The Lair

A collection of adventure seeds, encounters, and/or random thoughts.

1. While staying at the local inn the group is approached by a woman. Her son has recently joined a gang of miscreants. She is deeply concerned and ask the group to convince her son to change his ways.

2. The town festival is underway. The mayor takes the stage to give his annual speech when an arrow pierces through his head. Chaos erupts as snipers rain fire from rooftops. Bedlam ensues as gang of ruffians attempt to take over the town.

3.  Taxes are not being collected. The Baron hires the group to find out why all his tax collectors are being ambushed and killed. Weeks have gone by with revenue slowing to a crawl.

4. The Bandit King was born with a rather large birth mark on his back. The birth mark is actually a map of the ancient treasure hidden buried beneath the earth. The Bandit King is clueless about the symbolic meaning of his birth mark.

5. A group of bandits have recently set up shop on the only road leading into the village. They demand a toll for anyone entering. The village fears reprisal if they fight back and are seeking adventurers to solve this problem. 

Resembling a panther with jet black skin that is hard and rough like stone. It's skin is covered in a pattern of fine cracks. Some of the cracks glow to form strange runes and symbols. It's eyes radiate with a faint red glow. Various blade protrude from it's hide.

Source: Creature Collection II: Dark Menagerie for Dungeons & Dragons 3.0

     The Blade Beast earns it's name for it's ability to absorb and integrate weapons into it's body. These weapons form a metallic spine. The Blade Beast was created by an evil god who's portfolio is weapon crafting and the forge. He would direct his creation to raid hamlets. There they ransacked the local blacksmith and absorb his inventory into it's body.

     The dark god would then order his minion to slay the Blade Beast. By slaying the Blade Beast they would be outfitted with a new armory of weapons. A few Blade Beast have escaped the clutches of their dark god and roam the wilderness looking for weapons to acquire. Any adventurer who possesses a weapon is open target for the Blade Beast. The Blade Beast for the most part lack intelligence and attack with little or no tactics.

     When a Blade Beast is slain it's body splits open and shatters. All that remains are the intact weapons it has acquired.

Combat: Blade Beast are large magical beast. They are a Challenge Level of 3.

-Absorb Blade: Any time an opponent attacks a Blade Beast with a sword or similar weapon they must make a Strength Check 15 or have the weapon absored into the creature body. The only way to retrieve that weapon is to slay the Blade Beast.

-Project Blade: The Blade Beast can project any weapon absorbed into it's body. They choose a weapon with the highest possible damage. This weapon has a +7 to hit and +4 to damage once it's hurled from it's body.

-Bladed Body: Whenever an opponent attacks with an unarmed strike or a weapon with 5ft or less reach they have a 20% chance of taking 1d2 points of damage from the sharp blades that extend from it's body.

     When a Blade Beast is slain you should have a random assortment of blades that it has acquired. In some rare instances they will possess a magical item. There should 1d10 random blades with each one having a 5% chance of being magical.

Creature Collection II: Dark Menagerie

Humanoid in shape but carved in reflective blue-green metal plates, this creature looks as though it has been mangled or rent by powerful hands. Its body sags as though its armor has melted, or perhaps was reshaped by great force.

Source: D&D Monster Manual V 3.5

     Force Golems are sentient constructs with the ability to control kinetic energy and raw force. When created the Force Golem is fused with an elemental spirit. The spirit is allowed some awareness and independence. This allows them to follow complex orders and carry out complicated task. Despite their awareness they are still loyal to their creator.

     The Force Golems like to engage opponents on open battlefields. This allows them to take advantage of their special abilities. The Force Golem focuses on keeping foes at a distance. With the ability to manipulate force they knock foes into walls or obstacles. When attacked in melee combat the Force Golem can redirect the attackers own kinetic force.

Combat: Force Golems are large constructs. Challenge Level 4.

-Immunity to Magic: Immune to all spells that require spell resistance. The only exception is force effects.

-Force Vulnerability: They take +50% extra damage from Force effects.

-Force Burst: Once every 3 rounds the Force Golem can created a burst of force in a 30ft radius centered on itself. Opponents need to make a DC 14 reflex save. Those who fail take 2d6 points of damage and are knocked prone.

-Force Reactive: Whenever an opponent misses with a melee attack the Force Golem can turn the kinetic energy back at them. This forces them to be pushed 5ft away. This ability is an immediate action and is used on the opponents turn.

