Spes Magna Games

Merry Christmas!

A few weeks ago I asked the Interwebz if there were any retro-clones of 2E AD&D. After weeding through the answers that didn’t go with my question, I discovered For Gold & Glory (FG&G hereafter) from God Emperor Games. I downloaded the PDF for the most reasonable price of $0. I’ve not given it a detailed read yet, but I like what I’ve skimmed.

FG&G is recognizably 2E AD&D, but it’s been streamlined, condensed a bit, and clarified. If your curious, click over via the link above. (Nota Bene: That link is an affiliate link.) There’s a 20-page preview available. The rules cover character creation and advancement, combat (including THAC0), skills (the FG&G term for proficiencies), and other player topics.

There are also sections for the DM covering magic items and monsters. The bestiary starts with aerial servant and ends with zombie. Along the way, you meet some familiar faces with new names: the corpse ravager (carrion crawler), gazer (beholder), and tunnel lurk (umber hulk). The PDF comes in at 384 pages from virtual cover to virtual cover with art drawn from public domain sources, mostly paintings that one might find hanging in museums.

If I were to start up a 2E AD&D campaign, each player having a copy of FG&G would suffice quite well. One can get the PDF and a black-and-white softcover book for about $11, or $15 for the hardcover. That’s a good price. Books with color art cost more, of course, depending on whether the color is standard or premium (whatever that means).

From what I’ve read, FG&G conforms so closely to 2E AD&D that all of my 2E AD&D stuff would work quite well with FG&G without modification. Since 2E AD&D was pretty close to 1E AD&D, that opens up a lot more of my old stuff for use as well.

I opened up another drawer in that virtual treasure chest of stock art from Aegis Studios that I purchased. Today’s monster is written up for FG&G with another piece of art by Jack Badashski, found in Necrobyss Stock Art #1. (Nota Bene: That’s also an affiliate link.)

Xinjirow

Climate/Terrain: Tropical land
Frequency: Rare
Number Appearing: 2d4
Organization: Nest
Activity Cycle: Night
Intelligence: 3-5
Treasure: B
Alignment: Neutral evil

Armor Class: 2 body, 7 eye
Movement: 9, burrow 6
Hit Dice: 8 (36 hp)
THACO: 11
Attack: 3 claws 2d6
Saving Throws: Fighter 8
Special Traits: Eye blast, surprise
Magic Resistance: None
Size: Huge (about 20′ long)
Morale: 12
Experience: 2,000

With its chitinous plates, spines, three segmented appendages ending in bony claws, and single massive eye, the xinjirow looks as if it squirmed from a nightmare into the waking world. The xinjirow burrows through the rich soil of tropical lands, using its spines to detect vibrations as well as to push it through the earth. When it detects possible prey, the xinjirow bursts from the ground and attacks.

Xinjirows live in subterranean nests. They drag unconscious or dead prey back to the nest in order to feed in the dark. The xinjirow has infravision with a range of 60 feet.

Combat: Xinjirows are intelligent enough to coordinate their attacks. When ambushing prey, the xinjirow imposes a -5 penalty to their foes’ surprise rolls. This monster burrows even through solid stone. It moves through soft earth at a movement rate of 6. Solid stone slows the xinjirow to half its burrow speed.

It attacks with its bony claws, but its first attack is with its fearsome eyeblast, which is 5′ wide and up to 100′ long. The searing heat of the eyeblast inflicts 6d8+6 points of damage, but a creature may save versus breath weapon to take half damage.

The xinjirow’s single eye can be targeted separately from its body, and the eye has 4d8 hit points. Damage inflicted to the eye does not count toward the damage needed to kill the xinjirow.

Tags: AD&D, For Gold & Glory, monsters, reviews

Merry Christmas!

First up, as promises a few days ago, there’s trouble in Schuhdorf! An evil noble lady with magic powers has polymorphed Schuhdorf’s leaders into goats and stolen them before flying off in her giant shoe. Later that night, eerie singing from the woods lured away several of the village’s children. Can the heroes track the children and rescue them? The Lady in the Shoe is a 5E D&D adventure for five 2nd-level characters includes details about how to scale the dangers for weaker or stronger parties. It’s pay-what-you-want with a recommended price of $1.

