Woodwose...!

This week I describe creatures that once figured quite strongly in English folklore, seemingly as some sort of physical representation of a wilder aspect of nature. They're mentioned, for example, in the Arthurian tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but must predate that period by at least three or four centuries as their name seems to be of Anglo-Saxon origin. It's possible (at a bit of a stretch, in my opinion) that they are in some way related to the Green Man, a similarly mysterious figure who shares some aspects with the Woodwose. Lastly, the word 'Woodwose' works both as a singular and plural form.

WOODWOSE

FREQUENCY: Uncommon
 
NO. APPEARING: 2-6
 
ARMOR CLASS: 6

MOVE: 10"

HIT DICE: 2+2

% IN LAIR: 15%

TREASURE TYPE: V

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 (clawed hands)

DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon or 1-8

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below

INTELLIGENCE: Low to Average

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: M

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Woodwose are only ever encountered in ancient woodlands or similarly remote and overgrown places, within which they are seldom seen unless they decide to make their presence felt. They are shy and timid creatures that will ordinarily go to great lengths to avoid any form of contact. They are dextrous and masters of camouflage and stealth, possessing abilities similar to Move Silently, Hide In Shadows and Climb Walls as if they were a 10th level thief.

Despite their timidity, they possess a curiosity that can override this aspect of their nature. When encountering parties of adventurers they will sometimes choose to follow them at a distance. Ordinarily they are terrified of fire and lightning, but should a party be engaged in cooking the woodwose might choose to break cover and approach, albeit haltingly. They seem to have a great interest in prepared food and the cooking of such things, but the sound of music also seems to have a similar attraction for them.

In combat their sharp, claw-like nails inflict 1-8 points of damage. There is a 50% chance that those encountered can also attack with poisoned darts. This poison is an insinuative B variety, the darts having a range of 20 feet and two may be thrown per turn. Otherwise they are armed with weapons equivalent to a club or quarterstaff.

 

All woodwose have the ability to cast Cure Light Wounds and Warp Wood as a 3rd level druid. They are immune to cold attacks but fire and lightning-based attacks will cause them to instantly flee. Their magic and poison resistance allows them to save at 2 levels above their actual. They possess excellent hearing and surprise on a roll of 1-4 on a 6-sided die, and see equally well by both day and night.

If encountered in their lair, there will always be one 4 HD individual, taller than the others and with hair entwined with a mass of thorny plants. It will know 1d6 druid spells in addition to those described above, casting them as a 4th level druid, and can (if threatened) summon 1d6 bears, wolves and similar creatures to its aid, which will arrive in 1-3 turns. They have no interest in treasure such as silver, gold, etc but seem to covet wands and staffs. These will be found within a giant ancient tree which stands at the centre of their lair. No woodwose children have ever been observed, and no-one knows how long they live. Some Elven folklore claims that when an old oak tree dies and collapses into ruin, woodwose spring up from the remains.

 

Woodwose speak their own language, which varies from growls to bird-like sounds. There is a remote chance (10%) that within any group encountered one individual will have a very basic knowledge of Common. However, Speak With Animals works just as well when communicating with them. If befriended or treated amiably, they will be happy to share information about recent and past events, as well as that pertaining to an area some 20 miles around them. Once per day they can accurately describe any location and on-going events within it up to a distance of 10 miles from where they stand. However, they may not understand all that they see and thus the information provided might be difficult to parse.

Description: Woodwose are tall and human-like in appearance, albeit with somewhat larger hands and feet. Aside from their hands and faces, their entire bodies are covered in thick hair that ranges in colour from black to light brown. This is covered in patches of leaves, lichen, moss and other plant material. The skin of their hands and face is dark reddish-brown and their nails are jet black. Their faces are their most striking feature, being wide and round with a pointed chin. Their eyes are large with no discernable pupils and resemble oddly reflective glass spheres. They have no teeth, but have a wide beak-like object within their mouths that is turquoise in colour.

