HD-
1-1
AC-
12
Morale-
8 / “With Party”
Numbers-
Just one
Attacks-
(-2 to hit) Useless flailing at 1d2
Abilities-
Religious, Obliviousness, Cleric Spells (x2)
The Abbot Gnome is
an unusual monster. It looks like a pale skinned gnome-ish creature
usually found deep within the Earth. It is always wearing religious
attire, welcomes the party warmly, and asks to accompany them for its
blessing. The Abbot Gnome always detects as Lawful Good. It chides
party members about their lack of faith or morality. The Abbot Gnome
can also cast up to 2 Cleric spells per day, but when using these to
heal the party they always roll the lowest possible result, where as
when it heals itself it always gets the maximum result instead.
The Abbot Gnome
seems to be in truth a spirit of mischief, as its constant oblivious
nature and uselessness get people into trouble. It screams loudly
upon failing a morale check whenever it sees an enemy monster (morale
at 8, but doesn't run from combat unless party runs), it leans up
against trap switches accidentally, or suggests the party go down
paths or take courses of action that will end up leading in disaster
even if they seemed reasonable on the surface.
After traveling
with the party for 2d6 turns or upon return to the next town or safe
spot, the Abbot Gnome will bid the party farewell. If the party
killed the gnome before them, or put up with it until that point, the
Gnome's burden upon them will finally be gone.
[2] Button Gryphon
HD-
7
AC-
14
Morale-
12
Numbers-
1 or 2
Attacks-
(+2 to hit) Two Claw attacks at 1d6+1
Abilities-
Flight, Button Open & Close, Inner Weakspot
Appearing as a
large bodied gyphon; except without a head. The combination of eagle
and lion looks mostly normal until reaching its front, where the head
is gone. Instead, its skin and fur is split into two halves much like
the top of a piece of clothing, bound together by a single large blue
button. The Button Gryphon can “pop” this button on or off in
order to activate its magical power of opening or locking. Inside the
space between the gryphons two halves is its normal flesh and fluff
of downy feathers; but it is weak to damage in the event that you
stab between its two skins while its button is open. In that case,
your attacks deal +2 damage.
Whenever the
button on the gryphon pops open and undone, this activates the power
of opening. Nearby, all objects that can open or be fastened open do
so. Bottles uncork, arrows fall from loosed quivers, swords shoot out
of sheathes, and so on. There is no save against this power, unless
if the opening is part of the person's body. For example, a
Frakenstien monster as a player character, whose brain can be
detached at will through a hole in their head. The Gryphon can use
this power to open up plated armor if it is fastened tight.
Whenever the
button on the gryphon pops closed, this creates a loud snapping
noise. All within striking distance take 1d4+1 damage from the
shockwave and are pushed backwards. This attack can only be avoided
by fighting at range or by using a spear or other long-reaching
weapon.
Finally, the
Gryphon will use this ability once every other round, shifting
between open and closed. It may also use this ability intelligently,
usually to find prey that hides itself inside of something like a
closed barrel with a lid or what have you.
[3] Pawn Eel
HD-
2
AC-
13
Morale-
10 (12 if defending nest)
Numbers-
1d4+1
Attacks-
(+1 to hit) d4 Bite
Abilities-
Slinky, Pawn
Appearing as a
small, winding gray-green eel, it can appear in both aquatic and
out-of-water environments, slinking through the air as though
untouched by gravity. It has the rough intelligence of a human, and
can speak. The eel kills and eats small dungeon prey, like gremlins
or rats of a non-giant variety. It is disinterested in fighting
humans, but will defend its nest.
This creature is notable because of its strange tenancy to hoard the objects of others; but only as a pawnbroker. The Pawn Eel will offer advice or directions in the dungeon, but will demand a token or valuable object of your own before answering. It will take the object back to its nest and protect it among its eggs and mates, only returning the object when you fulfill your end of the bargain. Often the Eel will ask you to perform a quest for it, or a cut of a treasure haul. As they have poor eyesight, it is often possible to trick them; such as by giving them a back up sword instead of your magic sword that they ask for as a 'deposit' on their guidance. It is not difficult to kill an eel and simply reclaim whatever it took from you, or to raid its nest, but the eels tend to make their nests in very tight tunnels and snakey passages, making it nearly impossible for you to retrieve your objects without the eel's help.
[4] Snakeskin Jerkin Bodkin
HD-
4
AC-
13
Morale-
9 (13 if worn)
Numbers-
Just one
Attacks-
Bodkin Pierce at 1d4+1 (automatic hit if worn)
Abilities-
Cursed Clothing, Unassuming Appearance
This monster
appears as inanimate when first seen. It tends to drap itself over
cloth racks, or sometimes wait patiently, even folding itself up, in
dusty old cabinets and wardrobes. This monster appears as a snakeskin
jerkin or leather vest. Anyone can tell from a glance that it is a
high quality bit of leather; if worn, it counts as a leather armor of
one higher armor class or value. In most games, leather armor is 12
AC, so this snakeskin jerkin counts as 13 if worn.
However,
the monster is still murderous. The moment it is put on, it will stab
whoever is wearing it with a tiny bodkin arrow point that
materializes from between its scales. This bodkin can stab inward
(automatically hitting the wearer of the vest without a to-hit roll)
or can stab outwards towards those touching the jerkin or the person
wearing it. Even if not being worn; there is a 1 in 6 chance that
whenever it is touched, moved into a pack, examined closely, or
draped over something it will attack the person touching it by
shoving the bodkin into them.
This object is
also slightly cursed. As long as it is “alive” the person wearing
it must make a save to take it off. Additionally, anyone who tries to
attack the Jerkin while it is worn will just attack the person
wearing it in addition to the monster. If the Jerkin is “killed”
or dispelled without too much damage being done to it, it will serve
as a useful bit of armor.
[5] Suicide Box
HD-
2
AC-
10
Morale-
N/A
Numbers-
2d4
Attacks-
N/A
Abilities-
Suicidal Instinct, Damage Reversal, Damage Sending
These boxes are
animated objects. They are small wooden cubes that rattle when they
move- within the boxes are collections of beads and finger bones,
possibly ritual accouterments to create these beings. The boxes
shuffle and flip over their corners to scoot around the floor and
move towards intruders and can also leap about 6 feet up in the air.
The suicide boxes
have only one goal; to kill themselves. Since they are made of wood,
they prefer to go for fire sources (like your torch), but can be
split apart by axes and the like. Whenever they find a group of
adventurers, the boxes will try very hard to break themselves on
them, or get the people to attack them. Whenever a box takes damage,
it deals the same amount of damage back to whoever did it against
them. If you split a box open for 8 damage points, you take 8 points
of damage. The wounds just appear on your body spontaneously.
If the damage
dealt to a box was directly dealt by a character, they take the full
damage.
If the damage deal
to a box was indirectly dealt, such as the box jumping onto a held
weapon, they take half the damage the box takes.
If the damage
dealt to a box was not related to a character's action, nearest
character takes 1d2. This damage 'sending' does not go through walls
or past a range of ~30 ft
While fighting the
boxes, player-characters get a new combat option- batting away the
box without hitting it with full force. This just deals 1 damage to
the box, and as such the player-character only takes 1 damage, but
can knock a box back or shove it down a hole. Whenever these things
are encountered, it is best to stuff them somewhere they can't hurt
themselves or somehow defeat them without destroying them.
[6] Plow Badger
HD-
1+5
AC-
11
Morale-
12
Numbers-
1d3
Attacks-
(+1 to hit) Soilclaws at 2d3
Abilities-
Burrowing, Stubbornness
These
broad-headed badgers are extremely proficient diggers, and can dig
furrows of soil about as fast as a man can walk. They can be absolute
hell on any farmer's field, and all the ones left in the wild are
considerably tougher and more stubborn as a result. The ones who died
to terriers digging them out of their burrows didn't pass on their
genes. In some civilized parts of the world, these badgers are
instead trained to plow fields; a team of them perform about a well
as an ox-plow team. They can use this burrowing ability to escape
through the underbrush or to move without being able to be hit by
arrows, of which only a few are smart enough to know tactically;
though many advance towards intruders while burrowing by instinct,
leading to the same result.
The Plow Badgers
are known to be territorial and aggressive. They don't care about
things moving around them on the surface, but will become aggressive
and attack if their digging is stopped or they run into an object
that shouldn't be there (they are well aware of the half-buried
boulders in their territory, and will get irritated if something new
is added.) This aggression also applies to those who dig in the soil
while they are present; trying to dig a grave or latrine in Plow
Badger territory can be quite an ordeal just for them.
Finally, the Plow
Badgers are very stubborn. This stubbornness means that, if
encountered in combat, they will be be immune to mind affecting
spells, charm, mind control, and paralysis. For effects too powerful
to be stopped by a simple dumb little badger, just make it take 3
rounds for the spell effect to sink into that thick skull.
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