6 First Level Summoning Spells

[1] Cappyrs Snake - 1^st level

Out of the palm of the caster's hand comes a long black tube that writhes in midair. It is a Cappyrs Snake, a special type of constrictor without a head. Its long black body ungulates around as though it can fly, and constricts and attempts to crush anything it wraps around even though it cannot see or eat; it still targets living beings before attacking objects.

When summoned normally, this spell takes a full round to extend out of the caster's hand, becoming a long 3 HD snake which deals 1d8 damage each round it crushes someone. It can only be escaped on a successful save at -3, the save difficulty being increased if the snake has a higher HD. It has an AC of 14 from its scales and attacks anyone- it has no loyalty to its caster. It will attack the nearest being when summoned, but is ejected at about the range of a spear's thrust when the spell it cast. While this spell is quite powerful compared to most 1^st level spells, the fact the snake is a truly neutral and aggressive creature makes this spell more powerful; normal summoning spells are restricted in power at 1^st level simply due to needing the spell to be “safe” before casting. Not so for the Cappyrs Snake.

Additionally, the snake can be “cut” down to size when summoning it, by chopping at its body with a karate chop by the spell caster. You can make the snake “small” at 1 HD and d4 damage, or “medium” at 2 HD and d6 damage, or keep it as the normal large version. This requires the caster to make a saving throw vs magic to successfully do, and on a failure the snake isn't put out far enough and attacks the magic user instead. The snake lasts for 6 combat rounds.

[2] Monitor Monitor - 1^st level

This spell makes a lizard. The small monitor lizard is a 1 HD creature with a 1d4+1 bite and an AC of 14 from its fast feet and scaled skin. The monitor lizard is like any other, and has a reptile brain filled with nothing but thoughts of food and fighting, and maybe fucking, though its unlikely to get a chance since this dimension doesn't have its exact species.

The monitor monitor is extremely territorial. It will attack absolutely anything that enters its “territory”, which is wherever it is summoned, usually a single room or small copse. The monitor will not attack the party as it considers them objects in its territory, unless they leave and try to reenter the area. It will attack giant monsters, armored warriors, terrifying ghouls or literally anything else that tries to come in, biting and gnashing with its claws, even breaking its teeth against foes too tough for it to bite. The monitor will always fight to the death and lasts for 6 turns until it disappears.

[3] Sunlit Marble - 1^st level

Conjuring this marble requires a source of direct sunlight, though it can be sunlight produced through a magical item or spell. The spell condenses a small amount of the sunlight into a small marble which floats in mid air. If the marble is hit with an attack (AC 20 for ranged attacks since it's so small, but no need to roll for melee since it doesn't move) that deals 4 damage or more, it is shattered. Beyond this, the sunlight marble can continually produce light as a torch in its same spot for up to one full hour before fizzing out, allowing sunlight to be sustained in a small area even after night falls or if the sky is magically blocked by darkness.

The Sunlit Marble is an intelligent creature. It holds sunlight in itself and has a love and respect for all life, while it has a hatred of the undead. Every round, it casts turn Undead as a level 4 Cleric, and all Undead must flee its radius of light on a turned result. It can deal normal damage or kill vampires, if they were dumb enough to enter the field of light. 

The sunlit marble can 'speak' in slow pulses of light that let it communicate; it can report what it has seen but only knows the difference between things if they are “bad” (undead), “good” (alive), or “tickles” (plants, because they feed off its sunlight).

[4] Summon Groveling - 1^st level

The Groveling are the most pathetic race to exist. This isn't an opinion, it's a fact. Grovelings occupy a cosmic position on the hierarchy of all beings, they are much lower then most pets and are certainly lower then even the most low born human; most trees are higher on the scale. They are “people” in the lowest possible state they can be. Grovelings are beings that exist to serve other beings, and are often summoned by goblin Sorcerers looking for an ego boost. They aren't native to the normal dimension, as any world that has predators would be too dangerous for Grovelings.

