Fantasy Monsters
BASILISK

This version of the basilisk was taken from the book, The Lure of the Basilisk, by Lawrence Watt-Evans. It is similar in some ways to the AD&D basilisk, but was not inspired by that creature or intended to look like it.

Appearance

The basilisk is a large lizard, around 7-8 feet (2.5m) long including the tail. It has greenish, iridescent scales and hypnotic black eyes. The scales are fine and smooth, and have no markings. The creature has a flickering black tongue, and moves gracefully. It weighs about 150 pounds (65kg).

Ecology

Nobody knows the origin of the basilisk, why it exists, or what it eats. The creatures which have been captured do not eat, nor do they seem to lose strength when locked in an empty stone cell. It is said by some that the basilisk is the living incarnation of the god of death, and that it exists to spread death and destruction in the world.

Basilisks are typically found in deserted regions. They tend to dwell in barren places, since their poison kills all other forms of life rather quickly; they seem to prefer caves and desert places, though they do not seem affected by temperature.

Motivations

The few people who have observed basilisks report that their only motivation seems to be open hostility to all other forms of life. They will approach or follow individuals, attempting to catch their gaze or get close enough to poison them. They have not been observed to eat their prey.

Combat Techniques

Basilisks have several horrible attacks. The first, and most famous, is a gaze that turns the victim to stone. Anyone gazing directly into their eyes is turned to stone, with no chance to resist. Looking indirectly through a mirror is safe, but the basilisk has a hypnotic effect; each turn you meet its reflected gaze through a mirror, you must make a Fair willpower roll to avoid the compulsion to turn and look directly into its eyes (without the mirror). Basilisk eyes are said to be potent magical components, but are extremely rare.

The second attack is more insidious, and nearly as deadly. Basilisks are amazingly poisonous; their breath has been known to wither plants after only a few hours of contact, and the fumes are also toxic to animals, causing a raw throat, burning eyes, and irritated skin. Their skin is covered with a slimy poison with the horrible property of spreading rapidly over anything it touches. If attacked with hand weapons, the poison will travel up the weapon and poison the hand that wields it within two turns. A mediocre Perception will detect this and allow the wielder to drop the weapon before it's too late.

The basilisk's venom is a contact poison which penetrates the skin and enters the blood within one turn; it has full effect within 5-10 seconds. Anyone poisoned can resist with a Legendary constitution roll, and takes only 3+3dF points of damage. Otherwise, they take one wound-level for every level below Legendary. The effects begin as a scratch, and increase one level each second until the full damage is reached. EXAMPLE: a person is poisoned, and rolls Good on his Constitution. This is 3 levels below Legendary, so he is Very Hurt. The first second he is Scratched, the next he is Hurt, and on the third and final second he is Very Hurt.

A basilisk will approach a character calmly and deliberately, constantly trying to make eye contact or touch them. If severely wounded, it will attempt to flee. Nobody knows how fast they heal (or if they do).

Legends

It is said that the basilisk is the incarnation of the Death God.

Campaign Use

This is an exceptionally dangerous creature, one that the GM should use carefully. It is probably capable of taking out an entire party of characters, if they are unaware of it's abilities. The only safe way to kill it is at a distance, using missile weapons or magic. Capturing such a creature alive, perhaps for a wizard, would be very difficult (for one possible method I refer you to the novel).

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Corpse Crawler

Appearance

A huge, hairless worm with dozens of feet, black eyes, and tentacles around the mouth. Corpse crawlers are 5-7 feet in length, can walk on walls and ceilings, but are most often found buried beneath refuse or carrion. Their flesh is a sickly yellowish white, glistening and pulsating, and their tentacles writhe disgustingly.

Ecology

These hideous creatures eat carrion. They are thought to spontaneously appear on battlefields and similar places; battlefields are typically swarming with them within a day or two! They seem to prefer dark, damp places, and will also eat garbage or any creatures they can catch and paralyze. Corpse crawlers will typically have a "nest," but scavenge a large area. They are not insects, and lay 6-10 eggs. They are found in groups of 1-6 and reproduce once per year. They can track prey by scent, but prefer well-aged carrion. Underground crawlers are thought to also eat fungus.

