Spes Magna Games

Locked in frigid graves of ancient ice in an arctic wilderness, what happens when the Primordial Ones from the AD&D Deities & Demigods thaw out in your 5E D&D game?

These creatures are barrel-shaped cylinders with membranous wings. On top of the body is a head covered by 3-inch wiry cilia of many colors. They have 5 red-irised, globed eyes. At the top of their heads are 5 mouthed tentacles, and at the base of their bodies are 5 powerful tentacles used for locomotion.

The Primordial Ones are actually an alien race of high intelligence and advanced science. They hate all other types of intelligent, and will destroy them if possible, striking with three of their powerful walking tentacles if no advanced weaponry is available. (Deities & Demigods, page 46)

Primordial One
Large aberration, lawful evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 68 (8d10+24)
Speed 45 ft., fly 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Ability Scores STR 21 (+5), DEX 10 (+0), CON 16 (+3), INT 14 (+2), WIS 17 (+3), CHA 12 (+1)

Skills Perception +5
Damage Immunities cold, fire
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Extraterrestrial Nature. The Primordial One does not breathe. It can survive in a vacuum. It can fly through the vacuum of space.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The Primordial One’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12). It can cast clairvoyance, comprehend languages, and see invisibility at will, requiring no material components.

Actions

Multiattack. The Primordial One attacks three times with its locomotive tentacles.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15) if it size Medium or smaller. Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained. The Primordial One can’t constrict another target with that tentacle.

*****

Penance, Texas for The Four Color Hack grows weekly. Public posts now include a couple of videos explaining more about the rules for lasting effects, and the background for the city itself has expanded. For Patrons only, the first new villain and scenario have been released, and the next round of Patron-only rewards is in the works.

Tags: 5E D&D, Deities & Demigods, monsters

Today, I take a break from my AD&D Deities & Demigods-to-5E conversions because I got distracted by the critter in the video above. If you’ve not seen this critter in action, check it out, and then read on to meet it statted out for three versions of D&D.

The tethydida is a monstrous marine predator that inhabits warm, tropical waters near reefs. It has a green, semi-transparent hide of thick, spongy tissue encasing thousands of gallons of viscous slime in which float various organelles. The tethydid is voracious and aggressive. It reaches lengths of 30 feet.

For B/X D&D:

Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 9*
Move: 30′ (10′), Swimming: 60′ (20′)
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 3-18
No. Appearing: 1-2 (1-4)
Save As: Fighter: 5
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Neutral

The tethydida attacks by expanding its bulbous head and biting at everything in a 10-foot radius. Make a “to hit” roll against all targets in the area of effect. If a “to hit” roll for the bite is 4 or more than the number required (or a 20, in any case), creatures of man-size or smaller will be swallowed whole and absorbed by a digestive organelle, taking 3-12 (3d4) points of damage each round thereafter.

For AD&D:

Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-4
Armor Class: 6
Move: 3″//6″
Hit Dice: 9
% in Lair: Nil
Treasure Type: Nil
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 3-18
Special Attacks: Swallow whole
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Animal
Alignment: Neutral
Size: L (30′ long)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: VII/1,300 + 12/hp

The tethydid attacks by biting. Its bite affects a 10-foot radius. Any hit 20% over the required score (that is 4 or more over the required number) or a 100% (die roll of 20) score in any case indicates the tethydid has engulfed its victim. A mature tethydid can swallow, whole, a creature as large as 6′ or so tall and up to 4′ wide, or vice versa. Any creature swallowed whole is absorbed by a digestive organelle and will be dead in 6 melee rounds. The tethydid will digest its meal in 12 turns, and that time the victim is totally gone and cannot be raised from the dead. Note, however, that a creature swallowed can try to cut its way out of the tethydid. The inner armor class of the tethydid is 9, but each round the creature is in the tethydid, subtract 1 from the damage each attack against the tethydid’s interior. This subtraction is cumulative (-2 on the second round, -3 on the third round, et cetera).

For 5E:

Huge beast, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 85 (9d12+27)
Speed 10 ft., swim 20 ft.
Ability Scores STR 22 (+6), DEX 9 (-1), CON 17 (+3), INT 2 (-4), WIS 11 (+0), CHA 5 (-3)

Saving Throws CON +6, WIS +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Hold Breath. While out of water, the tethydid can hold its breath for 1 hour.

Water Breathing. The tethydid can breathe only underwater.

Actions

Massive Bite. The tethydid targets a point it can see within 10 feet. Each target within 10 feet of that point must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (3d6+6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. If the target that fails its saving throw is a Medium or smaller creature, the target is also swallowed by the tethydid. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the tethydid, and it takes 15 (6d4) acid damage at the start of the tethydid’s turn.

If the tethydid takes 18 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the tethydid must succeed on a DC 16 saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the tethydid. If the tethydid dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 10 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Tags: 1E AD&D, 5E D&D, B/X D&D, monsters

The Fungi from Yuggoth have left the AD&D Deities & Demigods and are coming to your 5E D&D to perform various horrifying experiments. Watch the skies.

These red, bat-winged creatures somewhat resemble lobsters in that they have many legs, feelers, and eyestalks, and forearms that end in great pincers. Though they appear as crustaceans, they are actually fungus creatures. (Deities & Demigods, page 46)

Mi-Go
Medium plant, chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 27 (5d8+5)
Speed 45 ft., fly 90 ft.
Ability Scores STR 10 (+0), DEX 15 (+2), CON 12 (+1), INT 17 (+3), WIS 15 (+2), CHA 6 (-2)

Skills Medicine +7
Damage Immunities cold
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Mi-Go (a language of pincer-clicks and color changes)
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Extraterrestrial Nature. The Mi-Go does not require air. It can survive in a vacuum. It can fly through the vacuum of space.

Psionic Sensitivity. The Mi-Go has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice the presence of creatures with an Intelligence of 2 or greater and to perceive the presence of psionic effects.

Surgical Expertise. The Mi-Go adds twice its proficiency bonus to Wisdom (Medicine) checks.

Actions

Multiattack. The Mi-Go attacks twice with its pincers.

Pincers. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage.

Brain Surgery. The Mi-Go can surgically remove an incapacitated creature’s brain and store that brain in a Brain Cylinder (see below) so that the brain continues to live. The brainless body is reduced to 0 hit points with the normal results.

Special Mi-Go Items

The Mi-Go utilize advanced technology. Here are a few examples:

Brain Cylinder. This shiny metal cylinder is about 1 foot high and 8 inches in diameter. It has three triangular sockets. The fluids and alien circuitry within the cylinder can sustain a brain and enable the brain to interface with Mi-Go technology, such as a system of speakers and microphones that permit the brain to speak and hear. Each week a brain spends within a Brain Cylinder, the creature must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or lose 2 (1d4) points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. The brain expires if any score reaches 0.

Electric Weapon. The Mi-Go’s Electric Weapon appears to be made of some alien, blackish metal cast in a warty, ovoid shape. Strange circuitry covers the weapon’s surface. When held correctly, the weapon projects a 20-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line of bluish sparks. Each creature in the line must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 5 (1d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. If the creature’s saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target is incapacitated for 1 minute. The incapacitated target may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Living Armor. Alien biotechnology grows these slimy, chitinous segments of fungal armor that have total weight of 20 pounds. Living Armor is medium armor that bestows AC 16 + Dexterity modifier (maximum +2). Each week it is used by a non-Mi-Go wearer, the amount of protection degrades by 1 point since only Mi-Go naturally secrete the nutrients the Living Armor needs. Also, when a non-Mi-Go removes the Living Armor, the wearer takes 2 (1d4) points of damage as the fungal plates are torn from hair and skin.

Mist Projector. This cluster of twisted metal tubes projects a 10-foot-long, 10-foot-wide cone of icy mist. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 7 (2d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Tags: 5E D&D, Deities & Demigods, monsters

At this point during the conversion of the Cthulhu Mythos in the AD&D Deities & Demigods for use with 5E D&D to point out the one major flaw with this section of the book: It doesn’t really stay true to the source material. This becomes most obvious, I think, with our next creature.

In H. P. Lovecraft’s tales, the Great Race of Yith have highly developed mental powers, and the AD&D rules hit that point by giving the Great Race some potent psionic ability. What is missing from the Great Race’s description, however, is their most impressive ability, which is their ability to project their minds across time and space to forcibly inhabit the bodies of other creatures. During the time the Yithian’s mind inhabits, say, a human, that human’s mind occupies the alien body of the Yithian. In other words, the Great Race forcibly swaps bodies with another creature, doing so across both time and space, more or less at will.

These creatures populated the world eons ago and their cities still exist buried in deserts or other out of the way places. They had a highly advanced scientific civilization, with psionics rather than magic. (Deities & Demigods, page 45)

Great Race of Yith
Large aberration, lawful neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 84 (8d10+40)
Speed 45 ft.
Ability Scores STR 23 (+6), DEX 7 (-2), CON 20 (+5), INT 26 (+8), WIS 19 (+4), CHA 15 (+2)

Saving Throws CON +9, WIS +8
Skills Arcana +12, History +12, Insight +8, Investigate +12, Perception +8
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages telepathy 240 ft.
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The Yithian’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20). It can cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: dimension door
3/day: modify memory, telepathic bond
1/day: foresight (self only), mind blank (self only), time stop

Actions

Multiattack. The Yithian attacks twice with its pincers.

Pincers. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) slashing damage.

Lightning Gun. The Yithian’s lightning gun fires a stroke of lightning forming a line 300 feet long and 5 feet wide from the Yithian in a direction it chooses. Each creature in the line must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 14 (4d6) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. The lightning ignites flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worned or carried. A lightning gun has 8 charges, after which it cannot fire until its power source is replaced.

Mind Swap. The Yithian projects its psyche through time and space, across any number of years or miles, but not from one plane to another. It picks a creature at its destination. The target must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target and the Yithian swap minds. The Yithian retains its INT, WIS, and CHA, and it uses the target’s STR, DEX, and CON, but it makes Dexterity checks and saving throws at disadvantage. The Yithian retains its truesight, skills, telepathy, psionics, and Mind Swap. It gains the AC, hit points, senses, languages, and the physical abilities and characteristics of the target. The target retains its own INT, WIS, and CHA, and similarly gains the STR, DEX, CON, and other physical characteristics of the Yithian. The Yithian can communicate telepathically with the target. Once per long rest, the target can make a new Wisdom saving throw. If the saving throw succeeds, the Mind Swap is reversed.

Reactions

Quick Mind. If a target resists or overcomes the Yithian’s Mind Swap, the Yithian may choose a new creature to target with Mind Swap as a reaction.

Tags: 5E D&D, Deities & Demigods, monsters