Whimsical Wednesday

Every Wednesday, I’ll roll on the table below, and then on the indicated Whimsey Table, and share the exact wording found in my very crude often ridiculous 25 year old handwritten notes from the early 80’s.

Random Whimsey Determination Table (2d6)

2-4 Basic Whimsey Chart (d00)
5-7 New Whimsey Chart (d00)
8-10 Nyark Ripplesnap’s Whimsey Channel (d00)
11 Gorfaxio Gondoro’s Whimsey Table #1 (d20)
12 Gorfaxio Gondoro’s Whimsey Table #2 (d20)

Today’s Roll: 9, 90.

"The Periodic Tavern of Temporal Adventurers appears."

Have a Whimsical Wednesday.

~Sham, Quixotic Referee

The Dismal Depths, even more monsters

I allowed this beastiary to side track my mapping for far too long now. My original grouping of monsters levels 1 to 3 was completed in one sitting. This last grouping, which encompasses levels 7 to 9, as well as 10 plus, took quite a bit of work. Part of the problem was that between the actual periods of writing, I kept coming up with more entries that had to be added.

One of these new entries doesn't really belong on this list, but the idea tickled my fancy enough that I just couldn't leave it off.

Another issue with this final (for now) addition to the Beastiary is that by nature these higher HD monster descriptions simply have to be wordier. In the end I think this is a fine basis of over 100 monsters. The Dismal Depths will be stocked with strange monsters and plenty of nasty surprises. My only concern is that many of the monsters described here might be too unforgiving. So feel free to tinker with any of these to suit your game if these creatures find their way into your dungeons.

Dismal Depths Beastiary, The Lower Levels 7-9, The Dark Domain Level 10, and regions below

Agudath(C): AC 2 Move 15 HD 10 Eidolon. Serves Chegaralis. Cackling, melted, flayed. Floats like a ghost. Touch melts 3 dice and another 2 dice next round. Sustains minimum damage from spells or spell-like effects. Only struck by magic weapons. Immune to sleep, charm, hold. Dispel Magic or Teleport at will. Regenerates 6 hits per round.

Ashen Order(C): AC 2 Move 12 HD 7 Alien order of evil monks seeking to overthrow Law. Wield Laser Swords of limited duration (+1 to hit, deal 2 dice). Telekinetic mind power to throw targets or objects. Given one full round to concentrate, suffocate target with telekinesis, save or die.

Beyonder(C): AC 5 Move 12 HD 9 Extra-dimensional beings with inexplicable goals. 9' tall hairless men with four arms and a single glowing gold eye. Teleport at will, wield heavy tech devices; flame-throwers, sonic-boom rifles, flechette-casters. Never miss a saving throw.

Blighted(C): AC 7 Move 9 HD 7 Undead. 6th or higher level characters who perish in underworld rise in a few days as Blighted. Only struck by magic weapons, immune to fire and lightning. Attacks cause rot, another 1d6/round for the next ten, cure disease will end the rotting.

Blue Gunky(N): AC 6 Move 12 HD 12 Devious masterminds from outer space, subsist on magic energy. Impervious to the first three forms of damage inflicted each encounter. Spells heal them 1 hit/level. Attack with void energy, 3 dice to one target at 50', or 2 dice 20' around themselves.

Brain(C): AC 9 Move 0 HD 9 Massive, undulating brain being. Immobile but may teleport at will between predetermined locales. Able to overpower, enslave and control up to 200 HD worth of creatures. All become zombie-like servants. Can “see” with sixth sense in a 100' radius. May cast Charm, Hold, Confusion, Feeblemind or Telekinesis.

Chegaralis(C): AC 2 Move 12 HD 12 Eidolon. 9' tall, pale, gaunt with two heads, one laughing the other enraged. Enraged spits acid jet, laughing breathes black fire ball, both of 10d6. Gaze causes insanity. Strikes for 3 dice. Sustains minimum damage from spells or spell-like effects. Only struck by magic weapons. Immune to sleep, charm, hold. Dispel Magic or Teleport at will.

Chicken Jack(C): AC 3 Move 15 HD 7 8' tall bipedals with white feathers and bright red combs. Chicken Jacks have a high AC due to their inhuman reflexes and quickness of action. Prefer maces and clubs. Never, ever use axes, nor missiles. Fight for 1d3 extra rounds even after reduced to zero HP.