-Pulse: Force Golems can target a creature within 60ft  with a ranged touch attack. If the attack hits the opponent and Force Golem make opposed strength checks. If the Force Golem wins the opponent is pushed 10ft in any direction the Golem chooses and is knocked prone.

     The Force Golem is a nice low level opponent with multiple interesting mechanics. They control the battlefield by keeping adventurers at bay.

An immense centipede-like beast erupts from the snow, rows of chitinous plates on its back glowing red-hot.

Source: Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual 5th Edition

     Living in glaciers or the tundra of the north. Laying silent in their carved out warrens created by their intense heat the Remorhaz wait. A sudden vibration in the snow and ice above springs this creature into action. With a sudden explosion of ice beneath your feet this fearsome arctic predators burst forth from the ground. With one intent to have you as dinner.

     Remorhaz are found in arctic climate. Generally feeding on local prey like elk and polar bears. Their bodies generate intense heat that let's them create mazes of tunnels beneath the ice and snow. When waiting for prey they can lower their body temperature so it doesn't melt it's cover. They are cunning predator with low intelligence but can understand the giant tongue and at times controlled by the local frost giant tribes.

     Remorhaz are huge creatures. Typically being 25 feet long and weighing 10,000 pounds. This mid-level challenge employ a vicious bite and ability to eat their prey whole.

Combat: Remorhaz is a huge monstrosity with a challenge rating of 11.

-Movement: 30ft, Burrow 20ft

-Damage Immunities: Cold & Fire

-Senses: Darkvision 60ft, Tremorsense 60ft, and a Passive Perception of 10.

-Bite: +11 to bite with a 10ft reach. If hit by a bite attack the victim takes 6d10+7 points of damage plus 3d6 of fire damage. If a target is hit it is grappled. A DC 17 escape check to get out.

-Swallow Whole: The Remorhaz can make a bite attempt at the victim it is grappling. If the attack hits the victim takes the bite damage and is swallowed whole. While swallowed the victim is blinded and restrained. While inside the Remorhaz the victim takes 6d6 acid damage at the start of each of the Remorhaz turns. If the Remorhaz takes 30 or more damage on a single turn from inside it's body it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or regurgitate the contents of it's stomach.

     The Remorhaz makes for a great random encounter while travelling through an arctic climate. They are the perfect ambush predator. With a massive amount of damage from their bite attack and the ability to eat your players characters whole makes an encounter with a Remorhaz quite deadly. Add in environmental hazard of the frigid cold and you can have a perilous situation on your hands.
 

This creature appears to be a bright pink ooze speckled with spots of green, yellow, and blue. Scattered across the body of the ooze are small spiracles through which it apparently breathes.

Source: Tome of Horror IV Pathfinder

     Jolly Jellies are psychic vampire that feed on emotions. The mere presence of a Jolly Jelly causes creatures to become sullen. Victims of the Jelly tends to erupt into violence as all traces of joy is drained from their body. The Jolly Jelly receives all it's nourishment from feeding on victims emotions. They can go for months before meals.
     Jolly Jellies are most active at sunrise and sunset. They hide dormant in underground lairs and hollow logs waiting for their prey. They lack the acid most oozes possess and tend to attack with their pseudopods. Once close to death they release their pheromones. The buildup of positive emotions can cause adventurers to break out in uncontrollable laughter.

Combat: Jolly Jellies are a Challenge Rating 5 Medium Oooze. They have three slam attacks dealing 1d6+2 damage. They have a very low armor class of 10 and decent hit points that average around 63.

-Aura of Gloom: Any living creature within 30ft of the Jelly must make a DC 14 will save or take 2 points of charisma damage. Each round that adventurer is within 30ft they must make another save. If the victim takes 6 points of charisma damage they come under a rage effect.

-Pheromones: Once per day as a swift action they Jolly Jelly can release it pheromones in a 20ft radius. This is the distilled positive emotions it has stored. All creatures in that radius must make DC 19 fort save or fall under the effect of hideous laughter for 2d4 rounds. While you are laughing you fall prone and can do nothing but chuckle.

-Traits: The Jolly Jolly has the Ooze type, blindsight 60ft, and immune to fire.

     The Jolly Jelly is an interesting creature. Having multiple Jellies can cause havoc on party members who decided to dump their charisma. If you are reduced to zero charisma you can't do anything. Also making multiple Will saves each round targets a fighter weak save. The pheromones is a nice last resort ability to send the party in a fit of laughter while the ooze slithers away.