Dragons...! (Part Four)

Here is another in my series that describes chitinous dragons (previous posts can be found here):

CHITINOUS DRAGON (Weaver)

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVE: 12"/36"/*20
HIT DICE: 6-8
% IN LAIR: 30%
TREASURE TYPE:  G, S, T
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12, 2-12, 3-18
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good
SIZE: L (12' long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
                Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
CHANCE OF:
                Speaking: 70%
                Magic Use: 30%
                Sleeping: 30%

Weaver Dragons prefer lonely mountains and other high, remote places. Their lairs are made up of a large, dense web-like structure spun between two high points or within a crevasse, with their treasure kept in numerous (2-20), hard to reach nests.

As they spend much of their time on the wing, their attacks will predominantly come from above. Its breath weapon is a mass of sticky, web-like material 6" long, 4" wide and 5" high that rapidly contracts around a victim, inflicting 1-8 points of damage per round. This can be removed with sharp instruments or by those possessing a Strength of 17 or more. It can also bite or strike out its powerful rear legs, whose talons inflict 2-12 points of damage. If the dragon can speak and employ magic, they will know 1-3 Druid spells of 3rd to 5th level.

 

Weaver Dragons prefer to shun any form of contact and, despite their somewhat fearsome appearance, are generally quite aloof and distant in their mannerisms. However, they are generally amiable to dwarves and gnomes and might converse with any they encounter in an adventuring party. Even then, they will stay airborne unless they are met in their lair. They will have an intimate knowledge of the landscape around this lair, out to a distance of 100 miles, and thus could be a source of useful information. On very rare occasions, should decide or be convinced to assist in some way, a Weaver Dragon might offer to carry one or two individuals no further than 100 miles. They speak Common, Dwarven and Gnomish, as well as having their own language. If two are encountered, it will be a mating pair.

 

The web-like material from which their lairs are woven can be worked and formed into armour or a shield, although artificers who can perform such a task are rare and very expensive. These items are treated as if they were magical, a complete set of armour (weighing 50 gp) being +5 and shields (weighing 10 gp) +3 respectively. Unless painted, this armour is always whitish-grey. Alternatively, every 100 years a dragon will weave a suit of personalised armour or a shield for an individual who has provided them with some great service or act of friendship (it is left to the Dungeon Master to decide how this might occur). 

 

Description: Weaver Dragons are generally a rusty-red colour with patches of dark yellow. The tips of their wings and limbs are blue-green. As they reach the end of their lifespan (approximately 400 years), they become whitish-yellow.

Shambling Mouth...

SHAMBLING MOUTH

 

FREQUENCY: Rare
 
NO. APPEARING: 1-3
 
ARMOR CLASS: 2

MOVE: 6"

HIT DICE: 8

% IN LAIR: 30%

TREASURE TYPE: B

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-20

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Low

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: L

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Thought to be related in some way to the Shambling Mound, this creature is found in tombs, dungeons and similar underground places. It uses the detritus from such to form its body.

The Mouth has a voracious appetite and will readily consume anything it can find, but seems to have a predilection for living flesh. Its bite inflicts 2-20 points of damage per successful strike, and on a roll of 20 it will attempt to eat its victim, inflicting a further 2-20 points of damage per round.

 

These creatures are immune to attacks by any form of edged weapon, and blunt weapons inflict only half damage. It is immune to cold-based attacks and fire-based attacks also inflict only half damage. When the creature dies, it immediately collapses into a reeking mass, and anyone within 20' must make a saving throw vs poison or be immobilised (by retching and vomiting) for 1-6 rounds. Its treasure is whatever survived when previous victims were consumed.

 

Description: Shambling Mouths appear as a large reeking mass made of bones, teeth, hair, skin, armour, pieces of metal, weapons, etc, all supported by two or three short legs. This mass is dominated by a huge maw lined with a oddly deformed teeth, metal shards and shattered bone. It is 6' tall and about 6' wide.

Vulturebears (Part One)...!

Inspired by a chance remark on a Discord forum, this is the first in a series that describes Vulturebears.

Thought to be a result of the same crazed experiments that created the Owlbear, these creatures exist in a wider variety of forms and can be found in a more varied set of environments. They possess beaks and claws but, unlike Owlbears, do not have the ability to crush their victims. All have a distinctive stooped stance and are very ill-tempered. Their pelts are mostly fur but also have patches of vestigial feathers. 

