tentacle called attack, opponents must make an evasion roll to avoid being injected with a strength 0 chronic poison whose action time is 1 round and whose effect is full paralyzation.

The creature attacks with all of its tentacles, for an attack bonus of 2. (This is also why the damage is so high for the tentacle attack.) When attacking a paralyzed opponent, the beaked sweeper uses its bite attack, essentially feeding off of the paralyzed creature.

The creature moves by floating, usually two or so yards above the ground. It can carry up to a hundred pounds while floating and can use this to carry paralyzed food sources out of danger.

Blood hawks

A fat hawk with red-tinged wings and red eyes, perhaps half again as large as a normal hawk. The talons and claws of the blood hawk are very sharp, and prized because of this. They are known to prize gemstones and other bright stones, though not coins, for their nests.

Bloodthorn bushes

Bloodthorn bushes grow extremely thick. A dark, rich green that would look right at home in a hedgerow or a maze garden, bloodthorn bushes normally grow slowly. Give them blood, however, and they grow prolifically and quickly.

The bloodthorn bush has no motility. It is a fully rooted plant. It is extremely prickly, however, and anyone who brushes against it must make an evasion roll or the bush is “stuck” to them. If they fail by more than 10, it is stuck hard, and pulling it away from them causes d4 points of damage. If the character tries to pull themself out of the bush, the player must make another evasion roll as above or be even more stuck, but this time at a penalty of two. Each failed evasion roll increases the penalty by two; each successful one reduces it by two. If reduced to zero, the character is free.

However, there is a chance that a thorn or piece of thorn remains under the character’s skin. A perception roll, at a penalty of four if the character was ever stuck hard, is required to remove all bits of the thorns.

If some thorn remains on the character, it will shoot threadlike tendrils into the character’s skin, doing d4 points damage per half day, until the character dies or falls asleep. When the character dies or is no longer awake, the bloodthorn will begin growing a bush across the character’s skin, causing d4 points damage per hour.

Bubbling eyes

Known in the underground as the santaeraeagar, these disgusting creatures are rumored to be the offspring of some demented power. These slimy creatures blurble through the tunnels of the underground, their myriad tongues mumbling all the languages of the worlds, always watching from their pulsating blinking eyes. They enjoy the brains of their prey, especially sorceror or magical brains.

These amorphous creatures are composed of myriad eyes, mouths, noses, gills, and ears protruding from a slimy black pudding. It moves by roiling and rolling across the ground. Their size ranges about one foot in radius per level. Bubbling eyes may move on land and underwater at the same speed.

A bubbling eye may bite once for every two levels it has. It can instead choose to engulf an equally-sized or smaller opponent and do 3d6 damage. It must make a called shot, and the opponent is allowed an evasion roll to avoid the attack. Bubblers can split into smaller bubblers to a minimum of second level. A bubbler will often split into three to four bubblers after a magical spell is cast, with two of the new bubblers converging on the caster.

Its sloshing skin is difficult to penetrate; sharp weapons do only half damage against it on a called shot to the eyes. They do only 1 point damage otherwise (with strength bonuses having no effect). Blunt weapons do 1 point damage on a called shot, or none otherwise, and again, strength bonuses have no effect.

A well-fed bubbler will regenerate one survival point every round. A hungry bubbler will regenerate one point every minute. A starved bubbler will not regenerate at all. Cold-based attacks do no damage to the bubbler. Heat-based attacks do half damage. Electrical attacks do damage as normal. Electrical energy and magical or psychic energy cause regeneration to increase to three per round for as many rounds as the attack did damage (at least one round).

Bubblers are very strong. If they can ooze beneath heavy objects, they can lift up to three hundred pounds per level. They can sunder stone and splinter wood that they can surround.

Bubblers live forever unless killed. They are bred for specific tasks. They can hibernate in adverse environments so that they don’t need nourishment or liquid, surviving in intense cold or heat, in dry deserts or underwater. When dormant even fire only does a quarter damage and lightning does no damage (both will wake the creature).

While they are normally single-minded towards their specific task, a bubbler can grow brains for special-purpose problem solving. This gives them a high intelligence for solving that problem. The problem must be something simple and mechanical, such as traversing a maze, raising a bridge, or overcoming some obstacle in their path.

They are excellent trackers, and gain a bonus of level to perception rolls.

Butterfliders

Known as eyanvir to the Elves they invariably live nearby, the beautiful butterfliders spin a web of utmost strength and resilience. This web may be carefully unraveled, treated, and spun into strong, supple clothing. The process is time consuming and expensive, making butterflider thread highly sought after in trade and sometimes war. In worlds where the butterflider exists, they are protected as a national resource and secret.

Butterfliders have a wingspan of seven to ten inches, and their wings are all the colors of the rainbow in almost hypnotic swirls across the wings. A flock of butterfliders in flight is a mesmerizing sight.

The true danger of the butterflider is their web. While they resemble normal spider webs, they are incredibly strong and quite sticky. Merely touching the web will require a strength roll at a bonus of five to detach from the web; on detaching a health roll is required to avoid d3 points damage.

When fully caught in a butterflider web, the victim must make a strength roll at a penalty of 3, and the resulting damage is d10 points if a health roll (at a penalty of two) is failed.

The butterflider’s bite is acidic. Besides de-activating their web it also corrodes metal and burns flesh. On being bitten by a butterflider that chooses to use its acid, the victim must make an evasion roll or the acid has taken effect. It will cause d4 points damage per round for d6 rounds. Every four points of damage also reduces worn armor’s defense by one. Butterfliders may use their acidic attack three times per day, though they always have enough to avoid being caught in a butterflider web.

Buzzflies

Buzzflies shine a shimmering iridescent green. In a swarm they appear as an iridescent cloud from a distance. Their buzzing back wings are sharp and constantly cut at whatever they fly near. A swarm of buzzflies flying through a forest will leave a trail of flying leaves and cut foliage behind them.

Buzzflies generally attack in swarms. Use the group effort rules.

Carrion Worms

Giant, segmented, centipede-like creatures with long, twitching tentacles extending from their heads, these are not things you want to see waking up in the forest at night. Carrion worms are mislabeled twice: they are more like a centipede than a worm, and they do not feed only on carrion. They are just as likely to attempt to paralyze sleeping victims, or surprise smaller victims.

Their tentacles can paralyze on a successful called shot if the victim fails an evasion roll. This chronic poison has a strength of 1, an action time of 1 round, and an effect of complete paralysis. If the poison takes effect, the effect will linger even after it is thrown off. For d6 minutes, movement is at half normal, initiative and attacks are at a penalty of 3, and defense is at a penalty of 1. (These lingering effects are cumulative if the victim was paralyzed more than once). The worm may attack up to three facing opponents with any combination of its eight tentacles. Once a victim is paralyzed, the worm will feed on it while still living.

The worm may tunnel through earth at half its movement rate, and lives in warrens in the ground. On any sort of normal earth, stone, or wood construction where its strong claws can take hold, the worm may crawl vertically up walls and across ceilings at its normal speed.

The worm’s segments are armored, but it is heavily armored up front. When attacked from a frontal position (which, with its ability to writhe it may easily maintain against any single opponent) it gains a further bonus of four to defense.

Creeping Slimes

The various creeping slimes are all conglomerations of monocellular organisms which combine into larger and more cunning organisms. While always of animal intelligence, the larger a slime, the more cunning and dangerous the slime can be. Slimes cannot be killed in normal ways. Cutting up a slime only results in multiple smaller (and somewhat stupider) slimes.

Sharp and pointed weapons cause no damage to slimes. Bludgeoning weapons generally also cause no damage; if they would have caused ten or more points of damage, they will cause one point of damage per ten points. For every two points of damage caused to the slime, the slime will divide into an extra slime.

Fire causes normal damage to slimes. Lightning causes a quarter damage, and also results in the division of the slime into one or more smaller slimes. The slime will divide into one extra slime for every two points of damage caused to it. Cold does no damage to a slime, but can slow it down. If a slime is frozen, it becomes immobile, but will be none the worse for wear on thawing out.

Slimes can break apart at will, though they will rarely do so except to escape. They can also ooze through any hole or opening that is larger than a quarter inch per level. They can traverse walls or ceilings as easily as floors.

