ELFRIC SERPENT-EYE (from Slaine/2000AD) for Basic Games

 

This handsome fellow from 2013, as opposed to David Pugh's monster, Massimo Belardinelli's bloke, or Dermot Power's & Glenn Fabry's blue imp in Demon Killer.
Art: Glenn Fabry.

From the Slaine comic strip in 2000AD. This is Elfric from first appearance in Time Killer, up to the solo gamebook adventures. System is approximately BX/OSE, with later-edition shading.

* = more optional than usual.

Elfric Serpent-Eye

Triple-eyed, blue (or yellow) - skinned extra-dimensional sybarite and sadist; changeling 'son' of the King of Norway, shape-shifter, connoisseur of horrors, equal-opportunity despoiler and degenerate, favoured lieutenant of the Cythrons, personal friend of the Emperor Nero.

Armour Class Unarmoured = Chain + DEX  Hit Dice 6+3  Movement Normal Human Morale 12

Charisma 16, Constitution 15, Dexterity 18, Intelligence 16, Strength 18, Wisdom 15

Elf 6 / Evil Outsider

Hit Dice: roll hp for a 6th level character plus CON adjustment and for a 6+3 HD monster, keep the higher total.

Elf: By name and by nature. All abilities of a 6th level Elf character (or multi-classed Elf Fighter/Magic User). 

*Consolidate/pick-and-choose class/race abilities for Elf characters/monster across available/compatible editions/systems.

Outsider: Elfric is from Els-Where, a dimension at right-angles to our own (get it?). This is where he returns to regenerate if slain on the mortal sphere; he can also return here at any time of his choosing.

Revise for your setting cosmology if you don't want to further muddy the dimensional waters.

*Reclassify Elfric as Fey if you want - he's one of Slaine's world's faerie folk, even if that means something different outside of D&D-ish.

Weapons and Armour: Elfric can use any weapon available, including those he's been impaled on.

Sometimes wields a scythe-axe, the equivalent of Slaine's axe, Brainbiter, but can impale on a crit.

No problems dual-wielding. Probably finds firearms amusing.

Treats armour as costume and cosplay (because - see below) but can improve AC by shield, magical plusses and/or armour better than Chain.

Invulnerable Monster vs. mortals wielding normal weapons (3^rd level or less), and half damage from weapons wielded by 4^th level or higher (including magical ones).

Fabry/Talbot (1985)

Immune to crits, decapitation, dismemberment, impales, massive damage effects and poison/venom.

Immune to 1st - 3rd level spells.

Vulnerable to Iron: Still only causes half damage, but the weapon doesn't need to be enchanted, nor wielded by a Hero.

In Els-Where (his native plane), an iron weapon will bypass his invulnerability and inflict double-damage. 

Cannot Be Killed: He regenerates/reincarnates in 2d6 rounds. 

Elfric even comes back from being impaled and energy-drained by Grimnismal (nine-dimensional dark god of the Cythrons).

Slaine never decisively defeats Elfric, despite slaying him on several occasions. 

Spells: Elfric does not need to prepare spells in advance, requires no components, patrons or spell book, and casts by thought (lowest possible casting time). He has slots equal to a caster of his level (plus bonus for Ability Scores, if applicable).

Prefers bondage, fear and trickery over simple destruction and mass damage.

*Select spells from any class/list, from any edition or supplement, from any compatible system.

Third Eye: As a Cythron's optical leyser, but only once per round, stun vs. 3rd level or less, and melts/shatters the weapon/device you're using against him on a crit. Can be used in melee.

Massimo Bellaridinelli (1985)

Shape-shifter: Can take on the appearance of a known or unknown person. It is sometimes said he cannot transform his third eye, but must physically disguise it.

*Treat as alter self or change self spell from AD&D, or as a Doppelganger (eg. OSE or BFRPG).

*I can't remember Elfric taking non-humanoid or animal form, but that doesn't mean he can't.

*Further Elaboration.

Law of Macrocosm: If you defeat Elfric three times, you have proved yourself immune to him, and he can no longer directly harm you.

