Spes Magna Games

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

Mighty Cthulhu sends its Deep Ones from the AD&D Deities & Demigods into 5E D&D to establish new cult centers. Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!

The Deep Ones are humanoid, amphibious men-fish, cold-blooded creatures of great strength (18). … They live near the land on ocean shelves and are able to travel to the land at any time and for as long as they wish.

They have been known to interact with evil humans and interbreed with them. This results in human-appearing offspring who undergo a gradual transformation after the age of 21 that causes them to become as the Deep Ones who spawned them. Deep Ones are soulless and apparently immortal. (Deities & Demigods, page 45)

Deep One
Medium humanoid (Deep One), chaotic evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 30 (4d8+12)
Speed 30 ft., swim 60 ft.
Ability Scores STR 18 (+4), DEX 14 (+2), CON 17 (+3), INT 12 (+1), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 11 (+0)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Deep One
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Amphibious. The Deep One can breathe air and water.

Regeneration. The Deep One regains 3 hit points at the start of its turn as long as it has more than 0 hit points. If the Deep One takes damage, this trait doesn’t function until the start of the Deep One’s next turn.

Soulless and Immortal.. The Deep One never suffers negative effects from aging. When subjected to an effect that causes necrotic or radiant damage, the Deep One takes only half damage, or no damage if a saving throw is permitted and successful. The Deep One cannot regain hit points from cure wounds or similar spells. A dead Deep One cannot be restored to life by means of raise dead or similar spells.

Actions

Multiattack. The Deep One attacks twice with its claws.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) slashing damage.

******

Deep One Warlock of the Great Old One
Medium humanoid (Deep One), chaotic evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d8+30)
Speed 30 ft., swim 60 ft.
Ability Scores STR 18 (+4), DEX 14 (+2), CON 17 (+3), INT 14 (+2), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 17 (+3)

Saving Throws WIS +5, CHA +6
Skills Arcana +5, Deception +6, History +5, Persuasion +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Deep One, telepathy 30 ft.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Amphibious. The Deep One warlock can breathe air and water.

Innate Spellcasting. The Deep One warlock’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can cast disguise self at will.

Regeneration. The Deep One regains 3 hit points at the start of its turn as long as it has more than 0 hit points. If the Deep One takes damage, this trait doesn’t function until the start of the Deep One’s next turn.

Soulless and Immortal.. The Deep One never suffers negative effects from aging. When subjected to an effect that causes necrotic or radiant damage, the Deep One takes only half damage, or no damage if a saving throw is permitted and successful. The Deep One cannot regain hit points from cure wounds or similar spells. A dead Deep One cannot be restored to life by means of raise dead or similar spells.

Spellcasting. The Deep One warlock is a 6th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It regains expended spell slots when it finishes a short or long rest. It knows the following warlock spells:

Cantrips (at will): eldritch blast, friends, prestidigitation
1st-3rd level (2 3rd-level slots): arms of Hadar, detect thoughts, dissonant whispers, enthrall, hellish rebuke, major image, sending

Actions

Multiattack. The Deep One attacks twice with its claws or casts eldritch blasts to create two beams.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) slashing damage.

Eldritch Blast Beam. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) force damage.

Reactions

Entropic Ward (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). When a creature makes an attack roll against the Deep One warlock, it can use impose disadvantage on that roll. If the attack misses the Deep One warlock, its next attack against the creature has advantage if the Deep One warlock makes the attack before the end of its next turn.

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

Yesterday it was the servants of He Who Must Not Be Named. Today’s trip into the AD&D Deities & Demigods brings us the fiery minions of Cthuga, the “master of the fire element”, statted for 5E D&D.

These creatures appear to be smaller versions of their master. This means a flame creature resembles a flaming amoeba with tentacles that appear to be flames emanating from its body. (Deities & Demigods, page 44)

Flame Creature of Cthuga
Huge elemental, chaotic evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 184 (16d12+80)
Speed 60 ft.
Ability Scores STR 14 (+2), DEX 21 (+5), CON 20 (+5), INT 10 (+0), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 9 (-1)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Ignan
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Amorphous. The flame creature can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Elemental Nature. The flame creature doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Flame Aura. At the start of each of the flame creature’s turns, each creature within 60 feet of it takes 10 (3d6) fire damage, and flammable objects in the aura that aren’t being worn or carried ignite. A creature that touches the flame creature or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6) fire damage.

Illumination. The fire creature sheds bright light in a 45-foot radius and dim light in an additional 45 feet.

Magic Resistance.. The flame creature has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack. The flame creature attacks twice with its tentacle and/or its heat ray.

Heat Ray. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10+5) fire damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 6 (1d12) fire damage at the start of each of its turns.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) fire damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 6 (1d12) fire damage at the start of each of its turns.

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