When a Groveling is conjured, it will instantly bow down before and furiously worship the first living being it sees. They appear as gremlin-like creatures, with patchy fur (it doesn't grow back), bright sad eyes, and a tiny frame. Most are less then 2 feet tall. They have washed out colors that prevent them from being attractive or beautiful but they are too colorful to blend into their surroundings. They are as intelligent as a kobold or goblin, and can use tools, but are simply pathetic. All Grovelings have 1d2 hit points, an AC of 5, and deal ½ a point of damage on a successful hit in combat with any weapon- this means that at least one other Groveling must hit the target for a single point of damage to be made, or the target be hit with a small nonlethal attack, be a near miss for an AoE spell, be cursed, or have some other method to make the half a point of damage tick to a full point. The exception to this rule is for swarms of tiny beings like worms or insects; Grovelings can kill a single member of the swarm per round. While a single member of the swarm is just an annoyance to you, and the swarm is the danger, to a Groveling the individual of a swarm is like a wolf it must face in deadly single combat.

While extremely weak, the Summon Groveling spell is a commonly taught first summon for many magic users. Grovelings have names and can therefore the same individual can be summoned multiple times if they don't die (unlikely). They stay within this realm for the duration of 1 day, and will obey any order given to it by an intelligent being who isn't directly trying to murder it; they are spinelessly loyal to a fault and will tolerate a large amount of abuse before thinking of escape.

[5] Spinsticks - 1^st level

This spell creates a small white stick. The stick is actually a living creature from another world; a close look reveals a small bump on its body where it's primary nervous system is located, small discolorations near each end are 'eye spots' to help right itself, and several centrifugal muscles help it perform its one job. When the stick is spun standing up, it keeps spinning for two turns. After the two turns is over, it has lost its energy and falls to the ground dead. The spinstick can act as a reliable timer in a place where normal methods of keeping time do not function or are influenced by malign forces. The spinsticks can also act as a distraction or trap by spinning something on its head; a plate or flaming candle dish that falls into the oil on the floor when the stick stops spinning.

[6] White-Faced Oil Monkey - 1^st level

This spell conjures a White-Faced Oil Monkey. The creature is a small, long tailed monkey with a painted white face like geisha. It carries a small gourd with a stopper around its neck, which is filled with oil with a blueish tint. The power of the White-Faced Monkey is that it can communicate with any creature with hands using a type of special sign language. As such, it can communicate with lemurs and raccoon, as well as larger monkeys and apes, and then translate these to humans using a more complex form of sign language, or by writing down what was said on a piece of paper provided to it. The monkey notes that otters have a distinct “water” accent, and the monkey cannot communicate with oceanic creatures even with hands, as their accent is too foreign.

The monkey is a 1 HD creature, but has an AC of 18 as it can dodge, jump, dance, and easily avoid almost all physical attacks. It cannot attack. The monkey is not a slave but will follow and obey whoever summoned it, becoming playful and playing pranks if ignored or running away if put into a bad situation on purpose by its master.

Finally, the monkey carries oil. The oil in its flask is a blue spirit oil, which flows like water for living beings, but is as slippery as the Grease spell for any spirits, ghosts, or intangible beings. This can prevent many ghosts from materializing, as they must stay still to do so, where as this oil will make them slip away. The monkey lasts for up to 1 turn if summoned for communication, or for 1 round to pour out its oil and vanish, as it ceases to exist when its oil is removed from its gourd.

20 Fantasy Pests

[1] 'Noblin. Shittier version of a goblin; about the size and smarts of a rat, but somehow more pathetic. Steals small items, tips over small objects, spreads crumbs, peel chips of paint, and do other annoying things around the house. Some claim are the reincarnated spirits of goblins who didn't do enough evil.

[2] Pixie. Very small, agile, annoying creatures that like to prank you and cast minor hexes. Live in the forests and sometimes lure people away with ghostly lights.

