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Monsters

Most adventure stories involve at least one monster. Yes, the butler is guilty—but why does he secretly keep a box with air holes in the attic?

The simple and intuitive rules for Nine Powers make inventing monsters easy!

Depending upon your setting a "monster" could be a dangerous animal, fantasy creature, alien, time traveller, person changed by a curse, or any other creature exempt from certain game rules. Monster often move, attack, resist harm, and create problems in ways that PCs cannot.

The sample setting of Spyragia has nine categories of monsters.

• Bigbeasts combine the features of one or more animals with extra size and intelligence.
• Witches look like women but are ephemeral creatures who use magic to fulfill a mission.
• Bugaboos are created when the scary things children imagine become real.
• Oozes gain shapes and intelligence as they consume animals and people.
• Reivers are aggressive raiders, primitive animal-folk with magical mutations.
• Animated Objects can be striking, but are they art?
• Dragons become smarter, stronger, quicker, and more dangerous as their hoard increases.
• Undead are corpses of animals, people, or monsters animated by the curse of necromobility.
• Outsiders have traveled to the "normal" world from alternate planets, planes, or dimensions.

Even if the example monsters described below are not useful in your stories, they are designed to provide a GM and Player with numerous ideas and details that can be used in other creative ways. For the sake of efficient notation only skill ratings of 3 or 4 are included in the example monster tables on this page, and talent ratings are written as superscripts above the corresponding skill ratings.

All monsters of Spyragia might be intelligent. The symbol marks the paragraphs describing intelligence for a category of monster.

All monsters of Spyragia cannot have children like a normal animal, but have other ways to reproduce. The symbol marks the paragraphs describing reproduction for a category of monster.

An experienced GM will describe when and how monsters do these interesting things. Be creative with improvising what monsters can do, and when they do those things! However, a a young or new GM might not want to rely on improvisation to know how often a dragon breathes fire or a triceratops tramples. Therefore, as an optional mechanic, the descriptions of example monsters use the symbols to suggest that during a skill contest, when a 1 is rolled on the four-sided, six-sided, or eight-sided die, not only does the normal benefit happen (damage bypassing armor) but also consider having the monster use a corresponding ability.

Monsters described as having venom will penalize foes to whom they cause stamina damage: each venomous injury causes an extra point of damage at the end of each target's turn.

Many monsters deal extra damage with their attacks. This extra damage applies to any of that monster's attacks that hit, and always applies to the target's armor before the target's stamina.

Some monsters have a buffer of extra armor that replenishes at the start of each combat round. This is shown by a number in parenthesis. For example, a monster with an armor value of 1+(2) has 1 point of armor that is used up normally, but also 2 points that are replenished at the start of each round.

Round down when monsters suffer half damage from certain sources.

Hey kids! Want your hand-drawn illustration on this page? Draw a replacement of one of the AI art pictures, with a white background. I will attach your name to the bottom of your art. If you wish, the image itself will be a link to your art website or blog, if you have one and it is also kid-friendly.

The AI art on this page was generated by DALL•E mini. Mouseover an image to see its prompt.

Bigbeasts

Bigbeasts are monsters that combine the features of one or more animals (but never people) and exaggerate the innate abilities of those animals.

When a type of bigbeast is encountered more than once, that type is often given a name: a gryphon, hippogriff, pegasus, chimera, peryton, peluda, seps, simurgh, etc. The Sagacious look for patterns about when and where these bigbeasts appear, and compile records about successful hunting tactics for each type.

Some bigbeasts are unsociable and live alone. Others live in families or packs.

Bigbeasts are much bigger and tougher than a normal animal of their kind. As examples of size, a bigbeast rat is as large as a normal wolf, a bigbeast wolf is as large as a normal pony, and a bigbeast bear is as large as a normal elephant.

A bigbeast is slightly smarter than the normal animal(s) it resembles. As examples, bigbeast insects are as clever as normal rats, bigbeast squirrels plan tricks to deceive, and bigbeast boars can read road signs. A bigbeast's intelligence increases greatly after it establishes a lair, then continues to increase proportional to the size of its territory.

One per month a bigbeast lair magically creates a single egg that will hatch into the type of bigbeast that created that lair. Often this means that ridding a region of a troublesomely aggressive bigbeast is a two-step process: defeating the bigbeast and wrecking its lair.

Goals

Bigbeasts have an innate desire to explore until they claim an isolated but distinctly describable location: a butte, signal tower, signpost at a crossroads, remote shrine, memorial, etc. When exploring and first claiming such a site and establishing a lair they do not disturb the local wildlife and are only dangerous if provoked.

However, bigbeasts who have finished their lair become aggressive and strive to expanad their territory. They roam farther and farther from their lair, ignoring small animals but hunting large predators and intelligent creatures and people.

Abilities

Bigbeasts gain exaggerations of their innate animal abilities. As examples, bigbeast snakes are peternaturally able to detect heat and hypnotize, bigbeast crows have a shriek that causes pain and panic, and bigbeast centipedes have nearly impervious chitin and can dig with incredible speed.

Similarly, bigbeasts have their personalities exaggerated from those of a normal animal of their kind. A bigbeast jay is an especially vicious bird. A bigbeast maltese is dangerous in its doggy desire for attention.

Bigbeasts that are a hybrid of several animals may have strange powers that extend beyond exaggerations of their innate animal abilities. These commonly include an incredibly tough rocky hide, additional horns, or bony protrusions.

Bigbeasts are usually at least as alert as a normal animal of their kind. Most have high Perception skill, although those at the top of their local food chain may have become fat, spoiled, and unperceptive.

If unopposed, a bigbeast will expand its territory so much that it becomes intelligent enough to participate in conversation. This grants it the very dangerous ability to change into a humanoid form. But these humanoid forms have a some feature that marks them as different from other people, such as scales or fur, a strangely shaped head or limbs, too many limbs, or fins and gills. Some bigbeasts use their humanoid form regularly, while others ignore this new ability and always remain in their normal form.

Bigbeasts are sensitive and vulnerable to an enemy with potential. A person attacking it can display one or two unspent advancement tokens to gain a small or big bonus to their dice pool. This does not use up the advancement tokens.

Flavorful Treasure

The hides or scales of bigbeasts are often prized by armorers.

The tongues of bigbeasts are useful for alchemy. The appropriate extract of bigbeast tongue removes the normal penalty from improvising a particular alchemical crafting effect.

Nothing about a bigbeast hints at which alchemical effect the creature's tongue could help improvise. However, examining the tongue using the alchemy talent can reveal this.

Example Bigbeasts

Chimera

A chimera has trouble thinking straight, but can still be dangerous. As a monster it resembles a giant lion with a goat head growing oddly from its back and its tail replaced by a fanged serpent. During combat it does at least three things on each turn: bite with the lion head and claw with both forepaws.

Chimeras prefer to live and hunt in pairs. They like to roam ruins or live in an abandoned building, often in a humanoid form that looks like a large lion-headed man or woman with goat horns and a snake's tongue shrouded by a heavy leather cloak.

The goat mouth breathes a cloud of stench. Opponents within the cloud suffer a big penalty. All close opponents must use heroism or be in the cloud their next turn.

The chimera also bites with its venomous serpent tail. Using heroism can force this Melee attack to miss.

The chimera has leapt and pinned an opponent to the ground beneath one of its huge claws, unless that opponent uses heroism.

Crocodile

Bigbeast crocodiles sometimes infiltrate a town or city's sewers. Lazy and hungry, they use their humanoid form to demand drink and food from people they meet: often sewer workers and thieves. They usually appear in groups, and most will sleep while one remains in its humanoid form, awake and alert but nearly unmoving with reptillian patience. If they hear anyone approach without first calling out their password, they submerge in their monstrous form and wait in ambush.

Their thick hide can deflect many blows. They only suffer half damage from bludgeoning weapons.

A close opponent either uses heroism or is gripped by the powerful jaws. This attack causes +2 damage. The crocodile gains a big bonus to future Melee attacks on that opponent until that opponent use Escape to get free.

Any opponent already gripped in its jaws takes +5 damage as the crocodile performs a death roll.

Everyone the crocodile has already bitten either uses heroism or suffers 1 extra point of damage as they bleed.

Griffin

A griffin has the body, tail, and back legs of a lion, with the head and wings of an eagle. Some griffins have leonine forelegs and paws, whereas others have large eagle's legs as forelegs.

Many hunters try to bring home a griffin egg, for stories say that the monster will be tame if raised by a kind person, and can then be useful as a mount and squire. But only wild griffins learn to attune with the air to summon whirlwinds and lightning.

A close opponent must use heroism or be carried up into the air.

The griffin attunes to the air. All opponents who do not use heroism are blown over by a whirlwind.

The griffin attunes to the air. All opponents who do not use heroism are struck by lightning.

Hydra

A hydra is a strange bigbeast, some odd combination of dinosaur and snake.

It knows that its heads multiply when a neck is severed, and so will try to weave its heads through the air to intercept incoming attacks with its necks. All attacks that only cause 1 stamina damage hit a neck, and every two such blows severs a neck. Each time a neck is severed the hydra regenerates all lost stamina and armor, and gains another head.

The hydra finds a good position. Instead of attacking once, all of its heads can bite a target.

The hydra breathes a spreay of venomous slime. All close opponents must use heroism or be poisoned for 2 turns.

The hydra screeches. All opponents that can hear it are paralyzed with fear during their next turn unless they use heroism or succeed in a tough Wonder avoidance check.

