Dungeonmaster

Monster Guide
(Here there be Dragons)

Creature	Description	Habitat	Skills	Lang	Combat	Comments
ACOLYTES OF CHAOS	Any of the known races can be a part of this cult, but humans are most common.	Cities	Snake charmer	Yes	All weapons, magic	Crazed zealots who believe in the hive mind. Individuality is bad and should be crushed. The members are known only by numbers.
AIR ELEMENTAL	Creatures from the elemental plane of Air, they are invisible but sometimes use debris and clouds to form an image for creatures to refer to.	Mountains, Caverns, desolate areas	Flight, control wind	Yes	Wind buffet, debris damage	Very powerful creatures that are sometimes enslaved by magic-users and used like power generators. They seldom concern themselves with the affairs of mortals, but DETEST being enslaved and cause MASS DESTRUCTION once freed. BANISHMENT is the only way to get rid of these beings permanently. Other SPELLS will only delay them for a time. It is rumored that EARTH SPELLS can extinguish their life force.
BODIE	Who knows how these creatures came to exist, but unfortunately they do. They are humanoid in form and at casual glance will appear to be a normal dead adventurer. However, ANY spell cast in their vicinity will cause them to rise and attack the spellcaster	Any	Magic resistant	No	Claw/bite.	These creatures are EXTREMELY difficult to kill or remove. Because of their construction they CANNOT be destroyed once a SPELL is cast until that spellcaster is dead! HOLY WATER has been known to be effective as well as FIRE. Just so long as these are used BEFORE casting any SPELLS. It is rumored that HIGH LEVEL CLERICS may turn them.
BOMBADIER BEETLE	A giant-class beetle, 4-9' long. Can be confused with Fire Beetles because of their glowing abdomen.	Woods	Acid vapor from rear abdomen. Sound of report can STUN.	No	Claw/bite, gas.	Unintelligent and always hungry, once they determine a creature can be eaten, they try to eat it. Due to their crushing form of attack, resurrects from death by these creatures is not recommended without first reconstructing the body.
BROWNIE	They are similar to Leprechauns, but more sociable. They tend to be kind to those who are not of faerie	Fields (near man)	minor magic	Yes	Daggers	Brownies will aid the humans in the area in exchange for food. If they become disaffected they will seek out and give information to the household's enemies
BUGBEAR	These large humanoid creature typically stand 7' tall and look like giant hairy goblins. They are always ill-kept and wear an odd assortment of rags, armor and jewelry.	Caverns, rough terrain, woods	Limited magic ability	Yes	Claw/bite, all weapons. Prefer clubs	Though they look clumsy, goofy, and walk like dim-witted apes, they are quite intelligent, agile and quick. The wise adventurer would be well to treat them with respect.
CENTAUR	Bottom body of a horse, upper torso human	Secluded woods, plains, caverns	Highly intelligent, gift of prophecy	Yes	Bows, Clubs, Lance, plus hoof attack	Centaurs are not really fond of humans (perhaps they are jealous) or for that matter, dwarves. They tolerate halflings and gnomes. They are on excellent terms with the fairy folk and elves. They are a proud race, but are highly susceptible to alcohol.
CLOUD GIANT	Huge humanoids between 15 and 20 feet tall. Often build huge castles on mountain tops that seem to "float" on cloud-like pillars	Mountains	can see in dark and can use magic	Yes	Club and sword	Their castles can only be reached by a secret stone stairwell through the "clouds".
DARK CREEPERS	The dark creepers' real race name is not known, as their language is incomprehensible to linguists. They are strange, strange people, who resemble dark gnomes more than any other known race, but if some vocal contact could be made with the race then a lot more could be learned.	Woods, mountains, caverns	Limited Magic	Reerak	Stick, claw/bite.	Dark Creepers would rather run than fight - more interested in seeking out "Reerak" - a holy relic for them to worship. Unfortunately, Dark Creepers aren't quite sure what "Reerak" looks like, and they will assume anything that catches their eye could be the next holy relic.
