[HR: Monsters] Creatures under the Crimson Sun

So, I said I’d post up some of my 40 (so far) monsters for my ACKS Dark Sun campaign. First up, though, some acknowledgements: my campaign is heavily inspired by several OSR blogs, primarily:

Planet Algol, my single greatest influence and the inspiration to take my campaign setting away from the 2E sourcebooks.

Savage Swords of Athanor

Weirdlands of Xhuul

Outside of blogs, the unfinished roguelike Caves of Qud is probably my second-largest influence; the post-apocalyptic madworld built over science-fiction ruins is exactly what I’m going for.

Literature-wise, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom novels are a major influence, and so are Moorcock, Leiber, Lovecraft, R. E. Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith.

Other than that, the comics The Savage Sword of Conan and Conan the Barbarian are major influences, as is Geoffrey McKinney’ Carcosa supplement and Gamma World/Mutant Future.

AIR SHARK
% in Lair: None
Dungeon Enc: None
Wilderness Enc: Solitary (1) / Tornado (4d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: —
Fly: 180’ (60’)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 9*
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 2d10
Save: F5
Morale: +4
Treasure Type: None
XP: 1,300

Air sharks are bizarre monsters that somewhat resemble the squark of legend. They are encountered flying above the Sea of Silt, drifting lazily until they spot prey, at which point they “swim” through the air with terrifying speed to take a bite, circle around, and attack again. Sometimes, they are encountered in “tornadoes” — a school of air sharks whirling around in a maelstrom of silt and dust. Because of the dust, the phenomenon is usually mistaken for a normal sandstorm or whirlwind, until it is upon the hapless victims and enormous sharks are taking bites out of them.

BEAK-DOG
% in Lair: 25%
Dungeon Enc: Pack (1d6) / Den (2d6)
Wilderness Enc: Pack (2d6) / Den (3d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 150’ (50’)
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 3 (bite/claw/claw)
Damage: 1d4/1d4/2d6
Save: F3
Morale: +2
Treasure Type: None
XP: 200

Bird-dogs were the hunting dogs of a long-gone race of wizards, possibly from another plane or planet. They look like huge (4’ at the shoulder), slender, scraggly dogs with raptor’s heads and great curved beaks. Bird-dogs have an amazing sense of smell, and can track a scent a week old without fail.

(Shamelessly lifted from Stormbringer and Michael Moorcock’s novels.)

BURROWER BENEATH
% in Lair: 35%
Dungeon Enc: Hunt (1d6) / Clan (2d6)
Wilderness Enc: Hunt (2d6) / Clan (3d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 150’ (50’)
Burrow: 60’ (20’)
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 10*
Attacks: 2 (slam)
Damage: 2d6/2d6
Save: F10
Morale: +3
Treasure Type: R
XP: 1,550

Burrowers beneath are terrible creatures with the pale, wrinkled, hairless upper bodies of humanoid giants, and a gargantuan lower body of a worm. They live underground and often worship their bizarre deities through precious gemstones. Burrowers beneath can ignore any spell or spell-like effect with a Magic Resistance throw of 17+.

(Lifted from an old Conan comic; I forget the name of the story.)

CORPSE FLOWER
% in Lair: 100%
Dungeon Enc: None
Wilderness Enc: Cluster (1d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 0’
Armor Class: 1
Hit Dice: 6*
Attacks: 6 (creepers)
Damage: 1d3
Save: F3
Morale: None
Treasure Type: M
XP: 570

The corpse flower or carrion flower is a huge flower: the inflorescence (flower cluster) can grow up to 10’ tall, and the leaves that wrap around it can be as much as 20’ tall. They stink like rotting meat, but also exude intoxicating pollen.

Anyone within 20’ of a corpse flower must make a saving throw v. Poison or be drawn to the flower and stand senseless and defenseless. If attacked, they get another saving throw every round until they snap out of it, at which point they are immune to the pollen for the rest of the combat. The corpse flower attacks intoxicated victims with its choking creepers, winding them around the victim and squeezing the life out of them. Dead victims are dragged to decompose under the leaves at the base of the flower.

FREAK
% in Lair: 15%
Dungeon Enc: Coterie (1d6) / Gang (2d6)
Wilderness Enc: None
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: 1
Hit Dice: 1+1*
Attacks: 1 (grab)
Damage: 1d4
Save: F1
Morale: +4
Treasure Type: A
XP: 21

Freaks were once humans and demihumans who became addicted to a powerfully narcotic mold that accumulates in the brain and gradually changes it. Initially, victims become obsessed with seeking more of the drug, lying, stealing, and killing to feed their habit. Eventually, becoming saturated, they lose all interest in the drug, and barely have attention for the basic necessities of survival. They shamble about the darkened places of cities, in back alleys and in sewers, collecting in packs that spend most of their time standing in tight circles, facing inwards, hunched over and motionless. When someone approaches who does not smell like one of them, they turn their attention outward.