Manticore

A pack of manticores considers itself the aristocracy of its territory's sky. The pack will chase away all other large or carniverous flying creatures. They love to toy with the creatures who live below them.

Manticores normally approach first in their humanoid forms: nobles with shaggy hair who are nicely dressed and elegant of speech, with their overly toothy mouths hidden behind masks, scarves, or gaiters. They might scold their prey for intruding on private property, discuss survival of the fittest in abstract ways, or explain that the concept of "hero" is a fiction created to give hope to the masses.

In their monstrous form they look like a shaggy lion whose fur has matted into spikey bits, with large bat-like wings and a long tail that is lined with bony spikes on both sides and tipped with an extremely large and deadly spike.

In both forms they have inner and outer jaws. The outer jaw has two rows of teeth like a shark. The inner jaw has more spikey teeth.

Unless the opponent uses heroism, the wound caused by this attack is filled with a deadly but slow venom. Every hour all Brawn skill ratings are reduced by 1, until the victim is cured with magical healing or collapses (a single Brawn skill rating reaches zero) and dies (all Brawn skill ratings reach zero).

The manticore flies to a better position. A close opponent must use heroism or be carried along.

The manticore's tail lunges forwards, appearing as a blur of speed if in its humanoid form. A close opponent must use heroism or take 4 extra damage directly to stamina.

Mist Spiders

A nest of blue spiders the size of large dogs would be frightening enough, but mist spiders are especially deadly predators.

Like all bigbeast spiders they are venomous, can move unhindered on their webs, and automatically succeed in Perception skill use within their webs.

At the end of each combat round, every mist spider that has not suffered damage that round turns into blue mist. It becomes solid again as it makes its next attack: the mist streaming unnaturally through the air to manifest as a spider immediately behind its prey.

Many nests of mist spiders have the ability to turn invisible when resting a waiting for prey. When these spiders first attack they will deal extra damage due to their Stealth talent, unless their prey can see invisible creatures.

The mist spider turns into an invisible mist. It's next attack will deal extra damage due to its Stealth talent. A target that uses heroism or has some means of seeing invisible creatures can avoid that extra damage.

The mist spider entangles an opponent in webbing. The opponent cannot use both arms until it succeeds in a medium Escape skill check.

The mist spider entraps an opponent in webbing. The opponent cannot do anything until it succeeds in a tough Escape skill check.

Stenchbird

The stenchbird is a bigbeast vulture. It is surrounded by a cloud of noxious fumes that cause a big penalty to nearby opponents.

The cloud of fumes around the stenchbird muddles the minds of all nearby opponents who do not use heroism. When a muddled opponent has its next turn it has a 50% chance to attack itself or an ally, instead of their intended target.

The cloud of fumes around the stenchbird drains life energy. All nearby opponents who do not use heroism suffer 2 extra damage. The stenchbird recovers as much stamina as the total of this extra damage.

The fumes condense on nearby opponents, who are stunned until they use heroism or succeed in an easy Wonder skill check.

Tyrannosaurus

No bigbeast tyrannosaurus has ever been successfully hunted. Not only is it even larger than before, but it can breathe fire and the claw on ts right forearm is replaced by a huge, glowing green ball of energy vaugely shaped like a fist.

Those bigbeast tyrannosaurus with a humanoid form only use it while eating in their den. This form is round-faced and bald, dressed in hides, and notable for its scaley green skin, spikey teeth, a glowing right hand.

During combat it does at least two things on each turn: bite and breathe fire. Its fiery breath causes creatures to suffer damage according to its Shoot/Throw skill use, doubling this damage on each target whose Acrobatics skill rating is less than the tyrannosaurus's Shoot/Throw skill rating.

Its charges while opening its cavernous mouth, and the relevant attack for this four-sided die (bite or fiery breath) can affect 2 additional nearby creatures.

It also shoots a copy of its energy "fist" at one opponent. This automatically hits unless the opponenent uses heroism.

It leaps into the air, attempting to land on as many opponents as possible. To avoid being flattened, its targets can rush out of the way with heroism or an easy Acrobatics avoidance check.

Worg

A worg is a bigbeast wolf that hunts in packs. Their humanoid forms resemble bipedal werewolves with greasy, matted fur, often wearing leather clothing and iron chains.

Any worg that successfully causes a damage to a target's stamina while another worg flanks that target will knock the target prone. Worgs deal +2 damage to prone targets.

A worg pack is led by an alpha, who has +2 to stamina, armor, and damage. Once this alpha is slain, roll a ten-sided die at the start of each worg's turn. If the number rolled is greater than the number of remaining worgs, the worg whose turn it is attempts to flee.

The worg pack cuts off any escape routes, unless their opponents use heroism.

This worg frenzies and will no longer attempt to flee.

The opponent is knocked prone unless it uses heroism.

Fantasy literature is full of fights between heroes and dangerous animals.

Many times the favorite fantasy animal of a GM or Player can be included in the setting as either a non-monstrous animal or a bigbeast. Does the fantasy world contain rocs and unicorns as "normal" animals, or are these bigbeast eagles and horses?

Squirrels really are deceptive, using false caches of food to minimize thefts from rivals. Pigs really do have a talent for understanding print: they have been taugh to differentiate known scribbles from new scribbles they have not seen before.

The bigbeast tyrannosaurus breathes fire and shoots its fist because I had a Shogun Warrior Godzilla toy during my childhood.

Witches

Witches look like women but are ephemeral creatures able to create magical effects to help them fulfill a mission.

Most types of witches live or travel alone. But some witches live together in groups.

Witches are as intelligent and clever as people. But most are recently created and lack life experience. They try to hide their ignorance, especially if their mission involves blending into society or infiltrating a party of adventurers. Many witches are easy to distract, befuddle, or dupe.

There are no reliable accounts of witches being able to make more witches. Some rumors claim this is possible, but involves the witch first questing for specific eldritch implements (such as a wand, ring, cauldron, hat, or box).

Goals

A witch's mission is usually to initiate a story. Everyone has heard of famous examples: a witch who kidnapped an oppressed princess to introduce her to valiant suitors, a witch disguised as a traveling apothecary charlatan whose lotions and balms had amazing effects, a witch who drew magical hopscotch courts that changed the children who used that pattern, etc.

Many of these legends tie the witch to a magical building, such as a house made of candy, a wooden hut with legs, or a pet store that only appears at midnight and sells impossible monsters.

Some witch stories are about infiltrating a social club or adventuring party. The witch will appear to be in need of help or useful as a potential ally. She will initially be genuinely helpful to whomever she meets. However, as time goes on she will become more and more demanding. As soon as any demand is not met, the witch becomes hostile. She tries to take back any sources of aid that she has lent to her former companions, fairly offering trades if appropriate but willing to fight if resisted. Then the witch flees and disappears forever.

Abilities

There are no bald witches. Witches can elongate and shrink their hair, and also use it as a dextrous, prehensile limb to reach up to four meters away. Even physically weak witches can do feats of immense strength with their hair.

Witches can do fearsome magic. Many tales tell of witches turning a person into a frog, turning vegetables into vehicles, or instantly creating a house made out of cupcakes.

Most people believe a witch can do anything with her magic. Yet a witch can only use magic to advance her assigned story, and cannot use magic on herself or other witches.

Flavorful Treasure

When a witch is killed or fulfills her mission she turns into a puff of scintillating smoke. After several seconds, the smoke coalesces into a green pearl. Touching one of these pearls to a treasure map adds a new location to the map and causes the pearl to vanish.

Example Witches

Coven Witches

A set of coven witches always appear as a maiden, matron, and crone.

The young-looking maidens are enchantresses whose magic must affect the mind. Examples include granting boldness and luck, forcing people to speak the truth, granting intelligence to animals, or helping couples fall in love.

The middle-aged-looking matrons are conjurers whose magic must create items or terrain effects. Examples include summoning a flying carpet, creating fog banks, aiding heroes by creating disguises or armor, blocking passages with walls of fire, or trapping foes in suddenly appearing pits.

Elderly-looking crones are transmogrifiers whose magic alters objects or bodies. Examples include turning people in animals, making animals intelligent and talkative, granting objects flight, making people huge, shrinking objects to toy-sized, or cursing foes with muteness or blindness.

The witches do something to limit the effectiveness of their opponents who do not use heroism (the maiden clouds minds, the matron summons grasping vines, the crone shrinks people, etc.) Until victims succeed with an appropriate skill (often Escape or Wonder) only easy die rolls may be attempted.

The witches do something that forces their opponents to move (the maiden creates hallucinations, the matron summons poisonous clouds, the matron makes furniture chase people, etc.). Opponents suffer a big penalty during turns in which they do not move far enough.

The witches do something that forces their opponents to stiffen (the maiden stuns minds, the matron creates glue in armor joints, the matron turns people or clothing to stone, etc.). Opponents who do not use heroism lose one or more turns.

Dryad

Many forests are protected by dryads who use illusionary terrain to prevent people from finding and entering the deeper parts of their forest. Dryads look like people, but can be identified because the relection of the sun in their eyes will be shaped like a crescent moon instead of a circle.

When forced into combat dryads use bows and knives. Their skin is tough and bark-like.

The dryad also causes plants to grow and move, entangling intruders and blocking paths. Targets can avoid the grasping plants with heroism or a medium Wilderness avoidance check.

The dryad creates illusions on the ground that complicate movement. For the next three rounds, any opponent who moves must succeed with a medium Acrobatics avoidance check or fall down instead of moving.