Slimes attack by engulfing their potential victims. They do d6 points of damage in a normal attack. If they successfully make a called shot and the target fails an evasion roll, they have engulfed the victim and will do an automatic 2d6 points damage per round thereafter. Very small slimes (less than one level) will only do d6 points damage per round after engulfing. Levels one through three are small. Levels four through eight are medium, and levels nine through fourteen are large. Slimes can attack one opponent for every three levels. (Two at level four, three at level seven, four at level ten, etc.)

Slimes can regenerate in darkness if they are well fed, at level points per minute for up to level minutes in any hour.

Green Slime: Green slime is a nearly phosphorescent pale green. It can shoot blobs of a putrescent chunky green goo at its enemies, besides the normal slime attack. On a failed evasion roll, its victims are covered in the slippery goo. Vision will be obscured for at least one round (until the character finds time to wipe the goo away, which will take one full round). The sticky, slippery goo will make it difficult to grasp items until the goo is thoroughly cleaned off the victim’s hands, which will take d3 rounds. Until that time, the victim must make an evasion roll for every item used, or the item will slip out of the victim’s hands.

The green slime can slime the foremost characters in a cone half level feet across at its base and level feet across at its terminus level yards away. It may expel this goo three times per day.

If a green slime is killed before it has expelled its goo, it will generally expel it in the direction of the killing attack on its death.

Orange Slime: Orange slime is a bright orange, translucent, smooth, and jelly-like. If it has fed recently, bits of its meal may still be barely visible, suspended within its jelly-like body.

Orange slime is a telepathic reflector. When hungry its surface will bubble and will form into emotional scenes from the minds of potential victims within level yards. Victims who see these orange scenes reflected from their minds must make a willpower roll or be drawn towards the slime at their normal movement. Once within half level feet of the slime’s edge, the scene will morph into jellied orange tentacles that will grab onto the victim and either draw the victim into the slime’s body or detach as a smaller slime onto the victim.

Once attached, the slime will extend over the surface of the victim and dissolve the victim slowly away. Fortunately, most victims suffocate quickly, as per the normal slime rules.

Orange slimes may telepathically beckon up to half level victims at any one time. While digesting a victim, scenes from the victim’s memories will play out over the surface of the slime.

Red Slime: Red slime is so corrosive that it can degrade the quality of metal weapons used against it, and will corrode any susceptible metal worn by an engulfed victim. Metal must make a reaction roll or take 2d6 damage (or d6 for very small slimes) just like the victim. The reaction roll (vs. acid) is at a penalty of three due to the corrosiveness of the red slime’s acid.

Steaming Slime: These steaming, gray slimes build up a deadly, sticky, burning jelly within their cells, which they can expel as a burning cloud, up to three times per day. When the cloud is expelled, everyone within one foot per level of the slime must make an evasion roll or be struck for 2d6 points of damage. The jelly will stick to its victims. They will take d6 points for the next two rounds after that, and d3 for the three rounds after that. Those making their evasion roll will take only d6 points of damage, and only during the first round. If a steaming slime is killed before it has expelled its jelly, a burning jelly will generally be expelled on its death.

Cucumber, giant

Giant cucumbers (related to the sea cucumber) resemble long, well, snake-like cucumbers, covered with greenish skin and spiny red points. It has a rudimentary head and sharp beak (some actually have two such heads, and will thus receive two attacks per round).

The most disconcerting ability of the giant cucumber is its ability to expel its internal digestive and respiratory tract through the rear as a second attack form. The expelled innards may attack on their own and will live for 3d6 minutes following expulsion. The innards attack with sticky tentacles that do d4 points damage. On a successful attack, the target must make an agility roll or the tentacle is attached, doing d4 points automatically twice per round thereafter. (A successful fortitude roll, doing d6 points damage to the character, is required to disengage from the sticky tentacles.) A “stuck” victim is at a penalty of 1 to attack any opponent other than the internal organs.

The internal organs may attack up to two characters at once, with two tentacles each. They will attempt to attack the cucumber’s forward attackers. The cucumber will usually attempt to leave (so that it can regenerate its innards, a process that takes two days) after this tactic. Without its internal organs, the giant cucumber’s movement rate is increased by 2.

Gakemai

Gakemai are visitors from another place, some alien plane. They come to this world to mine metals from deep within mountains and deep underground. They vaguely resemble pastel-pink wasps with inhuman faces and paper-thin pink and grey wings. Their eight arms end in sharp pincers, and their prehensile tail is sharp as a scythe. Gakemai may attack up to three targets at once, two with pincers and one with their tail. They cannot attack the same victim with both tail and pincers, as this would cause them to lose their aerial balance.

When Gakemai walk on the ground, they scuttle like beetles, and can move up walls as quickly as on a flat surface. When they fly, they fly somewhat like hummingbirds, hovering in place or darting quickly from place to place.

While among themselves they ‘speak’ through color shifts in the transparent, crystalline antenna-like appendages on t heir faces, Gakemai may speak to their slaves through ‘normal’ language, although their voices resemble a high-pitched buzzing much like the noise that occasionally emanates from high-voltage power lines.

Gakemai are completely inhuman, and immune to all mental attacks. They usually build their mining operations with slaves captured from terrorized local populations. They also will build hybrid species from the various races they have enslaved. When a Gakemai dies, it slowly, over a few hours, degrades into an slimy black liquid.

Gangai

Gangai run swiftly on all fours, their ropy bodies undulating from the ends of their waving tail to the tips of their six writhing tentacles. They attack with powerful teeth behind short beak-like lips. They may manipulate objects using their tentacles. Their wide, pale eyes and their wide nostrils share space on a hound-like head. They have an acute sense of smell, so sensitive that it is nearly as useful as eyesight at short ranges, within three yards. Even small winds will confuse their sense of smell, however.

Gangai can shift short distances through strange angles. They can shift up to 8 yards and stay “shifted” for up to three rounds (though normally their shifts will take no time at all). They may do this up to three times per hour. They can detect any strong emotion, such as anger, lust, or fear, within thirty yards. They will know the location of the emotional person and can shift to that person unerringly. They can communicate with each other both through a low-pitched guttural growl and through rudimentary empathic signals. They are cunning hunters and will use all of these abilities to the best of their animal intelligence.

Gangai receive two actions per round if they intend to use their shift in a round. The second (or first, if they can see their target) action must be the shift.

Gangai are unused to light, and in filtered sunlight or in light as bright as sunlight they will be at a penalty of one to attack. In true sunlight they will be at a penalty of two to attack, and they will generally avoid sunlight if at all possible.

Gas molds

When they have a steady stream of creatures for food, gas molds are moderately dangerous. If their food supply dries up, however, the spores shrivel up and become a fine, dormant dust of spores. Even a slight touch to a dormant mold can send thousands of fine spores into the air. These fine spores, like any fine dust, are difficult to fully remove and can get absolutely anywhere.

Whenever a gas mold is touched or disturbed, it is likely to send up a cloud of “gas”. This gas is really the spores of the mold. If it takes root in a victim’s lungs or in a moist part of the character’s body, the mold will begin to grow and spread throughout the victim’s body.

Active molds will release spores 5% of the time if touched or moderately disturbed. If damaged, there is a 10% chance per point of damage that a gas cloud will be released. Gas clouds will be one yard in diameter per level and any patch can release four such patches per day. Dormant molds will release spores 50% of the time if touched or moderately disturbed, and 100% of the time if damaged. Such clouds will be two yards in diameter per level and can be released once per day.

The reaction roll vs. active mold is at a bonus of 4. The reaction roll vs. dormant mold is at no bonus or penalty. In each case, it is an evasion roll. In the latter case, even on a successful roll the mold will attach itself to the victim unless the victim made their roll by at least five points. The mold can then spread to other victims and can activate if the carrier sweats a lot or does not clean themselves thoroughly (as the mold spreads to a moist spot, such as the eyes, mouth, or scratchable areas of the body). In the latter case a health roll is required every day, at a penalty of three.

If mold activates on a victim, it acts like an ailment with a strength of four and an activation time of one day. Its effects are a loss of d8 survival points per day, one point of endurance per day, and one point of agility per day as the mold grows throughout the victim’s body. Once activated it cannot be washed off.

While active, gas molds live and die, with the living feeding off of the dead. When dormant, gas molds can remain potent, as far as has been observed, for ever. Molds are pretty much immune to any attack except fire, lightning, or other high-energy attacks. Acid can affect active mold, but not inactive mold.

Great lizard

News of their extinction has not yet reached the deep places these creatures live. They are descended from dinosaurs and walk upright, balancing themselves with a long tail. They can bend down (using their tail for balance) to walk through low caves, though they prefer not to. They can move quickly, and are ferocious fighters. They fight with their powerful teeth, rending flesh and snapping bone. They often travel in pairs, male and female and perhaps some cubs. They tend to prefer the warmer areas of the underground and the open spaces of great underground caverns. They are quite intelligent and will often work together to hunt prey—and mated pairs will also sometimes work together with other pairs to hunt dangerous prey.

Grey-hooked Bat

The feeding frenzy of the grey-hooked bat is a sickening sight. This fearsome creature attacks and eats large creatures, raking them from behind with deadly clawed tails and finishing off the injured victim with sharp teeth. They resemble bats by skin tone and their bat-like wings. They have no feet, only a sharp, clawed, twisting tail that can move them along the ground like a snake. Their tail can also throw them into the air where they may take flight.

Gryphon

The gryphon is a fearsome creature, with the body, feet, and claws of a lion and the wings, head, and beak of an eagle. It is said to have the strength of eight lions and claws like the horns of oxen.

The gryphon has a prodigious appetite and is likely to attack and carry off any domestic horses, cows, or oxen it sees. It is known to be aggressive towards humans also. It is territorial, and will fight off both other gryphons and hippogriffs.

Hanging vines

Hanging vines grow from the ceilings and outcroppings of the underground, and sometimes from the stunted grey trees of the underground’s demented forests. They may attack with their thorny vines for d3 points, but will usually only attack from surprise and with a called shot to the neck: the victim must then make an evasion roll or be caught in the vine. The vine will then tighten for d6 points of damage per round.

While strangling a victim, the vine has a penalty of two to defense.

Hippogriff

The hippogriff is a cross between a gryphon—a strange enough creature on its own—and a mare, normally the gryphon’s prey. Its back legs are like that of a horse, its front like a lion, and its wings and head like an eagle.

What possesses the gryphon to mate with a horse is unknown (the mare probably has no choice in the matter). The very thought of such a creature is a symbol of impossibility, “Jungentur jam grypes equis” something that cannot be done. The hippogriff can bear offspring with other hippogriffs, however, so this impossible state of affairs is not required in abundance.

Hop snakes

These brilliantly-striped, multicolored snake-like lizards come in three forms: the hoop snake grabs its tail in its mouth and rolls by undulating its body. The coil snake wraps itself into a helical shape and bounces to where it needs to go. The balloon snake blows up to an iridescent sphere and floats down hills and across fields. All of them can slither when necessary but (except for the balloon snake) move faster using their special form. The balloon snake moves at the speed of wind, and may be caught on updrafts.

Hop snakes appear to be all the same species with different forms or possibly genders. They may be tri-gendered species. Hop snakes are herbivorous, and almost never attack. When they do, their only weapon is a bite. They do have a tendency to knock things over, however, as they roll, bounce, or float about a room or anywhere people have set things up.

Kamekkipialo

Among the most fearsome creatures of the underground are the shadowy, slithering kamekkipialo. These grey, leathery creatures slide through the tunnels of the underground on long, snake-like bodies, their heads and chests supported by small wings. They can raise themselves up to five to seven feet on their wings, and can use their wings to cushion long falls, but may not use them for flying.

The kamekkipialo strikes with its powerful tail, slapping out at its enemies while its bright eyes dance in the darkness. When attacking medium or smaller creatures, it may choose to make a called shot; on a failed evasion roll the victim is coiled in the creature’s powerful body and takes 2d6 points damage per round thereafter.

The most feared ability of the kamekkipialo, however, is its poisonous stare. Within the pale, faceted eyes of the creature lurk deadly visions. Once per hour, the kamekkipialo can reflect these poisons back from the light of torch or lantern to any target within a thirty degree arc of the light’s bearer. This chronic mental poison has an action time of three rounds, a strength of two, and reduces strength and endurance by d3 points. The reaction to avoid the poison taking effect is a willpower roll.