DOPPLEGANGER	In their natural form they are humanoid with long lanky arms, sharp teeth and deadly claws. Their skin is thick, grey and feels like rubber. They have red eyes. They have the natural ability to shapechange into any humanoid form of the same general weight and size of themselves.	Caverns, rough terrain, woods, crypts	Telepathy. See in the dark.	Yes	All weapons. Claw/bite.	Dopplegangers are predatory creatures and are difficult to discover once they have infiltrated a group. They must kill their prey first in order to imitate them. Their telepathic ability allows them to read the thoughts and memories of their victims. They prefer to eat man-flesh which is why they often join wandering parties. They will try to stay away from civilization to avoid detection.
DRAGON	To call a dragon a large winged lizard is an insult of the worst kind but it is roughly what they look like. They have razor sharp claws and teeth, and a tail which could stun an elephant.	Woods, mountains, caverns, open fields	Highly intelligent. See in the dark. Near-impenetrable armor.	Yes	Fire, claw, bite	Dragons have an incredible aura of age and power which can panic their foes in combat. They are highly intelligent but arrogant, cruel, selfish, and devious.
DRYAD	Insubstantial spirits that live within the wood of a specific tree. They assume the form of young human females when they appear. They can never travel far from their "home".	Woods	use magic	Yes	none	Dryads can only be harmed if their tree is killed by chopping or burning it down. They may occasionally aid travellers, but are mainly concerned with the welfare of their tree.
DWARF	A stout taciturn humanoid with long beards. Extremely fond of precious stones, metals and intricate work done in those mediums. They are extremely proud and great warriors and miners	Mountains	can see in dark and can assess the value of any weapon	Yes	Axe or hammer	They form strong community ties and are distrustful of strangers, especially other races. They hate Orcs and Elves. Though they are greedy in nature, they are basically honest. They are very territorial.
ELF	A lithe humanoid, slightly smaller than man-sized. They are unusually graceful and fair in appearance	Woods	very adept at magic, immune to the effects of undead	Yes	Bows or spears	Elves respect nature and learning. They are known for their wisdom and their joy of life. They are slow to interfere in the affairs of others and value tradition highly
ETTIN	A large two headed giant.	Any	Intelligent	Yes	Magic	These creatures are extremely rare. The most famous pair in the land of ATOLL is the Pundit Storyteller. This creature loves to trap mortals by using their intelligence to thwart the unwary. They will seek the definition of a fable or saying using the most convoluted language imaginable.
FIRE BEETLE	A giant-class beetle, 4-9' long. Their abdomen glows like a firefly and can be used for torches.	Woods	See in the dark	No	Claw/bite	Unintelligent and always hungry, once they determine a creature can be eaten, they try to eat it. Due to their crushing form of attack, resurrects from death by these creatures is not recommended without first reconstructing the body.
FIRE GIANT	Large humanoid about 12 feet tall	Caverns	can see in dark and can use magic	Yes	Club and sword	Prefer warmer climates
FROST GIANT	Large humanoid between 15 and 20 feet tall	Mountains	can see in dark and can use magic	Yes	Sword or axe	Prefer colder climates
GARGOYLE	Humanoid in form with leathery winngs, sharp claws and tail	Ruins, Caverns, Crypts	limited magic	Yes	Claw/Bite, may use weapons	Hopelessly evil and will attack immediately if they think they can win. Sometimes found in service of evil characters
GIANT BEETLE	Looks like a giant beetle, 4-9' long. Their mandibles and claws deliver crushing blows.	Woods, crypts, caverns	See in the dark	No	Claw/bite.	Unintelligent and always hungry, once they determine a creature can be eaten, they try to eat it. Due to their crushing form of attack, resurrects from death by these creatures is not recommended without first reconstructing the body.
GIANT CRABS	Looks like a giant crab, approx 10' in diameter. Their shells are impervious to most normal weapons.	Coastlines, saltwater.	Hard shells	No	Claw/bite	They are attracted to movement vibrations and will try to devour anything. Holding still can usually cause them to pass you by.