He will, however, take delight in causing as much indirect harm to you as he can thereafter - especially via those people and things you value the most. Up to and including atrocities against your descendants, or even the future nation state that encompasses your homeland.

(This is doesn't feature again after the end of Time Killer, as far as I can tell, and maybe can be explained as only applying in Els-Where).

David Pugh (1985).

Summoning: Elfric is several times shown calling up monsters - Elementals at Clontarf; a swarm of bat-things in Els-Where; Diluvials in Roman Britain.

You can give him summoning abilities as a Vampire, reskinning the rats, bats and wolves or swapping them out for similar HD equivalents.

The Elementals are mindless, monstrous and hungry. They will stop what they're doing to feast on fallen mortals 1-2 on a d6 each round. They're more like Hordlings than D&D-ish elementals.

Favoured lieutenant of the Cythrons: It's not wholly clear (from my reading) whether Elfric's form and powers are entirely his, or whether they are gifts of the Cythrons.

Having been defeated three times by Slaine, Elfric asks the Guledig not to be sent back to Els-Where, that he enjoys human form, implying that both his form and freedom of movement are at the Guledig's sufferance.

The Fetch: Elfric can appear as the double of his chosen enemy, a traditional omen of death.

Being equally matched, the original cannot defeat the Fetch except by special means.

Mechanically, this is a lot easier than mythic narrative allows, but maybe rule that Elfric is otherwise completely immune to your attacks unless you are using a gae bolga (a traditional 'secret weapon' of Celtic myth) or a tathlum.

*El-Stones: Something like the amulet/talisman of a 1e AD&D devil or demon?

Not established as being part of the lore in the early stories featuring Elfric.

*El-Women: By no means as tough as Elfric (adding to the idea that some of his power is granted by the Cythrons), you can just use Drow stats and abilities with the vulnerability to iron added.

When you kill them they turn back into weird slug-like creatures - presumably also their and Elfric's original form. They don't regenerate.

Commentary.

Out of the 19 (maybe more now) Slaine comic books, Elfric's in only 2 as major antagonist - I had him down as Slaine's eternal nemesis and that's how I prefer to think of him. But that's what happens when you read in an achronological narrow band.

That the Replicant of Slaine in The Secret Commonwealth isn't Elfric, from my perspective, is a wasted opportunity - I have other criticisms, but that's my main one.

Slaine and Elfric are evil twins. Elfric is Slaine with no ties, no restraints - but compare the atrocities they commit during Demon Killer. Slaine thinks he is right. Elfric just likes it.

Elfric's queer-coding is all over the place, and doesn't leave a very good taste in the mouth. Slaine and Elfric do at least snog at one point (depending on choices made in a solo adventure).

My pet theory is that the reason the lore of Slaine is inconsistent is because of Elfric and Slaine's appearance at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 (and presumably Elfric was embedded in the Norwegian royal family for at least some time before), and the paradoxes that spin-off from it.

Pretty sure this is by Glenn Fabry, but Dermot Power started his run during Demon Killer (1993).

He was yellow-skinned in the collected US reprints of Time Killer, but I think Pat Mills probably had good reasons for why he would be blue.

THE DARK JUDGES (FEAR, FIRE and MORTIS) (2000AD) for Old School Fantasy & Horror.

 

Kev O'Neill

Eternal co-conspirators and bosom chums of Judge Death. 

In terms of basic mechanics/stats, treat the Dark Judges much the same as Judge Death.

Asterisk (*) indicates optional.

Morale: 10 (they're not self-destructive idiots) or 12 (they're indestructible super-fiends).

*Hit Dice: If they're not equal to Judge Death (and this could also depend on the host body and whether it's been treated with Dead Fluids), then they are probably no more than a step behind in terms of total HD, size of die used, or number of hp per die.

Invulnerable Monsters: In addition, Judge Fire is immune to fire and vs. magical (and dragon) fire, takes half or no damage.

*Fire and Mortis can also have damage/weapon resistances like Skeletons.