[3] Astral Bunny. Very cute, glowing bunny rabbit. Well liked by Wizards and apprentices, until it tears up their reagent garden and destroy all of their mana-rich plants. Need a magic trap or dog to hunt these, or Cloudkill their whole burrow.

[4] Repeater Raven. Loud cawing raven that screams a random word or phrase. This word or phrase will repeat in your head over and over until you can find a situation to use it in conversation. Whispering it or saying it to yourself doesn't work. Deals -1d4 Charisma damage if you take more then a day to say the phrase, but is restored as soon as you say the repeated phrase.

[5] Prismatic Mantids. Tiny, tiny preying mantis creatures that live on colorful flowers. Have a million different species, each with the exact same color as the flower they live on; go extinct all the time. Annoying because you can't see them before they snip at your finger and give you a tiny little cut if you tried to grab their flower.

[6] Sky Manta-Ray. Their bottom is light blue as the sky and can simulate clouds. Bumps into wizard towers all the time and come tumbling to the ground, or accidentally fly into open windows and get stuck in rooms. Die if they touch anything.

[7] Zamberloon. One eye, one tooth, one arm, one leg; bright purple. Try to saw the limbs off newborn infants, but thankfully too weak to do that even if they manage to hop in through the window. Still injuring infants with little bites and sometimes makes them sick. Rumors of huge ones that live far away that rip and stomp apart men.

[8] Splintercat. Extremely fast cat that slams into trees headfirst, causing splints and branches to fly off everywhere, but leave the tree still standing. Said to always have a bad headache because of this. If you piss one off, it will charge at you at such speed it does 2d6 damage and ruin your armor.

[9] Shattercat. Closely related to a Splintercat; said to suddenly burst forth from a tree when a lumberjack hits it with his axe; causing splinters to rain down on him. Many believe these two to be the same species; the Shattercat merely being a nesting or nursing Splintercat.

[10] Ratlisk. Basilisk mixed with a rat; snake that slithers around with a rat's head. It's glare can kill anything with >1 HD; humans and bigger are only stunned for a round instead. Eats housecats.

[11] Shutlid. Elastic muscle-like creature mixed with a slug. Grows inside of treasure chests, drawers, and pots and sticks itself to the lid, making it nearly impossible to open. Takes 3 or 4 of the strongest men in the village with iron prybars to open up something it nests in.

[12] Chickenfox. It's a fox that is wearing a chicken's costume. Nobody knows if foxes are actually smart enough to make a costume like that, of if it's the work of some forest spirits or something else. Live among chickens, slowly dwindling their numbers as the farmer is confused as to what is killing his chickens. But sometimes it's tail pokes out and it doesn't lay eggs; so attentive farmers can figure it out.

[13] Rust Puppy. It's a cute little red doggy that likes to play with magic wands, swords, armor, scrolls, and destroy them. Can actually damage and drain these items of their enchantments. Immortal dogs that are ignored by most creatures; if fed enough magic items can actually grow into an adult Rust Dog and be trained to use its nose to sniff out magic. Popular pets among Wizards.

[14] Invisible Fleas. Fleas that cause instant itching sensation, invisible, jump from creature to creature. Not very dangerous unless quarantined on one being; itching sensation will get so intense and bites will get so common as to cause insanity and health loss. Can be killed by invisible pesticide.

[15] Pillow Bogey. Imp that lives in pillows and beds; comes out at night to spread rheum around your eyes, mat your hair, and give you bad breath. You get rid of them by literally beating your pillows until they run out.

[16] Iron-Dick Beetles. Beetles that hibernate every few years and, during mating season, swarm outside. Climb onto rocks, bricks, anything hard enough to slam their iron-tipped penises and create a very loud, annoying noise. They do this to attract mates. Absolutely despised for both the loud noise and because they damage and destroy ceramic tiles, masonry, and cobbelstones.

[17] Ontoppers. Invisible spirit creatures that like to stack and balance rocks on top of high places and pointy roofs when nobody is watching. Sometimes the rocks fall down and injure people or break things, so to appease the spirits people in villages that have them make small cairn stones that the Ontoppers can play with.

