Spes Magna Games

Merry Fourth Day of Christmas!

Today we sail for beautiful Iceland to watch the selfish and indolent get eaten by the fearsome Jólakötturinn.

Also known as the Yule Cat, the Jólakötturinn is a monstrous feline with an unpleasant disposition. In the days leading up to Christmas, it hides in the snow drifts outside town. In the days following Christmas Eve, it stalks the selfish and indolent who could not earn new clothes, which, according to about ten minutes of “research” on the internet, was a common form of payment to employees. The Jólakötturinn especially enjoys hunting and eating naughty children.

The Jólakötturinn appears much like an enormous housecat. It is about 21 feet long from nose to tail-tip, about six feet high at the shoulder, and it weighs about one and a half tons. Its fur adapts to provide excellent camouflage in snowy fields, icy woodlands, and darkened village streets. Its eyes, yellow-green in color, shine with baleful light when its draws blood.

Jólakötturinn
Frequency: Very rare
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 5
Move: 15″
Hit Dice: 8+3
% in Lair: 15%
Treasure Type: Nil
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attack: 2-7/2-7/2-16
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Low
Alignment: Neutral evil
Size: L
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: VII/1,500 + 12/hp

The Jólakötturinn climbs well, and it can leap 15 feet upwards and 45 to 75 feet ahead in attack. When it scores two forepaw hits in one melee round, it rakes its victim with its rear claws, attacking twice more for 2-12 points of damage per attack. The Jólakötturinn’s magical eyes enable it to see the selfishness and laziness, and this monstrous cat attacks those “stained” by these moral failings, doing so with a +2 on the “to hit” die. Due its keen senses, the Jólakötturinn is surprised only on a 1. It takes only half damage from cold-based attacks.

Tags: AD&D, Christmas, monsters

Merry Third Day of Christmas!

This day, I shift from 5E D&D to Mutant Future, the game of mutants in the future.

Paindeer appear much like ordinary reindeer, but their large eyes show intelligence. It is common for paindeer to wear simple items of humanoid apparrel, such as caps or scarfs. They also make use of tools, including gizmos and medical equipment. The paindeer live in strictly regimented communities in which each family is typically led by the eldest married male. Clever and territorial, paindeer aggressively defend their domains. They honor physical strength, and much of their education system emphasizes various “paindeer games” that inculcate skills and attitudes useful for discipline and combat. About one in a hundred paindeer is born with an unusual mutation similar to optic emissions, but with the generated energy coming from the paindeer’s nose. Few of these rare paindeer survive to adulthood as the community exiles the mutant in early adolescence for a period of not less than several years. Those that survive and return are viewed with awe and afforded special status.

Paindeer

Number Encountered: 2-12 (40-80)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 240′ (80′), fly 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 1 (butt, +4 to hit)
Damage: 1d8+1d6
Save: L4
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: XV
XP: 245

Mutations: Martial Affinity, Neural Telekinesis (120 lbs.), Psionic Flight

Tags: Christmas, monsters, Mutant Future

Merry Second Day of Christmas!

Most important of all, he taught his son to beware of…[t]he Abominable Snow Monster of the North: he’s mean, he’s nasty, and he hates everything to do with Christmas. (Sam the Snowman, describing the Abominable Snow Monster)

The Abominable Snow Monster of the North
Large giant, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 114 (12d10+48)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

STR 20 (+5), DEX 12 (+1), CON 18 (+4), INT 7 (-2), WIS 11 (+0), CHA 7 (-2)

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Giant
Challenge 5 (1,800)

Bounces. The abominable snow monster has an elastic body. It takes half damage from falls.

Enraged by Red. The abominable snow monster hates the color red, which it can see even with its darkvision. When attacking a target bearing the color red, the abominable snow monster has advantage on its attacks.

Keen Smell. The abominable snow monster has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Non-Swimmer. The abominable snow monster cannot swim. Its swim speed is 0 feet, and it always fails Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim.

Snow Camouflage. The abominable snow monster has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in snowy terrain.

Actions

Multiattack. The abominable snow monster makes two attacks: one with its fangs and one with either its greatclub or its talons.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) piercing damage.

Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) bludgeoning damage.

Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) slashing damage.

Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 50/200 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10+5) bludgeoning damage.

Reactions

Bounce Back. The abominable snow monster can use its reaction to immediately stand up when knocked prone.

Tags: 5E D&D, Christmas, monsters

Merry First Day of Christmas!

Today’s long-awaited post wormed its way into my brain this morning while ushering in the narthex before Christmas morning Mass. Enjoy!

Hermey’s Ferocious Forceps
Weapon (great forceps), uncommon

These over-sized forceps are a magical simple melee weapon with the Two-Handed property. A successful attack roll inflicts 1d4 plus Strength bonus points of piercing damage, unless used against a creature with teeth, in which case the forceps inflict 1d6 plus Strength bonus damage. On a critical hit, the forceps inflict double damage as normal. A toothed creature who suffers a critical from the forceps has disadvantage on its bite attack until it takes a short or long rest or receives magical healing.

Tags: 5E D&D, Christmas, magic items

Among the many reasons I’m thankful for Canada, my national neighbor to the north, is the gleefully awful movie The Brain. The plot, such as it is, revolves around the evil machinations of Dr. Blakely (B-movie icon David Gale), the host of television’s Independent Thinkers, a pseudo-religious self-help program that serves as an alien brain’s platform for world domination. Fortunately for the people of Earth, high-school prankster Jim Majelewski (played by then 23-year-old Tom Bresnahan) can resist the Brain’s hypnotic powers. Unfortunately, resisting the Brain’s hypnotic powers causes bizarre hallucinations, which for prankster Jim often involve a topless nurse.

Brilliant!

Alien Brain

Number Encountered: 1
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90′ (30′)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 12+12
Attacks: 1 (tongue-tacle or bite)
Damage: 1d6 tongue-tacle or 4d4 bite
Save: L10
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: XIX
XP: 4,400

Mutations: Mental Phantasm (unique), Neural Telepathy, Possession (unique)

An alien brain has remarkable Intelligence and Willpower (20 and 18, respectively). In melee combat, it lashes out with its barbed tongue-tacle, which has a range of 15 feet. If the tentacle hits, it grabs the victim and draws him 10 feet per round toward the alien brain’s huge, tooth-filled mouth. There is a 2 in 6 chance to break free from the tongue-tacle, modified by Strength, and the attempt counts as an attack. The alien brain swallows its prey whole on a roll 4 higher than the needed number, or if the alien brain rolls a natural 20. It can swallow anything the size of a man or smaller. A swallowed victim suffers 2d8+2 hit points of damage per round inside the alien brain’s digestive tract. The damage stops if the alien brain is killed.

The alien brain’s most insidious attack is its unique possession mutation. If the alien brain’s psionic energies are broadcast and received via technology, the Brain can affect dozens (or even hundreds or more!) of intelligent creatures at once. It can broadcast a simple instruction to all affected creatures, or it can specifically take over one creature, as normal for the possession mutation. A creature who resists the alien brain’s mental control is automatically subjected to mental phantasms, the nature of which are drawn from the victim’s subconscious.

Tags: monsters, movies, Mutant Future