This might have been a human, once. Now it's a bloated horror, distended veins sprawling across its livid skin. Scraps of rotting cloth are all that cover its swollen body. Its empty eyes fix on you, and it lurches forward swinging massive fist.

Source: Monster Manual IV 3.5

Corpses animated through the blood of the innocent through horrible rituals. These bloated undead are filled with gore and unholy liquids. Bloodhulks are bloated bags of undead goodness that can withstand a tremendous amount of punishment. The Bloodhulks are created by vile priest and necromancers. They are the ultimate mindless zombie.

The Bloodhulks come in three varieties: Bloodhulk Fighter, Bloodhulk Giant, and Bloodhulk Crusher. They are used by evil spellcasters as bodyguards and servants. They are much stronger then your typical zombie. They have inflated hit points but are fragile to piercing and slashing weapons due to their bloated bodies being filled with fluids.

Combat: The Bloodhulk is an undead creatures. The Bloodhulk Fighter is a Challenge Rating of 4 that is medium size, low armor class of 11, and a boatload of hit points averaging 140. They have a single slam attack that does 1d8+4 points of damage. The Bloodhulk Giant is Challenge Rating of 6 that is large size, low armor class of 13, hit points averaging at 196, and a powerful slam that does 2d6+16 points of damage. The Bloodhulk Crusher is a Challenge Rating of 8 that is a giant size, low armor class of 14, massive hit points that average around 280, and a wicked slam that does 3d6+24 points of damage.

-Special Qualities: Bloodhulks are undead and have all the traits of that type. They have darkvision, low-light vision, and can understand their creators orders.

-Fragile: Bloodhulks take an extra 1d6 points of damage from piercing and slashing weapons.

-Blood Bloated: A Bloodhulk always gain the maximum amount of hit points for each hit die they possess.

Bloodhulks are essentially super-sized steroid zombies. They hit hard and are very resilient. Their only down fall is their poor armor class and their vulnerability to piercing/slashing weapons. Fighting a Bloodhulk is a race against time. You must unload a massive amount of damage or potentially be smashed to pieces.

Last Night on January 1/21/15 we had our second session of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition. We ran it on Roll20 for about two and half hours. Our band of adventurers are....

Lefira: Halfling Fighter
Azurith: Elven Cleric
Taurnil: Elven Thief/Mage
Rin: Human Paladin
Shnozola: Gnome Druid
All 1st level dudes and dudette

We ran the second session of the Tower of the Black Pearl. Some bullet points of the session below. If you plan on playing that module don't read ahead. The Tower of the Black Pearl is from Dungeon Crawl Classic and I have converted it over to AD&D 2nd Edition. Conversion is pretty much done on the fly. Sweet thing about 2e and DCC is the traps/monster are rules light and can be eyeballed quite easily. The group is about 80% done with the module and I have enjoyed it thus far.


-The group last session use some blood to activate a teleport sigil and appeared elsewhere in the tower. They were surrounded by bandits who were on guard. Fight commence. Bandits died. The room had walls depicting a wizard dude turning into a five head dragons.

-Group discovers room with gold plated organs painted black and a gold bowl. How nice.

-The Group explores a bit more and come across an underground lake. They meet Charon I mean undead ferryboat dude who requires payment to cross the lake. They kindly pay him. While passing through the lake they see some shiny objects in the water. Smarter then they look they decide not jump into the lake. Plus the lake is brick cold.

-The group is escorted under a rickety bridge high above and meet some more bandits at a dock near by. The head bandit tries to strike a deal with the group to open a door he can't. 


-The group suspects head bandit is a jackoff and for a brief moment entertains his truce. The gnome decides to hug the head bandit. Head bandit gets angry and fight erupts. Our thief/wizard gets one-shotted by a bandit. The group prevails though and heal up the thief/wizard.

-Group disarms the door that had some blade trap on it.

-They find a room with skeletons on the floor and high water marks. Yeah smells like a trap. Half the group enter, half the group stays behind. Trap sprung. Room is flooding. Group is panicking. Two rounds away from drowning the group is able to open another door leading to stairs upward. The trap reset and everyone get through okay.