Chupacabra(N): AC 3 Move 9/24 HD 7 Nocturnal winged creature with a ravenous appetite for blood. Can completely drain a victim of all bodily fluids in a single attack, save or die. Each successful attack has a 4in6 chance of messily slaying victim in one round unless save is made.

Creeping Goop(N): AC 6 Move 6 HD 10 Clean-up crew. Dark gray often dormant masses of metal and flesh devouring jellies. Immune to fire, split into smaller goops by physical blows or lightning. Dissolve metal, ruining that which comes into contact with it. Flesh devoured at a rate of 3 dice per round.

Czareet(L): AC 5 Move 6 HD 7 Secular, territorial, warlike 5' tall penguins. Only speak Czareet. Immune to cold. Worship sleeping Y'laath gods and desire to keep their secrets hidden. Seek order, distinct stations and castes. Have a complex apocalypse calender and history of the universe.

Deep Wyrm(N): AC 2 Move 9 HD by type Wingless subterranean dragon-kin from 8'-12' in length, twice that with tail. Each is crafty and possesses a breath weapon usable thrice per day. May conform to dragon traits as referee desires. Jagged Wyrm: HD 7 Breathes Lightning Stroke. Horned Wyrm: HD 8 Breathes Acid Jet. Plumed Wyrm: HD 9 Breathes Icy Cone. Spiked Wyrm: HD 10 Breathes Gas Cloud. Barbed Wyrm: HD 11 Breathes Fiery Cone.

Doozer(N): AC 7 Move 6 HD 1 Tiny almost robot like beings with a ceaseless desire to build complicated traps and tricks in the underworld. Their mechanisms are actually edible rigid sugar complex structures. Doozers construct, rebuild, enhance and tweak their efforts in a never ending cycle for no apparent reason.

Draugr(C): AC 2 Move 12 HD 8 Undead. Hoary, withered terrors of unlife. Only struck by magic weapons. Daylight turns them to ash, their touch ages 4d6 years and regenerates the Draugr of 4 hits. Slain Draugr rise again in 1 day unless exposed to daylight, the men they kill become Draugr.

Dust Bunnies(N): AC 7 Move 12 HD 7 Clean-up crew. Created by digested Doozer mechanisms, this waste of the underworld collects into non-intelligent spools of roaming caustic refuse. Dust Bunnies survive by adding to their own mass through molecular decomposition. Any matter coming into contact sustains 2 dice per round, and all targets are treated as AC 9. Immune to all magic.

Eem-Ki Brood Queen(N): AC 2 Move 0 HD 9 The Hive Queen. Eem-Ki is a massive egg laying insectoid in command of over 1,000 Broodlings. Immune to cold and spells under 4th level. Attacks with a 20' long stinger tail, 1 die+3 and poison, save or die. Thick chitin reflects 50% of lightning or rays.

Ess-Ess(C): AC 7 Move 9 HD 8+2 Crack leaders of the Nisse bent on waking the Y'laath master race and exterminating other fae. Wield pearl handled pistols and ceremonial daggers of station. Wear black caps with silver deaths head badge. Adept at underworld negotiation, able to rally Nisse.

Flying Cow Head(C): AC 5 Move 12 HD 8 Guardian servants of Chegaralis. 8' tall incorporeal bodies wearing long ragged robes topped with huge skeletal cow's head. Float and breath fireballs out to 3” exploding in a 1” ball of fire, 6d6 damage. Immune to fire and cold, only struck by magic weapons.

Glitterglim(C): AC 7 Move 9 HD 9 Destructive, enraged twisted Hiisi with very short life spans. 7' tall and glowing with vibrant gold energy, when slain a smaller Glitterglim emerges forth from the corpse, continuing in steps of -2 HD each (7,5,3,1). Each retains the fighting capability of 9 HD.

Hasgorin(N): AC 2 Move 6 HD 12 Living statue of glittering meteorite metal. Immune to magic and weapon blows except those dealt by the artifacts Breghoneir or Crimson Hate. Attacks twice each round, Toxic Avenger poison sword save or die and Wirry Welt whip, range 20', entangles, save or turned to scarecrow. Breathe Fire Ball five times per day.

Hiisi(C): AC 7 Move 9 HD 7 Mutated Bogloids spawned from radioactive underworld pits. Evil, vile flesh-eaters ranging from a very stout 4' to a gaunt 7' tall. Hiisi become enraged in melee, dealing progressively greater damage when they strike, +1 cumulative damage with each hit to +6 max.