They usually only attack if their food, territory or young are threatened and will otherwise be wary of combat, preferring instead to make threatening displays. They possess ways of defending themselves if required so that they might extract themselves from harmful situations, and these methods vary from one particular species of Vulturebear to the next. As all species eat carrion, their bite carries disease and their beaks and claws will be encrusted with noisome substances.

CAVE VULTUREBEAR

 

FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 2-6
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 14"
HIT DICE: 4
% IN LAIR: 20%
TREASURE TYPE:  Z
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6, 1-6, 3-18
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Disease
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hiss
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (6-8' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
                Attack/Defense Modes: Nil 

 

Cave Vulturebears are so named as they prefer to create lairs in caves and underground places, including dungeons and large tombs. They are adept at seeking out the remains of those recently entombed and seem to have a predilection for the treasure that sometimes accompanies them. They will also search dungeons and similar places for carrion.

They attack with their claws and beak. Any creature bitten has a 25% chance per wound inflicted of contracting a serious disease. If such an infection is indicated the victim is diseased unless a saving throw versus poison is successful. Should a Vulturebear lose more than 50% of its hit points, or if it is defending its young, it will make an odd hissing sound. Any creature within earshot must save versus magic or be confused for 2-8 melee rounds and the Vulturebear will then attempt to escape or make an attack, depending on the situation.

If encountered in their lair, there is a 25% chance that 1-4 eggs or 1-3 young will be found. The young have 1HD and their attacks inflict 1-3, 1-3, 1-8 points of damage respectively. They have no hiss as a defence although their bites can inflict serious disease. Their treasure will be a mass of items that the Vulturebears seem to collect in their lairs as part of their mating rituals. Unlike Owlbears, their eggs and young have little value on the open market.

Description: Cave Vulturebears are blackish brown. Their beaks and claws are black edged with blue and their eyes are black with bright golden pupils.The skin on their heads is a pale yellowish-white with deep wrinkles and numerous warts.

Jellies...! Part Seven

This weeks post is a twofer, although the latter creature might also be encountered on its own.

DRAGON JELLY

 

FREQUENCY: Very rare
 
NO. APPEARING: 1
 
ARMOR CLASS: 4

MOVE: 8"/12"

HIT DICE: 5

% IN LAIR: 10%

TREASURE TYPE: S, T, U, V

NO. OF ATTACKS: 4

DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Semi-

ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil

SIZE: L (12 to 20' wingspan)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Dragon Jellies are so called because their general outline resembles a dragon and their 'wings' allow them to fly, although this ability is the result of magical power. These jellies dwell in cold, subterranean places, especially vaulted caves and similar locations, where they cling to their ceiling and wait for passing prey. They are particularly attracted to all things magical and when encountering adventuring parties they will single out Magic Users or those possessing magical items.

When attacking, the jelly prefers to keep some distance between itself and its intended victim(s) by staying airborne. It can propel itself at speed if needed, but can also hover in one place. It will release up to four globules per round, and these can take two forms. Both have a range of 6". One is an amber-coloured blob which explodes into a mass of tendrils that will quickly envelope the target, inflicting 3-12 points of damage per round unless a successful Strength check is made to break free. The other is a greenish blob which contains 3-30 Mite Jellies (see below). 

The jelly will also attempt to fly down and envelop any victim should they be incapacitated, injured, or are retreating. With a successful attack, it excretes fluids that inflict 3-12 points of damage per round. Should the jelly receive more than 10 points of damage when smothering, it will return to the air and resumes its attacks from a distance. However, the surface of its body swarms with Mite Jellies and 3-30 of these will now cover its victim.

The lairs of these creatures are always in a high place, and their treasure will be covered with a gluey substance that can only be removed with a great deal of effort. There is a 50% chance that Mite Jellies will also be encountered.

Description:  Dragon Jellies are a mass of tendrils and odd bulbous shapes carried aloft on misshapen wings. They have silvery-grey undersides and their upper surfaces are silvery and pearlescent, streaked with pale yellow. It is spattered with greenish blobs and smears containing Mite Jellies.