-Going up the stairs they run into that rickety bridge. The elves, gnome, and halfling take off their gear and slowly cross the bridge. The Paladin even with no gear is a fat bastard and a broken plank almost drops him to the lake floor. Quick on his feet and a successful dex check he hold on for dear life. The group safely passes over the bridge.

-On the other side of the bridge is an immense sarcophagus. How fun. That is were we ended.

I have a lot of monster books. From Basic to Fifth Edition and almost everything in between. Plus throw in the crap load of books from Pathfinder and D20 I probably have two whole shelves devoted to monsters. I'm always on the lookout for great books of beast. Now for most part the majority of them are pretty repetitive and boring. You do however find a bunch of gems that inspire you.

My favorite monster books are the Planescape Monstrous Compendiums. Planescape being one of my favorite setting. The three books making up the series have such a wonderful layout and art style. The writing is top notch and very flavorful. There are a tremendous amount of interesting creatures. If you like plane hopping or throwing in an occasionally outer planar creature you can't go wrong with any of these books.

If you are fan of the OSR then these three books are simple conversions to Basic D&D, AD&D 1E, and any Retro-Clone. You do have an overlap with previous edition monster books but for the most part there is new text and fluff which are worth the price of admission. Hopefully Drivethrurpg will have them up on their site soon. The first two books are pretty easy to find but the third appendix I've seen very high asking prices.

I know it's a pipe dream but maybe one day Wizards of the Coast would collect all three books plus the four 32 page compendium found in the boxsets to make a massive tome of outer planar goodness. Then again if they don't I'm sure once all the PDFs are out you could probably combine them together and create one via Lulu.

Out of curiosity what are your favorite monster books? Any game or edition. With the exception of the core book which is your staples.



                                                 

Draped in a ragged, hooded cloak, an eye of fear and flame is a skeletal figure with a gem set into each eye socket - one red and one black

Source: AD&D Fiend Folio 1E
Book of Vile Darkness 3.0

     Created by chaotic evil gods the Eye of Fear and Flame are let loose to inspire dark deeds. An Eye of Fear and Flame might approach a couple in the woods. He threatens to kill both of them if the wife doesn't take her husband life. If she decides to kill her husband the Eye of Fear and Flame will spare her life and revel in her shock and misery. The Eye of Fear and Flame seeks out individuals to commit dark deeds and hideous crimes.

     As agents of chaos they are created when Dark Gods take the soul of a chaotic evil madmen and give them an animated skeletal form in which to roam and do their will. The defining feature of the Eye of Fear and Flame is it's gems. The black gem creates a fear effect and the red gem unleashes an inferno of fire. It is rumored that only 20 of these creatures are known to exist.

Combat: In AD&D 1E the Eye of Fear and Flame is a level VII creature.

-Red Gem: Unleashes a 12 dice fireball once every three rounds.

-Black Gem: Acts as a fear wand every melee round

-Planeshift: If combat is going against the Eye of Fear and Flame it can take two melee rounds to shift to the Ethereal Plane.

-Resistances: If Blindness or Power Word: Blind is cast on the Eye of Fear and Flame they are reflected back at the caster.

The Gems are worth 1,000 to 2,000 gold pieces each.

     The Eye of Fear and Flame makes for a great villain. In a sleepy village chaos has erupted. Normal everyday folk are committing horrendous acts of evil. Killing love ones, stealing, etc. All prompted by the Eye. The adventurers must find the root cause of this evil and put an end to it. Maybe destroying the divine servant of the Dark Gods will lead to greater retribution.

This hunched creature has a single huge eye that dominates its entire face. Its body is bloated and misshappen, and its limbs are wiry but strong, Its arms end in claws that reach the ground as it moves in awkward hop.

Source: Miniatures Handbook 3.5
D&D Monster Manual 5E

     Nothic are aberrations that live in underground lairs and ruins. Rumor has it that wizards who dabble in the arcane secrets are transformed into a Nothic when a rituals goes wrong. The Nothic retain no memory of their former selves. They do have an urge to seek out magic. They can be encountered lurking in cellars of the local arcane academy or ruins of a great wizards tower.
     The Nothic seek forbidden lore and knowledge. They covet magic items and will easily accept them as payment for lore they may possess. The Nothic hope that one day their desire for magical secrets will revert their condition.


Combat: In D&D 3.5 the Nothic is a CR 3 creature. It has relatively high hit points that average out at 42. They have two claw attacks that deal 1d4+4 damage.

