Spes Magna Games

Time for another old AD&D favorite re-imagined for Swords & Wizardry and Mutant Future!

According to a few gaming sites, the boalisk appeared first in one of my favorite modules: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. I can’t find my copy of that module, and I don’t remember the boalisk being part of it, but my memory could be wrong. Regardless from where, the boalisk slithered its way into AD&D’s Monster Manual II in 1983.

The boalisk, a variety of tropical snake, is nearly identical to the constrictor snake (q.v.) in all respects, and it has a gaze attack. Those who fall victim to the boalisk’s gaze attack contract a rotting disease. In tropical climes, constrictors encountered may be accompanied by boalisks (25%), and vice versa (Monster Manual II 71).

For Swords & Wizardry

Hit Dice: 5+1
Armor Class: 5 [14]
Attack (Damage): 1 bite (1d3)
Move: 12
Save: 12
Alignment: Neutrality
Challenge Level/XP: 7/600
Special: Constriction, gaze causes rotting disease

If a boalisk’s bite hits, its coils automatically wrap about its victim, causing 1d6+1 points of constriction damage per round thereafter, but a boalisk can constrict only one target a time. The boalisk gazes each round. A surprised target meets the boalisk’s gaze automatically and gets no saving throw. Otherwise, a creature who meets the boalisk’s gaze must make a saving throw to avoid affliction with a rotting disease. This disease prevents magical healing and causes wounds to heal at one-tenth the normal rate. A Cure Disease increases healing to one-half normal rate, but only a Remove Curse completely cures a victim of the boalisk’s rotting disease. A boalisk’s gaze does not affect others of its kind, including normal constrictor snakes.

For Mutant Future

Number Encountered: 1d3 (1d3)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 5+1
Attacks: 2 (bite, constrict)
Damage: 1d3+1/1d6+1
Save: L3
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: VI
XP: 660

Mutations: Gigantism, Unique (Disease Gaze)

A boalisk’s first attack is its bite. If the bite hits, the boalisk constricts its victim for an additional 1d6+1 damage. Constriction damage continues on subsequent rounds. A creature that meets a boalisk’s gaze must make a saving throw versus poison or contract a rotting disease. This disease’s infection duration, affected stats, and damage per day are identical to flesh-eating bacteria (Mutant Future 48).

Tags: monsters, Mutant Future, Swords & Wizardry

So, it seems there’s a lot of internet drama about a certain game company and certain people associated with that game company who’ve done and said Bad Things. Since social media’s main function is to encourage gossip and conclusion jumping in order to drive up ad revenue for Very Rich People, many gamers are gossiping and griping and leaping from one place to another. I made the mistake of wandering into a social media thread complaining about the ubiquity of this gossip, griping, and leaping, and about how such things have taken over the content of at least one social media subgroup.

Two thoughts wandered into my head as I read the often stupefying comments:

1. There’s no good reason to read any of this.
2. Social media content of This versus That is a ratio. Tired of That? Then post some of This.

It’s been a while since I posted anything related to either frogs, Swords & Wizardy, or Mutant Future. Regarding the first topic, it appears I like posting about frogs. Here’s a froggy-themed index of previous posts:

OSR Games

The Anuran Antres of the Sinister Salientians

Firefrog

Frog Wraiths

Giant Heliotrope Frog

Hypnotoad

Kung Frogman

Lesser Servants of Wastri

Mutant Frogs

Savage Worlds

Bullywugs

Wastri & Minions for 5E

Killer Frog

Hopefuls & Skewers

Priest of Wastri

Wastri the Hopping Prophet

And now for an old monster made new again for two of my favorite OSR systems, I summon forth the grippli from AD&D’s Monster Manual II, published way back in 1983:

The grippli resemble small, intelligent, humanoid tree frogs. They eat insects and fruit. Grippli hands and feet are adapted for easy movement through tree branches. They have 700-year life spans and produce few offspring. Grippli live in swamps and rain forests. Their gray-green skin gives them natural camouflage…. Grippli are not warlike. They love bright colors and have been known to make raids to steal bright colored clothing for their huts. They defend themselves with snares, nets, poisoned darts and bolts, and occasionally a sword or dagger. Grippli see equally well during the day and night, but they cannot see in total darkness. A grippli lair is built on the ground and consists of mud and wood huts (Monster Manual II 71).