They will not dig for carrion, so folk in infested areas bury their dead quickly before the ghoul-worms detect it.

Motivations

Normal animal motivations: eat and survive.

Combat Techniques

Corpse crawlers will attack living creatures if they get too close. Their tentacles inject a strong paralyzing venom, and the worm eats the helpless victim alive. Besides their poison, they can bite.

Anyone touched by a corpse-crawler must make a Fair Constitution roll to avoid being poisoned; scale is a bonus for this roll. If poisoned, the victim will lose one level of dexterity each round until it reaches -4, at which time they are fully paralyzed. When dexterity is below Fair, they also take a penalty to all actions. (EXAMPLE: a Good DEX character is poisoned. In round one DEX drops to Fair, round two it drops to Mediocre and -1 to all actions, round three it drops to Poor and -2 to all actions, etc. By round five DEX drops to Abysmal and they are fully paralyzed.) Each day, a paralyzed victim must make a Good CON roll to recover; each full day of paralyzation they cannot eat or drink, and take 1-4 damage from dehydration.

Other Names

Carrion-worm, ghoul-worm.

Legends

Some say that these are demons, come to feast on the bodies of the deceased.

Campaign Use

Corpse crawlers can be found in forests or caves. They like to surprise their victims. Meeting one of these could delay a party if it paralyzes any of them. A group of them could be quite dangerous! If the characters are hauling around a dead body (for reasons best left unmentioned) they might be bothered by these things. They could show up a few days after a large battle as well.

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Fowl Bear

The fowl bear is a strange creature said to be the result of some mad wizard's experimentation.

Appearance

The fowl bear has the body of a hear, and the head of a giant owl. The head is feathered, with beady black eyes and a huge snapping beak. The forepaws are a hybrid combination of bear paws and talons, with a "thumb" and three digits, each ending in curving black claws. The creature as a thick tail which it uses for balance.

Ecology

Fowl bears are said to be the result of some mad wizard's experiment. Nobody knows their actual origin, but they are thought to have originated thousands of years ago. They are solitary, nocturnal creatures dwelling in deep forests and caves; they have even been found far underground among the fungus-forests of the underworld. They are decidedly carnivorous, and will attack humans without hesitation. Fowl bears are temperamental and unpredictable, but have a definite mean streak (much like a grizzly). Like bears, they hibernate during the winter.

Their mating habits have not been observed, though females have been encountered with 1-3 cubs; males have never been observed in the presence of cubs, suggesting that the creatures do not form mating bonds. They seem to be territorial.

Fowl bears are generally considered a menace and a nuisance by humanity, and are hunted or driven out of civilized lands. Sometimes goblins or other intelligent creatures will allow a fowlbear to reside nearby, and may even feed it as a valued guardian.

Motivations

Fowl bears are temperamental and unpredictable animals, with a definite mean streak. They have been observed to attack for food, to defend their territory, and even for sheer orneriness. Like any animal, they will flee if they are losing, and will pursue escaping quarry. They have been known to trail a wounded man for days, following the scent of blood. Females with cubs are especially dangerous, and will attack without regard for personal safety.

Combat Techniques

Fowl bears attack like a bear, swatting with their forepaws and biting. They are aggressive, and on a natural +3 or +4 will attempt to bear-hug a victim. If the attack is successful, the victim is squeezed for +4 damage each round; the creature will continue to bite while hugging, and gets +2 to hit a hugged creature.

Other Names

Owl-thing, bugbear

Legends

Fowlbears are said to be especially fond of human flesh.

Options

Some fowl bears may be stronger or faster than this one. Cubs will not fight, but might be captured and sold.

Campaign Use

Fowl bears are big, tough creatures suitable for forests and caves. If their territory is invaded, they will certainly attack during the night. A rampaging fowl bear would be hunted down in civilized lands. A fowlbear raised in captivity would make a formidable watchdog. Some wizards might pay handsomely for a specimen, or parts might be useful for magical components. They have a large, coarse, hairy hide which could be sold, but their meat is tough and stringy. A fowl bear is tough enough to give a rousing fight, but still beatable by determined characters; a wounded party would have more trouble.

