Spes Magna Games

A new spell and a new monster, both inspired by crustaceans.

Cavitation of Bubbles
4th-level evocation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (a crustacean’s claw)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You create a dome of bubbles on a solid surface within range. The dome is a hemisphere with a 20-foot radius and 1-foot thick walls. The multitude of bubbles make the dome opaque to sight, although light does refract through the bubbles.

When the dome appears, each creature within a square through which the bubbles pass must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature ends up inside dome in the space nearest to its starting space. On a successful save, the creature ends up outside the dome in the space nearest to its starting space.

The dome is an object that can be damaged and thus breached. Each 5-foot section of dome has AC 10 and 3 hit points, and it is vulnerable to piercing damage. Reducing a 5-foot section of dome to 0 hit points destroys that section. Each creature within 10 feet of the destroyed section must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 5d6 thunder damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not stunned.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.

“Crabmen are man-sized intelligent crabs. They walk upright on two pair of legs. The small pincers tipping the short arms above their legs are used for fine manipulation. The two longer arms end in large claws. Two slender eyestalks bob above the beak-like collection of mandibles which makes up the crabman’s mouth. Male crabmen are often brightly colored and females may be reddish-brown, green, or black” Monstrous Manual, page 47. (Nota Bene: That’s an affiliate link.)

Coastal Hunter-Gatherers. Crabmen live in tribal groups in coastal regions. Most of the time, crabmen are peaceful, content to hunt sealife and gather molluscs and aquatic plants for food. Crabmen may raid coastal towns, especially during times when food is scarce or their territories are threatened. Crabmen covet shiny metal, especially silver-colored metal. Crabmen lair in coastal caves and some of the time dig burrows into seaside cliffs. These burrows consist of tunnels radiating from a common chamber, each tunnel leading to a crabman’s lair.

Xenophobes. Crabmen speak only their own language of hisses and clicks. Humanoids lack the anatomy to speak the crabmen’s tongue in anything other than the most rudimentary manner. Even then, crabmen seldom listen. They have little to no desire to communicate or associate with other intelligent creatures.

Predator and Prey. Sahuagin view crabman legs and claws as tasty delicasies. Crabmen in turn hate sahuagin more than any other creature.

Crabman
Medium monstrosity, neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 32 (5d8+10)
Speed 25 ft., swim 15 ft.

STR 17 (+3), DEX 10 (+0), CON 15 (+2), INT 8 (-1), WIS 11 (+0), CHA 9 (-1)

Skills Survival +2
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Crabman
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Amphibious. The crabman can breathe air and water.

Regrowth. After a long rest, the crabman regrows severed limbs and damaged eyestalks.

Actions

Multiattack. The crabman makes two pincer attacks.

Pincer. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage.

Crabman Hunter
Medium monstrosity, neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d8+30)
Speed 25 ft., swim 15 ft.

STR 18 (+4), DEX 10 (+0), CON 16 (+3), INT 10 (+0), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 11 (+0)

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +2, Survival +3
Damage Resistances bludgeoning from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Crabman
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Amphibious. The crabman hunter can breathe air and water.

Keen Sight and Smell. The crabman hunter has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.

Regrowth. After a long rest, the crabman hunter regrows severed limbs and damaged eyestalks.

Actions

Multiattack. The crabman hunter makes two pincer attacks. If the crabman hunter is grappling a creature, the crabman hunter can also use its bite once.

Pincer. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 13) if it is a Medium or smaller creature and the crabman hunter doesn’t have two other creatures grappled.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is grappled, the crabman hunter attacks with advantage.

Crabman Elder
Large monstrosity, neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 142 (15d10+60)
Speed 25 ft., swim 15 ft.

STR 20 (+5), DEX 10 (+0), CON 18 (+4), INT 12 (+1), WIS 15 (+2), CHA 13 (+1)

Skills Perception +5, Survival +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Crabman (may understand one or more other languages)
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Amphibious. The crabman elder can breathe air and water.

Keen Sight and Smell. The crabman elder has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.

Regeneration. The crabman elder regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point. After a long rest, the crabman elder regrows severed limbs and damaged eyestalks.

Actions

Multiattack. The crabman elder makes two pincer attacks. If the crabman elder is grappling a creature, the crabman elder can also use its bite once.