GIANT RATS	Hairy, long tailed, filthy rats.	Sewers, dungeons, filthy places	none	Yes	Claw/bite	Though not very powerful, in large numbers these creatures can destroy anything.
GIANT SERPENT	Big huge snake, most often venomous.	Humid areas	Poison.	No	Bite	Worshipped by many cults, these large creatures are definitely man-eaters.
GIANT SPIDER	Big huge spider, most always venomous.	Caves, Dungeons, Woods	Poison, Web, Can see in the dark	Yes	Bite, entagle with web	Similar to their smaller cousins, time and dark corners of the world have bred a few giant spiders that are capable of attacking cattle with a great deal of success. As they have no interest in material goods, their lairs are sometimes littered with the items of previous meals.
GIANT WOLVES	Giant variety of your normal wolf.	Wooded, wild areas	Keen sense of smell, see in dark	Special	Claw/bite	Extremely powerful. In packs capable of tracking a PARTY for miles. Extremely intelligent, they are often used by evil creatures for searching.
GIANTS	They are lusty types prefering nothing better than to go through life, drinking, brawling and wenching. They tend to gather in clans and are not overly intelligent	Mountains	can see in dark and can use magic	Yes	Club and sword	They resent humans and especially elves. They enjoy riddling and bartering.
GNOLL	Dog-faced humanoids about 7 feet tall. They are extremely strong.	All except Wastelands and Ocean (usually Caverns)	Excellent diggers.	Yes	Axes, bows	They are highly disorganized and usually travel in roving bands. They are extremely lazy and live by stealing from others. Though excellent diggers they will rarely mine unless forced to do so by others.
GNOME	Short stocky humanoids much like Dwarves, but shorter	Caverns, Hills	Excellent stone workers and jewelers	Yes	Short swords, daggers, clubs	They have a strong dislike of Goblins and will attack them on sight. They have a mild dislike of Elves, but get along well with Man and their cousins the Dwarves.
GOBLIN	Humanoid in form, but with large fangs and pointed ears. They are ugly, smell and are about 4 feet tall.	Caverns	Excellent stone workers and great torturers. Limited magic	Yes	Any weapons, usually short swords or clubs	Highly evil creatures that love to ambush a party, killing all and looting them. They are dishonest and use deceit when violence will not work. They HATE Dwarves and Gnomes and will attack on sight. They work with Dire Wolves if any are in the area. They dislike bright sunlight. Though low in "hit points", in large numbers, they are extremely dangerous.
HARPY	Buzzard like birds with the upper bodies of women. They have long claws and pale thin faces. They stink and make a tremendous amount of noise	Caverns, Cliffs	limited magic, occasionally prophetic, but only evil prophecies	Yes	Claws	Will not fight men unless cornered. Prefer to throw out insults and torment. Will fly away when seriously threatened
HILL GIANT	Humanoids about 9 feet tall	Hills, mountains	can see in dark and can use magic	Yes	all weapons but prefer club	Their features are usually gnarled.
HOBGOBLIN	Same strain as Goblins but grow to 7 feet tall.	All	Stone workers, can see in the dark and have limited magic	Yes	Any weapons, but prefer whips and spears	Evil and vicious, they have no dislike of sunlight. They group in large clans and are highly competitive with Goblins and Orcs. You will usually find them in charge of armies of Goblins or Orcs since their viciousness and large size insures discipline.
HOUNDS OF MISFORTUNE	Huge mishapened animals that vaguely resemble dogs. They are jet-black, streaked with white. Large fangs, paws and long red tongue complete the picture.	Any	Howl of Fear	No	Claw/bite, beads of misfortune	If you are unfortunate enough to have these creatures set upon you, despair. They can only be banished by BLESSING. They will not kill in their attack, but cause painful WOUNDS that will NOT HEAL. Their HOWL will PARALYZE the hearer with fear. Anyone marked with the BEADS OF MISFORTUNE has a death sentence placed upon them.
