X Is for Xanthic
xanthic: (adj.) of, relating to, or tending toward a yellow color
Here I am, almost through a month of alphabetical adjectives focused on old school gaming. Most of this month’s posts have focused on Swords & Wizardry and Stars Without Number, but every Saturday and Monday have been devoted to various old school games, such as the first editions of Gamma World and Top Secret.
Today, however, I’m going for a newer game from 2009. It might not be old-school old school, but Simon Washbourne’s Barbarians of Lemuria does the pulp-era, sword-and-sorcery genre better than most games out there. The hardback clocks in at about 100 pages of muscle-flexing barbarian goodness. Seriously. Check out Beyond Belief Games. Mr. Washbourne puts out some great products. If you like BoL, you should definitely check out Dicey Tales, which “was created with the goal of giving the fan of the Barbarians of Lemuria (BoL) role playing game a chance to explore a variety of pulp genres while still remaining firmly within the BoL rules set.” Dicey Tales does two-fisted, square-jawed pulp heroes the right way.
But enough of that. Let’s get to a monster.
The Xanthic Monarch serves Morgazzon, the Demon of Madness. For more than a century, rumors have whispered about the Xanthic Monarch’s domain, Vicha’a, a ruined city deep in the Jungles of Qush, perhaps in the foothills of the Mountains of Axos. How reliable these rumors are is highly suspect, for no one who isn’t completely mad claims to have seen Vicha’a’s demon-haunted streets that twist and turn between dimensions.
If the Xanthic Monarch survived the fall of the Sorcerer-Kings, he may truly be immortal, and he certainly commands soul-searing magic. Perhaps even the fables about his xanthic sigil are true, but this seems unlikely, for otherwise the Xanthic Monarch would surely rule from the throne of some major city, surrounded by thousands enslaved to his will by the sigil’s power. In the middle of all of the rumors and tales, many of them contradictory, one fact is certain: xanthic sokwes hunt the region of Qush near where the jungle allegedly hides Vicha’a.
Xanthic Sokwe
A xanthic sokwe resembles a great ape, but its fur is a deep yellow, and its terrifying face twists into demonic expressions of hatred and rage. These monsters are cruel and remarkably strong. Most seem to be little more than savages, but a few exhibit unnerving signs of intelligence. These elite xanthic sokwes merit the strongest caution.
Attributes
Strength: 6
Agility: 1
Mind: 0
Combat Abilities
Attack: bite +1 (damage d6+1), 2 claws +2 (damage d6)
Defense: 2
Protection: d3 (tough hide)
Lifeblood: 16
Special
For an elite xanthic sokwe, increase Mind to 1 and add Appeal 0. Divide 6 points between Brawl, Melee, Missile, and Defense, with no more than 3 points added to any single category. Divide 2 points between two careers, usually savage, tracker, warrior, druid, or torturer.