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Strix (plural Striges)

Appearance

Striges are strange, bat like monsters that suck blood. They have a tough, fibrous body covered with short hair with eight chitinous legs and batlike wings. The legs allow them to cling like insects to flesh or clothing, and a horny probiscus is used to suck blood from the victim. Striges are about nine inches long.

Ecology

Striges nest in groups of 6-36 individuals; their favorite haunts are trees (living or dead), decrepit attics and towers, or caves. They drink blood, and thus require a supply of large creatures such as deer or livestock. They seem to prefer mammals. Striges remain silent and motionless until a likely victim passes by, at which time they swarm en masse and attack it. Large animals will usually survive a swarm of striges, though smaller animals will die of blood loss. One strix will kill a rabbit if it can catch it. Nothing is known of strix mating habits. If their food supply disappears, they will migrate slowly. They are believed to be nocturnal.

Motivations

Normal animal motivations: eat.

Combat Techniques

An aroused strix will land on the victim and then crawl around looking for a place to insert its probiscus. Landing requires a fair or better Grapple skill roll, and it uses its Find Weakness skill to locate the spot. On a metal armored foe, it will target the eyeslits. At that point, it automatically sucks blood at a rate of 1 point every two rounds. It requires good strength to tear a strix from its victim; if it is feeding, the probiscus will cause an additional Scratch as it is removed. Grabbing a strix requires Good dexterity to get a grip on its rubbery body. A strix can drain up to three points worth of blood before becoming sated. After feeding, a strix will slowly flap off to digest its meal, and will not feed again for 1-2 days. A victim must make a Constitution roll for every strix wound; on a Mediocre result, the wound will become infected. On a Terrible result, the victim will contract a disease.

Note that the damage from a swarm of striges is cumulative. So if three striges attack a player and manage to suck 2, 3, and 1 point of blood respectively, the character takes a 6-point wound (very hurt). Blood loss can be healed fairly quickly by drinking water and eating foods rich in iron, perhaps one day per wound level. The cumulative effect is because the striges are all attacking the same organ, the blood, and does not apply to damage caused by removing the probiscus.

Other Names

Bloodsucker, Stirge

Legends

Some say striges are larval vampires... Strix saliva is said to be an anticoagulant... All striges are female...

Campaign Use

Striges make a good nuisance encounter in the wilderness or ruins. Make sure they have an adequate food supply.

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Yakhmar

Appearance

The yakhmar is an monstrous worm. It is huge, typically thirty to forty feet in length, and has a boneless body covered in thick, silky white fur. It has an eel-like head, with green and faintly luminous eyes, and a puckered circular opening for a mouth. Within the mouth is a circular ring of small, inward-pointing teeth. The Yakhmar emits a shrill, ululating piping sound and radiates intense cold.

Ecology

Yakhmar live in arctic regions, lurking in the crevasses and tunnels within glaciers. They are solitary creatures, and are drawn to warm blooded animals. Their piping song has a magical narcotic effect, charming their prey into helpless confusion; though they are still aware and afraid, they are unable to react. This can be resisted by a Great feat of willpower.

The worms eat their prey, rasping the flesh off the bones with their teeth, and leaving a skeleton encased in clear ice. Anything they touch is instantly frozen. It is unknown how their bodies work in such cold; they are certainly magical creatures.

Yakhmar are vulnerable to heat. They will die if the temperature rises above freezing; fire causes double damage (over and above what it would do to normal people).

Motivations

Normal animal motivations: hunt and eat.

Combat Techniques

Yakhmar prowl at twilight or during the night, seeking warm blooded victims. They stealthily creep up and immobilize their prey with their song, then eat them. They may flee if surprised or outnumbered.

Other Names

Snow Devil, Ice Worm, Remora.

Campaign Use

A good encounter for glaciers, with interesting problems for the characters to overcome.

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