HYDRA	A multi-headed snake with thick scales	Marsh, Caverns	Poison breath	No	Claw/Bite, breath, poison	Hydras are vicious, but not very smart. They attack anything that approaches their lair and remain poisonous even after being killed
KOBOLD	They resemble Goblins, but have small downy feathers and birdlike movement	Dark Forests, Caverns	Can see in the dark, limited magic	Yes	Short sword, axes or club	They pretty much hate all life and delight in killing and torture. They particularly hate the fairy folk and Gnomes. They are a formidable force in large numbers.
KRAKEN	Huge black octupoids, with thick hides	Ocean	Whirlpool spell	Yes	Tentacles	They usually roam the coast lines pulling swimmers and small ships down to their demise. Their lairs have tremendous treasures
LAMIA	Creature with the upper half of a woman and the lower half of a snake	Dark Forests, Caverns	Limited Magic	Yes	Poison fangs	Women may be able to resist their charms, but males are completely helpless and will do whatever the Lamia demands. The best defense is to surrender your males and allow the rest of the group to escape.
LAVA PEOPLE	Made of MOLTEN ROCK, Lava People speak entirely in RHYME, but only speak one line each (that way they don’t throw errant SPELLS). So when they speak, the PARTY must answer back with anappropriate RHYME in one line or the Lava People will become annoyed and attack.	Caverns, Mountains	Rhyming	Yes	Heat blast	LAVA PEOPLE attack by CREATING HEAT and simple hand-to-hand combat. They are very strong and it takes 20 HITS to kill one. As a rule they are non-violent, but they will not tolerate anyone who does not speak in rhyme. They may be appeased with a FIREWORKS display.
LIZARD MEN	Humanoid in form, but reptilian in outward appearance. They have a long heavy tail and forked tongue.	Marsh, Caverns	Tail can be used for attack. Limited magic	Yes	Claw/Bite, club weapons, tail	Excellent swimmers, can hold their breath for long periods of time. They have a fondness for human flesh.
LYCANTHROPES	Lycanthropes come in all shapes and sizes, they are usually known by the name of the animal they shapechange into, I.e. wearboar, werecat, werewolf, etc.	Any	Shapechange, super strength	Yes	All weapons, claw/bite	It is usually the lunar cycle that dictates the disease these creatures suffer from. The exception to this is the wereboar. Think of the Incredible Hulk. These creatures change when they get mad. They are extremely strong and can only be harmed by SILVER OR MAGIC WEAPONS.
MERFOLK	Top half human, bottom half fish. They cannot exist for more than 4 hours out of water	Ocean	can command sea creatures, use magic	Yes	Pole weapons, magic	Merfolk like to snare humans of the opposite sex to take to their underwater Kingdoms. They are otherwise not hostile to humans but may attack ships if they are travelling on sacred waters
MINOTAUR	Humanoid with the head of a bull.	Caverns, Woods, Ruins	Extremely cunning, excellent hunters	Yes	Axe, head butt, bite	Love to eat human flesh and are extremely cruel. They attack without fear and have tremendous strength.
NYMPH	Beautiful female humanoids that are known to go about naked, but will wear diaphonous robes in cool weather	Woods, Fields	very adept at magic illusions, can charm human males	Yes	none, they use their charm and magic to defend themselves	They dislike the intrusion of humans but will attempt to charm any male with a high charisma. If they take a human male they will literally kill him with love making. Their treasures come from things left behind by the the lovers they have captured.
OGRE	Large ugly humanoids about 8 feet tall with very sharp teeth	Woods	Limited magic	Yes	Large club, bite	Ogres eat any travellers they waylay, stealing their treasure. They will not attack if they don't think they can win. Can easily be outwitted.
OGRE MAGE	Though they look like normal Ogres, the mage is highly intelligent and will be dressed in human finery.	Any	Magic	Yes	All weapons, claw/bite	Their main goal is to be accepted as intelligent creatures and welcomed in society. Unfortunately, they find it difficult to get over their taste for human flesh, which makes them bad neighbors. They often use riddles to barter with their "prey".