The dryad also tries to magically charm a target. Resist by using heroism or succeeding with a medium Wonder avoidance check.

Night Mouse

The witches called night mice are hideously ugly but usually are only seen disguised as mice. They draw nourishment by sitting on the chest of a sleeping person and "drinking" in the sleeper's exhalations.

They avoid combat, but if forced to fight will extend their hair to great length in either mouse and humanoid form.

The night mouse becomes insubstantial. This allows it to float in the air. While insubstantial only takes damage from heat, cold, poison gas, etc. It flees if retreat is possible.

The night mouse also grapples with her hair. Until victims spend heroism or succeed with a tough Escape skill check, only easy die rolls may be attempted.

If the night mouse is grappling anyone, it drinks their breath to recover any stamina loss.

Sea Hag

Witches that embody the perils of questing for sunken treasure are named sea hags. Their true forms are unnerving and slightly aquatic.

They appear in groups of three or more, wearing an illusionary disguise that make them appear fair of face (and sometimes male). When they decide to attack they shed their illusionary disguises and try to gang up on one target at a time.

The sea hag chills the touched opponent with a curse, unless that opponent uses heroism. For the rest of the combat that creature can only act every other round.

The sea hags cackle. Chilled opponents are frightened. For the rest of the combat they will never voluntarily move closer to any sea hag.

The curse of sea hag's touch nears completion. Chilled and frightened opponents begin suffocating. For the rest of the combat suffer 2 damage at the start of their turns.

Why do witches fly through the air on or in household items? Because they cannot grant themselves the ability to fly!

Prehensile hair is a trope linked to RPG witches by Pathfinder and the film The Forbidden Kingdom.

The crescent moon visible in a dryad's eyes is a reference to the song Witchy Woman by the Eagles.

The generic name for a witch that sits on a sleeping person is a night hag, but many cultures have specific names for a version of this creature. In Eastern China sleep paralysis is linked to both ghosts and mice.

Green pearls are a tribute to Jack Vance's novel The Green Pearl, the second part of the Lyonesse Trilogy.

Bugaboos

Bugaboos are monsters created when the scary things children imagine become real. Most bugaboos feed on fear, and attack using hallucination and grabbing.

Because children are so creative, bugaboos have tremendous variety in appearance and behavior.

Most children's nightmare monsters are crafty and clever hunters. Few bugaboos grow in intelligence, but most are dangerous foes.

Many bugaboos know that creating more bugaboos is as easy as causing more children to have nightmares about monsters. Even better if more children have nightmares about a monster just like yourself!

Goals

Bugaboos are invigorated when people near them are frightened. To a bugabo, nearby fright counts as a beneficial circumstance that provides a small or big bonus during skill checks.

Although nearly every bugaboo is violent, not all children have nightmares about aggressive monsters. For example, one famous tale describes a bugaboo that strode brazenly into a tavern and for two days told amazingly creepy and frightening stories augmented with subtle, harmless hallucinations.

Many bugaboos want to manipulate people. They have an objective more interesting than merely harming people. They might want a criminal to be punished, an insult to be avenged, or a location to be cleansed.

Abilities

Most bugaboos attack by grabbing their prey and strangling or squeezing. When a bugaboo succeeds with the Wrestle skill, it may choose to cause damage instead of causing a wrestling effect.

Many bugaboos are invisible, but people can see an invisible bugaboo if they do a specific thing.

Bugaboos believe in imaginary friends. When a bugaboo is visible, the person hunting it can pretend to receive help from a vividly described imaginary friend. The bugaboo will believe the imaginary friend is real and act accordingly. (For example, a hero may gain a small bonus from flanking by describing the position of an imaginary friend.) The imaginary friend cannot touch the bugaboo.

Bugaboos are afraid of magical weapons, which they mistakenly believe were all created specifically to hunt them. Magical weapons are more effecive than usual against bugaboos: a person wielding a magic weapon is always considered to have a big bonus to skill checks.

Flavorful Treasure

When a bugaboo is defeated it explodes into a small shower of treats: mostly candy and coins, but sometimes strange gadgets, magical tools, or in rare occasions a shiny token that grants the owner an advancement token.

Example Bugaboos

Basher-Puller-Popper

The basher-puller-popper looks like a horse-sized morel mushroom with six tentacles that it uses as arms and legs. It is hard to get past its regrowing tentacles to hurt it. Once it grabs you it bashes you against the ground or a wall, pulls you close to squeeze you, and then pops your head off. (Each consecutive successful Wrestle attack against a target causes an extra damage.)

You can only see a basher-puller-popper when you are barefoot and have leaves in your hair.

A happy basher-puller-popper protects a forest from intruders. But sometimes they grow in a damp cellar or attic and cause extra trouble!

It also whispers hungry thoughts into the minds of its opponents, who must use heroism or suffer a big penalty on their next die roll as they fight urges to calmly approach and bite it.

It also grabs with its tentacles. Until victims spend heroism or succeed with a tough Escape skill check, only easy die rolls may be attempted.

Grabbed opponents are bashed or squeezed, and must spend heroism or suffer 1 extra damage. Increase this extra damage by 1 for each additional time that opponent has been grabbed or bashed/squeezed.

Coffee Treant

The coffee treant stands guard for other monsters. It is made of hard wood. Its beans give people energy because the tree drains energy so people fall down. You can only see a coffee treant when you hold your breath.

It also starts yelling, "Wake up, everybody! Time to get going!" Anything nearby hears this noise.

It also drains energy. The target falls asleep unless it is wearing ear plugs, has recently drunk coffee, spends heroism, or succeeds with an easy Escape skill check.

It also drains energy. (Same as above, but this time targets attempting the Escape skill check use tough difficulty.)

Compost Shambler

The compost shambler is what happens if too many bones are put in the compost. It is not invisible: it looks like a compost pile. But then it swallows you whole.

The compost shambler makes an additional attack this turn.

The compost shambler engulfs its prey. Until victims spend heroism or succeed with a medium Escape skill check, they cannot see, may only attempt easy die rolls, and suffer 1 extra stamina damage on each of the compost shambler's subsequent turns. (Only one opponent may be engulfed at a time.)

The compost shambler grows huge! Heal its stamina damage and increase by 1 the number of opponents it may engulf at a time.

Dead Kitten

The dead kitten wants to get back in the house. It comes from its grave at night. In moonlight you can see it and it can see you. Then it wants more food and petting. It does not realize it is dead. Do not touch it or your skin will rot. It can only be hurt in mid-leap.

The dead kitten leaps at its target, who must spend heroism to avoid having the dead kitten touch its bare skin.

The dead kitten's curse causes anyone who has touched it (with bare skin) to suffer 1 extra point of stamina damage.

The dead kitten yowls. Another dead kitten arrives to help it.

Flesh-a-Blob

The flesh-a-blob is a quivering mass of orange flesh with a dangerous yellow eye. You can only see it while singing. You don't want to attack it because it is spongy and full of acid instead of blood, which would make your weapons dissolve. So run away! But it tries to chase you, awkwardly leaping and sticking to the walls and ceiling. Squelch! Stick! Zap! Squoosh! Stick! Zap!

The flesh-a-blob's yellow eye shoots a beam. Double the damage of this attack.

The flesh-a-blob leaps to a wall or ceiling, if possible.

The flesh-a-blob squirts acid at all nearby foes. Victims must spend heroism or succeed with a medium Acrobatics skill check to avoid 2 points of extra damage.

Garb-Grabber

The garb-grabber rises from a pile of clothes. Maybe more than one if the pile has more sets of clothes that go together. It looks like someone invisible is wearing the clothes. But no one is, the clothes are the monster that tries to grab you. It takes too long to kill. Run away, but do not fall as it causes you to see things that are not there.

The garb-grabber also creates a hallucination intending to distract its prey, who must spend heroism or suffer a small penalty on its next turn.

The garb-grabber also creates a hallucination intending to cause its prey to stumble and fall. If the prey does not spend heroism, at the start of its next 1, 2, or 3 turns (depending upon of the garb-grapper was attempting an easy, medium, or tough attack roll) it must make an additional medium Acrobatics skill check to avoid falling down and losing its turn.

The pile of clothes stirs. Another garb-grabber rises from it.

Hinkypunks

Hinkypunks are flying lights. One of them is never as alone as it seems. They want to guard a grave or tomb. If one has no grave or tomb to guard, it lures you to a lonely place and kills you with sparks so you fall into a ditch. Outside they can flit about so very fast they are hard to hit. They try to wait to attack until they outnumber you.

Another hinkypunk appears.

Two more hinkypunks appear.

Three more hinkypunks appear.

"Look at me!" Lady

The "Look at me!" lady is at least twice as tall as you, and screams, "Look at me while I am talking to you!" This can be hard to do, because you can only see her if you are reciting a poem that rhymes. But then she thinks you are ignoring her and gets even more angry. You do not want to look at her: if you do you turn to stone. If she wants she can be visible; then she seems to be a normal lady until she wants something and does not get it.

She shouts, "Look at me!" and everyone who can hear and see her does so unless they spend heroism or succeed with a tough Escape skill check.

Anyone looking at the "Look at me!" lady turns to stone for 1 minute.

Her magic deepens. Anyone turned to stone temporarily becomes stone permanently.

Mister Broccoli

The bad Mister Broccoli is tall and green. He hunts people who eat his vegetable cousins. He reaches out his long arms. When he hugs you the leaves on his sides go down your throat and choke you. Run away or rush close so he won't throw sharp leaves at you. You can only see him if you are chewing on a vegetable.

Its fingers grow long and wrap around a victim, who can only attempt tough die rolls until they spend heroism or succeed with an tough Escape skill check.

All victims wrapped by its fingers are hugged close and can no longer use Brawn skills.

All victims hugged close are choked and suffer defeat.

Riding Hood

Do not get surprised by the riding hood. It looks like any normal cloak, cape, or hood. But if you put it on it whispers ideas into your mind and tries to control you. It can fly, and likes to pounce from the shadows and wrap around you. Once it is wrapped around your friend, your blows will hurt that friend too.

(The riding hood always rolls all six dice for Wrestle skill checks against a creature it is riding. When the riding hood is riding on a creature, half the damage to the riding hood is instead applied to the ridden creature.)

As an extra action, the riding hood may attempt to switch to a different victim. If it fails its Wrestle skill check, it remains on its current victim.

Until the riding hood's next turn, the amount of damage transferred to the ridden creature increases to three-quarters.

The riding hood flies up into the air to drop its current victim.

Shadow Squid

It is hard to hurt a shadow squid because most of it is only shadow. Kill it quick! It is fast and hard to run from. Its tentacles stretch long to touch you.

Some people say that the only way to really kill a shadow squid is to pour enough poison into the pond or puddle or bucket whose water it calls home.

Its touch makes you feel weak. In the future you roll each die twice and use the least favorable result, until doing that causes you to fail a die roll.

Its touch makes you feel weak. Until victims spend heroism or succeed with a tough Wrestle skill check, they roll each die twice and use the least favorable result.

All opponents weakened by its touch fall down and lose their next turn.

Skin Man

The skin man is empty and only made of skin. He has no teeth. His tongue is icky. He drags himself across the floor with a noise like the wind rustling leaves. You can only see him if you are outside in the rain. He can only be hurt when tied up with rope.

If it is raining near the skin man, the rain stops.

If it is not raining near the skin man, clouds appear and rain starts.

The skin man doubles in size!

Soot Thrower

The soot thrower is a bone covered with soot that throws soot. When it scampers across the floor it sounds like many bones rattling even though it is only one bone. You can only see it if you have put normal soot on your eyelids.

It leaves behind a trail of dangerous soot that does strange things if you touch it.

It leaves behind a trail of dangerous soot that does strange things if you breathe it.

All opponents who have touched or inhaled its soot become dizzy and nauseous, and lose their next turn.

Yellow Candy

The yellow candy are candies that eat people! They move like seven-legged spiders and have a single eye. People near them feel very hungry. They are small and sneaky. They live in groups. They like to make people feel hungry but not know why.

Everyone adjacent to the yellow candy suffers such extreme hunger that all their skill use suffers a big penalty unless they are eating,

After this attack, the yellow candy hides. Its next attack will be leaping from stealth, causing 3 extra damage.

One or more additional yellow candies appear!

The word bugaboo is a variant of bugbear, which is similar to bogeyman. Historically, the word bugbear emphasized being obsessed with the fear, whereas bogeyman emphasized that the childhood fear was purposefully implanted by the child's parents.

Yes, defeating a bugaboo is like smashing a piñata.

A category of monsters that is often invisible, with differing ways to see the different monsters, is a tribute to the Scandinavian vaesen as popularized by Johan Egerkrans.

The "garb-grabber" and "skin man" were inspired by illustrations in the Libris Mortis.

Oozes

Oozes are rubbery and nearly transparent creatures (slimes, puddings, jellies, molds, cubes, and lurkers) that gain shapes and intelligence as they consume animals and people.

Oozes can slowly undulate across the ground or creep along a wall or roof.

The smallest oozes are useful and easily capturable. Full-size oozes are very dangerous monsters.

Compost size oozes are the smallest. They can only dissolve cellulose (plant material) and are not dangerous to people. These are often purposefully put in compost piles.

Outhouse size oozes are medium-sized. They can also dissolve proteins, which means they can harm people. But they can be safely kept in a smooth-walled metal container.

Dangerous size oozes are the largest. These can also dissolve fats, making them a threat to animals. They can also move along any wall or ceiling.

Rumors say the biggest oozes can even dissolve rock or metal.

An ooze is as intelligent as the most intelligent creature it has consumed. A newly created compost ooze is not intelligent.

Certain types of physical trauma will cause an ooze to divide into two halves. This hurts! But some intelligent oozes accept the pain and intentionally divide themselves. With a steady supply of food and an appropriate environment for growth, a single ooze can become a multitude.

Goals

Oozes perceive the world around them using the five normal senses and two special senses: they can sense heat and detect magical energy. They can sense trails of heat and magic, to follow where a warm creature or a magic item has recently gone. (In a setting without magic, oozes can instead detect electricity, force fields, Bluetooth receivers, etc.)

The least intelligent oozes act like slow-moving hamsters: curiously exploring, tenatively probing their environment, searching for food, movement, and magic.

Oozes feel pleasure when they surround magic things. Unintelligent oozes usually move towards magical items. Intelligent oozes might attack anyone carrying a magical item. Oozes keep their magical items in a special vesicle, safe from digestion.

Abilities

The rubbery bodies of oozes do not negate damage like armor. But their texture and lack of internal organs can protect them. The "armor value" for an ooze is instead the chance (out of 6) that any successful attack against the ooze does no damage.

The five traditional ways to attack oozes are by cutting, bludgeoning, burning, electrifying, or splashing with salt water. Depending upon the type of ooze, these might cause damage, do nothing, or cause the creature to split into two smaller oozes.

Oozes attack by bludgeoning with a pseudopod, or by stretching their entire body around prey. Once they succeed in causing harm with a Wrestle attack they begin constricting. Until the prey breaks free, the ooze will cause extra damage to that creature each turn, whether or not its subsequent attacks hit. An ooze that succeeds in two Wrestle attacks against the same prey has grabbed and pinned that creature's arms or forelimbs, and the prey cannot use those limbs until freed.

Many oozes die in a dramatic and dangerous fashion: splattering, exploding, or expeling spores. Adventurers who attack a ooze should try to kill it from a distance.

Flavorful Treasure

Small oozes are useful for sanitation, and some people collect them as a profession. Big oozes usually carry multiple magical items inside them.

Example Oozes

Amber Slime

Amber slimes are the most acidic oozes. When cut or killed they splatter acid. They are hurt by bludgeoning and electrifying, immune to fire and salinity, and divide when cut. Amber slimes spit flammable goo at torches or other fires they sense.

Despite being slimy, amber slimes cannot be smelled. Several stories tell of a hunting party that used hounds meeting disaster when the hounds ran ahead of the hunters and encountered an amber slime hidden in the forest's underbrush.

Amber slimes are among the most resilient when divided. Both halves can act normally on their next turns.

It also splatters acid from a wound or orifice. All adjacent opponents must spend heroism or suffer additional damage.

It also spits a glob of sticky, flammable goo. If the target does not spend heroism or succeed in a medium Acrobatics avoidance check it is glued to the floor for as many rounds as the roll of a six-sided die.

It also emits a cloud of acid from a wound or orifice. All nearby opponents will suffer additional damage unless they spend heroism or quickly flee by succeeding in an easy Acrobatics avoidance check and doing nothing their next turn but moving away.

Invisible Mold

A pool of invisible mold is a difficult challenge for an unprepared adventurer. It is naturally nearly transparent and very difficult to see if not moving. When killed, they blow out poisonous spores. Most invisible molds are hurt by electricity and salt water, immune to cutting and bludgeoning, and divide if burned.

When an invisible mold divides, the shock to its system stuns it. Both halves lose their next turn.

This attack also poisons a target that does not spend heroism.

Another invisible mold was hiding nearby and enters the fray!

It finds a hole or crack by which it escapes combat if injured.

Phosphorescent Jelly

Phosphorescent jellies are oozes that move silently and radiate heat. A bright light shines from them when they are killed, which can cause temporary blindness. They are hurt by electricity and by cuts by sharp objects, immune to fire and salinity, and split in two if bludgeoned.

Phosphorescent jellies are one of the few oozes that does not normally grapple, prefering to spit blobs of fiery jelly at prey. But when a phosphorescent jelly divides, it must grapple on its next turn instead of spitting.

The radiant heat intensifies. Adjacent opponents automatically suffer 1 extra damage at the start of their turns. This extra damage increases by +1 each time this effect repeats.

It spits a huge blob or ring of fiery jelly at a nearby area of the ground. A circle of two meters radius is either filled or ringed with thick fiery goo.

It goes crazy, spitting a blob of fiery jelly at every opponent!

Squelchy Pudding

Squelchy puddings are truly bizarre. These annoying oozes can make an obnoxious sucking noise that causes erratic nerve impulses in the brain. Squelchy puddings are hurt by bludgeoning and fire, immune to cutting and salt water, and divide if electrified. When killed they emit bolts of electricity.

A squelchy pudding can change shape and coloration to mimic any creature it has digested, and has practiced moving as that creature normally does. In a creature's shape it remains rubbery and able to move along walls in addition to any mimicked movement. Some stories claim an intelligent squelchy pudding can mimic any object.

When an squelchy pudding divides, all that it has learned about mimicry (shapes and intelligence) splits apart among two halves.

Oddly, a dead squelchy pudding is safe to eat and quite nutritious, but does not taste like anything. Who first tried that?

It makes a horrific squelch! All opponents with brains that can hear it will lose their next turn unless they spend heroism or make an easy Escape avoidance check.

It exudes strong acid. For the rest of the combat any weapon or opponent that touches it is damaged.

It makes an atavistic squelch! All opponents with brains that can hear it will attack an ally unless they spend heroism or make an easy Escape avoidance check.

Sucking Lurker

Sucking lurkers are very slow moving oozes. When resting they become nearly intangible. They prefer to surprise prey, and their first action is usually to suck in a tremendous amount of air (to extinguish fires and asphyxiate) before trying to ensnare moving creatures. When killed, they blow out spores that turn into toxic smoke if burned. Sucking lurkers are hurt by fire and cold, immune to being bludgeoned or cut, and are split in two when splashed with salt water.

When an sucking lurker divides, both halves become intangible until their next turns.

It also sucks in light. Adjacent opponents are in darkness!

It also sucks in heat. Adjacent opponents must spend heroism or have their feet encased in ice!

It also sucks in air! All nearby flames are extinguished. Adjacent opponents must spend heroism or lose a turn as they briefly asphyxiate.

The first published version of Dungeons and Dragons had several creatures on the "clean up crew": black pudding, gray ooze, green slime, ochre jelly, and yellow mold. That is 5 out of 51 monsters—about ten percent of that old game's opponents were ooze creatures!

Sean K. Reynolds has written a great rant about D&D infravision.

Reivers

Reivers are animals made larger and bipedal, and changed with magical mutations. They usually travel in warbands, and can become magically stealthy.

Most reivers have only primal intelligence, brutish cunning, and instinctive savagery. Their language is vicious hisses, bickering grunts, or maddening babbling. Their tool use is primitive. They are aggressive, not interested in discussion, and only perceive the present moment. However each group of reivers has a commander that is even larger than the others and is as intelligent as a normal adult person. This commander makes plans for it warband and can sometimes be reasoned with.

After a reiver dies a valiant and violent death, if its calcaneus bones (heels of the feet) are buried they will become two new reivers of the same type and pack. Reivers are aware of this. After a combat, they try to give their dead what they consider a proper burial.

Goals

Reivers organize themselves as bands of raiders. They attack travelers and small settlements. Each type of reiver has a different goal, which might be claiming territory, stealing valuables, taking captives, or objectives based on sinister madness.

All the reivers in a band will have the same mutation. Adventurers trying to save people from reivers should learn about that type of reiver and which type of mutation they will be facing.

Abilities

All reivers are invisible in proportion to how quiet they are. A lone reiver that is frightened trying to hide silently in the shadows is incredibly difficult to see (a big bonus to Stealth). A pack of reivers trying to move stealthily as they sneak up on prey is usually too excited to actually keep very quiet, and only becomes semi-opaque (a small bonus to Stealth). Reivers shouting and howling in battle are fully visible.

The most interesting ability that reivers have is the mutation specific to their warband. Below is an example table of random mutations. The GM and Player can also invent their own!

Note that in the table below the use of color and appearance is intended to reward the Players for learning about reivers during a series of adventures. It is not intended to be a resource that enables PCs to easily know in advance what mutation they face because of library research or a farmer mentioning that the monsters that ate his livestock had (for example) yellow tongues. The GM should change or shuffle the appearances when the Players begin a new series of adventures.

Flavorful Treasure

The commander of a band of reivers carries a runeblock.

Reivers usually have other equipment and treasure, appropriate for their past success in raiding.

Example Reivers

Argle

An argle is a mutant stone age lizard-person. Most are about a meter tall. Argles may have adaptations to fit their biome: long fingers and a prehensile tail for forests, gills for lakes or rivers, immunity to cold for tundra, etc.

Argles regenerate. Their wounds heal almost instantly at the start of their turn. Because of this argles must be defeated with one blow, or a combination of attacks carefully timed to impact almost simultaneously. When argles fight they attempt to overwhelm and overpower their prey, trusting in their regeneration to turn the tide of a chaotic high-stakes battle.

Argles are slavers who believe themselves to be superior to people and other bipedal monsters. An argle commander is between two and three meters tall, and leads his warband in kidnapping. The slavers are kept shackled until the argle commander finds someone willing to purchase them in exchange for food and useful items.

This argle makes a second attack, and switches between fighting in melee or at range. If it was clawing and biting, it retreats to grab a rock or spear. If it was throwing, it charges forward to claw and bite.

An argle is venemous! If this argle was fighting in melee, this bite wound causes an extra point of damage at the end of each of its victim's turns. If this argle was fighting at range, the next argle to successfully bite is the venemous one.

All the argles in the band shudder as their skins thicken. All their armor values are set to 2.

Ratling

Ratlings are less than a meter tall, wear scraps of leather as armor, and wield makeshift knives and spears. They are cowardly sneaks who are sometimes overwhelmed by violent urges, especially when hungry or in large groups.

A ratling's small size helps it avoid being hit, but also means their attacks never bypass an opponent's armor. (Opponents suffer a small penalty to hit it. Ratlings do not bypass armor when their dice roll 1s.)

Ratlings are after material wealth, and will stop at nothing to plunder and pillage food and valuables. They fight in large bands while making use of ambushes and misdirection. Ratlings only flee after their commander and half their band is killed. Ratlings do not care about prisoners: when the people they attack flee, the ratlings snicker but do not pursue.

The ratling frenzies. For the rest of this combat it causes and suffers double damage.

The ratling races around, also using the Acrobatics skill to attempt avoiding opponents' attacks.

The ratling swarm overwhelms the opponent, who must spend heroism or defeat two ratlings before moving.

Flittermouse

Flittermice are bat reivers who seek to dominate the night sky. They try to avoid big fights, preferring to act stealthily and use fear to rule the darkness.

In combat, flittermice use extra-loud echolocation chirps and erratic flight patterns to disorient and distract their prey. They try to attack from above, dropping primitive alchemical bombs and then swooping down to slash with sharp claws.

A flittermouse commander is intelligent enough to use runeblock magic. Flittermice want runeblocks used only in a certain way, which is different from how people use it.

It also drops a bomb! Targets near where the bomb lands take extra damage unless they spend heroism or succeed in a medium Acrobatics or Escape avoidance check.

It also uses disorienting chirps and motion to cause its target to lose its next turn, unless that target spends heroism or succeeds in a tough Perception avoidance check.

The flittermouse notices something! It henceforth gains a small bonus to hit its current target.

Razorbeak

Fear the razorbeaks! Not only do they have webbed feet and flipper arms, but their two extra orange wings magically make them nimble fliers. They also have an extra orange beak on their chest, orange eyes on stalks, and two large orange spikes growing from their back hint at how their skin is rock hard.

Razorbeaks not only have remarkably tough skin that seems to heal each turn, but any damage they suffer is magically copied onto their nearby opponents. Keep your distance!

Razorbeaks are protective of their nests and young, and will defend them fiercely against any perceived threat. They also see any babies not in nests as victims of improper parenting, so they try to kidnap other people's babies to raise correctly back in the rocky caves of their warband colony.

It also dives, dodges, and evades! This turn it may also use the Acrobatics skill to attempt avoiding opponents' attacks.

A barrage of powerful pecks causes extra damage!

The orange spikes on its back shudder, and the most recent amount of damage copied onto their nearby opponents radiates outward a second time!

Moggie

A pack of moggies screeches and wails like the angry cats they once were. Some are nearly mindless, others are extremely clever.

Moggies hallucinate and have trouble discerning reality from their deranged visions. They are sow chaos and discord, reveling in the confusion they create. The few moggies lucid enough to explain their actions claim to be doing something eschatological, but any details seem to be raving nonsense.

It also spits a glob of mucus: a hit target is blinded for one round.

Its maddening gibbering causes all opponents who do not spend heroism to either either flee for a turn (50% chance) or attack the nearest ally (50% chance).

If the moggies have defeated any of their opponents, all the moggies near that defeated opponent absorb energy from it and are fully healed.

Mutt

Dog-like mutts act like feral children who resist their commander's efforts to direct their productivity towards crafting or self-governing. But they follow their commander, and when their commander causes two or more damage with one hit then all nearby mutts may "rampage" and immediately attempt an extra melee attack.

Mutts have cursed blood, and paint their blood on their arrowheads and the blades of their swords and spears. A hit with these poisoned weapons that causes two or more damage also causes the target to mutate (roll randomly on the table above).

Mutts are fiercely territorial and want to expand their turf using fear and conquest.

It also howls. All opponents who do not spend heroism are afflicting with eldrich fear and drop what they are holding to cover their ears.

It also attacks a second time, attempting to bite its opponent.

This attack was also a feint or distraction that allows the next mutt attack to gain a big bonus.

The Anglo-Saxon border has a long history of border reivers. The same word root appears in the German rauben that becomes the English rabble, and Dutch roven that influenced the English rover to mean "pirate" as well as simply "nomad".

The word Argle is old British for argue or dispute. It also sounds like a blend of Runequest's "Slarge" and Elder Scroll's "Argonian".

Rat-people are common as a fantasy trope. In Warhammer and Dungeons of Drakkenheim they are called Ratlings. In Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder they are called Ratfolk.

The word "flittermouse" is an old-fashioned term for a bat.

The razorbill is a kind of auk. Many fantasy settings have a creature named a razorbeak.

The word Moggie is an old British word for an unrespectable cat without a pedigree.

Animated Objects

Two qualities make animated objects a very distinct type of monster.

First, animated objects are indistinguishable from normal objects until they move. Yet animated objects can move, and might also be magically flexible compared to normal objects of their type (a stone gargoyle moving like a living creature, a thick tapestry wrapping tightly around its prey).

Second, attacking an animated object with a weapon this feels like hitting a thing instead of a creature. Damaging an animated object is an attempt to crack or break it rather than the way attacks normally accumulate damge. Instead of an armor rating, an animated object has a threshold for how much consecutive damage must happen before subsequent damage is applied to the monster's stamina. Any attack that misses will reset this "how much damage in a row?" counter because the monster had a moment to pull itself together and reform. (This does not heal stamina damage the monster has suffered.)

Animated objects have a specialized intelligence appropriate to their purpose. An animated rope is expert with knots. An animated abacus performs flawless computations. An animated chain knows where to wrap around a prisoner and how to squeeze to best prevent escape. But animated objects are oblivious or clueless about issues distinct from their specialty.

In most fantasy settings the animated objects are crafted by someone. Their story is not about how they reproduce by themselves, but about why their creator crafted them, or whether their creator will craft more of them. In the sample setting of Spyragia, animated objects are made by the Power named Builder.

Goals

All animated objects have a helpful purpose. Their goal might be to guard something, assist a crafter at work, or simply be helpful around the home.

However, the stories that focus on animated objects are interesting when something goes wrong with that purpose. As examples, a broom will not stop working, a statue decides the location it keeps people away from includes an entire village, or a factory will not stop making robots!

Abilities

In fun stories an animated object is much more than a monster than needs smashing. The example monsters below are examples for archetypes whose abilities generalize to an entire "family" of monsters.

Flavorful Treasure

Most animated objects have no treasure. But some guard treasure. And a few are themselves treasure, such as a flying sword that will serve whomever defeats it.

Example Animated Objects

Animated Chemistry Set

An animated chemistry set is an example of the animated container archetype. These objects have unpleasant or dangerous contents! Imagine an animated jar, barrel, crate, trunk, or mailbox that contained rotten eggs, sticky tar, boiling oil, poisonous gas or bugs, exploding parcels, etc.

The numerous clamps, grips, pincers, and stands of an animated chemistry set are hinged and flexible, allowing the monster to throw all manner of esoteric alchemical supplies at targets. The chemistry set has no tactics, and always attacks the closest foe using a Throw skill check with medium difficulty.

The first time the monster is hit, part of that impact merely smashes through racks and glassware, not penetrating to the sturdy workbench beneath. When an attack misses, the monster has time to reform its layer of protective outer apparatus.

Adventurers who defeat this monster can loot alchemical ingredients as treasure.

This attack also causes a random one of the five wrestling effects, lasting for the target's next two turns. (Allow Players to describe what happens as their PCs are briefly nauseated by gas, slimed with goo, knocked back by an explosion, frozen in a block of instant ice, etc.)

It also makes a second attack at its most distant opponent.

With a flurry of instruments it attempts a barrage of thrown objects, making separate attacks at every opponent!

Flying Sword

A flying sword is an example of the animated tool or terrain feature archetype. These objects are dangerous primarily because of a surprising ambush and surprising agility. An animated portcullis, stalagmite, or hat rack is a similar monster whose attacks normally deal damage. An animated rope, rug, chain, cloak, chandelier, or dresser would often cause the five wrestling effects instead of, or in addition to, dealing normal damage.

A flying sword is simple and sturdy: the first four consecutive points of damage it suffers merely stresses its metal, and only the fifth and subsequent points of consecutive damage cause lasting cracks and breaks. A flying sword starts with only 2 stamina, but is dice pools are not limited to its current stamina so it still can use its skills rated 4 with full effect.

If the sword loses stamina, it try to flee to let time mend it. But it will return soon!

Some flying swords are guardian monsters. Others are assassins with the ability to magically track the first living creature they see.

The sword flies nimbly, also using the Acrobatics skill to attempt avoiding opponents' attacks.

After this attack the sword considers switching targets. If it has multiple opponents, it moves to focus on a new foe.

If the sword stays so close to its target that any of that target's allies, on their next turns, have a chance of accidentally hurting their friend instead of the sword.

Gargoyle

A gargoyle is an example of the living statue archetype. Similar monsters include animated suits of armor and slightly sentient robots.

Gargoyles are winged and bipedal. Some are big, and others are small. Some look wicked and others look angelic.

When a gargoyle is damaged, roll a six-sided die to determine whether a left or right wing, left or right arm, or left or right leg was injured. Each of these six locations represents one of the gargoyle's points of stamina. (When a broken location would be hit, shift to the next location in the list.)

Some gargoyles can fly or glide until one of its wings is broken.

A gargoyle can make two attacks each round until one of its arms is broken.

A gargoyle does one extra point of damage until one of its legs is broken.

A PC that is attacking a gargoyle can aim carefully in exchange for a penalty. A small penalty on the attack allows adjusting the die roll for the hit location by ±1. A big penalty allows allows adjusting the die roll for the hit location by ±2.

The gargoyle charges its opponent, dealing extra damage.

The gargoyle pushes its opponent against a wall (or similar restraint). On the gargoyle's next turn its attacks will deal double damage if that opponent has not escaped by spending heroism! But until it's next turn, the gargoyle's back is exposed and opponents may aim their attacks without penalties.

This gargoyle has a breath weapon! All close opponents must use heroism or suffer extra damage. (Allow Players to describe what happens as their PCs are hit by shards of rock, a spray of acid, a cloud of scalding steam, etc.)

Self-Constructing Toolbox

A self-constructing toolbox is an example of the spawner archetype. The creature itself is not threatening, but what it makes is dangerous! Similar monsters include an animated crossbow or living ordnance that shoots and then has more ammunition appear from nowhere, or a magical candelabra that spawns living flames to swarm at its foes.

Be very careful what you say near a self-constructing toolbox! It yearns to be helpful. When it hears muttering such as "It would be nice to have better tools!" it starts building those. When it hears complaints about "If only my workshop was bigger!" it crafts machines to knock down and rebuild walls. The bards sing several stories about a town or city thought to be suffering from a maniacal mad scientist, but in truth the source of the lightning turrets, darkness bombs, and giant war robots was a self-constructing toolbox doing what it thought was making people happier.

A self-constructing toolbox can reform itself after being destroyed, unless some preventive condition happens. It might need to be burned to ash, submerged in water, etc.

The toolbox produces yet another small, autonomous danger.

The toolbox merges two of its existing creations. They are repaired of any damage, and more dangerous after being combined!

The toolbox releases fireworks and plays music as it reveals its master plan!

In a fantasy setting, animated objects usually look like magically enchanted items. But in a science fiction setting the same game mechanics work for robots and other advanced technology, or for alien races with a mineral-based biology. Those futuristic foes could use nanites or alien biology to "pull themselves together" after being missed by an attack.

Dragons

Dragons are monsters that become smarter, stronger, quicker, and more dangerous as their hoard increases.

There are many types of dragons. Some resemble reptiles. Some look like piles of swamp plants. A few look like people, or can even shift between multiple appearances.

Most dragons have enough of a hoard to be intelligent and able to speak and sing. Many dragons are accomplished musicians using large instruments of their own invention.

A dragon that owns at least one book is intelligent and can talk. Additional books in a dragon's hoard might increase its intelligence.

A dragon that owns at least musical instrument can sing. Additional music intruments in a dragon's hoard can increase its musical ability, and perhaps even allow its music to be especially charming or enchanting. Many dragons are accomplished musicians using large instruments of their own invention. Whenever a song composed by a dragon becomes sufficiently popular, an egg will appear in that dragon's lair. Clever dragons try to publicize many catchy compositions without revealing these songs' origin.

Goals

Different dragons try to hoard different types of items. Reptilian dragons prefer treasure. Swamp-muck monsters prefer bones and magical items. Strange huts with chicken legs prefer household items.

Contrary to many children's stories, dragons do not simply push their treasure into a pile to sleep upon. Instead, they are careful to hide their treasure effectively in several locations, while keeping useful items accessible.

When a dragon is awake it is intuitively aware of the contents of its hoard and the location of each item. However, an item stolen is no longer owned by the dragon, who immediately loses the knowledge of its nature and location. Therefore an alert dragon can notice much about what looters at its hoard are doing, but a sleeping dragon is only able to realize upon waking that items are missing. (If the missing items were especially valued, the waking dragon would quickly deduce which they are.)

Esteem and respect in dragon society is based upon how many villages, towns, and cities a dragon controls. Dragons do not actually care about ruling or governing the settlements they dominate. Instead they demand a tribute or token that proclaims the settlement's subservient attitude. Less ambitious dragons are appeased with a monthly meal of plump livestock. Dragons seeking fame enjoy being creative about the type of tribute. Some demand a specific type of treasure. Others require poems or ballads extolling their frightining might. Some demand marriage to a daughter of the mayor or king. A few require the people they subject to go on quests for obscure relics or magical panoply components.

Abilities

A dragon that owns at least one coin can fly. This flight is clearly magical because the dragon can fly and hover whether or not it has wings or is large. Additional coins in a dragon's hoard can increase the speed of its flight.

A dragon that owns at least one piece of jewelry has a breath weapon. This breath weapon might be fire, steam, lightning, frost, gas, or an intoxicating floral scent. Additional jewelry in a dragon's hoard can increase the potency of its breath weapon. (The Impact of the wealth in jewels and jewelry it owns determines both how many targets the breath weapon can simultaneously hit and the dragon's minimum Shoot/Throw skill while using the breath weapon.)

A dragon that owns at least one magic item moves more quickly. A dragon can do as many actions each turn as the overall Impact of its magic items. Up to three of these actions can be Melee/Protect (such as attacks with two claws and a bite). The other actions must each use distinct other skills—usually Acrobatics, Shoot, Perception, Identify, Wonder, or Intuition.

Flavorful Treasure

Dragon prioritize collecting panoply items. Most large hoards contain both incomplete and completed panoplies, as well as more mundane treasure.

Example Dragons

The bards sing stories of especially eccentric dragons. A few examples are shared below.

Magnosurge the Rotund

Magnosurge the Rotund is a huge reptilian dragon with gray scales, thick legs, and broad bat-like wings. He has a booming, raspy voice and an acidic temper.

He hosts annual an pie baking contest. All the wealthy people living in the settlements he controls must attend. Magnosurge eats all the pies, and then eats those he judges are the contest's losers.

His hoard includes many jeweled rolling pins, silverware and silver flatware, and a large collection of recipe books. He also has many hidden rooms full of pies, for he gains different magical benefits from eating different types of pies (meat pies, fruit pies, custard pies, etc.) even if they are old and stale.

He also radiates an aura of imposing presence. All nearby creatures suffer a big penalty on their next die roll unless their Wonder skill rating equals or exceeds the Impact of Magnosurge's total treasure.

He also belches acid. Victims must spend heroism or succeed with a tough Acrobatics skill check to avoid 3 points of extra damage.

He also bludgeons a nearby opponent with a wing, causing extra damage and knocking that opponent prone unless they spend heroism.

Grandslitherblaze the Congested

Grandslitherblaze the Congested is a reptilian dragon with green scales, thin legs, insect-like wings, and a barbed tail like a scorpion. She has graceful movements, a nasal voice, and a fiery temper.

From the people of his settlements she demands a constant supply of spicy meals. On her bad days, even live sheep and pigs covered with paprika are sufficient.

Her hoard includes extensive collections of hot sauces, spices, puffy duvets, and mechanical music boxes. Grandslitherblaze is an introvert who spends most of her time in his lair eating spicy snacks, listening to music while dancing alone, and fuming about how "no one respects the finer things in life" such as which other peppers blend well with habaneros or the proper way to position wings and a tail during a pirouette.

She also breathes fire! Victims must spend heroism or succeed with a tough Acrobatics skill check to avoid extra damage.

She also radiates an aura of heat. All nearby creatures suffer a small penalty on their next die roll unless they spend heroism.

She also stabs with hiers tail. The current target must spend heroism or succeed with a tough Acrobatics skill check to avoid its venom.

Kostiiormrthrax the Creepy

Kostiiormrthrax the Creepy is a swamp creature who collects bones, antlers, fungi, and necrotic weapons. Her body is a tangle of tough, dense, sinewy plant material that regrows and is incredibly difficult to damage.

In her swamp the plants and animals talk to Kostiiormrthrax and keep her appraised of intruders and other interesting developments.

The advice from plants and animals also helps Kostiiormrthrax sneak up on her prey. Her vegetable body provides camoflauge. The few coins she owns allow her to float silently a few feet above the ground. These effects combine to provide her with surprising stealth despite her size and bulk.

She likes eating undead each new moon night at midnight. On those nights she requires the villages near her swamp to provide her with the corpses of people who died during the past month.

Kostiiormrthrax has no jewelry and lacks a breath weapon. She attacks using thick vine-like tendrils, dotted with venemous thorns, that whip and entangle opponents.

One of Kostiiormrthrax's mind-controlled swamp animal minions arrive to help her.

One of Kostiiormrthrax's errie minions made of wood, bones, and antlers arrives to help her.

Kostiiormrthrax entangles an opponent, who cannot use both arms until it succeeds in a tough Escape skill check. Each time that Escape skill check fails, the entangled opponent suffers extra damage from the venmous thorns.

Lesovikhamok the Also Creepy

Lesovikhamok is a sentient hut that roams its forest on tree trunks that look like chicken legs. It collects runeblocks, painted ceramic plates to decorate its interior rooms, and also chickens that it polymorphs into imps.

Lesovikhamok currently subjects for villages. It requires the mayor of each village to marry a witch! The mayors and their wives must take turns living with inside Lesovikhamok for a seaon of the year.

During their season of residence the mayors must also organize their villagers to participate in a talent show at which Lesovikhamok acts as the grumpy judge. The mayors are also expected to ensure Lesovikhamok gets regular "pedicures" to keep the tree trunk roots from growing too tangled.

Lesovikhamok is much bigger inside than outside. She can turn her interior into a living labyrinth.

If Lesovikhamok is attacked her imp swarm emerge from the shadows to throwing darts and curses. Unreliable stories hint that a specific type of magic weapon is Lesovikhamok's secret weakness.

The imps lob extra darts. These darts are poisoned!

The imps lob curses! One opponent per imp must spend heroism or suffer a small penalty on die rolls until combat ends. (An opponent cursed twice will suffer a big penalty.)

Lesovikhamok turns one opponent into an imp for two turns.

Gladfang the Generous

Gladfang the Generous is an enormous yet elegant reptilian dragon with yellow scales, feathered legs, and colorful bird-like wings. His voice is melodious. His temper is dulcet.

Gladfang demands that each village, town, and city in his territory send him one damsel to live as a captive in his lair.

Unfortunately, the truth has spread that these damsels live in luxury in his resplendent lair, feasting and studying music. Now people travel great distances to establish new villages in Gladfang's territory, hoping their daughter might be chosen as a new prisoner.

When a damsels get old, Gladfang sends her away with one of his songs. If she successfully popularizes the song then she may return to be rewarded with one of Gladfang's eggs to raise and a purse full of gold. Usually she retires somewhere to raise the dragon hatchling so it may to contribute to Gladfang's legacy of musical greatness.

One of his damsels defends Gladfang by using a magic musical intrument.

One of his damsels defends Gladfang by using a magic wand.

One of his offspring joins the fight.

The name Kostiiormrthrax is a combination of the Slavic word kost (meaning "bone"), the Old Norse word ormr (meaning "dragon"), and the dragon from the 1981 film Dragonslayer named Vermithrax Pejorative

In some Russian stories Lesovikha is the wife of a forest deity. I appended the word "amok" because I picture the hut running amok.

Baba Yaga lives in a hut with chicken legs because of the Sami storehouse.

The "-wei" suffix in Gladfangwei's name is a tribute to many fantasy dragons named Longwei.

Undead

The undead are corpses of animals, people, or monsters animated by the curse of necromobility as resilient predators that drain energy from the living.

An undead is a vivified dead body, not a revived living individual. It retains no memories, skills, habits, or spiritual connection from before its prior life.

Newly created undead are mindless zombies. Undead gain intelligence as they evolve along one of two possible paths: zombie → ghoul → wight → vampire to merge with a land, or zombie → skeleton → wrath → lich to merge with a bane.

It is certain that the body of any person or animal killed by an undead will rise as a zombie. Many stories describe other ways that the curse of necromobility supposedly spreads, with the most common claims about being killed with a necrotic weapon, dying near a certain famous meteor or on a certain altar, or dying while praying for vengeance.

Goals

The curse of necromobility grants irresitable cravings at each stage of undeath. For example, zombies want to eat a brain, allowing them to change into a ghoul or skeleton. More advanced undead have their own cravings, as described below.

Abilities

Undead do not age or breathe. The curse that animates them mimics metabolism by preventing natural decay and healing wounds.

Undead can sense nearby living creatures and feel an estimate of each creature's intelligence. This ability even works through walls. The Sagacious debate whether undead can sense plants: do undead truly have "life sense" or are they actually sensing brains? An undead with healthy sensory organs might have exceptionally keen senses, especially smell. Many undead can see in the dark.

Only magical weapons and injuries hurt undead, because they are animated and held together by a resilient curse. When suffering stamina damage their skills are not reduced. Their curse heals them rapidly: it is not noticeable during combat, but after being defeated they must be beheaded or they will rise again in a few moments.

Undead are limited by an inability to cooperate. Zombies are mindless. Vampires are regional: their unity with their land means cooperating with beings from another territory bothers and hinders them. Liches can control monsters, including other undead, so all undead will shun liches to avoid becoming subservient thralls.

Flavorful Treasure

Perhaps the most powerful weapons are the intelligent necrotic weapons created when an undead carries a weapon for a long time.

Example Undead

Undead that happened to grow extra wings or limbs when first becoming zombies might have quite different skill ratings.

Undead that wear armor should add that armor's rating to their inherent armor value.

Zombie

Newly created undead are mindless zombies. While becoming a zombie the creature (especially an animal or monster) might grow extra wings or limbs.

If a zombie eats a brain it begins changing, evolving along one of two paths. The creature begins merging with either the land or a bane.

The taget also feels nauseous and either spends heroism or suffers a small penalty on its next few skill rolls (roll a four-sided die to determine how many).

The curse of necromobility toughens the zombie. Until the start of its next turn it suffers only half damage.

The zombie grows larger. (These bigger zomies are nicknamed hulks.)

Ghoul

The first stage of merging with the land turns the zombie into a ghoul. Its body begins healing but it still looks like a rotting corpse. Ghouls behave like clever, feral animals and often gather in packs.

The taget also feels frightened and spends its next turn using the Acrobatics/Climb or Escape skills to move as far away as possible.

The curse of necromobility makes the ghoul more agile. Until the end of its next turn it gains a large bonus on all skill checks.

The ghoul grows more clever. (These clever ghouls are nicknamed ghoul elits.)

Wight

The second stage of merging with the land is called a wight because it looks like a person except for its teeth, and is fiercely intelligent. However, many wights begin to shun melee combat and instead use ranged weapons.

The taget also suffers paralysis, and must spend heroism or lose its next turn.

The wight has set a trap! The target is pushed into a pit or snare, under a deadfall, etc.

Another wight with a ranged weapon arrives.

Vampire

The final stage of merging with the land is becoming a vampire. Truly one with their lands, vampires gain the ability to control and empower the lands' animals, and see through the animals' eyes. They learn to manipulate its weather. They eventually can transform themselves into animals, or clouds of mist.

Perhaps most dangerous is how vampires can charm people in their land by implanting suggestions—including forgetting about meeting the vampire and having been charmed in other ways.

The slow process of becoming one with the land makes vampires feel less like a person, and they drink people's blood to regain some of their personhood.

Vampires are so tied to their land that they have trouble crossing borders into places owned by other people. They cannot cross running water, and many not enter a home uninvited.

A combat with a vampire should be the climax of a long story that involved much research about that particular lich and its unique abilities and weaknesses. No two vampires are alike!

Skeleton

In contrast, the first stage of merging with a bane causes the zombie's body to rapidly decompose until it turns into a skeleton, alert but still barely intelligent.

The taget also feels weak and cannot run quickly until it rests.

If the target is already weakened, the weakness deepens. The target must spend heroism or suffer a small penalty on all die rolls until the weakness ends.

If the target is already weakened, the weakness deepens. The target must spend heroism or suffer a small penalty on all die rolls until the weakness ends.

Wraith

The second stage of merging with a bane is called a wraith because its skeletal form is almost insubstantial (instead of having Armor Value, damage that does not bypass armor has only a 10% chance to harm the wraith's stamina). A creature touched by a wraith is not only weakened (as by a skeleton) but also blinded for two turns, making many types of skill use more difficult or impossible.

The taget also feels weak and cannot run quickly until it rests.

If the target is already weakened, the weakness deepens. The target must spend heroism or suffer a small penalty on all die rolls until the weakness ends.

If the target is already weakened, the weakness deepens. The target is blinded until the end of its next turn.

Lich

The final stage of merging with a bane is becoming a lich. Truly one with that curse or cause of distress, a lich works to make the affected location dangerous and unpleasant. It gains the ability to control and empower the location's monsters, and see through the monsters' eyes. Liches learn to animate and manipulate some objects. They eventually can transform themselves into clouds of poison.

Perhaps most dangerous is how liches can stupify people in that location or implant a curse of attunement—anytime the lich would suffer harm its attuned people protect it by instead suffering half the harm.

A lich might eventually learn how to create a phylactery: unless that item is destroyed the lich and its curse will always reform.

A creature touched by a lich is not only weakened (as by a skeleton) but also is contaminated with a rotting disease that will require an herbal cure.

Liches are so tied to their bane that they have trouble approaching other curses. They cannot entered a cursed building. Nor can they physically touch a cursed person.

A combat with a lich should be the climax of a long story that involved much research about that particular lich and its unique abilities and weaknesses. No two liches are alike!

Examples of Specific Undead Creatures

Some undead creatures that are not humanoid are called by other names.

Lindworms are large zombie constrictor snakes that grew one pair of legs when becoming undead. These legs look absurd and are nearly useless because of the beast's long, heavy body. However, large constrictor snakes are normally very dangerous, and an undead version is nearly unstoppable. Its touch is worse than most zombies, and besides nausea also causes people to try to hide behind their nearest ally.

A wyvern is a lindworm that also grew wings when becoming undead. A few unreliable stories claim wyverns who live near pools or lakes will so favor eating hairy animals (goats and sheep, not cows or fish) that a person who removes his or her clothing is no longer appetizing to the wyvern.

The tiny but dangerous banshquirrel is a squirrel wight. Besides the normal abilities of a wight, any person who hears its shrill screech is unable to heal until the next sunrise.

A basilisk was a bigbeast adder before it become a vampire. As a bigbeast its hypnotizing gaze was enhanced to become deadly and its venom became so prolific that it drooled from its mouth. As a zombie it grew several sets of legs. The most famous basilisk was given the nickname "Little King" because of a crown-shaped white spot on the top of its head. For a dozen years adventurers tried to kill it but failed—then a roaming bigbeast weasel killed the Little King in the darkness of its underground burrow.

The undead are classic fantasy monsters.

A lindworm, wyvern , and basilisk are not traditionally undead creatures. That change adds an ironic twist to the King of Serpents, and is no odder than imagining a cockrel hatching a snake's egg. (Note that the choice of "adder" is arbitrary: no snakes actually hynotize their prey.) Lindworms have such varied descriptions that the change is comparatively minor!

Outsiders

This section is still under construction.

Outsiders have traveled to the "normal" world from alternate planets, planes, or dimensions.

Outsiders provide an excuse for the GM and Player to have any type of opponents. It can be fun to borrow ideas from other settings. The example outsiders described below pay tribute to people and creatures that have become tropes. Which can you identify before peeking into the concluding "design note" text box?

Outsiders are most often intelligent like people, and chose to travel to the story's normal world. But they could also be only as intelligent as animals, released into the normal world by accident or on purpose.

With outsiders the issue is not how they reproduce, but how many more of them will be arriving from wherever they came from!

Goals

For the sake of game balance, it can be useful to consider four goals for outsiders:

Outsiders that are looters can take items back to wherever they came from. They can be fought, and when defeated are killed.

Outsiders that are explorers or conquerers cannot take items back to wherever they came from. Instead they are in the normal world to gather information, or as a vanguard group of immigrants. They can be fought, but when defeated return to their own world instead of being killed. (In the sample setting of Spyragia, the Power named Ephemeral can allow people including PCs to travel to other worlds in this way.)

Outsiders can make a fun rival adventuring party that tries to do what the PCs do but faster, more dramatically, or with better publicity.

Some outsiders need rescuing because they cannot return to wherever they came from.

Abilities

Combat can be boring for human-like outsiders. In almost every situation, their optimal intention would simply be to try to attack a PC using Shoot/Throw or Melee. To keep combats interesting we need to give these outsiders something else they can do for free each turn in addition to their normal attack.

It is recommended to always use one of the "Monster Extra Action?" options from the 9P GM Automation Spreadsheet.

Flavorful Treasure

Outsiders often have interesting other-worldly equipment that is flavorful treasure for the people of the "normal" world.

Example Outsiders

To keep the chart below compact, skills in the Build category are not listed. But many outsiders have those skills and talents.

Harpy

Classic fantasy monsters work as looters that use portals.

Harpies

Scrapper

Many science fiction races work as looters that use vehicles.

Scrappers

Skekker

The beings from alignment-themed realms of other fantasy settings work as looters that use rituals.

Skekkers

Seelie

Fairies from various cultures work as explorers that use portals.

Seelie

Handzard

Many science fiction peoples work as explorers that use vehicles.

A handzard is an orange humanoid from another world, who can replace its hands with a big hand, hook, drill, pair of spikes, or other options. (Some of these allow its attacks to do extra damage, or shoot distant enemies.) Their two great joys are racing fast vehicles and breaking things. When they arrive in our world they find a town and wreck all of its ships, boats, carts, wagons, chariots, and other vehicles.

Flame Cultist

Many Lovecraftian villains work as explorers that use rituals.

The flame cultists have claimed the abandoned volcanic lair of a dragon and are trying to summon their unearthly Lord of Fire.

Lingering Horde

Your favorite group of heroes from a classic fantasy setting can work as rivals that use portals.

The lingering horde is an afterlife dimension from which famous adventurers travel. One lifetime of heroism is not enough!

makes you cursed

if you are cursed, makes you one of them!

Garhwal

Your favorite group of heroes from a science fiction setting can work as rivals that use vehicles.

Gharwals

Esoteric

Your favorite group of heroes from a modern fantasy setting can work as rivals that use rituals.

Esoterics

Two Teens

Your favorite film character can work as an outsider who needs help returning home using a portal.

Two teens need rescuing after their plan to research the music of actual fantasy worlds goes humorously awry.

A Boy and Six Dwarves

Many film characters can work as an outsider who needs help returning home using a vehicle.

The strangely powerful map that allowed a boy and six dwarves to arrive in your world now needs technological or magical repair before they can return home.

Orkor

Your favorite clueless character can work as an outsider who needs help returning home using a ritual.

The orkor are an elite group of soldiers: the best swordsmen in the multivers! Unfortunately, a shamanic "accident" sent one of very little brainpower to our world. He wants to eat cheese dip and return home to his dog.

Scrappers are a tribute to Jawas.

Skekkers are a tribute to Skeksis.

I imagine that Handzards could have been a part of the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks.

Flame cultists are a tribute to the Cult of Ragnaros.

The Lingering Horde makes you one of them, a tribute to The Borg.

Garhwals are a tribute to Kzinti, and named after the garhwal division of tigers.

The two teens who need rescuing are a tribute to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

The word orkor is from Tolkien's elven language Quenya, the plural word for orcs that roughly translates as "monsters to fear". This orc behaves like Groo the Wanderer.