A doppelgänger hails from Vioo, the barren, dark realm that exists on the other side of mirrors and mirror-like surfaces (which form the only passages through which light passes into Vioo). Most of the time, doppelgängers have no life apart from acting as reflections for whomever is facing the mirror (which isn’t to say that all reflections are doppel- gängers). These monsters hate their limited existences. They hate the fact that they fade in and out of being, and that their appearances change, and doppelgängers most of all hate the people their strange state of being forces them to mimic.
Rarely, a doppelgänger’s hatred becomes so great that the monster manages to transcend the limitations of its nature. When this happens, the doppelgänger can act independently of the person using the mirror, and the doppelgänger can even break through the mirrored surface to enter our world. Then, the doppelgänger seeks to murder and replace the person it almost perfectly duplicates.
Doppelgängers have enormous physical strength. As such, they enjoy a +2 bonus to attack rolls, and their weapon attacks (including unarmed attacks) inflict an extra 1d6 points of damage. These creatures are immune to sleep and charm, and they are considered magic resistant for purposes such as breaking through wizard lock and similar spells. They have a very good saving throw (5+) against magic of all kinds.
Swords & Wizardry
Hit Dice: 4
Armor Class: 5 [14]
Attacks: By weapon
Saving Throw: 13 (5 against magic)
Special: Enormous strength, immune to sleep and charm
Move: As humanoid mimicked
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 6/400
Tags: monsters, place of power, Swords & Wizardry
The mamsako hunt shallow, muddy riverbanks where their natural coloration and ability to lie still for long periods of time make them dangerous ambush predators. These crocodilians grow to lengths of 20 feet, and they can lope about on their long legs at surprising speeds. For 1d4+1 rounds, a mamsako can gallop at a move of 12. After this, it must rest for a like number of rounds before galloping again. A victim struck by a mamsako’s bite must roll 1d6 per Hit Die versus the mamsako’s 4d6. If the mamsako wins this contest, it subjects its victim to a death roll. The victim automatically takes an additional 2d6+2 points of damage and is knocked prone.
Swords & Wizardry
Hit Dice: 4+4
Armor Class: 3 [16]
Attacks: 1 bite (2d6), 1 tail (1d6)
Saving Throw: 13
Special: Death roll, gallop, surprise foes on a 1-3
Move: 9/12 (swimming)
Alignment: Neutrality
Challenge Level/XP: 6/400
Stars Without Number
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 4+4
Attack Bonus: +4
Damage: 2d6 bite/1d6 tail
No. Appearing: 3-12
Saving Throw: 13+
Movement: 30 ft. (40 ft. swimming)
Morale: 9
Tags: monsters, Stars Without Number, Swords & Wizardry
Gorillelephantaur
Hit Dice: 8+3
Armor Class: 6 [13]
Attacks: 2 stomps (2d6) and 2 claws (1d6), or 2 stomps (2d6) and weapon (1d10)
Saving Throw: 8
Special: Rending
Move: 15
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 9/1,100
Half gorilla, half elephant, the mighty gorillelephantaurs rule the tropical plains they call home. They fight with their columnar forelegs and powerful claws, or else use a weapon instead of their claws. If a gorillelephantaur strikes a foe with both claws, it does an additional 1d12 points of rending damage.
Tags: monsters, Swords & Wizardry
Soon to be released, That’s a Goblin!?, Spes Magna’s first OSR game supplement. Written as compatible with Swords & Wizardry but usable with other OSR fantasy RPGs, That’s a Goblin!? introduces ways to make your game’s goblins different.
The free preview PDF at this link presents 23 random goblin mutations. The final version of the PDF in the works includes not only the goblin mutations but also goblin types, tactics, weapons, and stat blocks for sample goblins.
Tags: monsters, Swords & Wizardry
The Gaatji (gah’-ti-jee) dwell in the same watery environs as the Fombui, but unlike those strange, peaceful creatures, the Gaatj are fearsome worshippers of chaos. These monsters build crude villages out of rocks and coral, constructing their squat buildings so that they clump together, interconnected and maze-like. A Gaatj appears to be a bizarre sort of squid, but with two “feathered” tentacles and numerous lateral fins projecting from either side of its oblong body. Its bulbous eyes project from the skull on squat stalks. An adult Gaatj measures between 5-7 feet long from skull to tail with tentacles a foot or so shorter than overall body length.
A Gaatj attacks with its tentacles. After a tentacle hits, it automatically does 1d8 points of damage per round instead of the initial 1d4. Also, there is a 20% chance that the tentacle pinions one of the victim’s limbs (roll randomly for left/right arms and legs to see which is immobilized). Gaatji cast both Magic-User spells (3/1) and Cleric spells (2). They are also vulnerable to electricity-based attacks, suffering a -2 on their saving throws and taking +25% damage from such effects.
Swords & Wizardry
Hit Dice: 3+3
Armor Class: 6 [13]
Attacks: 2 tentacles (1d4) (see below)
Saving Throw: 14
Special: Constriction, spells, vulnerable to electricity
Move: 3/12 (swimming)
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 6/400
Tags: monsters, Swords & Wizardry