*Fire is immune to web, entangle and similar. Because he's on fire.

Attack with Filthy Claws: You're guaranteed to contract Mummy disease when fighting Mortis.

Fire does not harbour Mummy disease, but you take d8 hp fire damage per round of melee. Because he's on fire.

Grasp Heart: As Judge Death. Judge Fear only.

Stench of Death: As Judge Death. Judge Mortis only. 

*Fire smells like a conflagration in an overcrowded prison, with the same effects as the Stench of Death except: does not make you sick on a crit; you can't gain immunity.

Mournful Charm: As Judge Death. The other three Dark Judges lack Death's barely-controllable compulsion to kill charmed victims.

*Fire doesn't use this ability; it's not his style.

*Superhuman Strength: as optional for all or each of them as it is for Judge Death.

You Cannot Kill That Which Does Not Live: In gaseous form, they only have the ability to attempt possession.

Fire's disembodied spirit is especially threatening, because he looks like a roving fireball (or Skullghast) - but he can't set anything alight like this, and gives off no heat (he might not even cast illumination, just outlined in the dark as with faerie fire).

*No worries if you want to give them Mournful Charm and/or Stench of Death in this form, though - they are super-fiends after all.

Judge Fear - Special Rules.

Brian Bolland

Mantraps: carries at least two at all times; thrown weapons; regular rules for mantraps or mancatchers or grapple-at-range. 

Damage as for Filthy Claws +1.

Padlock: hold portal and wizard lock on any door, gate, hatch etc. Effective enough against normal humans and low-level psychics/spell-casters.

An object from a low-magic universe, attuned to a powerful supernatural being: it is Fear's willpower you challenge, not an intrinsic enchantment.

Gaze Into The Face of Fear: Fear can open his helmet and expose his face to a single target, who must immediately save or die.

If you're unlevelled, you survive only a crit success; if levelled, you survive on a normal success and are immune to the effect for the rest of the encounter on a critical success.

*If 4th level or above, you are immune (rest of the encounter) on a success. If 8th level above, immunity is permanent.

Judge Fire - Special Rules.

Greg Staples

Beneficiary of nominative determinism, arson-inclined mortal Judge Fuego became Judge Fire.

Flaming Trident: Base damage and properties as a regular trident with adjustments/effects as a flame tongue sword.

An object from a low-magic universe, it could be alien, magi- or necro-tech rather than enchanted.

The trident can be thrown as a 2d6 fireball (normal fire), and can project a 20' line or 10'x10' cone of flames for the same amount of damage. Normal saves apply.

Anyone who gets hold of Fire's trident can potentially use it, but will suffer d8 hp damage per round because it's ON FIRE! 

Judge Fire is attuned to the trident so he knows where it is, if someone else is using it, and can call it to him if nearby (strength/grapple contest if you're wielding it when he does so).

Special Vulnerability: Takes unsoakable non-lethal damage from water and fire extinguishers – you can subdue him this way, but it won’t stop him reigniting later and it won’t force him into gaseous form.

*Combustible Hosts: Unless treated with Dead Fluids, a host body burns at a rate of d8 hp per minute  then flares up as a 2d6 fireball (normal fire) at 0 hp. The host is reduced to ash and Fire assumes gaseous form.

Judge Mortis - Special Rules.

Carlos Ezquerra

Death, Fear, Fire and Mortis has a good rhythm to it, but why not just Judge Decay? That is his schtick after all.

Based on a reading of the character in Fall of Deadworld, Mortis is an aesthete (and enthusiast) of death and decay.

Maybe he chose the Mortis nom de guerre out of respect for Death?

Touch of Decay: Mortis makes a touch attack equivalent to the attack of a Mummy (d12 rot/necrotic damage, plus infection with horrible rotting disease - no save).

Claw damage stacks with the touch attack.

Special Vulnerability: Weapons of pure metals, such as gold or silver, bypass his Invulnerability (for half-damage).

Contact does not discomfort or harm him; they're just unaffected by his touch.

