2020 - The Year of Blackmoor - 50th Anniversary - Day Ninety-One

Celebrating 2020 - The Year of Blackmoor - 50th Anniversary of Blackmoor and of Role-Playing!

Today is Part 36 of my series of looks at OD&D starting with Monsters & Treasure Volume 2.

**For those coming in, in the middle of this series I am giving you my take on OD&D during my first exposure starting in Sept of 1975. For this first part it is just the first three books of the original woodgrain box set and prior to obtaining the Greyhawk, Blackmoor and later Supplements.**

So we continue on starting with Balrogs:

BALROGS: Balrogs are highly intelligent monsters with a magical nature. There is a high probability that spells will not work against them, To determine success of spells use a base of 75% resistance at the 11th level and adjust upwards or downwards in 5% increments, i.e. a 12th level Magic-User would have a 70% chance of resistance. Balrogs cannot be subdued, but they can be enlisted in the service of a strong chaotic character. There is, of course, always the possibility that the Balrog will attempt to assume command himself, for Chaotic creatures will generally obey a Balrog before a human (except for an Evil High Priest who is slightly more influential). Balrogs have those characteristics indicated in CHAINMAIL, but when fighting fantastic opponents they attack in two ways each turn: The normal attack is with a magical sword of +1 value, and if the Balrog immolates (any score of 7 or better on two six-sided dice, check each turn of melee) it also attacks with its whip. If the whip hits the Balrog drags the opponent against its flaming body, doing two dice of damage. In this manner a Balrog can fight one or two opponents at the some time.

The only thing IMO that really needs to be imported from Chainmail is this:

Balrogs cannot be killed by normal missile fire or in normal combat.

Balrogs can only be damaged with magical weapons, mundane weapons do not cut it. (pun alert) My players faced quite a few balrogs, I enjoyed using this monster and the players really bragged about it when they bested one.

GARGOYLES: As depicted in medieval architecture, the Gargoyle is a reptilian beast with horns, talons, fangs, bat-like wings, and is often bipedal. They are hostile and generally (75%) attack with no provocation regardless of the fact that they may be attacking other Chaotic creatures. They are at least semi-intelligent, and usually can be relied upon to behave with forethought and planning. Only magical weapons/attacks affect Gargoyles.

My Gargoyles come in two types, one Lawful and one Chaotic. One is hostile and one is not. The Lawful type is the much more intelligent of the two.

LYCANTHROPES: There are four kinds of Lycanthropes with varying Armor Class, Movement, and Hit Dice. Only silver weapons or magical weapons/attacks affect Lycanthropes.

I loved to use Lycanthropes IMC. I did use all four types, although the wereboar was the least used type. I changed the hit dice respectively to a range of 4 to 6, 4+1 to 6+1, 5 to 7, and 6 to 8 hit die. All are intelligent and Lawful Werebears can sometimes be quite friendly and good neighbors to have. Chaotic types almost always will attack.

Groups of Lycanthropes are either packs or family packs. Packs are from 2–4. Family packs are from 5–8. Groups of from 8 to 20 are more likely to be packs (two-thirds) than several family packs (one-third).

A family pack will consist of two adults and the balance of young of varying age (one-half to nine-tenths grown). If the young are attacked the female adult will fight at triple value for four melee rounds, but thereafter drop to one-half value. If an adult female is attacked its mate in the family pack will fight at double value thereafter.

When adults are killed all young under nine-tenths grown will be subdued, those of nine-tenths growth will fight until dead. Anyone seriously wounded by Lycanthropes (assume about 50% of total possible damage) will be infected and himself become a similar Lycanthrope within 2–24 days unless they are given a Cure Disease spell by a Cleric.

I ran this as anyone clawed by a Lycanthrope has a 50% chance of infection for any amount of damage and anyone bitten by a Lycanthrope has a 100% chance of infection. You have 4-24 days to be given a Cure Disease spell and a Remove Curse spell. Both spells are required.

PURPLE WORMS: These huge and hungry monsters lurk nearly everywhere just beneath the surface of the land. Some reach a length of 50 feet and a girth of nearly 10 feet diameter. There is a poisonous sting at its tail, but its mouth is the more fearsome weapon, for it is so large as to be able to swallow up to ogre-sized opponents in one gulp. Any hit which scores over 20% of the minimum total required to hit, or 100% in any case, indicates the Purple Worm has swallowed its victim. In six turns the swallowed creature will be dead. In twelve turns it will be totally digested and irrecoverable. Purple Worms never check morale and will always attack.

