Continuing my series of posts about the conversion of entries from Chaosiums' All the Worlds' Monsters, a 3-volume set of creatures published in the late 70s.
This post will deal with the level 1* creatures from ATWM Volume III (*according to the internal logic of whatever game ATWM is playing... so far, I've found little correlation between AD&D's standards and ATWM's outcomes). The creatures on that list are as follows:
- Cuddle
- Death Seed
- Demon, Succubus (Simplistic)
- Demon, Basic (0th Level)
- Demon, Basic (1st Level)
- Dingo
- Four-Eyed Hig
- Golem, Mud
- Hell Sprite
- Hush Puppy
- Khirra
- Possessor
- Titterer
There's a few interesting ones here on quick read-through, so hopes are high that I can pull some decent monsters out of this batch. I have encountered hush puppies and hell sprites in my capacity as a player back in the 80s, whilst adventuring in the depths of the mega-dungeon, Darconea. Let's get to it...
Cuddle
This creature is described as a "...cactus-like plant with two large eyes."
"That's right," replied the DM, scooping up two massive handfuls of 4-siders in his meaty fists, "I said 36 dice of damage."
One bit of relief, the victim can remove one coil per Strength point. The designer is credited as Scott Fordyce, which, given the creature's damage, makes me wonder whether this is actually a Glenn Blacow pun.
Pass...
Death Seed
Contributor Mike Gunderloy designed this plant spore, which floats on the Astral Plane and attaches to a "sleeping being" who must roll a saving throw = its (level + INT) or less on 1d100. Failure means the spore "...take(s) root in his soul and feed(s) on his mana," with complete soul rot (perma-death?) in 1d4 days. It's a "gotcha" monster for high-level magic-users.
Pass...
Demon, Succubus, Simplistic
Created by Steve Marsh, this entry is typed as a "minor demon," with scalable Hit Dice from 1–5, each of which is a separate version with different powers. "Type 1" (1 HD) simple succubi are "...naught but sex objects," seducing men to steal their semen and then seducing women to impregnate them. Sort of like demonic bees, pollinating humanity. Why do they do this? It's not made clear. Seduced victims lose 1 point of CON and "...will find sex with real persons to be unsatisfying."
The description informs us that "...all succubi are also incubi," and are equal opportunity predators. The higher HD types become more powerful (and way more unbalanced) as they progress. The 4 HD type "...has all the powers and attacks of a vampire." Okay, then.
Gonna pass on this one, but I don't hate the idea of a low-level succubus demon as an actual monster (a succubite?) I'll cover the higher-HD types in the posts for those levels as they're ridiculous and worth discussing.
Demon, Basic 0th Level
Steve Marsh created a series of 13 "basic demons" (0th to 12th), four and a half pages worth. This lowest-level version is described as a "nuisance" that "...materializes out of the available dust." That's neat. Each has one hit point and a simple attack from a random selection of 8 types, including a poison sting, constriction, and spit.
This is an interesting kernel of an idea, but meh. I have no use for it but I'll add the "materializes from dust" angle to my idea board, though.
Demon, Basic 1st Level
The next level of Marsh's basic demon hierarchy has 1 HD (but it's a ten-sider) and is described as "the smallest demon" which nonetheless "...resembles a four foot tall imp with gargoyle-like wings." Maybe Marsh means the smallest of his "basic" demons, but I would think the 1 hp 0th-level demons are smaller. For that matter, quasits are smaller too, so...
The 1st-level basic demon "...has no treasure and cannot hold souls." There are only a few references in the AD&D Monster Manual to "souls," mostly involving Devils, not Demons (the chief exception being the quasit, which trade the souls of Lawful Evil creatures to demon-lord in exchange for "promotion" to a higher-order demon). Other references in the PHB and DMG vaguely describe how various things can affect the "soul," or "psyche" as the DMG alternately calls it, but nothing ever quite nails down the definition for game purposes. ATWM references the term quite a bit, and in ways that suggest there is an assumed mechanic, but what any of it means is still left up to the DM (which is fine, but noteworthy).