[18] Black Laughter. Wispy spirit that gathers to places of tragedy, funerals, and sacred places. Makes low, whispering laughter to get people to accuse each other of laughing and mocking the sacred. Wizards like to catch them for use in alchemy.

[19] Hydrelephant. Huge filter feeding 'mass' that lives in rivers and swamps. It's paper thin and transparent, so whenever living creatures get near it it swells up to a huge size and spits water at them. Despite being as big as an elephant and shooting water strong enough to knock over a fully grown man, it's not really dangerous unless it knocks you downstream.

[20] Boggarts. Creatures that live in darkness and eat dust; usually hide within closets or inside cabinets. They cannot stand light, so if someone opens their hiding place they'll take the form of a creature that scares people and jump out, so they can run away and dissipate safely. Lesser boggarts take the form of things like goblins, snakes, big spiders, imps and so on, but cannot actually hurt people. It is said there are some boggarts that can actually shapeshift into very dangerous creatures.

4 Monsters & Their Variants

[1] Gray Monster (1 HD, +2 AC, 1d4 claws, +2 to hit vs invisible creatures, always goes first, sees invisible creatures)

Morale- 8, 12 vs invisible creatures

Number Appearing- 2d6

These tiny gray creatures mostly inhabit the ashen plains and dry wastes. They mostly feed on small creatures that have gained the powers of invisibility or shape changing, to which their magical eyes let them see. While they do hunt humans and larger animals when in a pack, they are cautious and They can also use this ability to help them take down larger pray and have been known to attack and kill Wizards who try to sneak past them using stealthy spells. Since they see invisible creatures as food, they are known to be more dangerous when fighting people who use this magic.

Seer Monster (2 HD, +2 AC, 1d4 claws, always goes first, sees invisible, can make a target invisible for 1d4 rounds instead of attacking)

Morale- 14

Number Appearing- 1 or 2 w/ Gray Monster Pack

It is believed these creatures are the breeding females of the Gray Monster species; their position giving them extra powers to help their pack of creatures. These are one of the very few creatures known to be able to actual turn other beings invisible, and these monsters are very intelligent. They use this power both on their Gray Monster pack-mates to swarm and attack foes, as well as casting it on enemies to make them more vulnerable to the regular Gray Monsters AND to separate them from their own group. If a party member is made invisible then other party members cannot cast supportive spells or rush to defend them without difficulty, as they cannot be seen.

[2] Great Ash Beast (3 HD, 1d8+1 bite, has +2 to hit at full speed, charges in, -1 AC when attacking)

Morale- 15

Number Appearing- 1d4

Great Ash Beasts are known to stalk the ashlands and dry wastes of the world. They tend to hunt prey by simply charging as soon as they see them, then once they catch up kill them with brute strength and size. Due to the scarcity of prey and the amount of energy they use in a hunt, the Great Ash Beasts tend to store fat in their crest and on small humps on their back. Because they throw themselves so strongly into combat they are easier to hit, but are threatening creatures to anyone large enough to seem like a good meal.

Starving Ash Beast (2 HD, 1d8+3 bite, has +4 to hit at full speed, charges in, -3 AC when attacking)

Morale- 16

Number Appearing- 1 or 2

These Great Ash Beasts have not eaten for a long time and have become desperate and even more ferocious then normal. Their skin color changes as they lose vital nutrients and their eyes turn red from bloodlust and constant hunger. Due to their aggression and even more slim size they are even easier to hit but also determined to eat the flesh from anything they come across.