*Decomposing Hosts: Unless treated with Dead Fluids, a host body rots at a rate of d12 hp per minute. The host is reduced to dust/slime and Mortis assumes gaseous form.

*Further Elaboration.

Judge Fear’s Helmet is also Warduke’s helmet (XL1 Quest for the Heartstone: gives infravision to 60’).

If Fear is on the same plane, he knows where it is, and will seek out the wearer to possess them. 

He will whisper to them in dreams to encourage them to do horrible things ("Hey - why is this parent-friendly commercial tie-in fantasy villain being so relentlessly edgy and grimdark?").

While Fear will possess Warduke if possible, he’d rather possess Warduke’s conqueror and spend a bit of time pretending to be the villain back from the dead before reverting to type and trying to bring his necrotic buddies along.

Perfect opportunity to turn Greyhawk into your local Deadworld.

Commentary.

Jim Murray

I'm not saying it's definitely the reference.

JUDGE DEATH (2000AD) for Old School Fantasy and Horror

Psionic humanoid undead immortal outsider.
(Art: Brian Bolland)

Inter-dimensional alien super-fiend. 

Declared life to be illegal (as it is the living who exclusively commit crime). Carried out summary execution of his entire home world - billions of lives. This was centuries before he started dimension hopping. 

Doesn't care whether yours is a fantasy, historical or sci-fi setting - you're all lawbreakers (especially the elves).

Looks like a zombie or mummy dressed in a mockery of a Mega City Judge uniform. He doesn't need to wear anything, he chooses to - his office has standards to uphold.

An immortal spirit, Judge Death can partially or totally possess a living being, or reanimate a handy corpse, but only a vessel properly treated with the Dead Fluids allows him to bring his full abilities to bear.

All details preceded by an asterisk (*) are even more optional than the rest.

Hit Dice: as an undead type that you think best represents the temporary host body and/or the power and threat of Death in relation to your setting, system and table (I'm imagining Judge Dredd and Judge Anderson as min. 4th level characters).

As a zombie-type, Juju (3+12) or Lord (6) works; Lich (11) or Mummy (5+1) fit his appearance in the comics.

As a villain, he's at least Vampire/Mind Flayer tier (8+4).

*He can use d12 for hp instead of a d6/d8.

Treat an improvised/untreated corpse host as a Zombie (2 HD).

Armour Class: Unarmoured as Plate (his uniform is equal to Leather, but does not stack).

*Or as undead type for Hit Dice.

Invulnerable Monster: immune to normal weapons, bullets, crits, impales, massive damage effects.

Undead, clearly. *Immune as undead type for HD.

*Immune to charm, sleep, feeblemind, polymorph, cold, lightning, death spells (including reversed healing).

*+2 or better weapon to bypass Invulnerability, and these sever limbs on a crit/nat 20.

Half damage from all attacks.

Attacks with Filthy Claws for d4 hp each vs. metal armour (including the thick animal/monster hide equivalents of Chain and Plate); d6 otherwise.

*Save vs. disease if you've been wounded to see if you contracted Mummy's rotting disease (your preferred iteration).

He can wield weapons, use devices, grapple, throw objects etc. *and Cleaves like a Fighter of equal level vs. low-level opponents.

Grasp Heart: his signature move - phasing his hand into your chest and squeezing. 

Automatic vs. helpless victims or if he rolls 4 more than the number needed to hit (*or three consecutive hits, or a crit) - auto-kill on Death's next action if he wants to (and he really wants to).

*Save each round he holds your heart or take d4 non-lethal hp and 1 Strength damage. He knows if you're lying to him, and can read your surface thoughts if you're below 4th level.

If Death suffers damage in the interim or he chooses to, you are released.

Stench of Death: as a Troglodyte, and if you crit fail, you're sick as if poisoned by a Giant Centipede.

*Make three saves in a row or roll a crit, and you're immune to the effect for the rest of the encounter.

Mournful Charm: as a Vampire, one target per round, by gaze, gesture or communication.

*50% per appropriate time period he cannot resist the urge to pass sentence of death on a helpless target.

