Spes Magna Games

1957 saw Not of This Earth hit U.S. movie theaters. Roger Corman, B-movie genius, brought together the talents of blocky Paul Birch and platinum-blond Beverly Garland in a movie with a truly chilling premise executed with an almost total lack of any sort of tension or character development. Several scenes that are meant to evoke awe or dread instead induce eye-widening impatience for the scene’s end. The theatrical version’s 67-minute running time seems to drag on and on. Still, Not of This Earth is not without its charms, which is par for Corman, who manages to make his trademark amateurishness both irritating and engaging at the same time.

And so today we adapt Paul Birch’s alien Mr. Johnson for DCC.

Davannians

Scholars aren’t quite sure where Davanna is. It could be a distant kingdom, or a parallel dimension, or an alien world. Whatever the truth, Davannians appear very much like humans, except for their eyes, which are milky white with pale gray pupils. Some time past, terrible wars ravaged Davanna, contaminating the very air with harmful but invisible energies. Because of this, the Davannians are a dying race, afflicted with a strange disease that slowly turns their blood from liquid to fine powder. The only way to stave off death from this condition to consume human or demihuman blood.

Since Davannians are both highly intelligent and deeply pragmatic, they acquire this blood by capturing inferior species (defined as anyone not a Davannian), transporting these captives to blood farms. The captives are kept telepathically sedated and mechanically restrained while systems of needles, tubes, and glass jars pump nutrient-rich fluids in and healthy blood out.

Init +4; Atk weapon +4 melee or ranged (by weapon type); AC 10 (unarmored); HD 4d8; MV 30′; Act 1d20; SP death glare, sensitivity to loud noises, telepathy; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; AL L.

Davannians are competent fighters, but they prefer to use their strange powers against enemies. Davannians communicate via telepathy, which transcends language barriers. The initial range of their telepathy is only 30 feet and requires line of sight, but once contact is established, a Davannian can communicate with the target over distances measured in miles. Davannian telepathy can also induce paralysis (lasting 2d3 minutes), erase or modify memories, or implant post-hypnotic suggestions. These effects require line of sight and have a range of 60 feet. They also permit a DC 16 Will save to resist. There is no fixed duration for telepathically altered memories or implanted suggestions, but killing the Davannian ends the effects.

The Davannians’ most potent weapon is their fearsome glare. This is not a gaze attack. The target need not meet the Davannian’s stare to be effected, but the target must be visible and within 30 feet. The glare can crack stone or shatter glass. Against a creature, the glare forces a DC 16 Will save to avoid being immediately rendered unconscious and reduced to 1 hit point, and the following round suffering 1d6 points of damage from massive internal trauma. If the Will save versus the glare succeeds, the target suffers no ill effects.

Davannians have exceptional hearing, making them difficult to surprise but vulnerable to loud noises. They suffer a -4 penalty on saving throws versus sonic attacks. A loud noise, such as a scream, within 5 feet forces a Davannian to make a Fort save to avoid being stunned for 1 round. The GM determines the DC of this saving throw. A shrill scream ought to have a DC of at least 12.

Davannians use strange devices, such as blood extractors carried in small boxes and metallic frames that permit both telepathic communication over vast distances and the teleportation of objects and creatures to and from Davanna.

Tags: B-Movies, DCC, monsters

Rarely, on a clear night, a piece of the sky falls from the limitless void, visible as a fiery streak racing downward. Most often, the sky-piece burns up before striking the ground. When it doesn’t immolate, it most often shatters into dust. But so infrequently that most astrologers believe the incidents purely mythical, the sky-piece not only makes landfall intact, but also carries within it an alien creature of horrible power and malevolent intent.

Yes, that’s right. For Dungeon Crawl Classics, here comes The Blob, that astonishingly successful B-movie that made at the box office a sum more than thirty times the film’s budget.

Star Ooze

Pulsing, transluscent near its edges, light red darkening to the color of black blood in its center, the star ooze starts its terrestrial life as a globule somewhat larger than a man’s fist. It moves via spasmodic convulsions, rolling or sliding or oozing, traveling across terrain as easily as it moves up a wall or across a ceiling. The star ooze moves slowly, steadily most of the time, but it is capable of short bursts of speed so as to strike against nearby prey. As it consumes the living tissue of warm-blooded creatures, the star ooze grows, possibly to such enormous dimensions that it could engulf an entire building.

Init -2; Atk slam +1 melee (1d3 plus grab); AC 10; HD 1d8+3; MV 15′, climb 15′; Act 1d20; SP alien mind, blindsight 60 ft., immune to damage, surge; SV Fort +3, Ref -2, Will +0; AL N.

