Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Creating game materials? Monsters, spells, classes, adventures? This is the place!
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Dimirag
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Dimirag »

The text block refers to the Ankylosaurus (AC 21), the description is about the Paleocinthus (AC 24).

As for the damage, maybe its there just to give the data and avoid a sense of missing its damage. But it could be an errata and be higher, we won't know...
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Solomoriah »

I'll get to it. Been a little busy.
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AlMan
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by AlMan »

Bone Horrors both Common and Greater have Number appearing as 'varied' and don't give specific to determine number found.
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coureur_d_bois
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by coureur_d_bois »

Unfortunately, I found quite a lot of SRD content in the Field Guide. I'm going to start identifying the SRD content using the same method as for the Core Rules.

Reviewed Sections: Reviewers:
  • Boggo
  • Jim1804
  • coureur_d_bois
  • LibraryLass
  • Vindeishi
Last edited by coureur_d_bois on Wed Jan 11, 2023 10:02 pm, edited 18 times in total.
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coureur_d_bois
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by coureur_d_bois »

INTRODUCTION
p1, r42

Red is verbatim in SRD

Need a few new monsters? You've come to the right place! What you are reading is the first monster supplement for the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. If you aren't familiar with the Basic Fantasy RPG, please visit our website at basicfantasy.org and download a copy of the rules.
Monsters in this work are presented in the same format as in the Basic Fantasy Core Rules. Below is the explanatory text from that work:

Terms Used In This Work

Name: The first thing given for each monster is its name (the most common name, if the monster is known by more than one). If an asterisk appears after the monster's name, it indicates that the monster can only be hit by special weapons (such as silver or magical weapons, or creatures affected only by fire, etc.) which makes the monster harder to defeat.

Armor Class: This line gives the creature’s AC for normal combat. If the monster customarily wears armor, the first listed AC value is with that armor, and the second, in parentheses, is unarmored. Some monsters are only able to be hit (damaged) by silver or magical weapons; these are indicated either in words or with a dagger (†); some monsters may only be hit with magical weapons, indicated by a double dagger (‡).

Hit Dice: This line gives the creature’s number of hit dice, and lists any bonus hit points. Monsters always roll eight sided dice (d8) for hit points, unless otherwise noted. So a creature with 3+2 hit dice rolls 3d8 and adds 2 points to the total.

One or more asterisks (*) may appear after the hit dice figure; where present, they indicate a Special Ability Bonus to experience points (XP) awarded for the monster. See Character Advancement in the Adventure section of the Core Rules for more details.

If the monster's Attack Bonus is different than its number of Hit Dice, for convenience the Attack Bonus will be listed in parentheses after the Hit Dice figure.

Movement: This line gives the monster's movement rate, or rates for those monsters able to move in more than one fashion. For example, Goblins have a normal walking movement of 20', and this is all that is listed for them. Mermaids can only move about in the water, and so their movement is given as Swim 40'. Pegasi can both walk and fly, so their movement is listed as 80' Fly 160'.

In addition, a distance may appear in parentheses after a movement figure; this is the creature's turning distance (see Part 5: The Encounter in the Basic Fantasy RPG Core Rules). If a turning distance is not listed, assume 5'.

Attacks: The number (and sometimes type or types) of attacks the monster can perform. For example, Grimlocks may attack once with a weapon, so they are marked 1 battleaxe. Chasenets are marked 1 spines/1 bite as they can attack with both spines and also bite in one round.

Damage: The damage caused by successful attacks by the monster. Generally this will be defined in terms of one or more die rolls.

No. Appearing: This is given in terms of one or more die rolls. Monsters that only appear underground and have no lairs will have a single die roll; those that have lairs and/or those that can be found in the wilderness will be noted appropriately. For example, a monster noted as “1d6, Wild 2d6, Lair 3d6” is encountered in groups of 1d6 individuals in a dungeon setting, 2d6 individuals in the wilderness, or 3d6 individuals in a lair.

Note that number appearing applies to combatants. Non-combatant monsters (juveniles, and sometimes females) do not count in this number. The text of the monster description should explain this in detail where it matters, but the Game Master is always the final arbiter.

Save As: The character class and level the monster uses for saving throws. Most monsters save as Fighters of a level equal to their hit dice.

Morale: The number that must be rolled equal to or less than on 2d6 for the monster to pass a Morale Check. Monsters having a Morale of 12 never fail morale checks, and fight until destroyed or have no enemies left.

Treasure Type: This line reflects how much wealth the creature owns. See the Treasure section of the Basic Fantasy RPG Core Rules for more details. In most cases, a creature keeps valuables in its home or lair and has no treasure with it when it travels. Intelligent creatures that own useful, portable treasure (such as magic items) tend to carry and use these, leaving bulky items at home.

XP: The number of experience points awarded for defeating this monster. In some cases, the figure will vary; for instance, Dragons of different age categories will have different XP values. Review the Experience Points awards table in the Adventure section of the Basic Fantasy RPG Core Rules to calculate the correct figure in these cases.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by coureur_d_bois »

Monsters Starting with Letter A
pp 2-8, r42

In red is verbatim in SRD

Aboleth (and Skum)

The Aboleth are an ancient race of fish-like amphibians, usually found lurking in subterranean waters. One resembles a huge, slimy fish, with three large eyes and four long, sticky tentacles arranged around its mouth. An aboleth secretes an oily, foul-smelling slime, polluting the water where the creature lurks.

A blow from an aboleth’s tentacle deals 1d6 points of damage. Any living creature hit by a tentacle must save vs. Paralysis or begin to transform over the next 1d4+1 turns. The skin gradually becomes a translucent, slimy membrane. An afflicted creature must remain moistened with fresh water or suffer 1d12 points of damage every turn. A cure disease or remove curse spell cast before the transformation is complete will restore an afflicted creature to normal. After the transformation is complete, only a heal spell can reverse it.

An aboleth can cast ventriloquism, phantasmal force and hallucinatory terrain at will, as long as these illusions appear within a range of 60 feet of the creature.

Up to three times per day, an aboleth can attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 feet. The target must save vs. Spells or be utterly dominated by the aboleth's mental power. An enslaved creature will obey the telepathic commands of the aboleth. Such a creature can attempt a new save vs. Spells every 24 hours to break free, or can be freed by a remove curse spell. The control is also broken if the aboleth dies or is separated from its slave by more than a mile.

The slime an aboleth secretes allows a living creature (generally its slaves) to breathe underwater for the next 3 hours, but for the same duration the affected creature can no longer breathe air; such a creature suffocates in 2d6 minutes if removed from water. Continuous and repeated exposure to the slime slowly transforms the creature into a skum. The transformation takes about a month, and once complete the creature is forever a slave to the aboleth.

Skum are hapless humanoid creatures transformed by aboleths as their servants. A skum resembles a horrific combination of fish and humanoid. It has a slimy, scaly skin and a finned tail used for swimming. A skum attacks with its teeth and razor-sharp claws, or with any weapon provided by its master. Skum have darkvision with a range of 60 feet. They have the same breathing capabilities (and limitations) described above.

In the presence of its aboleth master, a skum becomes totally fearless, having a Morale of 12. If the aboleth master dies its skum enter a frenzied rage, attacking any creature in sight and seeking additional victims when those nearby have been vanquished.

Allip

An Allip is the spectral remains of someone driven to suicide by a madness that afflicted it in life. An allip is not entirely mindless, but it is quite insane.

The insane babbling of an allip causes all creatures within 60 feet to save vs. Paralysis or stop and stare blankly, unable to move, attack, or defend. Anyone who saves successfully will be unaffected by the allip's babble for 24 hours. An allip's touch does no direct physical damage, but instead drains one energy level; further, the allip regenerates 1d6 hit points for each level drained.

As with all undead, an allip can be Turned by a Cleric (as a mummy), and are immune to sleep, charm or hold spells. Anyone using mind-reading magic against one will suffer energy drain just as if touched. An allip is insanely fearless and always fights until destroyed.

Ankheg

An Ankheg is a burrowing insect-like monster with six legs and a nasty disposition. It is about 10 feet long and weighs about 800 pounds. An ankheg usually lies 5 to 10 feet below the surface, until its antennae detect the approach of prey; it then burrows up to attack, surprising on a roll of 1-3 on 1d6. Clusters of ankhegs may share the same territory but do not cooperate; in particular, this means that morale should be checked for each individual separately.

If an ankheg hits with its bite attack, it will grab its prey and retreat down its tunnel, dragging the victim with it. The individual automatically takes bite damage each round, and may only attempt to break the hold as if doing an 'open doors' attempt (1 on d6, adding Strength bonus to range). Larger-than-man-sized opponents cannot be dragged underground, but the ankheg will still hold on to the victim and do damage every round as above.

In desperation, an ankheg can spit a line of acid; one will use this attack upon failing a morale check, and then flee on the next round if any opponents are still standing. This attack affects all opponents within a 30 feet long, 5 feet wide path, doing 5d6 points of damage; a successful saving throw vs. Dragon Breath will reduce this damage by half. An ankheg can use this attack at most once every six hours.

Ant Lion, Giant

OK, not in SRD

Anubian

OK, not in SRD

Ape, Bonobo

OK, not in SRD

Ape, Carnivorous Snow

OK, not in SRD

Ape, Chimpanzee

OK, not in SRD

Ape, Gigantopithecus

OK, not in SRD

Ape, Girallon

Girallons are the savage, four-armed, magical cousins of the gorilla. An adult girallon is about 8 feet tall, broad-chested, and covered in thick fur. It weighs about 800 pounds. A solitary girallon usually conceals itself, attacking with surprise. When a girallon spots or smells prey, it charges. A girallon picks up prey that is small enough to carry and withdraws, often vanishing into the trees before the victim’s companions can retaliate.

A girallon that hits with two or more claw attacks latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an extra 2d4 points of damage.

Ape, Gorilla

OK, not in SRD

Ape, Orangutan

OK, not in SRD

Ape, Winged

OK, not in SRD

Aranea

An Aranea is an intelligent, shape-changing spider-creature with sorcerous powers. It has three distinct forms; in its natural form, one appears as a giant spider having a pair of small arms (about 2 ft long) located just below its fanged mandibles. The second form is a hybrid spider-humanoid form, a sort of a spider-centaur having a multi-eyed spider face. The third form is that of a humanoid which might be any size from halfling to human; other than its dark, coarse hair and slightly bulging eyes, this form is not particularly spider-like. The humanoid form is distinctive; an individual aranea cannot change its humanoid form, either in terms of appearance nor size. An aranea remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one, and can only change forms once per round.

Aranea generally speak Common and may be able to speak other humanoid languages as well. They have Darkvision with a 60 feet range, and can cast spells as 4th level magic-users. These powers can be used in any form.

In human or hybrid form the aranea may utilize weapons and other equipment of the same sorts that might be used by normal characters. In these forms one has a movement rate of 30 feet per round. The humanoid form has no other special abilities beyond spells and weapon use. In spider or hybrid form the aranea may bite; those bitten must save vs. Poison or die, in addition to taking normal damage.

In either hybrid or spider form an aranea may create a web up to six times per day, in a fashion similar to the web spell. This effect is not magical; it has a maximum range of 50 feet, and covers at most three 10' x 10' x 10' cubes (or equivalent volume).

Aranea in spider form may move through any web, whether created by magic, by a giant spider, or by an aranea, at the listed movement rate. This makes an aranea effectively immune to the web spell.

Armorollo

OK, not in SRD
Last edited by coureur_d_bois on Wed Jan 11, 2023 5:43 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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SmootRK
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by SmootRK »

Change the word "line" to "entry". Solves much of the intro portion.
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?
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Jim1804
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Jim1804 »

Monsters Starting with Letter Z
pp. 77-78, R 42

Zombie, Flesh Eater

OK - not in the SRD

Zombie, Leper

OK - not in the SRD

Zombraire (and Skeletaire)

OK - not in the SRD
Last edited by Jim1804 on Wed Jan 11, 2023 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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LibraryLass
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by LibraryLass »

Monsters Starting with Letter B
pp 8-15, r42

In red is verbatim in SRD, Italics is stuff that's close enough I would probably want to rephrase.

Badger, Giant
No text taken from SRD entries for Badger or Dire Badger.

Banshee

Not from SRD, nothing to worry about.

Barghest

No text taken from SRD.

Bat, Giant Flying Fox

A giant flying fox has a wingspan over 15 feet and weighs over 200 pounds

Behir

Behirs are an original-to-D&D monster we may want to reimagine.

The Behir is a serpentine monster that can slither like a snake or use its dozen legs to move with considerable speed. A behir is around 40 feet long and weighs about 4,000 pounds. The coloration of a behir ranges from ultramarine to deep blue with bands of gray-brown
[...]
A behir will bite its foe and then coil around it. On following rounds, the behir causes 1d8 points of
constriction damage and rakes at the victim with 6 of its claws for 1d4 points of damage each.
[...]
The swallowed creature may attempt to cut its way out using a small edged weapon such as a dagger to deal 20 points of damage to the behir's insides (AC 15)
[...]
A behir can breathe forth a bolt of lightning once every 10 rounds, dealing 7d6 points of damage to all in its path (20 ft. long x 5 ft. wide).

Bisren
Not from SRD, nothing to worry about

Blade Spirit, Common and Greater
Not from SRD, nothing to worry about

Bog Crone
Not from SRD, nothing to worry about

Boggart
Not from SRD, nothing to worry about

Boglin
Not from SRD, nothing to worry about

Bone Horror, Common and Greater
Not from SRD, nothing to worry about

Bronze Bird
Not from SRD, nothing to worry about

Brownie
Not from SRD (to my great surprise), nothing to worry about

Bulette
D&D original monster, should probably be reimagined entirely. Burrower? Land-shark? Burrow beast?

The Bulette (pronounced Boo-lay) is a terrifying predator that lives only to eat. Almost 10 feet tall and 15 feet long, it resembles something akin to a gigantic armadillo crossed with a snapping turtle. A bulette moves by quickly burrowing through the earth, leaping out to attack those on the surface.

Bunyip
Not from SRD, nothing to worry about
Last edited by LibraryLass on Wed Jan 11, 2023 5:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Jim1804 »

Monsters Starting with Letter W
pp. 75-77, r42

Italicized text from SRD

Will O' Wisp

A Will-o’-Wisp is a faintly-glowing sphere of light that is yellow or white. It is easily mistaken for a lantern, especially in the foggy marshes and swamps where it typically resides. A will-o’-wisp’s body is a globe of spongy material about 1 foot across and weighs about 3 pounds. Its body sheds as much light as a torch. It has no vocal apparatus, but can vibrate to create a voice with a ghostly sound.

A will-o’-wisp usually avoids combat. When it is forced to fight, it emits small electrical shocks. A will-o’-wisp is immune to all spells except magic missile. A startled or frightened will-o’-wisp can extinguish its glow, effectively becoming invisible.

Wolf, Giant (Winter and Worg)
Referencing Dire Wolf and Worg in SRD

Winter Wolf - OK, not in SRD

Worg has a good bit of verbatim text.

A Worg is a thoroughly evil creature with gray or black fur. It is 5 feet long and stands 3 feet tall at the shoulder, and weighs 300 pounds. More intelligent than its smaller cousin, a worg speaks its own language. Some can also speak Common and goblin.

Mated pairs or packs work together to bring down large game, while a lone worg usually chases down creatures smaller than itself. Both often use hit-and-run tactics to exhaust their quarry. A worg that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action. The target of the trip attack must save vs. Death Ray or fall to the ground.

Wolverine

The Wolverine is a furry animal with a squat, powerful body. Its strong forelimbs are armed with long claws for digging. The adult wolverine is about the size of a medium dog, with a length of 2 to 3 feet, a tail from 1 to 2feet long, and weighs 20 to 35 pounds. The males are as much as 30 percent larger than the females.

In appearance, the wolverine resembles a small bear with a long tail. It has been known to give off a very strong, extremely unpleasant odor, giving rise to the nicknames "skunk bear" and "nasty cat." A wolverine that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage on its next turn, clawing and biting madly until either it or its opponent is dead. While in its rage it has +2 to hit but -2 to AC.

Wug

Referencing "Bullywug". Surprisingly, these aren't in the 3.5 SRD. But a quick Google search shows some 5e "SRD" sites that have some similar wording. I put SRD in quotes because I don't see them in the 'official' SRD - https://media.wizards.com/2016/download ... L_V5.1.pdf; I know that's not what we're worried about, but the words "nasty, brutish" are repeated across some websites, which might be coincidence? This is also one of those monsters that appears to be not in the SRD because it's proprietary, rather than something invented for BF.

The Wug are a race of nasty, brutish (similar to the text on some websites, but I can't pin down the origin) humanoid frogs. They infest swamps and other waterways, regularly attacking other humanoids in search of loot and sacrifices. A wug resembles a bipedal frog with a wide mouth, bulging eyes, and splotchy green skin. An adult stands around 5 feet tall and weighs around 180 pounds; males and females are roughly the same size, and non-wugs cannot generally tell them apart. A wug generally goes about naked except for a belt to carry its knives and pouches. All wug tribes are led by a shaman. Wugs speak Common and their own croaking tongue.

A wug is a crafty and merciless warrior, throwing itself into battle with a zealous fanaticism. It will attempt to take prisoners when possible for later sacrifice. It prefers to attack from ambush and is cunning enough to use the terrain to its advantage.

Wugs are known to tame other amphibious monsters, in particular giant frogs and toads as well as prince frogs; such creatures might be encountered in a wug lair.
Last edited by Jim1804 on Wed Jan 11, 2023 6:51 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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