*Superhuman Strength: equivalent to an AD&D Vampire (18/76 Exceptional Strength), or your setting/system maximum for humans, or the bonus increment above this.

Making him fully and messily capable of grasping your heart without using his special ability.

You Cannot Kill What Does Not Live: as long as his host body has hit points remaining, it regenerates 1 hp per ten-minute turn.

*Severed extremities do not regrow but can be reattached or replaced, Frankenstein-style.

At 0 hp (or at will), taking a full round, Death abandons the host in gaseous form (as a Vampire). 

One of his catchphrases.
Art: Frazer Irving

Effectively indestructible, this form can use Stench of Death as a touch attack, exercise Mournful Charm, or attempt to possess a new host (automatic vs. helpless target; otherwise use your preferred possession sub-system).

Clerical Turning works like a Holy Symbol vs. Vampires against his gaseous form only.

A dissolve result vs. undead type by HD will drive Death from a host not yet treated with the Dead Fluids, and is no more effective than a Holy Symbol vs. Vampires against his gaseous form.

Vulnerabilities: Takes full normal damage from fire.

As an Invulnerable Monster, he's immune to normal damage, but not non-lethal/secondary effects, so can be pushed, pulled, grappled, entangled, tripped, thrown, disarmed, knocked back, knocked down, skewered and pinned to objects, dismembered, buried in cement, locked in a lead box and dropped into the Marianas Trench etc. 

Effectively helpless for 1 round when changing to gaseous form - this is your best opportunity to stop him getting away and taking a new host.

An interpretation of the comics would suggest trapping him in a Gelatinous Cube is an option.

I don’t know enough about D&D-adjacent psionics to comment specifically, but Judge Death appears to be (normally) vulnerable to psionics (for an entity of his status) - including telepathy, as a sapient being. 

Can be fooled (at least once) by feign death or similar.

Living Hosts are fragile and will deteriorate - mentally, physically and spiritually - the longer Death maintains a hold on them. They share none of Death's immunities/resistances or special abilities, unless/until treated with the Dead Fluids.

Commentary.

More classic catchphrases.
Art: Alex Ronald; Colours: Gary Caldwell.

It's been established that he was once Sidney D'Eath, son of a serial-killing dentist, whose wholesale genocidal tendencies showed long before he turned undead, but there are various other iterations.

In the primary 2000AD timeline, Death is both an apocalyptic supernatural threat and not entirely to be taken seriously. Sometimes works for me - this juxtaposition is a common tonal feature of the Judge Dredd setting. Dead Fluids flow frequently.

Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future (1995 movie tie-in comic): Death is the undead alternative-universe Judge Dredd (apparently the original idea for the 2000AD archetype). Has a soulgem that powers his suite of special abilities. No Dead Fluids.

Judge Dredd: Final Judgement (2012 movie tie-in comic): He appears to be Sidney D'Eath from the primary (movie) universe, while also being an entity from a parallel universe of perfect entropy. No Dead Fluids, but plenty of stuff I liked.

Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham and Die Laughing: I have finite tolerance for the zany comedy antics of Judge Death in the mainstream 2000AD strip, so these two crossovers are a low point from my perspective. Visually interesting, though. Can't remember if any Dead Fluids.

Fall of Deadworld: Kek-W and Dave Kendall's non-stop parade of death metal album covers, telling the tale of how Death's homeworld was turned into Deadworld - and what the Dark Judges were doing before they turned their attention to the primary 2000AD universe. Absolutely saturated with Dead Fluids.

For Brits of a certain era, compare with Joey Boswell (Peter Howitt, not Graham Bickley) - another black leather-clad sex-symbol who announced himself with 'Greetings'.

Lone Wolf (Kai Lord) for Basic Games

 

Joe Dever and Gary Chalk did this; Gary Chalk also did the illustrations/covers (initially).

Charisma 13, Constitution 14, Dexterity 16, Intelligence 13, Strength 16, Wisdom 16 

Ranger 4/ Monk 4 (5d8)

Last of the Kai Lords on a mission of vengeance against the Darklords of Helgedad.