Karuat

The Karuat are crab-like humanoids of the Underground. They have a hard exoskeleton, crab-like claws, and beaked heads.

The Karuat are relatively peaceful for underground dwellers, but they will defend their lands and sacred sites savagely. They generally have no respect for life forms without an exoskeleton. They are equally at home in the water as on land, and may survive underwater for as many hours as a human could survive for minutes.

Ketelekrae

Ketelekrae are more plant than animal. Their roots dig into the rock of the underground, but can be removed if necessary, allowing the ketelekrae to walk slowly on its roots. Ketelekrae consist of pale violet sac-like bodies atop bronze-red roots, with two to four beaked heads protruding from the sac on long necks and myriad tentacles protruding among the heads. They attack separately with each head. Ketelekrae range from one yard to three yards across. Their leathery, bulbous body is difficult to penetrate with even edged or pointed weapons.

Ketelekrae prefer to live in corners, cracks, or crevasses. As long as they are not killed they can re-grow roots, tentacles, and head at the rate of one damage point per ten minutes. They eat through their tentacles, which swarm over a fallen victim and slowly suck the fat and blood and liquids from the body.

Ketelekrae are intelligent creatures, their alien brains deep within their sac-like bodies. They collect treasures and can use some magical items. They can lull potential victims with an empathic burst three times per day, using one of the following forms of empathy:

Forgetfulness: Every creature within ten yards must make a perception roll or completely forget the last minute.

Sleep: Every creature within five yards must make a perception roll or fall to sleep for at least two rounds.

Anger: Every creature in four yards must make a perception roll or attack the nearest creature other than the ketelekrae for two rounds.

Love: Every creature within four yards must make a perception roll or immediately cease any hostilities in favor of a feeling of universal love and peacefulness. The effect lasts for three rounds, but may be broken after the first round if the victim is attacked.

Kugesum

The Kugesum sports a broad beaked face flanked by six snaking thorny tentacles and two large white eyes. They normally walk on all fours but may stand and walk upright, much as a bear does. Their pale grey skin, even to their tentacles, is covered in warts and thorny bumps. They are fierce and aggressive. They will attack with their claws and their beak. On a successful called shot with their beak, their tentacles will try to grab hold of their victim (an evasion roll is required to avoid this) and scrape a irritating poison across the affected region. This chronic poison is strength 3, has an action time of one round, and causes a penalty of two to attack, advantage, and defense. The skin will turn bright red, blister, and an intensely painful itching will ensue.

On killing a victim, they will usually drag it to their lair, but may crack open the skull and scoop out the brains immediately, dragging the rest of the body home only when the delicacy has been tasted.

Kugesum may mimic sounds they have heard with near perfect accuracy. They also have rudimentary telepathic ability, and may mimic sounds that their victims have recently heard if the victim fails a willpower roll. They also can detect any minds within ten yards if they are looking, or within twenty yards if the target fails a perception roll.

Kugesum are unused to light, and in filtered sunlight or in light as bright as sunlight they will be at a penalty of 1 to attack. In true sunlight they will be at a penalty of 2 to attack.

Kugesum regenerate 1 point damage every minute unless they’re dead.

Manticores

The manticore is at the same time silly and horrific. It has a tail like a scorpion’s that shoots off poisoned spikes. With the body of a lion, and the face of a man, its eyes burn blood red, its voice is like a flute, but it is the teeth that make its victims fearful: two sets of powerful teeth one inside the other. While carnivorous and able to live off of any flesh, the manticore strongly prefers human flesh.

The manticore has up to 12 poison spines in its tail which it may shoot off in pairs every other round towards one target. (When it does this, it cannot attack normally.) The spines do d4 points damage, and the victim must make an evasion roll or be inflicted with Poison of strength 3, action time of 1 round, and an effect of d3 injuries. It also has a paralysis effect which gives the victim a penalty of 1 to attack, defense, and concentration for one minute.

The manticore has powerful hind legs and may leap great distances, up to ten times its length given a running start, and four times its length from a standstill. It may scale nearly sheer cliffs with ease.

Mold zombies

Mold zombies appear as walking corpses of putrescent colors. They are actually a gelatinous mold that eats flesh and takes over the skeleton. They seek out flesh to eat and will spread to their victims’ skeletons. When the flesh is eaten from the bones, some mold will remain and animate the skeleton.