ORC	A stoop-shouldered, surly humanoid who is nomadic by nature. They have a short life span which tends to make them reckless and fond of the sensual pleasures of life. They have pig-like features.		Can see in dark and dislike bright light. Limited magic.	Yes	Short sword or scimitar	Orcs are a cruel, violent, warmongering race that live to rape and pillage. Individually they are cowards, but under the infulence of a strong leader or in large numbers they are almost UNSTOPPABLE. They have a high reproductive rate which offsets their short life span.
ROC	Fearsome, huge birds with tremendous wingspans. They resemble giant eagles	Mountains	none	No	Claw, bite, wing buffet	Rocs often raid villages and travelling parties for their livestock or cart animals. They rarely carry off people
ROCK BEETLE	These large creatures have powerful mandibles that enable them to tunnel through rock, as such they can deliver crushing blows, snapping bones and weapons in half (see Giant Beetle)	Caves	See in the dark	No	Mandibles	Rock Beetles are preoccupied with tunneling and will generally not go out of their way to cause harm.
SATYR (Faun)	Upper halves of male humans, legs of a goat. They have short black horns	Woods, Plains	They use their magical pipe to charm and trick others	Yes	Spears	Spend most of their time seeking out Nymphs. They enjoy drinking, dancing, and merry making. They will seduce human females if they can.
SIRENS	The most beautiful females imaginable. Often dressed in flowing, clinging gowns.	Desolate waterways.	Can charm all males, Siren screech will STUN any who hear it.	Yes	Song, Screech.	These creatures only appear when they are lonely or looking for males to mate with. Women may be able to resist their charms, but males are completely helpless and will do whatever the Sirens demand. The best defense is to surrender your males and allow the rest of the group to escape.
SKELETONS	Basically the skeletal remains of a humanoid creature. They may wear tattered armor and clothing.	Crypts, graveyards, dungeons	none	No	All weapons	The most common type of undead. These creatures are easy to defeat but can be troublesome in large numbers. Clerics can TURN them.
SPHINX	These creatures have the body of a lion, eagle wings, and the face or upper torso of a human. They are both male and female but generally shun human contact.	Jungles, tropical climes, swamps	Roar, magic use	Yes	Claw/bite	They are extremely intelligent but capricious. The males shun the company of the females, yet the females are always looking for mates. Females will love to be flattered and are filled with knowledge. Quite often they will barter information with riddles. Males are far more irritable and must be treated with kid gloves
STATUES	Looks like a humanoid statue. Usually placed to guard something important.	Dungeons	Magic resistant.	Maybe	Weapons, hand to hand.	If you are unfortunate enough to animate one of these creature, pray. They cannot be harmed by weapons and must be destroyed by MAGIC. Of course getting out a SPELL while being attacked can be most difficult since their great strength allows them to kill with ONE blow.
STORM GIANT	Huge humanoids between 15 and 20 feet tall.	Mountain tops	can control weather, see in dark and use magic	Yes	Edged weapons, prefer axes	They enjoy turbulent weather and there will frequently be a thunderstorm around their homes
TROLL	Large, green, vaguely humanoid creatures with long limbs and leathery skin. Sharp teeth and claws	Caverns, ruins, fields, marshes	Regenerate, except for fire damage	Yes	Claw/bite	Become enraged in the presence of fire and will immediately attack anyone who uses it. They love the taste of "man-flesh".
WIGHTS	Skeletal remains that have been crossed with spirits from the negative plane.	Crypts, graveyards, dungeons	Can see in the dark, limited magic	Yes	Claw/bite, drain life.	These fearsome creatures can literally suck the lifeforce from their victims. HOLY WATER can affect these creatures and BLESSINGS cause them much pain. They can be turned by high level Clerics but this will leave the Cleric weak.
WOUNDING STATUE	Looks like a statue. Usually placed to guard something important.	Dungeons	Magic resistant, power word wounds.	Yes	Game	This statue plays a mean game of RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT. The only way to deactivate the statue is to touch it. 3-5 WOUNDS from the statue will KILL you.