Also of note, the 1st-level basic demon has a claw or bite attack that does 1d6 damage, but victims must "...save vs. FEAR or die." That's pretty rough for a Level 1 effect, assuming a "fear" save is vs. Spells. Furthermore, "(a)nyone knocked down by this demon will be attacked, bitten, and have his blood sucked out." To make matters worse, they are encountered wandering in groups of 1d10+10, meaning a minimum of 11 of these one-shot death machines.
Dingo
While the name may have sounded exotic to gamers in the 70s, this is just a wild dog with 1 extra hit point. A completely unnecessary entry "created" by Chuck Cady. [Insert baby-eating joke here.]
Four-Eyed Hig
This one sounds promising. Designed by Thomas R. Metcalf, its listed type is "Alien"! The hig is "(a) cube with four eyes, each on a long stalk." It has "...a large mouth and long razor sharp claws, also on stalks," "...small, elephant-like feet," and "...a propeller-like appendage" in the center of each face. There is some quantitative confusion in the description. It's a 6-sided cube with an "...eye on each side," so I guess the designer is counting the top and bottom "sides" as non-literal. I'm not certain if it has only one mouth or 4, but it only has 1 bite attack (for 1d4 damage). The mouth's location is not described and it's unclear whether the mouth(s) have a stalk or just the claws do. The plural of claws indicates more than one claw, yet it only has "1 claw" attack (for 1d6 damage).
While "...clumsy on the ground," the four-eyed hig is filled with helium and described as "...an agile flyer" (Speed 20). It controls its direction of flight with the 6 propeller-appendages. It's pretty smart and its alignment is "Hungry," but we don't otherwise know what it does or wants. Its attacks are paltry, it has 1d6 hit points, AC 7, and a decent chance for some really nice treasure in its lair. Fairly disappointing.
I want to use this since it fits the setting so well, but I'm finding it hard to justify the effort. My hig would be very different, I think, so why bother? (Other than the cool name.)
Golem, Mud
The mythological "golem" is an iconic instrument of vengeance, the original Terminator. The concept struck a particular chord with DMs, so the game's history is stuffed with many different versions of the monster. D&D golems have taken on more of the role of "implacable guardian of important things," however.
ATWM has a lot of golems. This one, by C. Pettus and first appearing in Alarums & Excursions #18 (so, 1975-ish?), seems a fairly obvious type, though a Level 1 golem would have to be a very weak one, by classification standards. According to the description here, a mud golem is actually just "...(a) stone golem which has has (sic) a "Rock to Mud" spell cast upon it." (Never mind that the spell only slows a stone golem for a bit.)
It bashes with two muddy hands for 2d4 damage each, but the damage also affects the golem (I guess pieces of it fly off with each strike). It only has 20 hp, so it should be a short fight. No other special attacks or defenses, although each successful hit reduces the target's Charisma by 1 until the mud is washed off. Dirty adventurers are the worst.
There's not much point to this creature and no real ties to golem mechanics. It doesn't do anything that the MM2's Mud-Man already does much better.
Hell Sprite
Come on, man... I need something here. This monster was created by Pavel Curtis, who co-created the first social MUD, LambdaMOO. The hell sprite is described as "(a) fairly fat, two-limbed beast with thick, shaggy red fur," standing 28" high with "...two glowing red eyes" and "...an oversized nose and mouth which gives (sic) it a comical visage." A proper, Bosch-like demon.
It has 1d8+3 hit points, so it's tough for a Level 1 monster, and it has a decent AC of 7, a bite attack for 2d4 damage, and, three times a day, it can breathe a 5'x10' cone of fire that does 2d6 damage. It moves slowly on the ground (7) but can fly (12). It's immune to sleep, charm, and fire, but takes double damage from cold.
