Spes Magna Games

The Shenzi chaser hunts the veldt of the Shenz Highland. These carnivorous flightless birds stand taller than a man, and a full grown adult male can weigh more than 350 pounds. What makes these predators dangerous isn’t their size, speed, and powerful kicks. Rather, it is the Shenzi chaser’s piercing screech, a sonic attack that the bird uses to disable fleeing prey. This screech has a range of 60 feet and requires an attack roll with a +2 bonus to hit. A living creature struck by the screech takes 2d4+2 points of damage and must make a saving throw or be stunned helpless for 1d6 rounds. If the screech misses by 4 or less, the sonic waves strike the ground near the target, causing an explosion in a 5-foot radius that inflicts 1d6+1 points of damage. Those caught in the blast must make a Dexterity check or be knocked prone.

Swords & Wizardry Stats

Hit Dice: 2+2
Armor Class: 7 [12]
Attacks: 2 kicks (1d4+1)
Saving Throw: 16
Special: screech
Move: 15
Alignment: Neutrality
Challenge Level/XP: 3/60

Stars Without Number Stats

Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 2+2
Attack Bonus: +3/+3
Damage: 1d4+1/1d4+1 kicks
No. Appearing: 2d4
Saving Throw: 14
Movement: 45 ft.
Morale: 8

Tags: monsters, Stars Without Number, Swords & Wizardry

Arcasparv’s Doomful Gullet
Spell Level: Magic-User, 4th Level
Range: 180 feet
Duration: 4 rounds

Arcasparv’s doomful gullet rips open a passage between the spell’s target point and the gullet of a transdimensional demon. The caster selects 2d4 victims within 20 feet of spell’s center. Victims that fail their saving throws are sucked into the gullet, where they are effectively immobilized by the crushing and tearing horror of the infernal esophagus. Victims take 2d6 points of damage per round for the duration of the spell. When the spell ends, victims are disgorged near their original locations.

Tags: spells, Swords & Wizardry, Vancian magic

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m finally getting to teach Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha to my 5th graders. We’re having loads of fun reading and studying this great story, which is also chock full of inspiration for gaming. Here’s my second The Song of Hiawatha monster. (Here’s the first.)

Puk-Wud-Jie
Hit Dice: 1d6 hit points
Armor Class: 4 [15]
Attacks: spear (1d4) or 2 darts (1d3)
Saving Throw: 18 (14 against effects that can be dodged)
Special: Invisible when moving, surprise opponents on 1-5
Move: 18
Alignment: Neutrality
Challenge Level/XP: 2/30

The Puk-Wud-Jies live in unspoilt forests, dwelling in small and well-hidden communities. These fey people stand slightly shorter than the average halfling, and they are lithe and long of limb. Despite their diminutive size, Puk-Wud-Jies move with great speed and agility. Any round that a Puk-Wud-Jie moves at least 30 feet, it becomes invisible until the start of its next turn. Between this ability and their stealth, Puk-Wud-Jies almost always surprise foes (1-5 on 1d6).

Those who would despoil nature had best tread carefully in Puk-Wud-Jie territory. The Puk-Wud-Jies stalk hunters and others trespassers, monitoring their behavior carefully. Bands of Puk-Wud-Jies harrass and/or attack those who do not show proper respect for the natural world and the treasures she provides.

Puk-Wud-Jies speak the fey language and the secret tongue of true neutral Druids.

Tags: A to Z 2013, monsters, Swords & Wizardry, The Song of Hiawatha

Every now and then, somebody belonging to the Old School Gamers group on Facebook posts a picture with the challenge, “Stat this!” The picture accompanying this post was one of those challenges, which obviously I met and defeated. So, without further introduction, I present…

The Sharkodiak Riders of New Penguinea

Few humanoids of sub-arctic and arctic regions inspire more fear than the sharkodiak riders of New Penguinea, and their ravaging tribes have long proven to be the one great obstacles to colonizing that vast wilderness of forests, rivers, and glaciers.

Penguinean
Hit Dice: 2
Armor Class: 5 [14]
Attacks: Peck (1d4) or weapon (1d8)
Saving Throw: 16
Special: None
Move: 9 (12 swimming)
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 2/30 (3/60 for an elite)

Penguineans are squat humanoids that greatly resemble penguins. They may be found both above ground or lairing in sea caves in sub-arctic and arctic regions. They form into loosely organized clans, often ranging far from home in order to steal and kill with rapacious ferocity.

Elite penguineans often ride sharkodiaks into battle. An elite penguinean has 3 Hit Dice and a Saving Throw of 14+, is Armor Class 4 [15], and enjoys a +1 bonus to attack rolls due to its ferocity.

Sharkodiak
Hit Dice: 5+5
Armor Class: 6 [13]
Attacks: 2 claws (1d4+2) and bite (1d8+2)
Saving Throw: 13
Special: Hug
Move: 9 (9 swimming)
Alignment: Neutrality
Challenge Level/XP: 6/400

If a sharkodiak hits with both claws, it hugs for an additional 1d10 hit points of damage. Penguineans domesticate sharkodiaks, and elite penguineans ride them into battle.

Tags: A to Z 2013, monsters, Swords & Wizardry

People have played quoits for centuries. Halflings particularly love the game, which they play outdoors, using rings made of rope that are tossed at pegs of differing lengths stuck in the ground at increasing distances from the tossing point. Dyes stain the rope rings to help keep straight which player tossed which ring. Players set the longest peg closest to the tossing point; the shortest peg is the farthest away.

Players determine who goes first via some appropriate method, such as a coin toss or odds-and-evens. The game is played in rounds, and the players alternate who goes first each round. The number of rounds played varies, as halflings typically prefer to play quoits until an agreed-upon score is reached. One hundred points to win a game is quite common.

When a ring is tossed, the player chooses which peg he aims for and makes a ranged attack roll. The closest peg is AC 8 [11], and a successful ringing earns 5 points. The middle peg is AC 6 [13], and is worth 10 points, and the farthest peg is AC 4 [15] and earns 15 points. In addition to tossing skill, players enjoy a strategic element as well. Landing a ring atop an opponent’s ring immediately after the opponent earns points is called a “deny”. A deny cancels the points the opponent earned from his most recent turn. The player who scored the deny also earns the usual number of points for a successful ringing.

Tags: A to Z 2013, quoits, Swords & Wizardry