For Swords & Wizardry

Hit Dice: 1+1 (2+2 for guards, 3+3 for tribe mother)
Armor Class: 9 [11] (8 [12] for guards, 7 [13] for tribe mother)
Attack (Damage): Weapon
Move: 9/15 swimming
Save: 17, 16, or 14
Alignment: Neutrality
Challenge Level/XP: 1 HD (2/30), guards (3/60), tribe mother (5/240)
Special: Surprise on 1-4

A tribe mother leads a grippli lair. A tribe mother is immune to poison. Once per day, she can emit a noxious cloud of musk. The cloud spreads to a 20-foot radius around the tribe mother. Grippli within the cloud become fiercely inspired, gaining a +1 bonus on to-hit rolls for 1d4+1 rounds. Other creatures caught in the cloud must make a saving throw to avoid being rendered helpless for 1d4+1 rounds due to nausea. Those who make the saving throw are helpless for as long as they remain in the cloud plus one more round. The cloud lasts for three rounds unless dispersed by strong winds.

A tribe mother has 1d3 guards who also serve as her mates. These guards have a +1 damage bonus due to the size and strength.

For Mutant Future

Number Encountered: 1d10 (5d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90′ (30′), Fly 150′ (50′)
Armor Class: 8 (7 for guards, 6 for tribe mother)
Hit Dice: 3 (5 for guards, 7 for tribe mother)
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: weapon
Save: L3 (L4 for guards, L5 for tribe mother)
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: XIII
XP: 80 (500 for guards, 1490 for tribe mother)

Mutations: Chameleon Epidermis, Night Vision

A guard has a +1 modifier on to-hit and damage rolls due to his greater strength. A tribe mother is immune to poison. Once per day, she may release a toxic cloud that fills a 20-foot radius with Class 10 poison. Grippli are not only immune to the cloud, but the musk grants them a +1 to-hit bonus due to increased aggression. These effects last for 1d6 rounds.

Tags: monsters, Mutant Future, Swords & Wizardry

Cervus
No. Enc.: 1d8
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 180′ (60′)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 1 or 2 (gore or bite)
Damage: 2d6 (1 or 2 gores), 1d8 (1 bite)
Save: L2
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: None
XP: 190

Mutations: Ultravision, Unique (Anticoagulant Saliva)

The cervus is a monstrous, predatory deer. When fully grown, an adult cervus stands over six feet at the shoulder. Its antlers spread wide enough that it can gore two targets who are within 10 feet of each other. The cervus deals double damage with its gore after charging. Outward curving canines jut from the cervus’ upper jaw, and it has a powerful bite. Its bite may deliver a dose of anticoagulant saliva (save versus poison). Prey affected by the saliva bleed profusely, losing two hit points per round until the wound can be properly bandaged.

About one in four or five cervuses has a third eye. A three-eyed cervus is intelligent. Roll 6+1d4 for Intelligence and Willpower, and increase save to L4. It also has 0-3 (1d4-1) mental mutations. Add 55 XP per additional mutation.

Tags: monsters, Mutant Future

The Mutant Wasteland Holiday Adventures bundle features three post-apocalyptic products:

Metro Gnomes: A beer-and-pretzels one-shot for Geodesic Gnomes, the game of stunted mutants surviving in biosphere crawlspaces. Geodesic Gnomes is written by mapmeister Dyson Logos.

Shallows & Sharks: A half dozen marine mutants for your Mutant Future game. (Nota Bene: That’s an affiliate link the previous sentence.)

Terrors of the Toxic Waste: More than 20 mutant foes, hazards, and NPCs ready to add danger and excitement to your post-apoc world.

Get all three for $2.25, which is 50% off the regular prices.

The New School Holiday Adventures bundle of 5E-compatible material and the Old School Holiday Adventure bundle are also still available for you to stuff into someone’s virtual stocking.

Tags: Geodesic Gnomes, Mutant Future, Spes Magna Products

Emerging from the darkness, bones sizzling and glowing, hovering just above the rippling water, nearly as tall as a man. Frog wraiths!

Nota Bene: All links below are affiliate links.

*****

For The Black Hack:

Frog Wraith (HD 5)

Chilling Touch: STR (1 Close) 6 dmg
Croak: DEX (1 Nearby) 6 dmg

Incorporeal! Ignores all damage from even damage die rolls.
Soul Rending! Armor Dice cannot be used to negate damage dealt by the Croak.

*****

For Mutant Future:

Frog Wraith
No. Enc.: 3d6
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: fly 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 1 (cold ray)
Damage: 4d6
Save: L3
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None
XP: 1,000

Mutations: Energy Ray; Unique (Out of Phase, Vampiric Croak)

The strange, deadly frog wraith attacks either with a ray of intense cold out to a range of 50 feet or else with its vampiric croak, a mental attack with an effective WIL of 2d6+6 that drains 2d4 hit points from each affected creature within 30 feet. These absorbed points go into a separate reserve for the frog wraith, and any damage inflicted on the frog wraith is taken from these reserve points first. Frog wraiths exist partially out of phase with reality. Non-mental attacks are 50% likely to not harm a frog wraith.

Tags: monsters, Mutant Future, The Black Hack