[3] Eyeless Undead Knight (2 HD, +3 AC from shield, 1d6 sword, defends other Knights)

Morale- N/A

Number Appearing- 1d6+1

As the eyes are the windows to the soul, the soulless undead have no eyes. Despite this, they have no problems sensing and attacking the living who dare invade their tombs and territory. Eyeless Undead are a little more intelligent and motivated then regular undead, though are still several steps below the living in terms of intelligence and organization. Undead Knights fight very defensively with a large shield that grants them +3 AC, removing or destroying the shield will make them lose this AC bonus and make them much easier to deal with. They may also grant +1 AC to another nearby Knight when they fight in formation, usually the ones in the back will do this to buff up their fellow undead.

Eyeless Undead Knight-Commander (3 HD, +1 to hit, 2 battleaxes at 1d6+1 damage, buffs Knights)

Morale- N/A

Number Appearing- 1 with 1d6+1 Eyeless Undead Knights

The leaders of Eyeless Undead Knights, these undead are focused on offense. Despite being stronger, they have less defenses and if surrounded by fellow Knights who will defend them the Knight-Commander will be strongest. This Knight can also spur on other Knights by pushing them from behind into combat, granting other Knights +1 to hit for one round.

[4] Eyeless Undead Experiment (2 HD, 1d6 Int drain power, deals 1d4 electric damage to attacker)

Morale- N/A

Number Appearing- 1d4

These undead were tortured and experimented on in life, and in death some of that trauma remains. While their original purpose was to tap into the powers of the soul, these rudimentary creatures can only tap and corrupt the brain. The metallic copper caps forced into their head and palms of their hands give them some electrical power as well as the ability to drain the intelligence from enemy creatures, making them become comatose for easy corpse collection to grow an undead army. Hitting them with a metal weapon will harm the attacker as the electricity arcs from their body into you.

Eyeless Undead Reanimator (3 HD, 1d6+1 Wis drain power, deals 1d4 electric damage to attacker, reanimates dead corpses via touch and at least 5 Wisdom drained)

Morale- N/A

Number Appearing- 1d2

Unlike regular undead experiments, these specimens were successful in being able to tap into the powers of the soul after death and are known to damage and corrupt it in their targets. By touching a corpse and infusing it with spirit energy along with a jolt of power, these undead can reanimate corpses to serve their hoard. This undead will be a regular type of undead instead of a more advanced eyeless, but an animated corpse of a large animal or humanoid could be extremely dangerous regardless. As a form of self replicating undead they are considered extremely dangerous and many kingdoms pay a handsome bounty for slaying them.

Monster Family- The (P)Orcs

Squealer, Orc, and Great Sow

Squealer (1 HD, +1 AC, 1d4 bone darts and knives)

Morale- 7, if lead by orcs 9

Numbers- 1d6 as scouts, 1d4 as lookouts, 2d10 in camp

Squealers appear as small, pink skinned bipedal piglets. They never grow taller then 3 feet in height, and are named due to their high pitched squealing. While much weaker then an Orc, they are considered useful to orc raiding parties and camps due to not being hurt by the sun like an orc and for the fact they are not nearsighted like orcs are. They are primarily used as scouting parties and lookouts, and are not given good weapons or armor.

Squealers are born from female orcs in great squealing liters. Actual orcs are born almost as large as adult Squealers, and appear similar despite their red eyes and pale skin. They almost immediately start bullying the Squealers and put them in their place at the bottom of the orc hierarchy. As such, some Squealers either stolen away or captured have managed to integrate into the society of the mortal races, usually as assistants and messengers. Some orc tribes treat their squealers better then others, but a lost squealer isn't worth much consideration.

Whenever a Squealer or group of squealers is encountered, they will emit a loud squealing that will attract any nearby orcish raiding parties on a 1 in 6 chance. Even if no orcs are present, the loud squealing may attract the attention of a wandering monster at the same chance. By killing all the Squealers on a surprise round, or by casting a magic spell of silencing, you can avoid this noise.

Orc (2-4 HD, 1d6 rusted weapons)

Morale- 11

Numbers- 2d6 raiding party, 1d8+1 as guards, 2d20 in a camp. >100 in the underhalls.