He looks, sounds and acts a bit like YOU, now that I think about it (pronouns as appropriate, then).

This treatment is an approximation of the starter character for the first five books (the Kai Series).

Armour: Lone Wolf's monastic training gives a +3 AC bonus in lieu of Dexterity when Unarmoured.

Otherwise, Lone Wolf generally uses Low Armour Settings.

Weapons: Favours the hand axe and the sword, but proficient in all the usual martial tools.

Lone Wolf dual-wields without penalty, as per your system.

Monastic training gives Lone Wolf a +2 damage bonus with all weapons if this is better than the bonus for Strength.

Bows don't become a feature until Book 6, but that doesn't mean Lone Wolf can't use one.

Extra Attacks: as well as dual-wielding, Lone Wolf gets an additional (single) attack at the end of every fourth combat round. 

This is resolved after all other business.

Favoured Enemy: +4 attack bonus and -4 reaction penalty when faced with the forces of the Darklords.

Surprise: Lone Wolf surprises opponents 50% of the time (1-3 on d6) and is only surprised on a 1 on d6.

Thief Skills: standard probabilities and backstab adjustments for a 4th level character with the given ability scores (your edition may vary). 

Hide in Shadows and Move Silently are effective in dungeon, rural and urban environments. 

Does not normally carry tools for Open Locks and Remove Traps.

Alignment: Like a Paladin, if they were chosen rather than made, Lone Wolf is likely Lawful Good in the nine-alignments system; Lawful in the three-way. 

Or Neutral.

Kai Disciplines.

As an Initiate, Lone Wolf has learned five Kai Disciplines.

All these abilities use the local version of psionics/ki to complement mundane knowledge and experience.

Animal Kinship: This skill enables a Kai Lord to communicate with some animals and to be able to guess the intentions of others.

Use speak with animals and 2e AD&D Ranger animal empathy ability as a guideline.

Healing: This Discipline can be used to restore ENDURANCE points lost in combat.

A pool of 8 hp (per day) that can be used to heal self or others.

Lone Wolf can administer to others during combat but not to self.

Mindshield: The Darklords and many of the evil creatures in their command have the ability to attack you using their Mindforce. The Kai Discipline of Mindshield prevents you from losing any ENDURANCE points when subjected to this form of attack.

Either play this straight as the Monk's ability (ESP is only 30% effective), or have Lone Wolf be immune to psionics of 4th level/HD or less.

Or break out a psionics system.

Sixth Sense: This skill may warn a Kai Lord of imminent danger. It may also reveal the true purpose of a stranger or strange object encountered in your adventure.

This is why Lone Wolf is only surprised on a 1 on d6. Could also be used as a 1 on d6 chance of reveal(ing) the true purpose.

Tracking: This skill enables a Kai Lord to make the correct choice of a path in the wild, to discover the location of a person or object in a town or city and to read the secrets of footprints or tracks.

Use Bushcraft/Tracking mechanic/subsystem. Works in dungeons, but not as well - you might be able to retrace your steps in a maze (and realise the walls have been shifting when your back was turned), but it wouldn't automatically help you find your way out.

The Sommerswerd.

Lone Wolf's signature weapon. It can only be wielded by a Kai and Lone Wolf is the only one left.

Like a Paladin, it's not subtle in its righteousness.

Has the powers of both a sun blade and a sword +5, holy avenger (treat Lone Wolf as a Paladin of the same level).

Sometimes, for climactic purposes, it can launch a lightning bolt that explodes as fireball that dispels evil.

It definitely has some of these effects during dramatic battle-scenes.

The +10 dmg vs. chaotic evil applies to the Darklords and their servants in particular, and is inflicted by mere touch. You decide whether this stacks with double-damage vs. undead.

It's hard to pretend that you're not a champion of Good/Light, if not The Actual Lone Wolf, when you're carrying the Sommerswerd, and some beings will be alerted by its very presence, even if concealed. 

The Other Kai Disciplines.

Lone Wolf gets a new Discipline each time you complete a book in the series, so individual Lone Wolfs (Wolves?) could have different ones to those given above. My choices were suggested by the existing features of the source classes.

Also a starting point for running your own Kai characters.

Camouflage: This Discipline enables a Kai Lord to blend in with his surroundings. In the countryside, he can hide undetected among trees and rocks and pass close to an enemy without being seen. In a town or city, it enables him to look and sound like a native of that area, and can help him to find shelter or a safe hiding place.

+ 10% to Hide in Shadows and Move Silently; effective in dungeon, rural and urban environment. Porous border with performance and survival skills.

Hunting: This skill ensures that a Kai Lord will never starve in the wild. He will always be able to hunt for food for himself except in areas of wasteland and desert. The skill also enables a Kai Lord to be able to move stealthily when stalking his prey.

Covers the surprise bonus. Self-sufficiency in the wilderness; debatable whether it could help support others.

Mind Over Matter: Mastery of this Discipline enables a Kai Lord to move small objects with his powers of concentration.

Approximately mage hand, and can substitute for tools to Open Locks and Find/Remove Traps. 

A limit on uses per day seems fair (suggest as low as 1, soft cap 3, hard cap 4), as Lone Wolf rarely seems to use it more than once or twice an adventure (in my experience - and I stopped at book 12).

Or break out a psionics system.

Mindblast: This enables a Kai Lord to attack an enemy using the force of his mind. It can be used at the same time as normal combat weapons and adds two extra points to your COMBAT SKILL.

If the target is not immune (Mindshield), they attack at -2. Or this could be represented by the +2 dmg bonus with all weapons. 

Or break out a psionics system.

Undead are not universally immune to Mindblast, though this would seem logical.

Weaponskill: Upon entering the Kai Monastery, each initiate is taught to master one type of weapon. 

If taken at the start, it's with the Axe or Quarterstaff (50/50); taken later on, it'll be with the Sword.

Treat as weapon specialisation (+1 to hit, +2 dmg).

Commentary.

Sprang almost fully formed from this comment by Kelvin Green on a previous post.

Serendipity. Lone Wolf looks like a Ranger. The Kai are (Warrior) Monks. If you combine the abilities of the 1e/2e Ranger and the 1e Monk, you end up with something not very far off the Lone Wolf starter character from the first five books (the Kai Series). 

Ability scores follow the minimum requirements (boosted to XP bonus values) for the AD&D Monk and Ranger.

Some Monk abilities were dropped, but could be reintroduced once Lone Wolf becomes a Magnakai.

There is no Ba5ec Lone Wolf: it wasn't as neat as the older edition Ranger/Monk.

Lone Wolf feels more fragile than other fictional heroes, because you're in control of their fate, rather than the author - hence sticking with the 1e Ranger d8 HD, rather than boosting it to 5e's d10. This should be more than counterbalanced by the Sommerswerd and the panoply of abilities.

(There is a d20 and a 5e Kai Lord class out there if you want to compare and contrast, and I think the Kai Lord would work really well for Epic 6)

Slaine and Ukko for Basic games.

Massimo Bellardinelli

Stats for the duo up to about Dragonheist (before the time-travel and mysticism kicks in). The system is approximately BX/OSE.

Slaine Mac Roth.

Black-haired warped warrior, exile, adventurer, time-traveller, hero, thief, king; analogue of Conan, Cu Cuhlainn, and the Eternal Champion. Celtic barbarian in the time before the Deluge.

Charisma 15, Constitution 18, Dexterity 18, Intelligence 9, Wisdom 11, Strength 18

Fighter 4/ Thief 4 (4d12)

Brainbiter: a stone- or metal-bladed battle- or great-axe. It is Slaine's favoured/ signature/ specialist weapon. It is not a specific axe, except that it's the one he's using.

Wielded one- or two-handed, or thrown - all without penalty. Damage die can be d8, d10 or d12.

Other Weapons: sword, spear, gae bolga, bow and arrow, tathlum. Anything he likes, really - he's strong, skilled and adaptable.