Hilterbot(C): AC 2 Move 6 HD 9 The long-lived unhinged oft repaired and rebuilt uber fascist fuhrer robot. Completely ego maniacal, commands the Nisse in their fae eradication efforts. Immune to fire, cold, and mind attacks. No functional melee attacks, relies on either Ess-Ess guards, extremely persuasive negotiating skills, or a poison gas attack, usable thrice daily.

Huldra(N): AC 5 Move 9/24 HD 7+1 Erotic seductresses with hidden cow tails. Ancient fae spirits of Alfheimr. Create minor matter or craft illusions, may be imprisoned in magic vessels and forced to serve. Create aura of black moss 30' radius, overcoming those under 2 HD and slowing others. If forced to fight, their deceptive strength of the forest enables a Huldra to deal 2 dice-1 damage.

Ice-Nix(C): AC 2 Move 9/24 HD 9 Spirits of freezing air created by Spriggan nightmares. Immune to cold and lightning, only struck by magic weapons. Attacks freeze victims for 1 hour if save vs paralysis missed, CON roll required. Air in 20' around spirit causes 1d6 cold damage per round.

Idetheon(C): AC 3 Move 6 HD 10 Eidolon. Serves Chegaralis. Covered in insects, staggers about in agony, incapable of melee. Breathes insect swarm each round, incapacitates while dealing 3 dice per round, lasts 2d6 rounds. Sustains minimum damage from spells or spell-like effects. Only struck by magic weapons. Immune to sleep, charm, hold. Dispel Magic or Teleport at will.

Jabberwocky(C): AC 4 Move 9 HD 8 A huge burbling monstrosity with gaping maw and gigantic claws that catch men and hold them fast on an attack roll of 18 or more. Its flaming eyes gaze at one target each round, save vs spell or become enthralled, only able to murmur rhyming gibberish for 1 turn.

Lumbering Mass(N): AC 4 Move 12 HD 9 Clean-up crew. Deceptively fast moving sentient collection of rotted waste which seeks to add to its mass. The rolling monstrosity forms a pair of psuedopods to smash twice per round, and blasts a caustic emission out to 5” which deals 3d6 in a 2” radius.

Mercurial(N): AC 8 Move 12 HD 8 Living statues of mercury created by Beyonders. Can change shape, and even seep through tiny cracks in their pursuits. Only struck by magic weapons, which deal but their plus in damage. Regenerates 3 hits per round. Immune to fire and acid. Cold deals +1 per die.

Mind Melder(N): AC 7 Move 9 HD 9 Pillars of leathery flesh with four 6' long tentacles, these atrocities bend light, and are naturally invisible. Mind Melders possess two mental spell-like attacks, Hold Person and Mind Slave, a powerful Charm. Only one slave may be controlled at a time.

Mo-Mo(N): AC 2 Move 12 HD 8 Six-legged mystical bear-like beast with scales of bronze. Its very breath causes those within 6' to save or be turned into a newt.

Nisse(C): AC 7 Move 9 HD 8 Time-locked mutant fascists, these are the goose-stepping Fae Who Wear Boots. Serve Ess-Ess masters, they are a trained and drilled iron-helmeted elite fighting force. Wield SMG's and stick grenades. Nisse despise other fae, and need never check morale against them.

Polypoid(N): AC 7 Move 6 HD 8 Giant polyp-creatures, 7' tall, cylindrical with a mass of tentacles surrounding a mouth. Spawned in a Polypoid colony, members belong to hive-mind. Incapable of speech, use Telepathy and ESP. Tentacles manipulate items, defend with mental powers of Sleep, Phantasmal Forces, Confusion and Hold. Ancient enemies of the Viscoids.

Robot(N): Similar to Living Statues but tech constructed and powered by energy rather than magic. Their statistics vary wildly, as do methods of attack, defense and mobility. Capable of variable levels of communication and reasoning. Unlike Living Statues, Robots are prone to malfunction.

Sallow Jack(C): AC 3 Move 12 HD 8 Trans-dimensional men often summoned by spell to carry out missions. Able to meld into shadows and attack with surprise or go unnoticed. Only struck by magic weapons and immune to spells under 4th level.

Shambling One(C): AC 5 Move 6 HD 10 Semi-translucent malleable blobs of alien matter. A mass of eyes, tentacles, cilia and mouthes created by the Y'laath, dungeon keepers and trap re-setters. Create enough limbs to strike all targets in range, acid dripping tentacles hit for 1 die+3 damage. Armor hit and weapons striking them must save or be ruined. Immune to lightning and cold.