I changed this to Purple Worms range from 15 to 50 HD (eight-sided hit dice) and can grow up to 150 feet in length and a girth of up to 25 feet in diameter. While they can appear almost anywhere, they do not appear in the mountains nor near sea coasts or in swampy or marshy areas. There is generally only one per 500 square miles and they are territorial with regards to each other. When they reach full size they will break into an unknown number of segments and each will burrow deep and cocoon themselves in place. Somewhere between 25-50 years a new worm will emerge from each burrow.

SEA MONSTERS: As a general rule these creatures are more for show than anything else. However, they could guard treasure. The typical Sea Monster of mythology is equal in size to a Purple Worm, and they work upwards from there to double or treble that size. The best guide is a book on prehistoric life forms, from which the referee can pick a number of suitable forms for his Sea Monster. Typically, hits from a Sea Monster would inflict 3 or 4 dice of damage.

IMC Sea Monsters were not for show, they were a lot of fun and a great hazard for shipping. I was always fond of Sea Serpents, huge Salt Water Crocodiles and truly massive Sharks. A Sargasso Sea area was sometimes an intelligent monster and sometimes an unintelligent monster as there were different types, each with its own characteristics. 

MINOTAURS: The Minotaur is classically a bull-headed man (and all of us who have debated rules are well acquainted with such). Assume that they are above human size and are man-eaters. Minotaurs need never check morale. They will always attack. They will pursue as long as their prey is in sight.

These were of only animal intelligence. They were often used to guard little used areas of dungeons and the treasures hidden therein.

CENTAURS: At worst these creatures are semi-intelligent, and therefore Centaurs will always carry some form of weapon: 50% of a group will carry clubs (equal to Morning Stars), 25% will carry lance-like spears, and the balance will be armed with bows (composite bow, foot-type). In melee the Centaur will attack twice, once as a man and once as a medium horse. Centaurs will be found in hidden glens. It is there that both their females and young are and where their treasure is hidden. In the lair (glen) will be found from 1–6 additional males, females equal in number to twice the total number of males, and young equal to the number of males. Females are not generally armed and will not fight, and the young are also non-combatant, except in life-and-death situations.

My Centaurs are quite intelligent and are great hunters with sharp hearing and great eyesight.

UNICORNS: Only a maiden (in the strictest sense of the term) of pure and noble heart may approach the fierce and elusive Unicorn. Unicorns may be ridden by maiden-warriors and will obey them. Otherwise, they will avoid human contact, unless pressed. When attacking, the Unicorn fights as a lance on its first charge and as spear and heavy horse thereafter. In addition Unicorns are very magical. They resist magic as if they were an 11th-level Magic-User. They can sense the approach of enemies at 24”. They are able to transport both themselves and their riders as if they were using a Dimension Door spell, up to the full 36” distance, once per day.

I have never used Unicorns IMC, for no particular reason.

NIXIES: These water sprites are neutral in nature, but they will always seek to lure humans beneath the waters to enslave them for one year. For every 10 Nixies that appear there will be one Charm Person spell being cast at any person within 3” of their lair. Any charmed character will immediately proceed underwater and remain there until the year is up when he is freed. A Dispel Magic spell has a 75% chance of succeeding before the charmed character is immersed. Nixies are otherwise armed with daggers and javelins (6” throwing range). In the water they will be accompanied by a school of the largest and fiercest fish living therein—probably muskie, pike, or gar – the size of the school being 10–100 fish. The fish will attack on command from the Nixies, but flame (such as a flaming sword) will keep the fish back but not the Nixies.

I have never used Nixies IMC, for no particular reason.

PIXIES: Air sprites as described in CHAINMAIL, Pixies can be made visible, or make themselves visible, but they are naturally invisible to human eyes. Therefore, they are able to attack while remaining generally invisible. They can be seen clearly only when a spell to make them visible is employed, although certain monsters such as Dragons and high-level fighters will be aware of their presence.

I have never used Pixies IMC, for no particular reason.

DRYADS: The beautiful tree sprites of mythology. Dryads are each a part of their own respective tree and will stay within 24” of their trees. They are shy and nonviolent, but they have a powerful Charm Person spell with a +10% chance of succeeding, and anyone who approaches/follows a Dryad is likely (90%) to have the spell thrown at him. Anyone charmed by a Dryad will never return from the forest. Dryads have exact knowledge of the woods around them.

If a Dryad is forcibly taken more than 24" from their own respective tree, they will die in 4d4 days. I had one player that had a Magic-User for a character and he decided to go trade Charm Spells with a Dryad and it must have not went so well for him, because that Magic-User was never heard of again. Oddly enough, the women in the party voted down any rescue attempt. 

We will resume again tomorrow.