Medieval-Man's Monster Thread (Retired)

[MedievalMan]

Yet another monster appearing in the adventure I am working on. I got a little creative with the description to try and differentiate scrags from normal trolls. I personally like the little inclusion about patchwork armor they may be wearing. Anyway, as always, enjoy.

EDIT
Scrapped the whole thing and started again. Redoing the treasure type every hour was getting ridiculous.

Scrag
Armor Class: 14
Hit Dice: 4*
No. of Attacks: 2 claws/ 1 bite
Damage: 1d4/1d4/1d8
Movement: 40', Swim 30'
No Appearing: Wild 1d6, Lair 2d4
Save As: Fighter 4
Morale: 10 (8)
Treasure Type: B; D in lair
XP: 280

Scrags are the smaller relatives of the more common troll. They are aquatic and are only found in environments where water is plentiful. Scrags are often known by the alternate titles of swamp troll and bridge troll. They resemble normal trolls in appearance but are shorter, around 7 feet tall, and are much more burly and stocky in shape weighing around 400 lbs. Scrags typically wear rough battered clothing and sometimes don crude patchwork armor (25% chance, AC 16). Scrags tend to be much smarter than the average troll and thus are far more likely to communicate with potential victims rather than just attack. They will usually demand some sort of tribute in broken common and will often leave would be victims alone if their demands are met. Scrags are smart enough to make use of any magical treasure that may be in their possession. Scrags, like trolls, have the ability to regenerate damage. A scrag, however, must have at least 50% of its body immersed in water for their regeneration to take effect. Unlike normal trolls, scrags regenerate damage dealt by acid. The lower morale rating (in parenthesis) is used when the scrag faces attackers armed with fire.

[SmootRK]

I like it. If you use this thread or another to write up a few creatures, I will try to incorporate them into the Field Guide when I get back around to working on it. My attention wanders from project to project at times; right now (except for the last few days where heat, dryness, fires, and the like have sapped my ability to sit still at the computer), my attention is more on spells.

[MedievalMan]

Sure I can post the Hag and Duergar here as well. I also have a very special project in the works. The Tyrian Dragon! A rework of an old classic I made for a campaign once. I was also going do a setting specific write up on orcs. Would it be cool if I placed it here as well?

[MedievalMan]

Bog Hag
Armor Class: 15
Hit Dice: 5+2**
No. of Attacks: 2 claws
Damage: 1d4+2/1d4+2
Movement: 30', Swim 40'
No Appearing: Solitary
Save As: Fighter 5
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: C; E, N + 1d4 random potions in lair
XP: 450

Bog Hags are loathsome and repugnant crones with blueish-green skin and long black hair. They are cunning and cruel, toying with their prey before moving in for the kill. Bog Hags are not as magically inclined as their sisters, but more than make up for it with their fearsome physical attributes. Bog Hags are master potion makers, and their huts and caves are usually festooned with potions of all varieties. As their name suggest Bog Hags prefer to live in swampy, overgrown environs. They are aquatic and can breathe underwater.

Bog Hags are cunning foes and use the terrain of their marshy homes to their advantage. They are capable of moving in near complete silence while in swampy terrain, surprising opponents on 1-3 on 1d6. A favored tactic of Bog Hags is to surprise a single opponent and drag them away into a deep pool of water where they then drown the individual. Bog Hags have fearsome talon like claws that they use to rip apart their victims. If a Bog Hag manages to hit a single enemy with both claw attacks in a single round, they may make a third claw attack against the same target. Bog Hags exude an aura of unwholesomeness. Near their lair animals grow sick and die, plants wither, and water turns foul. This aura of evil even effects magic and any healing spell cast upon a target that is standing within 30' of the Hag only heals half the normal amount.

[MedievalMan]

Duergar
Armor Class: 15 (11)
Hit Dice: 1+1
No. of Attacks: 1 weapon
Damage: 1d8 or by weapon
Movement: 20’ Unarmored 40'
No. Appearing: 2d4, Wild 3d6, Lair 10d10
Save As: Fighter 1 (with Dwarf bonuses)
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Q, S, U each; G in lair
XP: 25

The duergar are slavers who dwell in volcanic regions as well as the underdark. They raid surrounding territories on a regular basis always seeking to replenish their workforce. They share the same height and build with their dwarven cousins but the physical resemblance ends there. Duergar have charcoal gray skin and hair that ranges in color from coal black, ghostly white, stone gray, and fiery orange. Duergar prefer to wear dark clothing to help blend in with their environment better. Their weaponry and armor is always of the highest quality.

The statistics given above are for a standard duergar warrior in chainmail armor; they have a natural Movement rate of 40' and a natural armor class of 11.

Duergar are pragmatic fighters and always seek the path to victory that is the least dangerous for themselves. They employ slave warriors in large numbers, typically gnolls, goblins, or orcs. Duergar are naturally stealthy and will surprise their enemies on a roll on 1-3 on 1d6. They are typically well organized and equipped and under the proper strategist a small group of duergar could potentially devastate a much larger enemy force. Duergar have a simmering hatred for their kin and will attack dwarves first unless ordered otherwise.

One out of every eight duergar will be a sergeant of 3+3 hit dice (145 XP). Regular duergar gain a +1 bonus to their morale when they are led by a sergeant. In duergar lairs, one out of every twelve will be a captain of 5+5 hit dice (360 XP), with an armor class of 16 (11) having a +1 bonus to melee damage due to strength. In lairs of 30 or greater, there will be a duergar clan leader of 7+7 hit dice (670 XP), with an armor class of 17 (11) having a +2 bonus to melee damage. In the lair, duergar never fail morale as long as their clan leader lives. In addition, a lair has a chance equal to 1-2 on 1d6 of a forge priest being present (or 1-3 on 1d6 if a duergar clan leader is present), and a 1 on 1d6 chance of a sorcerer being present as well. A forge priest is equivalent to a duergar sergeant statistically, but has clerical abilities at level 1d6+1. A sorcerer is equivalent to regular duergar, but has magic-user abilities of level 1d6.

[SmootRK]

Sure, but I will probably try to limit the actual Field Guide entries to creatures that not just tweaked versions of other creatures... if there are substantial differences (besides cultural/visual) then I will say maybe, but not just flavored slightly different.... because, when I do the field guide, I try to strip out much of that sort of fluff anyhow, even descriptions are generalized so that the GM can insert where/how they want.

That is one of the failures of 2e Monsters, the fact that they detail everything, Ecology, regions/range, etc. when that should be very general at best. Otherwise, I prefer 2e monster entries for their more thought out creatures.

[MedievalMan]

Alright in any case I am just going to post whatever monsters I write up here from now on rather than creating a new entry for each individual one.

[MedievalMan]

This is the orcish write up for the campaign setting I am toying with. I took a lot on inspiration from Tolkien and D&D Next in putting it together.

Orc
Armor Class: 14 (11)
Hit Dice: 1
No. of Attacks: 1 weapon
Damage: 1d8 or by weapon
Movement: 30’ Unarmored 40'
No. Appearing: 2d4, Wild 3d6, Lair 10d6
Save As: Fighter 1
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: P, Q; D in lair
XP: 25

Orcs are not natural creatures rather they are the product of foul sorcery that binds an evil spirit to a body created from slime of the earth. Orcs have a disgusting appearance due in part to their oily, unwashed skin, bristly hair, and porcine features. They have brown or brown-green skin and greasy black hair. They walk in a stopped posture. Everything they touch becomes filthy, from their rusty blackened armor to the soiled rags they wear. This is due in part to their magical origins as orcs carry an unclean taint with them that inevitably spoils anything they come in contact with for any length of time. Orcs are typically found in the thrall of much more powerful creatures that know the secret of their creation. Orcs not commanded by some greater power form their own crude tribes and war among themselves incessantly. The mighty have power in orcish communities, and they can do and say as they please. Murder, theft, and worse plague orc camps, and prisoners can expect nothing but endless toil and an agonizing death. When orcs establish more permanent settlements, they use slaves to raise watchtowers and palisades. These sites typically sit atop mines and tunnels that lead to the pits from which new orcs are spawned. Vile humors and vapors rise up from these pits and have a toxic influence on the surrounding countryside. It doesn't take long before such regions are rendered a brown and gray wasteland.

The statistics given above are for a standard orc in piecemeal armor (AC 13) wielding a shield; they have a natural Movement rate of 40' and a natural armor class of 11. Orcs have Darkvision 60'. They suffer a -1 attack penalty in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a spell causing magical light.

Orcs lack discipline or finesse in battle; they are more butchers than warriors. They kill and burn all that they can ignoring pleas for mercy and asking for none in return. Orcs can be brought in line through the use of fear and physical punishment and when so organized can be effective in battle. Though orcs are capable of crafting their own goods they more often just steal what they need, or simply cobble together gear from whatever bits and pieces they can scavange.

One out of every eight orcs will be a warrior of 2 hit dice (75 XP). Orcs gain a +1 bonus to their morale if they are led by a warrior. In the wilderness and orc lairs, one out of every twelve orcs will be a champion of 4 hit dice (240 XP), with an armor class of 15 (11), having a +1 bonus to damage due to strength. In orc lairs of 30 or more, there will be an orc chieftain of 6 hit dice (500 XP), with an armor class of 16 (11) having a +2 bonus to damage due to great strength. In the lair, orcs never fail a morale check as long as their chieftain lives. In addition, a lair has a chance equal to 1-2 on 1d6 of a necrolyte being present. A necrolyte is equal to a warrior orc statistically, but has clerical abilities at level 1d4+1.

[MedievalMan]

Got two new monsters on the way. The undead guardians known as Hollow Ones and the fearsome Tyrian Dragon. WOOooooOOOooooOOOOoo I can say anything here cause I doubt anyone will read this OOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOo. (JK)

[SmootRK]

Got two new monsters on the way. The undead guardians known as Hollow Ones and the fearsome Tyrian Dragon. WOOooooOOOooooOOOOoo I can say anything here cause I doubt anyone will read this OOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOo. (JK)

I read everything!!

Its my job as a duly appointed Moderator.