In combat, freaks attack with their bare hands, grabbing and pulling, trying to exhale their fetid breath and mold-infected spittle on the victim’s face. Anyone who engages in combat with even a single freak must afterwards make a saving throw vs. poison (+4 for wearing protective face masks of some sort) to avoid contracting the mold addiction. The addiction slowly worsens over time, consuming the victim’s attention and life, eventually (over 2d4 weeks) turning him into a freak. Only a restore life and limb spell can stop this process, and only if applied before the victim has become a freak.

FUNGAL HUSK
% in Lair: 20%
Dungeon Enc: Pack (1d6) / Congregation (2d6)
Wilderness Enc: Pack (1d12) / Congregation (3d12)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60’ (20’)
Armor Class: 0
Hit Dice: 1*
Attacks: None
Damage: None
Save: F1
Morale: +4
Treasure Type: None
XP: 13

On the dry plain, decrepit, starved humanoid forms shamble obliviously toward the highest hill in the vicinity. The hillsides are littered with sitting and kneeling humanoid corpses, dried and mummified, their faces turned up, and a horrible fungal stalk growing out of each forehead. Some varieties are found in the underworld, where the husks seek sources of water. They kneel by the water, leaning down, and releasing the spores into the water, where they incubate and infect anyone drinking it. Certain terrifying types of fungi infect humans, demihumans, and humanoids, growing inside the head and taking over the brain, turning them into decrepit husks that seek high ground so that the fungus may sprout and spread its spores.

The fungal husks do not fight back if attacked, but when reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, they collapse on the ground, and on the next round, small fungal stalks sprout forth from the head, releasing an invisible puff of spores. Unless blown away by a strong wind, they will reach everyone within 30’ (10 yards). Those who fail a saving throw vs. Poison (as a disease) are infected, and become progressively more erratic and demented until, 1d6 days later, they become fungal husks seeking high ground. The only way to stop the infection is to cast cure disease and neutralize poison on the subject within one round of each other, before the infection has progressed to fungal husk stage. A recovered victim must saving throw vs. Poison or become permanently feebleminded until a restore life and limb spell is received.

Fungal husks are treated as plants for the purposes of spells.

The inspiration.

GIANT MANTIS SHRIMP
% in Lair: 50%
Dungeon Enc: Solitary (1) / Solitary (1)
Wilderness Enc: Solitary (1) / Solitary (1)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60’ (20’)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 5+5**
Attacks: 1 (claw)
Damage: 2d10
Save: F3
Morale: +4
Treasure Type: I
XP: 660

Giant mantis shrimp are garishly colored giant crustaceans, 12’–15’ long, that live on the ocean floor, hiding in caves and crevices. They have folded front claws that the snap out at prey to smash them apart or spear them. Giant mantis shrimp can see invisible creatures and objects. The snap of the giant mantis shrimp’s claw is so fast that it creates a flash of light and heat as well as a terrible shockwave. Whether or not the attack hits, the target must saving throw vs. Death or be stunned and unable to act for 1d4 rounds.

GREAT WHITE APE
% in Lair: 15%
Dungeon Enc: Pair (1d2) / Family (1d4)
Wilderness Enc: Pair (1d2) / Family (1d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 150’ (50’)
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 12*
Attacks: 5 (fist/fist/fist/fist/bite) or 1 (rock)
Damage: 1d10/1d10/1d10/1d10/2d8 or 3d6
Save: F6
Morale: +3
Treasure Type: P
XP: 2,100

The great white apes are four-armed apes, 12’–15’ tall. The middle arms often double as extra legs. They have pale, white or grey hides, red eyes, a gorilla-like face, and a shock of white hair atop the head. In combat, the great apes grab and crush and tear with their great hands, and bite with their fearsome jutting fangs.

The great white apes can throw rocks dealing 3d6 damage to a range of 200’.

(The infamous white apes of Barsoom, of course. I figured the sheer number of attacks deserved a special ability * on the HD.)

GRUE
% in Lair: None
Dungeon Enc: Lone (1)
Wilderness Enc: None
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 5+5
Attacks: 1 (claw/claw/bite)
Damage: 1d8/1d8/2d6
Save: T5
Morale: +2
Treasure Type: None
XP: 260

A terrible monster with slavering fangs and razor-sharp claws, the grue lurks in dark places, devouring those who wander into them without a light. Its presence is signified by a sense of imminent dread and horrible gurgling noises.

Grues cannot be surprised in the dark. They impose a -4 penalty to their victims’ surprise rolls. They flee from light, and never attack anyone bearing it.

(Jack Vance and Zork, natch.)

HEADLESS
% in Lair: 30%
Dungeon Enc: Bunch (1d10) / Gang (2d10)
Wilderness Enc: Clan (1d3 gangs) / Tribe (1d6 clans)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 2+1*
Attacks: 2 (claws)
Damage: 1d6/1d6
Save: F2
Morale: +0
Treasure Type: G (per gang)
XP: 47

The headless (also called blemmyes or acephalous) is a humanoid monster with no head, but a mouth and sensory organs in its chest cavity. They eat human and humanoid flesh. Their naked, browned skin is covered in rough hairs. They are able to navigate in complete darkness without any problem. Headless have no language, only gnashing their wide, terrible mouths.

Blemmyes attack by tearing, clobbering, and clawing with their powerful four-fingered hands. They are immune to any vision-based effects and any mind-affecting effects, such as charm, sleep, or telepathic communication.

(Medieval legends, but more so the Ultima series.)

HUSK GHOUL
% in Lair: 35%
Dungeon Enc: Pack (1d6) / Lair (2d6)
Wilderness Enc: Pack (2d6) / Family (3d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/claw) or 1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d2/1d2/1 or weapon
Save: F
Morale: +1
Treasure Type: F
XP: 50

Bony arms, withered skin, madly staring eyes in a face like a skull. A husk ghoul is a being neither dead or alive, but something horrible in between, and it is greedy for human flesh.

Husk ghouls are withered human beings, so ancient and emaciated that it is impossible to tell whether they are even truly alive anymore. With wrinkled, paper-thin skin, patchy white hair, and bony claws for fingers, they look grotesque and morbid. Husk ghouls were once humans, but have lived far past what they should have — for reasons of magic, technology, or some sinister influence. They live in ruins, catacombs, and sewers — often in places where they were trapped by circumstances, but survived under some malign influence that prolonged their lives into hundreds of years. They eat meat, preferring humans and demihumans, and are clever enough to take prisoners to serve as “larders.” Husk ghouls rarely speak, but theoretically understand Common.

In combat, husk ghouls attack rabidly with clubs and other makeshift weapons, or by clawing and biting. They appear withered, but have a fiendish strength and resilience.

(Inspired by the manga Hideout.)

LANGFORD BASILISK
% in Lair: None
Dungeon Enc: None (Ethereal Plane only)
Wilderness Enc: None (Ethereal Plane only)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: —
Fly: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 5****
Attacks: None
Damage: None
Save: M5
Morale: +0
Treasure Type: None
XP: 800

An ever-shifting, fractal, recursive pattern that vaguely resembles the head of a rooster or a parrot seen in profile, this strange creature is a collection of stray thoughtwaves that takes shape in the Ethereal Plane. The langford basilisk is never encountered outside of the Ethereal Plane.

Composed of disparate thought wave patterns, it is immune to mind-affecting spells and effects, including charm, hold, and sleep spells. It can only be damaged by magic weapons, and it can ignore any spell or spell-like effect with a Magic Resistance throw of 11+. Anyone who sees a langford basilisk must saving throw vs. Spells or become permanently insane (as a confusion spell). This effect can only be reversed by a restore life and limb or a wish spell.

MAN-APE
% in Lair: 30%
Dungeon Enc: Band (1d8) / Troop (2d6)
Wilderness Enc: Troop (2d6) / Tribe (1d6 troops)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 5+2
Attacks: 2 (fists) or 1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d8/1d8 or weapon
Save: F5
Morale: +2
Treasure Type: L (per troop)
XP: 260

These creatures look like enormous gorillas, 8’ tall or more, but they have a straighter posture, relatively longer legs, and usually walk on two feet, but also climb agilely. They often wear ornaments, and sometimes even use armor, and may use weapons — though their bare hands are more than capable of tearing their enemies apart. They communicate among themselves with grunts and gestures, but can be taught to crudely speak languages. Man-apes smash and tear their enemies apart.

I love these! Perfect for a sword & sorcery feel!

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

MANTA TYRANT
% in Lair: None
Dungeon Enc: None
Wilderness Enc: School (1d8)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: None
Fly: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 9+1**
Attacks: 2 (bite/sting)
Damage: 2d8/1d8
Save: M9
Morale: +2
Treasure Type: None
XP: 1,900

Manta tyrants resemble enormous manta rays, 20’ wide from wingtip to wingtip. They float over the Silt Sea by means of telekinetic levitation, using their prodigious telepathic powers to immobilize their prey. Manta tyrants are capable of rudimentary telepathic communication, but possess no real language.

A manta tyrant can use its telepathic attack to immobilize living creatures within 60’, up to 24 HD. Each may make a saving throw vs. Paralysation. Those who fail are immobilized, unable to move or act, until the manta tyrant moves out of range or releases them.

The manta tyrant’s sting carries a deadly poison: anyone stung must make a saving throw vs. Poison or die.

MUTANT GHOUL
% in Lair: 20%
Dungeon Enc: Pack (1d6) / Lair (2d6)
Wilderness Enc: Pack (2d6) / Lair (3d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 150’ (50’)
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 2+2
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite)
Damage: 1d3/1d3/1d4
Save: F2
Morale: -2 or +4
Treasure Type: C
XP: 35

These ghouls are not undead, but humanoid mutants created by the horrible wastelands. Between 4’ and 6½’ tall, they have cloven hooves, pale greenish bodies with rough, hairy skin, elongated faces and muzzled full of sharp fangs, and long, pointed ears. Mutant ghouls occasionally speak broken Common. Mutant ghouls attack with their claws and teeth. When driven into a feeding frenzy (e.g. when hunting and not surprised), the entire pack of ghouls becomes relentless and will not retreat (Morale +4).

(Half Fallout, half Lovecraft.)

RATHOUND
% in Lair: 10%
Dungeon Enc: Pack (2d6) / Lair (3d6)
Wilderness Enc: Horde (3d6) / Lair (3d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 1*
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite)
Damage: 1d3/1d3/1d4
Save: F1
Morale: -2
Treasure Type: None
XP: 13
Alpha: 29

Rathounds are horrible, mangy, unpleasant crossbreeds of rodent and canine 2’ to 4’ long, with patchy fur, mangy skin, long snouts, thick, hairless tails, and terrible, long, sharp teeth. They live in packs, scavenging in dungeons and underworlds. Packs are led by an alpha male with 2 HD.

The bite and claws of a rathound carry awful but mundane diseases, the total effect of which is debilitation. 1d6 hours after being injured by a rathound, any character must make a saving throw vs. poison or begin to suffer the effects: a -2 penalty to AC, -2 penalty to attack throws, -2 penalty to saving throws and all other throws the Judge deems affected, halved Strength and movement rate. Natural and magical healing are not possible, and a spellcaster is unable to prepare or memorize spells. The effects last 1d6 days. If not cured by the end of this period, a character must make another saving throw vs. poison or die from complications.

(Lifted from Underrail.)

LEAST SHOGGOTH
% in Lair: None
Dungeon Enc: Swarm (1d4)
Wilderness Enc: Swarm (1d4)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 8******
Attacks: 2 (pseudopods)
Damage: 2d6/2d6
Save: F8
Morale: +4
Treasure Type: P×2
XP: 3,600

LESSER SHOGGOTH
% in Lair: None
Dungeon Enc: Swarm (1d3)
Wilderness Enc: Swarm (1d3)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 10******
Attacks: 2 (pseudopods)
Damage: 2d10/2d10
Save: F10
Morale: +4
Treasure Type: P×2
XP: 5,050

GREAT SHOGGOTH
% in Lair: None
Dungeon Enc: Solitary (1)
Wilderness Enc: Solitary (1)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: 9
Hit Dice: 20******
Attacks: 2 (pseudopods)
Damage: 3d10/3d10
Save: F14
Morale: +4
Treasure Type: P×3
XP: 13,600

A shoggoth appears as an amoebic ooze of black iridescence 10’–15’ across, fetid and faintly luminous, made up of protoplasmic bubbles, forming green-glowing eyes, grasping pseudopods, and vile mouths that gibber in mimicry of ancient words. Terrible creations of the long-forgotten masters of life-shaping, the shoggoths are a dread remnant of another time. The sorcerer-kings vehemently believe — and hope — that none have survived to this age, but some are still found in deep, distant ruins, locked away until some errant fool releases them on the world.

Shoggoths attack by flowing over and around their victims, grasping with huge pseudopods, and crushing and sucking their victims into pieces, eventually grinding them into nothing. Shoggoths are able to swallow whole creatures of up to human size on an attack throw at least 4 higher than the target value, and on any unmodified attack throw of 20. A swallowed creature takes the shoggoth’s pseudopod damage per round. The damage stops when either the creature dies or the shoggoth is killed. If a creature that has been swallowed has a sharp weapon, it may attack the shoggoth from inside with an attack penalty of -4. Should the swallowed creature die and remain inside the shoggoth for 6 turns, it is irrevocably crushed and digested. Treasure may be found inside the shoggoth when it is killed.

Shoggoths are immune to sleep, charm, hold, other mind-affecting spells, paralysis, poison, and disease, and suffer only half damage from all weapons, as well as from fire and electricity, and no damage from cold. They regenerate 2 hit points per round. Any attempt to psionically contact a shoggoth (or to use ESP on one) fails and requires a saving throw vs. Spells at -4 to avoid immediate and permanent insanity (similar to confusion). Finally, they can ignore any spell or spell-like effect with a Magic Resistance throw of 15+.