In other news, I purchased a virtual treasure chest of stock art from Aegis Studios, one of which is Jack Badashski’s burbling Skull Ooze, which appears below as a new monster.

Nota Bene: That last link is an affiliate link.

Ooze, Skull

The skull ooze is one of the more insidious fragments of Juiblex that has squirmed its away from the Abyss to the Material Plane. This blob of inky viscosity hides within a skull, waiting for something living to stray too close. Don’t let the skull ooze’s tiny size fool you into thinking it’s a small threat.

Tiny ooze, unaligned

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 7 (2d4+2)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR 5 (-3), DEX 16 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 1 (-5), WIS 6 (-2), CHA 1 (-5)

Damage Immunities acid, cold, lightning, slashing
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
Languages —
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Amorphous. The skull ooze can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing, although it has to leave its skull behind.

Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the skull ooze or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 2 (1d4) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the skull ooze corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the skull ooze is destroyed after dealing damage.

The skull ooze can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.

Spider Climb. The skull ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) acid damage, and the skull ooze attaches to the target. While attached, the skull ooze doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the skull ooze’s turns, the target takes 2 (1d4) acid damage. In addition, nonmagical armor worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.

The skull ooze can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. A creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the skull ooze, but this subjects the target to the skull ooze’s corrosive form.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters

This Christmas Eve, don’t forget the tomte’s bowl of porridge topped with a buttery pat.

Tomte

This fey creature appears as an elderly man the size of a young child. It wears simple albeit often brightly colored clothing. One seldom encounters a tomte, and this encounter most often occurs on or near a farm or perhaps in a barn or livestock pen.

A farmer who believes a tomte resides on his property enjoys a mixed blessing. If the tomte is treated well, it helps protect the farm and its creatures from harm. Unfortunately, the tomte has a short temper and is easily offended. An angry tomte may pull pranks on the farm’s residents, break farm equipment, or even harm livestock.

Small fey, neutral

Armor Class 12 (16 with barkskin)
Hit Points 18 (4d6+4)
Speed 25 ft.

STR 16 (+3), DEX 14 (+2), CON 13 (+1), INT 11 (+0), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 12 (+1)

Saving Throws STR +5
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3, Stealth +4
Damage Immunities cold
Condition Immunities charmed
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Sylvan
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Great Strength. The tomte possesses supernatural strength. It counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift. The tomte makes Strength checks and Strength saving throws with advantage.

Innate Spellcasting. The tomte’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11). The tomte can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: barkskin, druidcraft, light, mending, shillelagh, speak with animals
3/day each: animal friendship, cure wounds, expeditious retreat, silent image
2/day each: animal messenger, enlarge/reduce (self only), invisibility
1/day each: bestow curse, plant growth

Actions

Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage, or 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning with shillelagh

Tags: 5E D&D, Christmas, monsters

The sokwe arrive from the skies in strange craft made of metal and glass. From these craft drop thunderous bombs and project destructive blasts of energy. When the craft land, the sokwe emerge, protected by remarkable armor and bearing uncanny weapons. Ape-like and intelligent, the sokwe strike with speed and ferocity.

Sokwe
Large beast, neutral evil

Armor Class 18 (power armor)
Hit Points 67 (9d10+18)
Speed 35 ft., 35 ft.

STR 20 (+5), DEX 14 (+2), CON 16 (+3), INT 11 (+0), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 10 (+0)

Skills Athletics +7, Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Sokwe
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

High-Tech Weapon. Roll 1d10. The sokwe is armed with either a dual phaser (1-5), a blaster rifle (6-8), or a pulse cannon (9-10).

Power Armor. The sokwe wears a suit of power armor. In addition to providing excellent protection, servo-motors in the armor grant advantage on Athletics checks. While wearing power armor, the sokwe counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift (1,200 pounds and 2,400 pounds, respectively).