The star ooze cannot be harmed by means either mundane or magical. Weapons pierce, slash, or bludgeon its gellid form without effect. Energy attacks, such a lightning or fire, are ineffective. Cold attacks do not cause damage, but may freeze the monster. If the star ooze’s hit points are reduced to zero by cold attacks, the creature freezes solid. Should it thaw, it then resumes its ceaseless pursuit of living flesh to consume. The star ooze seems at least marginally intelligent, capable of problem solving or learning from its mistakes. It does not communicate, and its mind is completely alien and thus impervious to charm, fear, et cetera.

The star ooze once per round may surge up to 30 feet to attack, slamming into its victim. It latches onto a larger victim or completely engulfs smaller victims, its acidic secretions melting flesh to be absorbed for nourishment. It takes the ooze 1d3 minutes to totally consume a small creature, 1d6+1 minutes for a medium creature, 1d8+2 minutes for a large creature, et cetera. Once a creature is totally consumed, the ooze gains hit points equal to one-fourth the consumed creature’s hit points. For every 5 hit points consumed, the ooze gains 1 HD and grows larger. Its attack bonus equals its HD. Increase its slam damage by +1d for each increase in size. The star ooze gains a +1 bonus to Fortitude saving throws for every two HD it gains.

Tags: B-Movies, DCC, monsters

The Erosians are human-like aliens who travel between worlds in saucer-shaped vehicles. At the core of Erosian beliefs lies a mysterious substance they call solaronite. Erosians believe that countless invisible, tiny particles compose light, especially sunlight, and that solaronite can cause these particles to explode. The result would be an unstoppable chain reaction capable of destroying entire kingdoms, maybe even entire worlds.

Since non-Erosian creatures — especially humans — are stupid and untrustworthy, the secrets of solaronite must be kept at any cost. Thus, the Erosians have developed reanimation rays specifically for the purpose of creating zombie armies to eradicate populations believed too close to uncovering the truth of solaronite.

In short, what follows is retooled from Plan 9 from Outer Space, the king of B-movies, for use with Dungeon Crawl Classics.

Erosian

Erosians are virtually indistinguisable from normal humans. They are highly intelligent, quixotic, and effete. Their society has a deep respect for bureaucratic decison making and bizarre, often elaborate plans of conquest. It is rare to encounter a single Erosian or Erosians in odd-numbered groups. They prefer to travel in male-female pairs, or in groups with equal numbers of males and females.

Init +1; Atk probe +1 melee (1d4 plus paralysis) or ray gun +2 ranged (2d6 or paralysis); AC 12; HD 1d8+1; MV 30′; Act 1d20; SP half damage from cold and fire; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +3; AL L.

Erosians seldom engage in hand-to-hand combat or even resort to direct violence. Their loose-fitting, flouncy clothing provides a degree of protection from harm.

An Erosian probe is a combination melee weapon and exploratory medical instrument. It has a hilt with a flippable switch and a “blade” consisting of a flexible, curled wire. A creature struck by the probe suffers an electrical shock and must make a DC 12 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for a number of hours equal to the points of damage suffered from the attack.

A Erosian ray gun fires a concentrated bolt of electrical energy. The ray gun has two settings. One forces a DC 12 Fortitude save to avoid paralysis for 1d4 hours. The other inflicts serious wounds. A creature that is reduced to zero hit points by a single ray gun bolt glows brightly for a second or two and then crumbles to gray powder.

Reanimation Ray Gun

A group of Erosians will possess a single reanimation ray gun. This weapon fires an audible but invisible beam that affects a 60-foot long cone that is 30-feet wide at its terminus. Dead humanoids within the beam animate as Erosian zombies. If the reanimation ray gun is destroyed, any Erosian zombies animated by it crumble into a pile of bones. The ray gun also serves as an Erosian zombie control unit.

Erosian Zombie

Shambling and stiff-limbed, an Erosian zombie results from the effects of a reanimation ray gun on a humanoid corpse. If left uncontrolled, an Erosian zombie will wander about, bumping into things, and attempting to kill living creatures, especially creatures that are of the same type of humanoid the Erosian zombie was in life.

Init -3; Atk pummel +3 melee (1d5+2); AC 12; HD 2d8; MV 20′; Act 2d20; SP choke, infravision 60′, mindless; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N.

An Erosian zombie is slow but strong. It attacks with its bare hands. If it hits a creature with both hands in a single round, it locks its steely fingers around the creature’s throat and chokes for 1d5+2 points of damage each round thereafter (no attack roll necessary). Being mindless, Erosian zombies cannot be affected by magic that requires a living mind on which to work.

Tags: B-Movies, DCC, monsters

Almost five decades ago, Mom took me to the historic Plaza Theatre in El Paso, Texas, to see Creature from the Black Lagoon in glorious 3-D. Today, I offer a re-imagining of the famed Gill Man for Dungeon Crawl Classics.

Gill-Folk

These fearsome creatures live in not-so-distant swamps and tropical rainforests, venturing through submerged tunnels from hidden caves to hunt, fish, and abduct humanoids to offer to their horrid queen.

Init +0; Atk slap +4 melee (1d6+1 plus stun) or claws +4 melee (1d4+2 plus poison); AC 14; HD 2d8+2; MV 25′ or swim 40′; Act 2d20; SP camouflage, infravision 60′; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1; AL L.

Most gill-folk encountered are warrior-drones in the service of a queen. These man-sized creatures combine the features of humanoids, fish, and reptiles. They have large hands and feet with webbed, strong digits. Their fingers end with wicked claws. Gill-folk have lungs and gills, making them able to breathe both air and water. They grow increasingly uncomfortable as their scaly flesh dries out, however, making them prefer to remain at least partially submerged as much as possible. Gill-folk are adaptively colored for their usual environments, gaining a +4 bonus to hide attempts.

Gill-folk often attack with the intention of subduing humanoids, doing so with a powerful slap. Man-sized or smaller creatures slapped must make a Fort save (DC 8 + damage inflicted) or be stunned and helpless for 1d7 rounds. A gill-folk may quickly bind a stunned victim’s wrists and ankles with crude ropes to make the victim easier to drag back to the gill-folk’s queen. A gill-folk may also rake with its venomous claws (Delivery Wound, Fort 12, Successful Save no damage, Failed Save 1d4 temporary Stamina, Recovery normal healing).

A gill-folk queen seldom leaves her lair. The warrior-drones bring her food and victims. Victims are kept subdued and bound by guards until the queen has need of them.

Gill-Folk Queen: Init +2; Atk claws +8 melee (2d6+2 plus poison); AC 16; HD 6d8+12; MV 30′ or swim 50′; Act 2d20; SP camouflage, infravision 60′, mindlink; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +6; AL L.

The queen towers over the tallest human and has considerable bulk along with the strength needed to move her mass quickly. Her powerful arms are disproportionately long. A frill of blood-red, bony plates adorns her frog-like head and extends down her neck and spine. The queen’s venom is deadly (Fort save DC 15), causing immediate unconscious followed by death in 1d4 rounds with a failed saving throw. After death by this venom, 1d4+6 eggs begin to grow in the corpse, hatching in 1d3+3 days. The gill-man tadpoles devour the host corpse and rapidly grown to adulthood.

Tags: B-Movies, DCC, monsters

For the second time, I draw on 1958’s wonderful Fiend Without a Face, which was based on “The Thought Monster“, a short story by Amelia Reynolds Long published in Weird Tales in the March 1930.

Faceless Fiend

In some bygone age, a monomaniacal wizard sought to give thought physical form to create servants to assist in magical experimentations. After tapping into primal energies, the wizard succeeded in part, creating a cunning, corporeal creature from incorporeal thought, but the entity proved too strong-willed to serve its creator. It killed the wizard and escaped into the wild.

Init +4; Atk tail +3 melee (1d4 + constrict); AC 12; HD 1d8+1; MV 40′ or climb 20′; SP brain burrow, constriction 1d4, invisibility; Act 1d20; SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +3; AL C.

In its normal state, a faceless fiend is invisible. When visible, a faceless fiend resembles a melon-sized brain. From its frontal lobe grow two snail-like eyestalks which provide almost a 360-degree field of vision. From its occipital lobe grows a tail composed of a spine-like series of bony structures by which the creatures crawls, climbs, and hops. Beneath the base of its tail extend whip-like strands of prehensile muscle.

Coupled with its small size and speed, targeted attacks against an invisible faceless fiend miss automatically half the time, assuming the attacker has managed to determine the fiend’s location. Fortunately, a faceless fiend is not particularly stealthy. Its soft, moist body squelches when it moves, and it often emits involuntary trilling or thudding noises. A PC can make an Intelligence or Luck check as an action to locate an invisible faceless fiend.

This monster’s attack while invisible is made with a +2 bonus. Immediately after a faceless fiend attacks, it becomes visible until the end of its next turn. With a successful attack, the faceless fiend wraps its tail about its victim’s throat and constricts for an automatic 1d4 points of damage.

At the same time, its strands of prehensile muscle burrow toward the victim’s brain. Each round, the victim makes a DC 11 Fortitude save; failure results in unconsciousness for 2d5 minutes. The next round, the faceless fiend extracts the victim’s brain and spinal column, causing immediate death. The extracted brain and spinal column transform into a new faceless fiend in 1d3 rounds.

Tags: B-Movies, DCC, monsters