Orcs, also called P'orcs, are the albino bipedal pig men of the cavernous underworld. Everything on the surface world has a foil beneath, and Orcs are said to be the counter to mankind. They are fearful of the sun and take 1 damage per exploration turn they are exposed to the sun. Orcs still raid towns and human villages at night, or right at dusk. They can see in the dark, and have glowing red eyes. Some Orcs are exceptional and have higher HD then your average P'orc.

Most Orcs wear medium or heavy armor, and have 14 to 16 AC. All of these types of Orcs are male; the warrior cast of their species. The smaller members may stand in the back and use crossbows or even lesser Sorcery, but it is considered to give less honor and glory to that particular Orc. The largest and fattest warriors go to the front of battle to get bloody and scarred to make themselves more attractive to the female sows of their race, but orcs aren't sucicidal and will retreat from an unwinnable battle. Orcs may ride Warboars into battle and use squads of Squealers as their backup. All Orcs are bound into the subterranean realms and serve the Great Sows without question.

Most Orc conquests are about food to feed their broods deep in the earth. An Orc will gladly capture a handful of serfs as steal all their grain, due to the omnivorous nature of their kind. Unlike many other monsterous races, orcs have some amount of honor and will respect deals; usually demanding all of the food and weapons of a group of travelers in exchange for their lives or in deciding a fight by a duel with a powerful human champion. But Orcs do also make use of slavery, and will capture defeated foes to drag back into their caves to be used as labor before being eaten.

War Boar (3-5 HD, 1d8 gore attack, tramples through enemies, ridden by orcs)

Morale- 8, if lead by orcs 12

Numbers- 1 or 2 with an orc raiding party, 1d6 in a whole tribe

Huge wiry haired boars captured and used as mounts and living siege weapons by Orcs. Unlike the other creatures related to Orcs, War Boars are simply natural giant boars that much prefer living in the forests and mountains then being ridden by Orcs and do not do well underground except in the largest tribal caverns deep below the surface.

Due to their immense size and tusks, a charging boar adds its HD to its attack and damage when it moving at full speed, in an attempt to burst through an enemy formation or to break down doors or barricades set by humans. Orc war-chiefs usually are the ones to control these fearsome beasts. War-Boar ivory is treasured by orcs, but it is not carved or decorated after the beast is dead, as such the most valuable ivory belongs to the longest lived and most useful war beasts of the orcs.

Great Sow (4-6 HD, +3 AC, +2 to hit, 1d8 iron staff, 1d6 damage strength hex, casts spells)

Morale- 14

Numbers- 1 or 2; within the deepest underhalls there may be greater congregations

Great Sows are the leaders of the P'orc race, and are massive, multi-breasted, bipedal female pigs. Most are between 8 and 10 feet tall, and wield massive crude iron staves along with their spells. Great Sows are the progenitors of the Orc race, and give birth to huge great litters of piglets which will one day grow into Squealers, Orcs, or even more Great Sows. Every female Orc becomes a Great Sow after they have sex and is inducted in the ways of black magic, and as such Great Sows are the cornerstone of orc society and are the most treasured and protected by their people.

All Great Sows can trace their lineage back to the first Great Sow; a massive female pig impregnated by the keymaster, the red & lustful God, God of hidden places & evil beings. From that brood spawned all of P'orc kind. From this direct lineage and from their fertility; Great Sows are the spiritual leaders of the orc race and are the most gifted in magic, both from spells and from dark powers granted to them by their God. Great Sows are the primary leaders of Orc society in terms of organizing campaigns and distributing resources, but allow direct leadership of raiding and war parties by the war-chiefs. Great Sows only breed with the strongest and most successful orc leaders, and as such orcs are extremely competitive and inspired to war with the races of the surface world.

Outside of combat, female P'orcs brew potions of strength and lotions that can help an orc resist the sun's harmful light, as well as providing magical training to the lesser Orc sorcerers. Some attribute great black clouds that follow orc warbands as being the work of these pig witches. They use their magic to calm the minds of both the War Boars as well as tame the great Boar Wurms beneath the earth. When forced into a fight, Great Sows use a strength draining hex that they use against rebellious and disruptive orcs as punishment which they also turn against human invaders. They also know several other spells, such as Black Step which lets them teleport to a nearby place of darkness.