Actions

Multiattack. The sokwe makes two fist attacks.

Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage.

High-Tech Weapon

Dual Phaser. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 50/200 ft., one or two targets. Hit: 13 (2d10+2) fire damage. Nota Bene: A dual phaser can be fired twice with the Attack action. Both attacks must be at the same target or at a second target adjacent to the first target.

Blaster Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (4d10+2) lightning damage.

Pulse Cannon (Recharge 4-6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 35 (6d10+2) force damage.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters

And, at long last, here’s Wastri the Hopping Prophet in all his splendor!

Since Wastri is a deity, albeit a Material Plane demigod, he should almost certainly have lair actions and regional effects as well. Given his preference for swamps, the lair actions and regional effects of the ancient green dragon are a good starting point.

Wastri the Hopping Prophet
Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil

Armor Class 21
Hit Points 255 (30d8+120)
Speed 45 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR 18 (+4), DEX 22 (+6), CON 19 (+4), INT 10 (+0), WIS 20 (+5), CHA 11 (+0)

Saving Throws STR +10, DEX +12, INT +6, WIS +11, CHA +6
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Skills Acrobatics +12, Athletics +10, Deception +6, Perception +11, Persuasion +6, Religion +6, Stealth +12
Senses passive Perception 21
Languages Common, Bullywug
Challenge 19 (22,000 XP)

Amphibious. Wastri can breath air and water.

Assassinate. During his first turn, Wastri has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn. Any hit Wastri scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit.

Bane of False Humans. As a bonus action, Wastri can expend a spell slot to cause his melee weapon attacks to magically deal an extra 10 (3d6) radiant damage to a non-human humanoid target on a hit. This benefit lasts until the end of the turn. If Wastri expends a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the extra damage increases by 1d6 for each level above 1st.

Evasion. If Wastri is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, Wastri instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.

Sneak Attack. Once per turn, Wastri deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Wastri that isn’t incapacitated and Wastri doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Innate Spellcasting. As a demigod, Wastri has innate magical abilities. His innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). He can innately cast the following spells as a 15th-level caster, requiring no material components.

At will: command, comprehend languages, detect evil and good, gate, geas, teleport, true seeing
1/day each: Wastri’s croak, dampness, plague of warts

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Wastri fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. Wastri has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Spellcasting. Wastri is a 15th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). Wastri has the following cleric spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): guidance, light, resistance, sacred flame, thaumaturgy
1st level (4 slots): bane, cure wounds, guiding bolt, protection from evil and good, sanctuary
2nd level (3 slots): hold person, protection from poison, warding bond
3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, protection from energy, water walk
4th level (3 slots): control water, freedom of movement, guardian of faith
5th level (2 slots): insect plague, scrying
6th level (1 slot): word of recall
7th level (1 slot): symbol
8th level (1 slot): antimagic field

Standing Leap. Wastri’s long jump is up to 30 feet and its high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.

Unarmored Defense. While Wastri is wearing no armor and wielding no shield, his AC includes his Wisdom modifier.

Actions

Multiattack. Wastri makes two attacks when he takes the Attack action.

Skewer of the Impure. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d10+7) piercing or slashing damage. Nota Bene: The Skewer of the Impure is a magic glaive. It has a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls. It requires attunement by a human for its magic to function.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6+6) bludgeoning damage.

Conjure Frogs (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). Wastri conjures eight giant frogs, which appear in unoccupied spaces the priest can see within 60 feet. Each beast disappears when it drops to 0 hit points. The summoned frogs are friendly to Wastri and Wastri’s companions. Roll initiative for the summoned frogs as a group, which has its own turns. They obey any verbal commands Wastri issues to them (no action required). If Wastri doesn’t any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions. The frogs remain until killed or until Wastri takes a short or long rest.

Legendary Actions

Wastri can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Wastri regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Attack. Wastri makes one attack.

Cantrip. Wasti casts a cantrip.

Detect. Wastri makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Move. Wastri moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

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