-Flesh Rotting Gaze: Anyone who see a Nothic within 30ft must make a Will Save 16 or take 1d6 points of damage.

-Sight: Nothic can see invisibility and have darkvision 120ft.

In D&D 5E the Nothic is a Challenge Rating of 2. It has 45 hit points, Armor Class of 15, and two claw attacks that deal 1d6+3 damage.

Rotting Gaze: The Nothic can target one creature with it's gaze within 30ft. The victim must make a DC 12 Constitution Saving Throw or take 3d6 necrotic damage.

Weird Insight: The Nothic can target a creature within 30ft to steal a piece of knowledge from them. It's a contest between the victims Charisma(Deception) vs the Nothics Wisdom(Insight). Failure allows that Nothic to steal one fact or secret from the victim.

The Miniatures Handbook version is pretty sparse about the Nothic. It mentions nothing about their arcane past and has them as simple subterranean lurkers. The D&D 5E Monster Manual gives them some backstory and depth. I like the Weird Insight ability of the Nothic for 5E. Stealing a Secret from a prominent NPC can lead to an interesting sidetrek.


                                                         

A bulbous body floats towards you. It has a central, unblinking eye, and a large maw filled with daggerlike teeth. Smaller eyes, attached to wriggling stalks, sprout from the top of the orb-like body.

Source: Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations 3.5
Original Source was AD&D Monster Manual

     The Gas Spore is a giant flying fungal ball. They were created by Beholder Mages. Since their creation they have spread far and wide. Repopulating through their infestation ability. The Gas Spore looks like Beholders and can easily deceive an adventuring party by appearing as so. They are hollow creatures filled with spores under intense pressure to burst.
     The Gas Spore main purpose is to be destroyed. The destruction of the Gas Spore allows it's Death Throe and Infestation abilities to take full effect. Having multiple Gas Spore in an encounter can wreck havoc on a party. On a positive note the spores from this creature can be harvested with a DC 20 Alchemy check. You can turn the Gas Spores into powder and it can be used as a contact poison. Harvesting a living Gas Spore can be tricky and failure could expose you to an infestation.

Combat: The Gas Spore is a CR 3 Large Plant. It's primary abilities are it's death throe and infestation abilities. For a CR 3 creature they have very low Armor Class. Perfect for blowing them up.

-Death Throes: A Gas Spore when it is reduced to 0 hit points explodes. The explosion causes 6d6 points of Sonic Damage in a 10ft Radius. A DC 10 Reflex save is allowed to halve the damage. Characters caught in the explosion are exposed to the infestation ability.

-Infestation: Any living non-plant creature exposed to the Gas Spore's slam or death throw ability must make a DC 12 Fort Save or be infested by spores. The spores rapidly grow and eat flesh. Initial effect is 1d4 Con damage and requires an additional save each hour or lose an additional 1d4 Con. If a character dies from the spores he turns into a formless mush that spawns 1d4 small Gas Spores.
Any ability that neutralizes or delays poison can cure/delay the infestation.

-All-Around Vision: A Gas Spore can see in all directions and cannot be flanked.

-Beholder Camouflage: They get +20 to disguise check to appear as Beholders.

-Flight: Naturally buoyant and can fly 20ft per round.

     Last Wednesday I had my first session of AD&D 2nd Edition since the 90s. I ran it on Wednesday Night on Roll20. The game was fantastic. It played much better then I remembered. When I last played AD&D 2e I was a teenager. The system ran quite well. I enjoyed that not everything was codified in the rules and I was just making rulings on the spot. It was refreshing from the modern versions of D&D.


     I am running Tower of the Black Pearl from Goodman games. The module is a nice short adventure about a Tower that appears in the Ocean once a decade. We completed half the module before the session ended. Should complete it by next week. The module originally appeared in The Adventure Begins Hardcover for 3rd Edition. It was recently redone for Dungeon Crawl Classic. I have both of them but converting from DCC.

Here is the cast of characters we have...

Halfling Fighter
Elven Cleric
Elven Thief/Mage
Human Paladin
Gnome Druid
*Yes I know Gnomes can't be druids but he wanted to play one so who give a crap. ;-)

The soft scrape of bone reveals the long, sinuous skeleton of a large snake, its head a humanoid skull with a snake's jaws.