Skogsra(C): AC 3 Move 9/24 HD 10 As Huldra, but from the Deep Forest of Alfheimr. Delight in leading men astray to their death. Alluring beauties that appear as hollowed tree stumps from behind. Deal 2 dice damage, create entangling barriers of vines as well as Huldra black moss. Can be imprisoned in a magic vessel like Huldras, but for no more than 3 years time.

Smart Algae(N): AC 7 Move - HD 8 Non-mobile hazard. Can be encountered in pools or very moist areas. Smart Algae uses airborne agents within a range of 100' to overpower the minds of potential victims, causing them to move, zombie-like, to the algae and remain there in order to defend the growth. The algae takes minimum damage from physical attacks. It has no attacks of its own.

Space Oddity(L): AC 2 Move 15 HD 12 Enemies of the Beyonders. Solitary deep thinkers of glowing rock-like green matter, exist in only two dimensions. May not be seen nor attacked from the side. Only hit by magic weapons, immune to lightning, fire and cold. Eye-beams melt metal and flesh for 6d6, range 90'. Summon space vacuum in an area 30' around themselves, devoid of oxygen or gravity.

Space Vapor(N): AC - Move -/3 HD 7 Faint haze of slow moving vaporous hunger from space able to envelop foes in a 20' diameter. Origin and intent unknown, Space Vapor always materializes in regions frequented by Beyonders. Unaffected by physical blows, immune to cold and lightning. Fire deals double damage and deters. It paralyzes and withers for 1d4x10 years each round.

Spriggan(C): AC 3 Move 9 HD 8 Small, grotesquely ugly earthen fae-kind created from the memories of long dead giants, swell to 9' tall. Massive mud fists strike for 2 dice. Can summon forth a Lightning Bolt of 6d6. Immune to lightning. When slain shrink to normal size.

Star Rift(N): AC 9 Move 6 HD 8 White hot, blazing “crack” of extra-dimensional energy sent to this world to destroy Beyonders. It dissipates in 1 day. Destroys all in its path. Immune to physical attacks and magic, only damaged by negative energy. It disintegrates foes by touch.

Taldos(C): AC 3 Move 9 HD 10 Eidolon. Serves Chegaralis. Massive armored half-man half-elephant. War hammer deals 3 dice and smashes target's skull on an 18 or higher. All hitting are cursed with ineptitude, -6 to hit for 1 turn. Sustains minimum damage from spells or spell-like effects. Only struck by magic weapons. Immune to sleep, charm, hold. Dispel Magic or Teleport at will.

Trickling Muck(N): AC 9 Move 3 HD 7 Clean-up crew. Slow moving pools of mud and mire. Weapons cannot harm it, nor can lightning or cold. Devours flesh and bone at 2 dice per round of contact. Super sticky prevents movement across its surface and clings, only removed by alcohol or ignited oil.

Trow(C): AC 9 Move 9 HD 7 Filthy despicable underworld fae who collect and stockpile refuse. The garbage men of the deep down, have a mental link with members of the clean-up crew and command their activities. Will negotiate for junk and waste in large amounts. Equal to Enchanters.

Tunnel Terror(N): AC 6 Move 6 HD 15 Ancient worms of the earth, their tunnels form cavernous complexes in the underworld. 30' to 40' long, 10' in diameter. Maws chew with rotating sword like fangs for 3 dice, swallow whole on a 20. Mind melt power, target save or die screaming, range 20'.

Twinkle Mold(N): AC 9 Move 0 HD 10 A non-mobile hazard immune to fire, cold and non-magic blows. Lightning deals double damage to it. Twinkle Mold hypnotizes men who view it and commands them to lay down in its mass which devours flesh at 3 dice each round.

Viscoid(N): AC 6 Move 6 HD 9 Of underworld mire, Viscoids are intelligent fluids using collected muck to form bodies. Viscoids can assume crude forms, becoming man-like in order to manipulate items. They despise Polypoids. Attack by item or fluid jet to 20'. If save is missed, fluid has entered the target, chance to drown, then permanently lose 1d6 hits per day until reduced to mud.

Void Between(N): AC 9 Move 6 HD 9 Floating globe of void energy sent by Beyonders to this world. Will vanish to whence it came after devouring a dozen mortals. Immune to non-magic blows, and takes but 1 damage per die from all spells. Those it touches are disintegrated if saving throw missed.