Boar Wurm (8-9 HD, ignores all damage below 3, 1d12 great maw, move with save or be trampled and take Xd6 damage, where X is monster HD)

Morale- 16

Numbers- Always 1

Said to be the monsterous first boars that once lived in the ancient times. As they trampled and flattened the land, the first gods removed their legs and forced them to adapt to a diet of rocks and ore as punishment. Now the boar wurms slither through the rock and deep dirt of the world, causing earthquakes and great chasms to form in their wake. Despite not being the descendants of the first Great Sow; the Great Sows use their magic to guide their path, which allows new caverns to be forms or great underground roads to be made in their conquest of the surface world.

Boar Wurms are ancient and huge, and their thick hide lets them ignore most lesser forms of damage. Their mouths are great jagged maws that snap and crush everything they gobble up, but their real strength is their simple size and weight, which can crush almost anything underneath it. Boar Wurms brought to the surface of the world flatten forests, dig canyons through mountains, and send up massive clouds of dust that darken the land for days at a time. These Boar Wurms are seemingly ageless, and each one is a unique being with inscrutable motivations.

Boar Wurms can occasionally be seen in use as a living siege engine; turning over hills worth of stone and dirt and crumbling castles by digging chambers beneath it to be undermined. Great Sows cannot control these wurms from far away, and so must accompany Orc war parties when doing sieges of such large scale. Boar Wurmss hide is especially thick and considered magical, and any shield or armor made from it would share the magical property the beast has; armor that ignores all points of damage less then 3. The mighty tusks of a Boar Wurm could also be fashioned into a huge lance or spear, which could easily knock the heaviest riders off their horses or be jammed into the ground to cause a miniature earthquake to knock enemies on their feet.

Hearth Minions

Hearth Minions (HD 1, +4 AC for the head, uses small weapons)

Morale- 8, defends Creator to the death

Hearth Minions are small, reddish-dirt colored creatures with an animal skull for the top of their head. All of them have short stumpy tails and bright colorful eyes; the color of the eyes depends on their creator and all minions made by the same person will have the same color eyes. Hearth minions do not have a gender, and do not reproduce naturally. They are a construct of magic and do not exist on any plane except where magicians have created them.

Hearth Minions imprint strongly on the person who created them, and bond with them instantly, not wanting to spend time apart and wanting to spend all their energy helping that person. They usually perform physical labor and act as an apprentice for the Magician who created them. They can be taught some magical powers. Some Hearth minions can also seemingly understand animals of the skull used to create them, but they cannot speak any mortal languages and must use hand motions and writing to communicate. Hearth minions will always defend their creator to the death.

If the Hearth Minion's creator dies; the minion will feel devastated, and tales of suicidal minions who defend their creator's corpse or jump off cliffs in despair are common. However, occasionally minions may be treated poorly by their masters and once they are “freed” from their influence by being killed, they can imprint on a new, kind person who takes up that role in their life. Despite their loyalty, Hearth minions still show signs of fear and pain when being abused by their masters. No Hearth Minion has ever lived in a non-submissive relationship with anyone, as they greatly prefer having a master then living on their own.

Womb of the Hearth (Magic User Spell)

This is the Hearth Minion creation spell. In order to create a Hearth minion, one must dig a hole in the ground and place an animal's skull upside down at the bottom of the hole. This will become the minion's upper skull. It cannot be removed from their body without killing them, it is fused. The hole is filled with magic clay and water, a layer of dirt and leaves is spread on top, and a drum made of wormskin must be banged rhythmically for several hours to give the minion its “heartbeat”.