Source: AD&D 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual. Originally appeared in AD&D 1E Fiend Folio

Silent assassins. Deadly protectors: Necrophidius are created for the sole purpose of eliminating a foe or guarding an important area or object. These Death Worms are golems that make no noise even as they slither across the dungeon floor. They have a macabre grace and can easily surprise a group of adventurers. Necrophidius is known for it's Dance of Death. An ability that can turn an encounter into a massacre with a few bad saves.

Combat: The Necrophidius is a Golem in AD&D 2nd Edition. It's a large creature and meant as a low level challenge. Although with it's special abilities it can also pose a threat to mid-level adventurers.

-Silence: Because it doesn't make noise the Necrophidius can surprise opponents with ease. The silence imposes a -2 to surprise rolls.

-Dance of Death: The Death Worm can sways it's body in a hypnotic dance. Anyone who observe the dance must save vs. spell or be hypnotized as the hypnotism spells. As you stand motionless the Death Worm can attack without hesitation.

-Paralysis: The Bite of the Necrophidius can paralyze an adventurer for 1d4 turns unless a save vs spell is made. 

Immunity: The Death Worm is an artificial creature and immune to mind-affecting abilities. Also immune to poison. Although it looks like an undead creature it is immune to being turned.

The Necrophidius is a dangerous foe. With two special abilities that can control the battlefield the Death Worm can be a deadly encounter. 

So after 15 plus years I'm starting up my first AD&D 2nd Edition game. I took a break from gaming in the early 2002 after playing D&D 3.0 for a year or so. I didn't come back to gaming until 2010 and have mainly been playing Pathfinder. I own the original rulebooks but couldn't resist purchasing the Premium Edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Editions. I found them cheap on amazon from a third party seller.

They are absolutely gorgeous books and it's nice to have a fresh set of rulebooks. Over the last month or so I've been refreshing my knowledge of 2nd Edition. If you stick to just the core books the game is so simple. From character creation to combat. It very refreshing from the complex nature of the 3.X system.

My plan for my new campaign is to run short modules that loosely connect to form a mini-campaign. Right now I'm converting Tower of the Black Pearl from Goodman Games as the first adventure. Then looking at some Dungeon Magazine adventures to fill in the gaps. I'm looking to run the campaign for six months or so. Probably get the group to 6th level before ending things before the summer.

Mirror Fiend

This ornate mirror hangs on the wall. As you glare at your reflection you notice something looking back. An emotionless human face gazes at your soul.

Source: Sword & Wizardry Monstrosities

     A Mirror Fiend is a haunted object which traps the soul of the unsuspecting. A demonic being lurks within it's own pocket realm inside the mirror. As you enter the abandoned house your eyes dart across the room. What should be your reflection appears to be something else. A human head glances back at your. You feel a tug at your soul as if it's trying to rip it from your body.
     Those of weak will have their souls torn from their body. Their physical body remains staring at the mirror while their spirit fights the fiend inside the mirror. A false move by fellow adventurers can spell doom for the trapped. If your comrades destroy the mirror your soul is trapped. If they decide to move your body you lose control of your soul while battling the mirror fiend inside it's realms. That leads to death as the Mirror Fiend tears your soul apart as you are immobile.

Combat: The Mirror Fiend is Challenge Level 10. The physical mirror can be shattered from the outside and spells reflect back at caster if they target the mirror. The Mirror Fiend has a trap the soul ability. Once you glare at the mirror you must make a save. If you fail the save your soul is torn from your body and into the mirror.
     Once you are inside the mirror you suffer a -4 to attacks due to being unfamiliar with your surroundings. Each round reduces the penalty by 1. They Mirror Fiend is immune to non-magical weapons and has 50% magic resistance. In this mirror realm you must defeat the fiend to return to your body. As stated above your physical body is in a fragile state. False moves by your party can kill you.
     The Mirror Fiend is rather dangerous monster since the tactics of your party can determine success or failure. This can be a nasty encounter that might give some players hard feeling afterwards.

• Mirror Fiend: HD 8; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 mirror weapon (3d4); Move 12; Save 8; AL C; CL/XP 10/1400; Special: Unaffected by normal weapons, 50% magic resistance.

This 10-foot-tall, vaguely humanoid form shimmers on the edge of existence. Though immaterial, its body seems to flash betwen phantom compositions of earth, air, fire, and water. 

Source: Planewalkers Handbook 3.5. Originally from the Planescape Monstrous Appendix III. It was called the Menglis in that book.