Mold zombies are not undead. They can animate any creature that they kill or that are found flesh intact. It takes about two days to eat (and thus animate) a human-sized creature. The mold prefers human-sized creatures but can animate any human-sized or smaller creature with an internal skeleton and musculature. Smaller mold zombies will have commensurately lower levels.

Mold zombies are difficult to kill. Thrusting weapons such as spears will cause only one point of damage, slashing weapons and bludgeoning weapons will cause only half damage.

The Mold can regenerate one point of damage every round as long as the temperature is above 70 degrees; they can regenerate two points of damage per round if the temperature is above 90 degrees and there is high humidity. Lightning will cause half damage; however, for the next ten rounds the mold will regenerate three points per round.

Cold will slow them. If the air turns 60 degrees or colder, the mold zombie’s movement drops to 6 and it has a penalty of 1 to attack. If the air turns 50 degrees or colder, the mold zombie’s movement drops to 4 and it has a penalty of 2 to attack. If the air turns 45 degrees or colder for longer than two rounds they will simply stop. Cold attacks do not regenerate immediately—it takes ten minutes for the mold to warm up enough to regenerate cold damage. This does not stop them from regenerating other damage, however.

On a successful attack, the victim must make an evasion roll or some of the mold attaches to the victim, causing one point of damage every ten minutes (20 minutes under seventy degrees, 40 minutes under sixty degrees, and every hour under fifty degrees).

The mold may be cleaned off; however, a perception roll is required. If failed, enough mold remains to begin again 2-5 days later.

Oruat

The Oruat are large, humanoid, flying bats. They live off of rats, snakes, giant rats, fish, and anything else that crawls in the underground, as well as certain fungi.

Oruat have no eyesight. Their eyes are useless and white. They see only through sound (with their keen hearing) and air motion (with their whiskers). Their ears can see out to 120 feet or more, and their whiskers can see out to six to ten feet.

Oruat attack with their hand claws when on the ground, or with their feet when flying. In either case, they may use two unarmed attacks or one armed attack. Once every three rounds, two or more Oruat can emit an inaudible scream rather than attack. Anyone in a 30 degree arc in front of those Oruat must make a fortitude roll or be paralyzed one round. (Additional Oruat can add 10 degrees to the arc each.)

Warrior Oruat have a higher charisma (average) than normal Oruat (low).

Owl, Great

The Great Owl, an immensely old, immensely large owl, will spend two to three hours every day reading. They are otherwise nocturnal, doing their sleeping and reading during the day.

The Great Owl lives off of color. Their lairs are usually black, devoid of color, where the Owl itself is pure white (the hungrier it is, the less white it will be). Great Owls tend to be fairly sociable and friendly, and will occasionally live in secrecy in towns or cities, otherwise preferring mountain retreats. Those that stay in one place tend towards Order, those that roam the known worlds tend towards Chaos.

Great Owls tend to sorcery as well. By their third creature level the Great Owl will usually have acquired d6 levels as sorcerors, usually gaining another d6 every three levels thereafter. This is not automatic—it requires study. But the nature of the Great Owl is towards intense study.

The Great Owl has several special abilities, besides eating the color of something (which leaves it black until the color restores itself naturally). The Great Owl may perform one of these abilities per eye per round instead of attacking physically.

Disenchant: Dispels magic and undoes enchantments as the sorceror spell, at twice the creature’s creature level plus the creature’s sorceror level, if any.

Violent Colors: There are colors in the Great Owl’s eyes that should not exist. The Owl can bring these colors forth so that all looking at the Owl must roll against fortitude or fall into a color trance, a counterfeit one-ness with the universe that allows no movement except for defense at half effectiveness.

Violent colors may also be thrown to a target, once per minute per eye, doing creature level d6 survival points. A fortitude roll is allowed for half damage. The violent colors otherwise never miss.

Attraction: The target must roll against willpower or start walking (or otherwise moving under their own power) towards the dragon, unable to perform any other action. When within level feet from the Owl, the Owl may ‘hold’ the target motionless (this requires the use of one eye; the eye can perform no other ability while holding the target, though the Owl may attack physically while so holding).

Shrink: The victim must make a fortitude roll or shrink to half their current size. The effect is permanent; Owls may also Grow targets, doubling their size, although they rarely do so.

Detection: The Great Owl may sight a target or location and know about that target and its history. They can see magic, invisible objects, illusions, and general information about a target. If they want specific information, such as what a spell is, who cast it, what a magic item does, or who slept here three weeks ago, they can concentrate with both eyes for a minute or more and usually get the answer.

Detection drains all color out of the target, leaving it black, and weakens the target (1 point of damage per round per eye). Detection may be used on anything within sight of the Owl.

Mindspell: The Great Owl can stare at a target with both eyes and do pretty much whatever it wants with the target’s memory. It can add plausible memories, remove existing ones, and mix them around. Targets are allowed a fortitude roll to resist the effects. Memories so modified will sort themselves out over a year or more (the target receives a new reaction roll every year and during specially relevant traumatic events).

Pegasi

These tan, black, or dappled grey horses with gold-tinged wings are said to arise from the foam of the sea at dusk, fly to the mountains, and centuries later return to the sea to die. Their wingspan as adults is eight yards or more; the strongest may bear an armored knight into the sky.

The pegasi live in the tallest mountains and shun civilization, though they may be curious about individuals in the wild. Pegasi have been known to lead Good folk lost in the wild to water, though they may be further lost by the time they get to it.

Pegasi often have archetype levels, usually warriors or prophets of a major sea god such as Poseidon.

Phoenix

Its feathers shining purple in the sun, their underside a metallic red, a gold mane upon its back, and a wing span that exceeds that of the eagle, the great Phoenix presents a majestic sight—when it is seen. The proverbial wise old bird, there is usually but one phoenix within any hundred mile radius, if any. The phoenix welcomes those seeking wisdom.

The full lifespan of the Phoenix is unknown. Every five hundred years, it arranges a bed of spices and lays down to die. On its death, a great pyre of flame consumes its body. Within three days, the corpse is forged into a golden egg—and the flames continue, pure white, for forty days beyond, after which a young phoenix pushes its way out of the egg. As it grows to maturity (a hundred-year process), it gains cognizance of all of its previous lives.

Few have seen the flame of the phoenix’s nest. The flame of the original pyre will cause 2d6 damage per round to anyone in five yards, and d6 to anyone within twenty. The white flame surrounding the egg will cause 2d6 damage to anyone within one yard, and d6 to anyone within five. The phoenix itself is immune to both magical and mundane fire.

The phoenix may command any birds in their area, and are usually on very friendly terms with the rest of the animals—even those on whom it feeds, for life and death are natural parts of the cycle of nature.

The song of the phoenix has an intoxicating pentatonic harmony similar to blues. Those hearing it must make a willpower roll or stand in rapture until it stops and for 2d6 minutes afterwards.

Pigasi

These mottled green wild boars are often hunted for their succulent meat, but they are dangerous prey. The pigasus has short wings that allow it to lift itself into the air, and a long crystalline orange horn that can pierce flesh and hard leather.

Pigasi are cute creatures by most standards but they are also aggressive, and defend their territories with deadly force.

Rocs

The Roc is a great eagle-like bird that dwarfs even elephants. Its wingspan is twenty yards and a single feather can be two yards long. They can lift huge creatures, and drop great stones carried from the mountains. (They can carry stones heavy enough to cause 4d6 points of damage.) Roc eggs are often mistaken for stony monoliths, pitted like granite and larger than a human, half-buried in the mountainside. If the roc attacks (and it will fiercely defend its young and its eggs) it will usually sweep its claws across its foes.

The wings of the roc can create a wind that will blow away smaller creatures. A fortitude roll is required to withstand the buffeting winds, at a penalty of two for tiny, a bonus of two for medium, and a bonus of four for large.

Rarely are more than two adult Rocs encountered together. Rocs are solitary and defend their hunting ranges against other rocs. They are intelligent, however, and do maintain friends among other rocs. If multiple rocs are encountered, it is the Adventure Guide’s call, but some will likely be young of lesser level and damage capability (level four to eight, damage from d8, 2d6, 2d8, 2d10, 2d12).

Saurians