I like this one. It's a tough fight for a low-level group, especially as they are encountered in groups of 2d6. They also have decent treasure type (G), but the number of magic items is limited to two. I haven't decided yet whether I'm including demons and devils in the Gwarnath setting, but I may adapt this one just for general use.
 |
| D'AW! Now imagine it's purple. |
Also created by Pavel Curtis, this "small, purple puppy" possesses an aura that replicates the Silence spell in a 15' radius. It is encountered in packs of 3d10, and at least one of the pack will glom on to a party, following them wherever they go (which could be boon or burden). It only has 1d3 hit points and no attack or treasure. The only caveat is that if you take it out of the dungeon, it dies.So, it serves a similar purpose as a fire beetle... a dungeon ecology element that can be used by a party to gain an advantage. Sure, it could cause a spellcaster-heavy party some problems but it should be pretty easy to deal with, even for parties reluctant to just kill it (clever idea making it adorably friendly... if it was a hush-slug, it would be toast). It does beg the question: What is an "adult" hush puppy?
We had one of these in a past group. It came in handy for my thief, but it stayed behind when we departed the dungeon. When we returned, I was unable to find it again. I have fond memories of this beastie, but it's a little too schlocky for what I want to do with Gwarnath, so I'll pass.
Khirra
A third Pavel Curtis design, the khirra is "...an ape-shaped mass of protoplasm, six feet tall and weighing about 300 pounds." This one had me hooked at "ape-shaped," but "mass of protoplasm" really drove it home. It absorbs "energy weapon" attacks (specifically spells like "...fireball, lightning, etc." but one could easily fold actual energy weapons into this ability), adding the damage to its own hit points and super-charging its fist-like attacks.
Each of two fists does 1d6 damage per 10 hit points the creature has currently. It starts out with 25 hit points (which is, on average, a 5–6 hit dice monster), thus its initial attacks do 2d6 each. A baseline 5d6 Fireball spell (which most low-level parties won't be able to access) does an average of 21 damage, so now each fist is doing 4d6 damage. Oh, and each blow that hits also drains 1 energy level per 20 hp the creature has, so there's that. This monster could easily spiral out of control, but it gets worse...
It absorbs kinetic energy as well, taking only half-damage from physical blows and regenerating the other half. That's right, each time you hit it, you're also increasing its damage as its mass grows. It is "...immune to charm, sleep, and clerical Cause Wounds," and "...saves as a thirteenth level lord." It can be successfully affected by acid, poison, disintegration, paralysis, and death spells, and cold (the reduction of energy) slows it. Pretty nasty for a Level 1 monster and, clearly, it won't remain there if I end up adapting it. The final sentence informs us that the khirra is "(a)lso known as an energy ape."
Coool... Pavel should have led with that.
Possessor
Designed by Wayne Shaw, whose superhero house rules were an early influence on the Champions game, this creature shares the same concept as several of the Level 1 ATWM II monsters, including the mind worm and the mind maggot. It's basically a "...white, one foot long, extraterrestrial intelligent slug" that seeks to come near enough to human victims to touch (attack) and then possess them as hosts (no mention of a saving throw). The creature is based on the Robert Heinlein's 1951 novel, The Puppet Masters.
Titterer
This "...eight inch to one foot tall humanoid with green hair...likes to follow parties and monsters around, laughing and giggling." It only has 1–2 hit points and no attacks, and it runs away if threatened, though it returns once the tension lifts. It only goes away permanently when it gets bored of the party or, presumably, when the party kills it. This do-nothing annoyance was designed by contributor Virginia Taylor.
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I've decided to adapt the Hell Sprite and the Khirra/Energy Ape. I have doubts that they will remain on the Level 1 table (well, I know for a fact the Energy Ape won't), but I like the basic concept of both monsters enough to work out the kinks. Here are my OSRIC versions...
Hell Sprite
The hell sprite is listed as a "demon" type, which doesn't really comport with AD&D's cosmology. My first conversion change is to make it a "devil" type to connect it to the "hells" where Lawful Evil fiends reign. This obviously necessitates an alignment shift from "Chaotic" to LE.
Its cone-of-fire breath weapon seems comparable to a fire mephit's in size, though which dimensions are represented is unclear. (Is it a 5' long by 10' wide cone, or 10' long by 5' wide, or is it interchangeable?) I kind of like it as interchangeable, and it gives its breath weapon 2 range modes (like the mephit's): longer but narrow, or wider but short.
One final (major) thing to take note of here: Treasure Type. This is the first ATWM conversion I've done thus far to include the possibility of treasure. In keeping with ATWM's off-kilter system specs, there is a % chance that the creature *has* treasure, and then it calls out the (presumably) AD&D Treasure Type code (which would then have a second set of % numbers to determine whether it had any treasure).
Here, there is a 45% chance for a lair of hell sprites to have Treasure Type G. Looking at the table, this indicates a 50% chance for 10–40k gp, a 50% chance for 100–2k pp, a 30% chance for 5–20 gems, a 25% chance for 1d10 jewelry, and a 35% chance for any 4 magic items plus 1 scroll. This is an awful lot of treasure for a lair of a dozen hell sprites or less.
I can't really discern the logic behind it, but looking at the hell sprite's peers, the nupperibo/assagim devils and the lemures have no treasure. The AD&D/OSRIC imp is Treasure Type O: 25% for 1–4k cp and 20% for 1–3k sp. I'm removing the lair chance and assigning the hell sprite an AD&D Treasure Type of J and K, which is a 100% chance each of possessing 3d8 cp and 3d6 sp.
Khirra (Energy Ape)
As I discussed above, this creature's design is a cool concept, but WAY overpowered. I want to take the basic idea and retool it to be more reasonable.
First, the concept. Ape-shaped mass? Check. Protoplasm? Check. Massive? Check. Absorbs energy and kinetic force? Check. Uses absorbed energy to increase its own power? Check. This has all the makings of an awesome, sci-fantasy monster.
Mechanically, it starts off okay, but then quickly spirals out of control. An AC of 9 is fine for a lumbering mass of protoplasm with a 60 ft. movement speed. Like a golem, it's given a flat 25 hit points, which is a 5–6 HD monster (assuming average hp), but its hp score here acts as the creature's power gauge as it absorbs physical damage from spells and attacks.
Sure, the party can also weaken the creature by reducing its hp score with damage, but the problem with that is the energy ape is only "affected" by acid, poison, disintegration (no damage involved), death spells (no damage involved), and paralysis (no damage involved). So only acid and poison damage is explicitly called out, but neither of those types tend to be in fulsome supply in most parties.
Cold is a bit of an outlier here because the text says only that "cold slows it." A generous DM might add that effect to a damaging cold spell, but a strict reading could say that the energy ape takes no damage and is only slowed.
(As an aside, whether intentional design or not, I love that entropic cold slows the creature, causing it to go from a higher energy state to a lower state. It works from a scientific point of view, which enhances its fantasy verisimilitude.)
Physical attacks don't do anything, either. It seems like they could at first, but then the text comes right out and says that half the damage is taken, while the other half is immediately absorbed and any damage "healed." You never make any headway by this method. Basically, in the absence of a very few, high-powered spells, this creature will likely only grow in power (and let's not forget that it is listed as a Level 1 monster on the ATWM tables).
For my conversion, the first thing I did was give it a proper hit dice score, and qualified that it starts with 25 hit points. I then reduced its attacks from 2 per round to 1 blow and removed the level drain, which just added insult to injury.
To rework the energy absorption mechanic, I first reduced the amount of absorption to HALF the physical damage taken (the rest is dispersed). This will keep the monster's hp increase a little more manageable. I kept the 10 hp threshold for increasing the creature's damage, but limited it to a maximum of 6d6. I also clarified that cold does full damage AND slows it.
Finally, I added two new features. One concerns "overcharging" the energy ape, such that if it absorbs enough damage to increase its hp to 100+, the creature explodes for 10d6 damage (with a save for half). Any party stupid enough to continue hitting this thing deserves a course correction. I also put in a mechanic for it to lose absorbed energy over time, so retreating and trying again later remains a feasible strategy for a party.
These modifications cause the energy ape's xp award to bump it up into the Level 5 range, which I'm fine with. This is definitely a monster I'm going to use. Even with this tuning, it may still be overpowered, so I'm eager to playtest it and see what happens.
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So, that's it for the Level 1 All the Worlds' Monsters. Found a lot of duds but also several cool new monsters that I'm looking forward to including in my Gwarnath campaign. Despite all the unusable designs, it's a lot of fun revisiting these oldies and trying to figure out how to make them work. I'll definitely continue posting with the Level 2 monsters.
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