The Second Day
For our second day of Christmas D&D, we meet the bloodmad zog. The picture comes from Electro, a do-gooder super-robot created by Professor Philo Zog. Electro first appeared in Marvel Mystery Comics way back in early 1940. You can read a little more about Electro over at Stupid Comics.
On the second day of searching / My party came upon: / two bloodmad zogs / and a birchwrath in a fell wood.
The bloodmad zog is an abominable hybrid of cave bear and cyclops, perhaps created by an insane wizard or some monstrous deity. The bloodmad zog seldom fails to attack. It is aggressive, territorial, and unpredictable.
AD&D Version
Frequency: Very rare
No. Appearing: 1-4
Armor Class: 3
Move: 15″
Hit Dice: 9+4
% in Lair: 55%
Treasure Type: C, E
No. of Attacks: 4
Damage/Attack: 1-8/1-8/3-18/3-18
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: Surprised only on a 1
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Low
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Size: L (14′ tall)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: VII/2,850 + 14/hp
The bloodmad zog attacks with its great claws and its fanged maws. If either clawed paw scores a hit of 18 or better, the bloodmad zog drags the victim to itself. The opponent will take an additional 2-20 hit points damage from the hug that melee round and every melee round thereafter until the bloodmad zog is killed or the victim frees itself. If the armor class of an opponent is such that an 18 is insufficient to hit, the hug is not effective, and no damage is taken.
One of the bloodmad zog’s heads is always likely to be alert, making it difficult to surprise this monster. A fully grown bloodmad zog is as strong as a stone giant.
If encountered in its lair, the bloodmad zog has a supply of boulders at hand to hurl for 2-20 points of damage, and it can toss these rocks up to 25″. The bloodmad zog is able to catch similar missiles 30% of the time. In a bloodmad zog lair, there is a 15% chance that there will be 1-4 eggs (20%) or young (80%) in addition to the adults. Young bloodmad zogs will be 40% to 70% grown, and they will fight accordingly. Eggs are worth 3,000 gold pieces, and young under 50% grown are worth 6,000 gold pieces on the open market.
5E D&D Version
Huge monstrosity, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 115 (10d12+50)
Speed 35 ft.
Ability Scores STR 22 (+6), DEX 12 (+1), CON 20 (+5), INT 6 (-2), WIS 9 (-1), CHA 8 (-1)
Skills Athletics +9, Perception +2
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Giant
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Blood Frenzy. The bloodmad zog has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points.
Keen Sight and Smell. The bloodmad zog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
Actions
Multiattack. The bloodmad zog makes three attacks: two with its bites and one with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d10+6) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) slashing damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10+6) bludgeoning damage.
Nota Bene: The slight change to the “lyrics” above was made by suggestion of Marion Carpenter. Thanks, Marion!