The Unraveler is born of oppositions. This elemental spirits is composed of earth, wind, fire, and water. The Unraveler sole existence is to break down the elements. These lawful neutral entities are known to reside on the borders of the Inner Planes. Where multiple elements mingle together. The signature ability of the Unraveler is to separate the elements that make up a body or object. Once a victim is afflicted by this ability it requires a charisma check to keep oneself composed. The ultimate monsters against players characters who dump their charisma attributes.

Combat: The Unraveler is a CR 9 Outsider.

-Disjoin: A blow from the Unraveler can cause a target to begin to seperate into component elements. The target must make a Fortitude Save or immediately take 2d8 points of damage. Within 2d4 rounds the target begins to unravel into a few pounds of minerals and a pool of liquid. Once affected by the disjoin ability the target can't cast spells, manifest psionics, or use magic items. He also attacks blindly unable to distinguish friends from foes. Attack rolls are made at -4 with a 50% miss chance.
   
     Each round that passes the target takes 2d8 points of damage as he rapidly decomposes. A victim can attempt to control his fading form by making a DC 15 Charisma check. Once made it suppresses the unraveling for 24 hours. Attempts can be made each round until the target succeeds or dies. The only way to cure the condition is through a restoration, heal, or greater restoration.

-Elemental Immunity: The Unraveler is immune to all types of elemental damage.

-Special Qualities: Spell Resistance 17 and darkvision 60ft. Also a large Outsider and it's claw attacks hit on a touch armor class.

This creature is a stocky humanoid standing about 5 or 6 feet tall with sooty-black hair and green eyes. It wears crudely constructed hides of fur and leather. Its face has a curious, almost child-like appearance and seems to be imprinted with a permanent, non-changing smile. Its skin is pinkish-white.

Source: Tome of Horror Complete Sword & Wizardry. Originally from the AD&D 1e Fiend Folio.



     The reclusive Lava Children generally makes their homes in burnt out volcanoes located in warmer climates. Their only friends tend to be only fire-themed creatures like magmin and fire elementals. These deranged looking child-like humanoids make great occupants of underground cities lost in time. Lava tubes snake through the underground leading the way to a tribe of Lava Children lost for centuries among the ruins. 
     They also make great minions for a stronger force like a genie. The Lava Children also work great as a civilization on a tropical island. Maybe a tribe of primitive humans has resorted to idol worship of the Lava Children. Associating the island lone volcano and it's activity with the demeanor of the Lava Children. The human tribe could be kidnapping people and sacrificing them to the Lava Gods...
     The Lava Child signature ability is that metal objects has no effect on them. Lava Children simply ignore all metals from swords to armors. An encounter with a band of Lava Children can be a frustrating encounter for a melee heavy group.


Combat: The Lava Child has few interesting abilities. First any metal object that is used against a Lava Child simply passes through it. Also if a Lava Child attacks someone in metal armor it ignores that armor class bonus. They can also move through any solid metal surface as if they didn't exist. They are also immune to all earth spells. They are vulnerable to water and cold based spells. 

• Lava Child: HD 4; AC 3 [16]; Atk 2 claws (1d4) and bite (1d6); Move 12; Save 13; AL N;
  CL/XP 5/240; Special: Immunity to earth magic, fire and metal, double damage from cold

A gaunt figure clad in gray-hued jester's motley comes capering around the corner. Its feet move silently on the stones, and it grips a scepter with a doll's head atop it in one hand.

Source: Heroes of Horror (Dungeons & Dragons 3.5)

     Otherworldly fey drawn to humanoid emotion. The Gray Jester drains joy from those around it. Appearing as mimes, clowns, or jesters they feast on positive emotions such as laughter, joy, happiness, etc. The Gray Jester has the ability to cause laughter through it's fey magic while at the same time feeding upon those emotions.
     Once all sign of happiness is extinguished their victim become the Bleak Ones. They lose all self will and the capacity to feel positive emotions. The Bleak Ones become followers and soldiers for the Gray Jester.