Pincer. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 15) if it is a Large or smaller creature and the crabman elder doesn’t have two other creatures grappled.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4+5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is grappled, the crabman elder attacks with advantage.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters, spells

A post for today featuring yet another new AD&D monster? Can do easy!

Zeni
Frequency: Uncommon
No. Appearing: 4-24
Armor Class: 8, 6, or 4 (see below)
Move: up to 12″
Hit Dice: 1+1 to 3+3
% in Lair: Nil
Treasure Type: Nil
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: See below
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Animal
Alignment: Neutral
Size: S to L (3′ diameter per HD)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: 1+1 HD (III/56 + 2/hp), 2+2 HD (III/95 + 3/hp), 3+3 HD (IV/160 + 4/hp)

Zenis resemble ordinary barrel cacti, at least until they attack or move. These carnivorous plants move via rolling, and it takes time for them to build up speed. On the first round, zenis roll at 3″, and this speed increases by 3″ per round until a maximum speed of 12″ is reached.

As zenis increase in size, their exteriors become thicker and more resistant to injury. The smallest zenis are AC 8. Medium-size zenis are AC 6, and the largest zenis are AC 4.

Zenis attack one of two ways: rolling into their prey or by releasing a cloud of spines. A creature struck by a rolling zeni takes damage based on the zeni’s size and speed. A 1+1 hit die zeni inflicts 1-4 points of damage. This damage increases to 2-8 points for a 2+2 hit dice zeni and to 3-12 points for a 3+3 hit dice zeni. The monster inflicts additional damage equal to its movement rate divided by 3. So, a 3+3 hit dice zeni moving at 9″ inflicts 6-15 points of damage when it rolls into a creature. If the creature struck by a rolling zeni is not larger than the zeni, the creature may be knocked down unless it succeeds on a saving throw versus breath weapon. The saving throw is made with a +4 modifier if the creature is same size as the zeni.

Usually after it rolls into its prey, a zeni releases a cloud of spines. Each spine has wing-like structures that enable it to buzz about much like an insect. The spines fill a sphere in a 10-foot radius around the zeni. Creatures within the cloud sustain 1 hit point of damage for each melee round they remain in it, regardless of armour class. The referee will cause all creatures with one or fewer hit dice to check morale. Fire will force the spines back to their zeni, and a fireball clears the spines from its blast area. The spines lasts for up to 2 melee rounds for each of the zeni’s hit dice, and then they return to their zeni.

Zenis take half damage from lightning attacks. They are immune to fear, poison, and paralysis.

Tags: AD&D, monsters

On the Facebook, Luke Gygax posted, “Great job to Melf And The Green Arrows! Our Founders & Legends III Team broke the $6,000 mark! I’m so happy!”

Great job, indeed! I know my post about Founders & Legends III didn’t offer a glowing account of my limited experience with the on-line convention, but $6+K for Extra Life? That’s the icing on the cake and the cake, too.

On to another topic: It’s been months since I posted a new monster for AD&D. That doesn’t seem right. So, to honor the for-sale-via-Etsy tick horror, here we go.

Sceartán
Frequency: Very rare
No. Appearing: 2-12
Armor Class: 7
Move: 3″ (3″)
Hit Dice: 3-5
% in Lair: 5%
Treasure Type: Nil
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 2-5
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Low
Alignment: Neutral evil
Size: S
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: 3 HD (III/80 + 3/hp), 4 HD (III/135 + 4/hp), 5 HD (IV/210 + 5/hp)

Sceartáns resemble bloated, fleshy ticks with the distorted faces of pudgy infants. They hunt forests, lairing in constricted burrows that some of the time lead to caves or caverns. These horrid things seek to drop upon prey or burst from hiding. They surprise others on a 1-4, and they treat falls as 20 feet shorter than actual for determining falling damage.

When sceartáns rush their prey, they double their movement rate for 1-4 melee rounds. Sceartáns attack via a long, hollow tongue that ends in a jagged spike. A hit by a sceartán scores 2-5 points of damage and indicates the monster has attached itself. Each melee round thereafter it drains 1-6 hit points of blood, until reaching satiation at a blood drain equal to its hit points. The sceartán then detaches and attempts to scurry for safety to slowly digest its meal. A sceartán must be killed, severely burned, or splashed with holy water to detach it prior to satiation. Holy water does not damage sceartáns, but they find the substance noxious.