He can dual-wield without penalty. He can also use the Fighter options in the BECMI Companion set, if you like.

He wears a sword in his early career, but always prefers Brainbiter. 

Unarmoured Fighter: does not wear armour or carry a shield; sometimes fights naked. 

Slaine gets +8 AC bonus for his Dexterity. He can still benefit from a shield and/or cover.

At this stage of his life, he will punch you if you even suggest he wears a helmet.

Salmon Leap: Slaine can do a standing jump as high as his own forehead.

Whether he uses it to strike over an opponent's shield (+2 attack bonus), or to dodge an attack (+2 AC/relevant save), he needs to make a successful Dexterity check. 

Usable once per encounter.

Spear Catch: Slaine can pluck a spear from the air and throw it back at his attacker if he has not already made an attack that round. Needs a successful Dexterity check.

Usable once per encounter.

Thief Skills: rarely uses them, except for climbing. 

Slaine probably has no Open Locks or Find/Remove Traps ability, these mechanisms not being part of his cultural background.

His code of honour does not stop him using Backstab/Sneak Attack, Move Silently or Hide in Shadows, but his warrior outlook means he rarely does.

He is illiterate and cannot Read Languages.

Warp Spasm: once per day, at will, for 8 rounds; +4d12 temporary hit points and double-damage.

Treat as ogre-sized.

If 3 HD/3rd level or less, make a Morale Check when being attacked by Slaine during a warp-spasm. 

Bellardinelli again. The first warp-spasm I was to see.

Saving Throws: Slaine saves as a 4th level Fighter normally and as an 8th level Fighter during a warp-spasm.

As a brutal and unimaginative barbarian, he receives a bonus of +4 to saves vs. illusion, fear, madness etc.

Ukko.

Dermot Power.

Slaine's larcenous sidekick, future royal parasite and immortal, companion in adventure and adversity.

His astute mind and artistic talent are keenly focussed on lechery and greed.

Surprisingly courageous for a coward.

Charisma 8 (16), Constitution 13, Dexterity 18, Intelligence 13, Wisdom 8, Strength 8

Dwarf/Thief 5 (5d8)

Non-combatant: except for the odd Backstab/Sneak Attack, Ukko will not engage with enemies and will retreat to a safe distance or cower behind Slaine.

Unarmoured: he gets a +4 AC bonus for his Dexterity.

He also gets a +2 AC bonus vs. adult human-sized (or larger) opponents, as long as he does not make an attack in the same round.

Can still benefit from a shield and/or cover; frequently does.

Thief Skills: Ukko is an especially accomplished Thief, and has higher skill % because of this.

• Climb Walls 91%
• Find/Remove Treasure Traps 50%
• Hear Noise 1-3 on d6
• Hide in Shadows 45%
• Move Silently 60%
• Open Locks 60%
• Pick Pockets 60%

Dwarf Abilities: Ukko has the Basic Dwarf abilities of detecting construction tricks, detecting room traps, and listening at doors (1-2 on d6).

Dwarves in Slaine's world don't have infravision.

Ukko after using his Charisma/ Mike McMahon.

Charisma: as a Dwarf, Thief, sidekick and known con-artist, Ukko is viewed with contempt and suspicion wherever he goes.

He uses the higher Charisma value when dealing with Dwarves, Thieves, drunkards and rubes.

Saving Throws: Ukko always use the most advantageous saving throws of Dwarf or Thief.

He gets a +2 save vs. curses, taunts and humiliation.

Further Complexity.

Ba5ec Slaine: You will need to look up some 5e D&D, where you start out as heroes not zeroes.

Give Slaine the following Fighter abilities: Great Weapon Fighting, Second Wind, Action Surge (which he can use to have a warp-spasm), Martial Archetype - Champion with Improved Critical and Remarkable Athlete.

He also gets the following Barbarian abilities: Unarmoured Defence (CON bonus added to AC), Danger Sense, Reckless Attack, Path of the Berserker (bonus attack when warp-spasming).

Only comparable heroic characters get these extras - everyone else has to stick to the rules. