Lunging Spider Ape

Lunging Spider Ape
Medium Beast, Chaotic, Forest

No. Appearing: 1d4+1 (1d6+1)
Armor Class: 15
Hit Dice: 5 (20hp)
Move: 120’ (90’)/ 240’ (180’) Lunge
Attacks: 1 bite or 2 fists
Damage: 1d6+1 piercing, 1d8+1 bludgeoning
Save: 12
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 8
XP Value: 160

Paralyzing Bite: target bitten must Save vs poison or become incapacitated for 2d6 rounds.

Cocoon: paralyzed victim will be cocooned in 2d8 rounds. STR check to break out in 1-6 rounds.

The king of the spiders was fecund and mated with the queens of many different species. Usually these unholy unions resulted in sterile spawn, but on rare occasions the offspring could breed and become their own species. Spider apes are one such kind.

Found in thick jungles and sub-tropical environments they tend to form into small troupes of 2-7 individuals with one male ruling the group. They are highly territorial and protective, especially of their young.

Warduke Wednesday

 

From the AD&D Coloring Book - The Crown of Rulership

Frazetta Friday

COMBAT
(1965)

Cover art for Blazing Combat #1 Warren Publishing

A print of this was hanging on our barracks wall when I was in the Army, I always thought it was incredibly powerful full of energy and emotion.

Knotted Tongue Louse

Knotted Tongue Louse
Tiny Beast, Chaotic, Urban

No. Appearing: 1d4+1 (1d6+1)
Armor Class: 17
Hit Dice: 1/2 (2hp)
Move: 0’ (0’)
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1 slashing
Save: 15
Morale: n/a
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 7
XP Value: 16

Replace tongue: target infected must Save vs poison or the louse lodges itself on the target’s tongue.

The eggs of this louse can be found in barrels of low quality old ale, musty water in dungeons, or in witch’s brews. It infects its host by being consumed when it is but a tiny egg. It attaches to the tongue and slowly devours it, replacing the tongue. This takes 2-7 weeks and is relatively painless because the louse secretes a numbing fluid. It then has full control over its host’s verbal output. It will say inappropriate things at inopportune times and develops a distinct personality, roll on the table below. 

Personality (roll 1d6):

1. Sarcastic
2. Belligerent
3. Dishonest
4. Contrarian
5. Indecisive
6. Insulting

A cure disease will remove it. Some sort of regeneration will be required to heal the tongue, the victim will be mute in the meantime.

A New OSR Blog: Rhoringhad

A new OSR blog? The heyday of old-school RPG blogs has long been over, much of the discussions have moved to various social media and forums. For many of us though blogs were, and still are, the best! (well, maybe G+ was right up there until Google unceremoniously shut it down)

It isn't as often these days you see new OSR blogs pop up.

Richard Whitters was art director over at Wizards of the Coast on both the Magic: the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons lines. I've long enjoyed his work as it was a combination of old-school aesthetic with a bit of contemporary style. Really outstanding work. He is clearly someone who's loved D&D since the early days, and it shows in his art. Check it this cool Bulette he drew:

He has started a blog with fellow designer Matthew Walsh to document the development of a new OSR RPG called Ruttigers. I like this stated goal for the design: "Old School: Essentially, similar to the Classic play style, but set to hard mode, much like some of the oldest of old school games."

He's released a sneak peek of the initiative system and it is a nice streamlined method that takes advantage of the best of side-based and individual-based initiative. 

Check it out:

https://rhoringhad.blogspot.com/

Warduke Wednesday

 A new Warduke drawing by Timothy Truman (well, new to me as I haven't seen it before).

Credit to @YoDanno for posting on the Twatter app: https://twitter.com/YoDanno/status/1565088071896502273

Jugular Seeker

 

Jugular Seeker
Medium Plant, Chaotic, Forest

No. Appearing: 1d4+1 (1d6+1)
Armor Class: 17
Hit Dice: 6+2 (26hp)
Move: 20’ (10’)
Attacks: 1 bite or 2 claws
Damage: 1d6+1 piercing, 1d4+1 slashing
Save: 15
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 12
XP Value: 75

Attach: target bitten must make a STR check, if they fail the Jugular Seeker latches on to the victim’s neck.

Drain: target is drained of 1d6 hp per round until dislodged or the Jugular Seeker is satisfied.

Regenerate: recovers 1d6 hp per round while in contact with soil from a grave.

Weaknesses to Sunlight, Garlic, and Holy Water: The Jugular Seeker takes 2d12 damage per turn while in contact with these things.

This carnivorous plant is possessed by an evil soul. It seeks out the jugular veins of creatures from which to feed on. 

Appearing as a common monkshood with a faint blue-green bioluminescent glow this plant can be found in enchanted forests and haunted woods. When the blood of an innocent victim is spilled on it, and a vampire has been impaled nearby, this can create the right conditions for the plant to be possessed by the spirit of the vampire.

The Jugular Seeker much like vampires, is harmed by sunlight, garlic, and holy water. And it prefers to be planted in soil from a grave, especially from the home land of it’s vampire soul, where it will regenerate 1d6 hp per turn while in contact with this dirt.

An exorcise spell will banish the evil vampire spirit from the plant.

Infectious Mushroom Crab

Infectious Mushroom Crab
Small Beast, Chaotic, Underworld

No. Appearing: 1d4+1 (1d6+1)
Armor Class: 19
Hit Dice: 3+2 (14hp)
Move: 90’ (60’)
Attacks: 2 claws, 1 bite
Damage: 1d4+1 slashing, 1d4 piercing
Save: 14
Morale: 6
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 2
XP Value: 75

Grapple: on a successful hit with both claws the target must make a STR check or become grappled. Grappled targets will be automatically bitten the next round.

Infect: target bitten must Save vs poison or become infected and will slowly transform into a Mushroom Crab over the course of 2-5 weeks. One limb at a time.

Mushroom crabs often infest damp or watery areas of the underworld where they feed off of debris left by other inhabitants. They are mostly reclusive and solitary, but during breeding season they seek out living prey which to infect and propagate. During these times they become highly active and agressive.

A Cure Disease spell can halt the infection, though any parts that have been transformed will remain.

Some witches insist that mushroom crab makes a delicious soup that has restorative properties.

Haunted Sapling

Haunted Sapling
Large Beast, Chaotic, Forest

No. Appearing: 0 (2d6+1)
Armor Class: 16
Hit Dice: 5+2 (22hp)
Move: 90’
Attacks: 2 claws
Damage: 1d6+1 slashing
Save: 12
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 10
XP Value: 195

Blight: trees near them will become tainted and eventually become Haunted Saplings.

Distrust fire: And those who wield it.

Surprise: On a 1–3, in a forest, due to being mistaken for a tree. Encounter occurs at 30 yards or less.

Animate trees: Each individual can animate 1 tree (within 60’; may switch trees at will). These fight as haunted saplings with movement rate 30’ (10’).

The cursed spawn of tainted Treants, Haunted Saplings are giant (12’ tall) humanoid looking trees. They dwell in forests and are primarily concerned with protecting the plants of their home with a vengeance.  They can speak common but talk in a slow long-winded and circuitous manner.

Unlike normal Treants, Haunted Sapling’s are malevolent and ill willed. They don’t just want to protect their forest, they want to see the elimination of any creature that may harm the woods, and particularly those who weild fire and axe.

They infest the trees and their blight spreads throughout the entire grove they live in, until the woods themselves seethe with anger.

Grungeling

Grungeling
Tiny Beast, Neutral, Swamp

No. Appearing: 1d6 (2d6)
Armor Class: 11
Hit Dice: 2 (8hp)
Move: 30’
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1 piercing
Save: 16
Morale: n/a
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 9
XP Value: 50

Control: target bitten must Save vs Paralyze or fall under the complete control of the Grungeling.

This tiny barnacle like creature attaches to the base of its victim’s skull. It injects tiny filiments that slowly replace the synapses in the victim’s brain, eventually gaining full control. The host will develop a wanderlust and will seek out new swampy areas. The creature will be barely noticable as a small crusty mole or scab.

Under fetid and rotting wood where fungus grows thick these creatures lurk and wait for suitable hosts. They will attach to any intelligent or semi-intelligent creature, including animals, but prefer humanoids. They infect their host and use them to traverse to new areas where they can release spores into. Once they’ve done this the Grungeling perishes and will fall off like an old scab. The host will then return to normal, though they may be a bit groggy and confused for 1d4 days.

Removing the Grungeling by force may cost the host 1d4 points of damage.

Frazetta Friday

Frank Frazetta The Amsirs and the Iron Thorn Painted Book Cover Original Art (Fawcett, 1967).

https://www.frazettagirls.com/products/at-the-earths-core-print

Fearmonger

Fearmonger
Medium Beast, Chaotic, Extra Planar

No. Appearing: 1 (1)
Armor Class: 18
Hit Dice: 8+2 (36hp)
Move: 90’ (60’)
Attacks: 1 bite and 2 claws
Damage: 1d6+1 piercing, 2d4+1/2d4+1 slashing
Save: 12
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: V
Intelligence: 17
XP Value: 750

Fear: target must Save or become incapacitated, cowering in fear unable to perform any actions other than basic defense for 2d6 rounds.

Ethereal: they can become ethereal at will.

 Cocoon: if a target is incapacitated, the Fearmonger can encase them in a cocoon (DC 15 to break out) in 2-5 rounds. To preserve as a snack for later.

Ethereal Gateway: can open a gateway to the ethereal realm and pull cocooned victims in, then close the portal so they are trapped forever with him.

Spells: they may recall 1d4 spells from the magic-user they absorbed. Choose randomly.

A Fearmonger is a vestigial humanoid creature that dwells in the ethereal realm. It appears as a bloated carcass with strange vine like growths wrapped over its form. It is created when a Cosmic Horror absorbs the life force of a powerful mage, sometimes they metamorphose into a Fearmonger. These larger more powerful creatures seek to devour the life energy of anyone it encounters. They feed off the fear their presence brings. 

Common Spells Known

1. Charm Person
2. Sleep
3. Mirror Image
4. Haste
5. Slow
6. Confusion

Ear Worm

Ear Worm
Tiny Beast, Chaotic, Underworld

No. Appearing: 1d4+1 (1d6+1)
Armor Class: 17
Hit Dice: 1 (4hp)
Move: 30’
Attacks: 1 lunge
Damage: 1 piercing
Save: 15
Morale: 6
Treasure Type: M
Intelligence: 2
XP Value: 15

Luring Hum: target must save vs spells or be charmed and put its ear near the Ear Worm.

Acid Juices: exudes toxic juices that inflict 1hp per hour.

Larvae: devour their prey from the inside over the course of 3-18 days.

This dangerous carnivorous worm emits a pleasant hum that lures prey, when the target is near the worm jumps into the victim’s ear. This temporarily immobilizes the victim who will then be slowly devoured by the Ear Worm’s acidic juices. It will lay its eggs, which will hatch larvae that devour the prey from the inside.

It will not be obvious from the outside that a host is infected with Ear Worm eggs, they will lose 1 Intelligence point per day so will slowly become more vegetative.

The larvae can be removed by a loud thunderous sound, which is likely to cause damage to the host and a hum will persist and resonate in the victim’s ears for 1-6 weeks making them temporarily deaf. Lost Intelligence points will not recover unless a Cure Serious Wounds or better is used.