Combat: The Gray Jester is a challenge rating of 4. It has damage reduction 10/cold iron and spell resistance 18. It has the ability to touch a subject with it's hand or scepter to cause laughter like Tasha's Hideous Laughter spell. If the subject is under the laughter spell or feel joy from another source the Gray Jester can feed upon those emotions. While feeding the victim takes 1d4 points of charisma drain. The Gray Jester can drain up to three victims at a time.
     Once a Gray Jester has drained it's victim or victims it is at it's weakest. It's damage reduction and spell resistance is reduced. Those victims whose charisma is drained to zero become Bleaks Ones. Emotionally devoid followers of the Gray Jester

Inspiration: Who doesn't want a demented clown tormenting the local village? I like the concept of the group entering a relatively abandoned village. A group of children are all that is left of the residents. They have been drained of their emotions and have become Bleak Ones. Their sole purpose is to lure victim to the Gray Jester tea party.
     You could also have the carnival come to town. The travelling freak show sole purpose to lure victims to the Gray Jester so can feast upon their raw emotions,

This humanoid creature has long, sharp teeth, and canine features. 

Source: Realms of Crawling Chaos (Labyrinth Lord)

Taking a look at a variant of the classic ghoul. The typical Dungeons & Dragons ghoul is an undead creature who craves flesh and bone. They have the ability to paralyze and if the victim is slain they become a ghoul within a short period of time. In comparison the Lovecraftian Ghoul has more of a canine look as opposed to the typical emaciated pale flesh ghoul.

Lovecraftian Ghoul is not undead and it's origins is clouded in mystery. They share a kinship with human and haunt nearby graveyards. Using these sites for nourishment as they feed on corpses. There are speculation that these creature are aliens from outer space. Maybe a crashed spaceship fallen from the sky with a crew of ravenous ghouls. They have slowly began to poach from human society. Spreading their infection one victim at a time...

Combat: The Lovecraftian Ghoul is different from your standard Ghoul in terms of combat qualities. The Lovecraftian Ghoul loses the ability to paralyze. Instead their bites become infectious. Their saliva contains an infectious disease and each hit point of damage increases your odds of infection. For each point of damage you take you have 2% cumulative chance to be infected and turn into a ghoul in 2d4 weeks. After combat has ended you add up the hit point damage and figure out the percentile roll.

If a character has become infected you begin a gradual change. Over the course of days and weeks you develop a hunger for raw flesh. As you get close to the end of the incubation period you are probably eating the goblin you just killed. You also begin to gradually develop canine features. The amusement of seeing the group fighter slowly turning into a ghoul creates a rather interesting dynamic.

Verdict: The Lovecraftian Ghoul is nice variation of the typical ghoul encounter. From a cleric failing to turn the ghoul to the danger of the infection. The role-playing opportunity if a party member becomes infected. The images of crashed spaceships, the slow spreading ghoul plague, wide-spread panic, etc. Adding some spice to your typical horror situation.

Death Dog

This creature appears to be a two-headed hound with rich black fur and yellow piercing eyes. Each head constantly drips a foul-smelling saliva

Source: Sword & Wizardry Tome of Horror Complete (Originally from the AD&D 1e Fiend Folio).
Also appears in Fiend Folio for 3e and Pathfinder Bestiary 4.

Packs of two headed dogs spreading rotting death throughout the amber deserts. These nocturnal hunters stalk barren wastelands looking for prey. First the pack attacks. Bites then turn into infections. The pack retreats and waits. The victim slowly dying as its flesh begins to rot. After their prey is dead the Death Dogs feast on their corpses.

Combat: The Death Dogs are Challenge Rating of 3 in Sword & Wizardry. They have two bite attacks that can infect it's opponent with rotting death. This disease is quite potent. If you fail a save you lose 1d6 points of constitution each day with -5 saving throw each subsequent save. In Sword & Wizardy with low attributes a couple of failed saving throws is almost sure death.

You can however be healed with powerful curative magic or finally make a saving throw. With complete bed rest you regain one point of constitution each week.

Inspiration: Roving bands of vicious dogs can create a certain amount of dread. If the group is traveling through a barren terrain you can have the pack perform hit and run tactics. In the middle of the night a half dozen of these dogs attack. After a round or two they retreat. Maybe one or two PCs come down with rotting death. Each night you hear the howls of the Death Dogs as they wait patiently for it's prey to fall from illness.

You can also have the antidote be a mixtures of the Death Dog blood and some herbs. So now the group must track down the pack to slay one for the cure. Another possibility is the group stumble upon an entrench caravan. Half of the caravan is suffering from Rotting Death. They are in no position to continue unless a cure is found and the pack of Death Dogs are dealt with.