 

MITE JELLY  

FREQUENCY: Rare
 
NO. APPEARING: 3-30
 
ARMOR CLASS: 9

MOVE: 1"

HIT DICE: 1 Hit point

% IN LAIR: 0%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 0

DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Non-

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: S

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Mite jellies can often be mistaken for beads of a dilute greenish-yellow fluid or general dampness on walls, floors, and other surfaces. They are attracted by the body heat of living things, and will attempt to approach their victim in subtle ways i.e. by dripping from a ceiling, or being transferred by touch. They cannot penetrate metal or leather (unless they gain access via damaged areas) but easily seep through other forms of clothing. They will then secrete themselves in small clusters around the hosts body - in hair, behind ears, in armpits, etc - and will be difficult to detect unless specifically looked for. The host will become tired, thirsty and all movements will become sluggish. Victims who are close to death from the effect of Mite Jellies might be mistaken for zombies.

These creatures are parasitic, and will slowly incapacitate or kill their host unless removed (see below). If less than 10 mites are attached, the victim will have their movement rate and encumbrance halved after one day. For every 10 mites attached to a victim, they will drain 1 hit point per day. As they feed, their appearance changes and they will subsequently resemble tiny yellowish-white beads. Should a victim be completely drained of hit points, their remains will be consumed by the jellies, who will then spore a further 3-30 individuals who then search for suitable places to dwell. Mite Jellies are immune to fire and cold attacks - applying flames to them will inflict 1-6 points of damage to the victim. Cure Disease has no effect upon them. 

If discovered on walls, etc they can easily be destroyed. However, once attached to a victim they can only be removed in two ways. If salt is rubbed onto where they cluster, this kills them but leaves permanent disfiguring scars in the form of raw and swollen patches of skin. Unfortunately, Cure Light/Major Wounds has no effect upon these scars, although it will help the victim recover lost hit points. If the victim is completely immersed in salt water (i.e. sea water, brine, a salt bath), the mites are killed and leave no scars.

Spiders...! (Part One)

The first in a series about spiders...

WHIP SPIDERS

Whip Spider (Lesser)

FREQUENCY: Uncommon
 
NO. APPEARING: 1-8
 
ARMOR CLASS: 4

MOVE: 8"

HIT DICE: 4 +4

% IN LAIR: 30%

TREASURE TYPE: C

NO. OF ATTACKS: 3

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12, 1-12, 1-12

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralyzation

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Animal

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: L (12' long, excluding forelegs)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Whip spiders are large mountain-dwelling creatures whose forelegs are some 20' long and very flexible. They use these to capture prey across passes and crevasses as well as for climbing steep rock faces. They see equally well in daylight or in complete darkness and sometimes hang by their rearmost legs from cave ceilings to wait for passing prey. Their colouration and the rough surface of their body makes them particularly difficult to see and this, combined with the long reach of their forelegs, means that they surprise on a roll of 1-3 (on a 6-sided die). The tip of each foreleg ends in a small claw that can inflict 1-12 points of damage, and those struck must save vs paralyzation or become completely immobilised. A victim may then be dragged towards the spider's fangs and drained of 1-12 hit points per turn. When not in use, the forelegs loop back over the creature's body.

These creatures do not spin webs, choosing instead to make lairs in deep caves and sometimes within dungeons and other subterranean places. If encountered in their lair, there is a 50% chance that 2-12 hatchlings will also be present. These have 1HD +4 but do not possess a paralysing attack from their 5' long forelegs. Their claw and bite attacks inflict 1-4 points of damage. 

 

Whip Spider (Greater)

FREQUENCY: Rare
 
NO. APPEARING: 1
 
ARMOR CLASS: 2

MOVE: 6"

HIT DICE: 6

% IN LAIR: 75%

TREASURE TYPE: C

NO. OF ATTACKS: 7

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-20 (per foreleg), 3-18

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralyzation

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Animal

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: L (20' long, excluding forelegs)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

This rarer form of Whip Spider often chooses to reside within gullies, pits and similar locations. Each 30' long foreleg is made up of three long sections that can act independently, two of which are kept outside the creature's lair. In this manner they can detect the approach of prey and are particularly difficult to see, thus surprising on a roll of 1-4 (on a 6-sided die). When attacking, the spider will attempt to paralyze victims and those failing a saving throw will be dragged into its lair, where its fangs will drain 3-18 points of damage per turn. Each foreleg also inflicts 2-20 points of damage with every successful attack.

There is a 25% chance that the lair will also contain 1-3 Lesser Whip Spiders, as well as 1-6 2HD hatchlings. These possess four 10' long forelegs each capable of inflicting 1-8 points of damage, as well as possessing the ability to paralyze their victim. Their bite also inflicts 1-8 points of damage.   

Note: For both varieties of Whip Spider, any treasure will be found within the remains of previous victims. Also, the Dungeon Master may rule that an encounter with a Lesser or Greater Whip Spider might include one or more individuals in transit and carrying hatchlings upon their backs. However, such an encounter will provide no treasure.

Flame Snail...

It seems that not everyone is a fan of 1E AD&D's Fiend Folio. I kind of understand this, as initially upon first reading through it I wasn't sure how and why I could use the various monsters when so many have a frequency of Very Rare. Admittedly a fair few of the monsters are pretty left-field but, to be honest, that's what I find appealing about both the Fiend Folio and Monster Manual in general. I mean, why should any of the monsters in D&D make sense? Why can't there be Flumpfs?

Anyway, one of my favourite monsters from the Fiend Folio is the Flail Snail. To me, it ticks various boxes: it's a typically odd D&D monster, it has some interesting capabilities, and it just generally fits into the world of D&D in the sense that it seems to be something that's part-magical, part-mundane.

With that in mind, I thought I'd design a few other creatures inspired by it, the first being the...

FLAME SNAIL

FREQUENCY: Very rare
 
NO. APPEARING: 1
 
ARMOR CLASS: 4

MOVE: 4"

HIT DICE: 4-6

% IN LAIR: 0%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 per tentacle

DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Low

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: L

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Flame Snails appear to be a smaller (6' tall) relative of the Flail Snail but, instead of clubs, each of its tentacles ends in a fiery bulb. When attacking, each of these can emit a globule of burning matter out to a range of 20' which inflicts 2-12 points of damage for 3 rounds, unless extinguished. At close range, these can instead strike a target and inflict 2-12 points of damage. 6HD Flame Snails have a single tentacle that can emit a Fireball, the snail casting as a third-level Magic User. It has one tentacle for every hit die that it possesses and each tentacle has its own hit points.

Should all of these tentacles be destroyed, the body will be quickly withdrawn into the shell and the snail will die in 1-4 turns. Upon death, the shell explodes violently, spreading burning matter and fragments over an area some 50' in diameter. Any creature within this area will receive 3-18 points of damage. There is a 50% chance that their clothing, skin, hair, fur, etc will continue to burn for 3 turns (unless extinguished by normal means) inflicting a further 1-6 points of damage per round.

The snail casts a faint glow and emits great heat out to 2' from it's body. This heat will ignite any flammable material it moves through or over and will temporarily blind any creatures possessing infravision unless they distance themselves from it by at least 50'. Flame Snails are not known for their speed, but should any victim fall beneath it they will receive 1-8 points of damage per round by being crushed by the snail's weight and burnt by the heat it generates. Flame-based attacks, magical or mundane, will have no effect upon it and will simply allow the snail to regain 1 HD of hit points per attack, should it have lost any previously. Cold-based attacks inflict double damage.

Intact shells are very rare and usually only found when a Flame Snail has died naturally. The shell weighs 150 pounds (1500 gold pieces weight) and can be fashioned into items that are completely resistant to heat and flames, magical or mundane. A complete shell is worth 7-8000 gold pieces, although artificers who can work the shell might prove difficult to find.

Flame Snails are a vivid orange in colour streaked with bright yellow and its tentacles are blackish-red. Its shell is yellow-white and semi-opaque. Strange flames and burning shapes seem to roil within it.