White Worm(C): AC 2 Move 9 HD 18 Mythological serpent, the White Worm is 50' long and 8' in diameter. Regenerates 3 hits per round, and rejoins parts after slain. Bites for 3 dice, injecting deadly poison, constricts 1 target per round, save or incapacitated, for 3 dice. Only struck by magic weapons. Immune to cold. May roll twice for all saves, taking best result.

Wriggling Slime(N): AC 8 Move 6 HD 12 Massive globs of putrid, coagulated slime, their only attack is a jet of acid to 60', dealing 8d6, save vs breath weapon for no damage, armor must save or be ruined. No obstacle stops a Wriggling Slime in its pursuit of food. Blunt weapons deal 0 damage.

Y’laath(C): The slumbering master race resting in ancient vaults beneath the Dark Domain. Their dreaming sleep is protected by the dungeons they constructed centuries ago. Perhaps one day they will awaken to see what their diabolical creations have wrought.

Disclaimer: In no way do I endorse or support racial supremist opinions. The Nazi-influenced entries of the Ess-Ess, Hilterbot and Nisse above are included in order to allow the characters to fight a vile and despised fantasy aspect of such evils.

Hopefully that's all for now in the way of Dismal Depths monsters. After I've proofread and considered the entries I will add a revised Beastiary PDF over at Orbitfiles.

~Sham, Quixotic Referee

Restocking The Dismal Depths

I really enjoy using six-siders for randomly determining monster and treasure distribution. I normally tailor the contents of major rooms, and then let Destiny by Dice determine the rest.

I have no issues sorting out the hows and whys of certain unusual combinations of the die rolls, such as why there are Morlocks in a room right next to an area with a pack of Broodlings. The results can often be thought of as a snap-shot in time. This is what is encountered when and if the party happens across the areas. Perhaps the two have not yet detected one another, perhaps the Morlocks have sensed the Broodlings and are either hiding or preparing to attack by surprise, perhaps the two groups of monsters are about to engage in melee or attempt to parley with one another. Oftimes, such closely located groups of monsters will draw one to the other if melee is undertaken by the characters. The possibilities are limited only to the referee's imagination.

The point is, there's not always a need to worry about explaining exactly why such a situation exists. Neither are located in a lair, rather being on the prowl or setting up an ambush, or taking a breather from their stalking and hunting.

I use a reworked method of the original guide from The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures for not only filling minor areas, but also as a quick restocking method. The percentages in this Restock table replicate the OD&D method, but remove one die rolling step, ending up with a single table rather than sentences of text describing these steps.

I realized I could further alter the Restock table, and I came up with a pair of options which still maintain those percent chances located in the original method.

The current Dismal Depths Restock table:

Restock (1d6)
1 - Monster
2 - Monster & Treasure
3 to 6 - Empty (1in6 chance of hidden treasure)

I realized I can replicate the 11% chance of an empty room with hidden treasure, and require a second d6 roll only 25% as often, as follows:

Restock (1d6)
1 - Monster
2 - Monster & Treasure
3 to 5 - Empty
6 - Empty (4in6 chance of hidden treasure)

As an alternative, I came up with a Restock table using 2d6 instead, thus requiring no second rolls whatsoever:

Restock (2d6)
2 to 4 - Monster & Treasure
5 - Empty with hidden treasure
6 to 9 - Empty
10 to 12 - Monster

No second rolls, but I feel it lacks the elegance of the single d6 tables.

The rounded percent chances of the four possible results are as follows:

Monster 17%
Monster & Treasure 17%
Empty 55%
Empty with hidden treasure 11%

One could easily contruct a d00 table for this, but I dig the OD&D d6 vibe.

I'll probably use the revised 1d6 Restock table. It's a simple change, but I feel it creates a nearly perfect restocking or filling method.

Another thing I have enjoyed thus far is the synergy between the Restock table and the tailor made Wandering Monsters tables. Looking at the four level one maps for The Dismal Depths, you will see that 33.2% of all monsters either encountered randomly or prefilled using the Restock table, will be the inhabitants of that particular region. It gives a nice feel to those areas, as it ensures that the natives will maintain a strong presence despite the overall random methods used to fill out the details therein. I could probably hash out a better Wandering Monsters table, and dispense with the 2in6 native check before the actual roll, now that I think about it.

A topic for another day, perhaps.

~Sham, Quixotic Referee