Then, the womb must gestate for one year, until which the Hearth Minion must be dug up to be “born”. Since the Hearth Minion cannot dig itself out of the hole, but is in a pre-birthed state, it does not need to breath or eat while waiting to be dug up. The person who dug it up will be considered the minion's master, who they will serve as long as they live. Hearth Minions will be as living creatures from then on, and require food, and sleep. Hearth minions also age, but not in the same way humans do. Their skin starts to become very old and cracked as dried up mud does, and their skull will show severe decomposition. It is said that a Hearth Minion's master can free them at any time or age by simply placing a hand on them and telling them to be freed of their service, in which case the Hearth minion and the skull used to make it will crumble to dust.

The Kelpus

Kelpus (1 HD, +4 stealth, 1d4 bite, 1d4 Wisdom draining ankle-grab, can produce one supernatural phenomenon once per day)
Morale: 9
Number Appearing: Usually 1

The Kelpus is a common creature that lives in towns and villages. It preys on humans by grabbing them with its little yellow hands; by being touched by a Kelpus that victim takes 1d4 Wisdom damage. These points recover at the normal rate, which means that foolish people who keep running into the Kelpus will continue to feed it. Contrary to popular myth, Kelpus prefer idiots as a food source and seem to wring out their hands and look guilty and forlorn if they touch someone of high Wisdom, such as a priest or a herbalist.

If a Kelpus touches someone wearing heavy clothes like a cloak or robe, the draining only deal 1d4-1 Wisdom damage, meaning there is a chance their power can't penetrate the cloth. People wearing leather or armor reduce the drain even further. Towns with Kelpus problems often recommend their residents to wear shin guards and heavy collars in the event of a Kelpus hanging from the ceiling to grab their neck- however due to the Wisdom drain people will forget to take common sense measures against a Kelpus and the town's officials will usually have to deploy guards and hunters to go kill any Kelpus infestations if they get bad enough. If cornered, the Kelpus will bite to defend itself but prefers to run and hide.

The expression 'bit by a Kelpus' is a common, almost endearing term used for village idiots. The expression of 'Kelpus town' means the whole town is full of idiots, and could also literally be infested with the Kelpus, and is a more negative tone. The Kelpus reproduces by spreading an untrue rumor, usually by whispering it in the ear of a Wisdom-drained sleeping drunkard, and once it catches on it will spawn another Kelpus.

The final ability of a Kelpus is its supernatural phenomenon ability; in which clapping its hands or stomping its feet let it create phantom noises, cold spots, and even apparitions that make places appear haunted. This is not to keep people away, but instead to attract daredevils and foolish youths who dare each other to spend the night there, and end up getting a few of their Wisdom points drained by the Kelpus. As a Kelpus ages, the power of these effect increase. Kelpus hands worn as a talisman are said to greatly aid spellcasters when casting cantrips.

Some Kelpus are matured; which means they have 2 HD, a d6 bite and d6 drain, and more powerful supernatural phenomenons. These Kelpus also almost always have a long white beard, though any well fed Kelpus will eventually grow one regardless of age; it is based on draining Wisdom more so then any kind of biological process, since Kelpus don't normally have hair. These matured Kelpus can control animals and plants to do strange things or dance, which is usually used to distract people just long enough so the Kelpus can grab their ankle. Races with tails, such as Catfolk, can be grabbed around the tail by the Kelpus. This is why these races sometimes wear worthless but shiny beads or metal charms around their tails, to distract the Kelpus and encourage it to steal from them instead of draining some of their common sense. Because of this penchant for stealing shiny things, most Kelpus have a hidden stash containing 1d6x5 coins worth of treasure and baubles.

Very rarely, a Wizard or astute Cleric may attempt to raise a Kelpus by keeping it in captivity and feeding it their more potent Wisdom and trying to teach them religion or writing. Eventually the Kelpus may gain the ability to speak and reason, and these Kelpus can be weaned off feeding on Wisdom and instead feed on insects and baked bread. They make excellent apprentices, bank tellers, and illuminaters for religious documents, but still like to tell fibs and confounding riddles.