If a sceartán is forcibly detached, its victim must make a saving throw versus poison. Failure indicates that part of the sceartán’s tongue spike breaks off in the victim’s body. The fragment wriggles deeper into the wound unless extracted within one melee round (causing 1-4 points of damage to the victim). Otherwise, only a cure disease spell prevents the fragment from reaching the victim’s heart and causing death in 1-3 turns.

Tags: AD&D, monsters

I dig goblins. They’re great little monsters. I liked them way back in may OD&D and AD&D days. When I got my hands on TSR’s excellent Oriental Adventures, I came to love goblins more thanks to the bakemono, those “cousins to the western goblins”. The bakemono are cool because “unlike the goblin, [they] come in a variety of differents shapes and sizes. No two [bakemonos] are alike.”

I have several goblin-related posts. There are the bakemono for the wonderful Fate Accelerated. For 5E D&D, I have ash goblins, goblin hags, two-headed goblins, and arctic charvogs. For AD&D and 5E, I’ve got goblin bombers. For OSR games, I’ve got That’s a Goblin!?, a supplement that presents 23 goblin mutations, 15 fey goblin abilities, 3 goblin subspecies, and 6 goblin tactical specialties.

And, for today, I’ve got the goblin swarm.

Large swarm of Small humanoids (goblinoids), neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (leather armor, shield)
Hit Points 44 (8d10)
Speed 30 ft.

STR 14 (+2), DEX 14 (+2), CON 10 (+0), INT 10 (+0), WIS 8 (-1), CHA 8 (-1)

Skills Stealth +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Nimble Escape. The goblin bomber can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Swarm. The goblin swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Small humanoid. The goblin swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. A creature in the goblin swarm’s space treats the goblin swarm’s space as difficult terrain.

Actions

Multiattack. Against creatures adjacent to the goblin swarm’s space, the goblin swarm can make up to three scimitar attacks. Against non-adjacent targets, the goblin swarm can make up to three shortbow attacks. Against a target in the swarm’s space, the goblin swarm can make one slashes attack. The goblin swarm cannot make more than one slashes attack on its turn. It cannot make more than three attacks on its turn. If the goblin swarm has half of its hit points or fewer, it cannot make more than two attacks on its turn.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.

Slashes. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one in the swarm’s space. Hit: 21 (6d6) slashing damage, or 10 (3d6) if the goblin swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters

While caecilians appear worm-like or snake-like, they are limbless amphibians. The largest reach lengths of five feet. Their smooth, moist skin hides calcite scales, and the secretions that keep their skin moist contain a hemolytic toxin that destroys red blood cells. Caecilians are largely blind, able to perceive the presence of light. They burrow, using their strong skulls to force their way through soil. In water, they swim much like an eel. Caecilians have acute olfactory senses.

Caecilia are 30-foot-long wormlike creatures found in the D&D Expert Rulebook. They swallow their prey whole 10% of the time. This monster does not seem to have made the transition to later editions of D&D. Perhaps the Powers That Be didn’t see them as sufficiently different from the more dangerous purple worm, which appears in the same rulebook.

Whatever the reason, I figure a GM can’t have too many giant, voracious predators.

Caecilia
Huge monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural)
Hit Points 126 (12d12+48)
Speed 25 ft., burrow 20 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR 24 (+7), DEX 11 (+0), CON 18 (+4), INT 1 (-5), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 4 (-3)

Saving Throws Con +7, Wis +3
Damage Resistances piercing from nonmagical weapons
Senses tremorsense 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 6 (2,300)

Amphibious. The caecilia can breathe air and water.

Keen Smell. The caecilia has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Tunneler. The caecilia can burrow through solid rock at half its burrow speed and leaves a 5-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.

Toxic Secretions. A creature that touches the caecilia or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 2 (1d4) poison damage.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d6+7) piercing damage plus 5 (2d4) poison damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the caecilia. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the caecilia, and it takes 15 (6d4) acid damage at the start of each of the caecilia’s turns.

If the caecilia takes 15 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the worm must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the caecilia. If the caecilia dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters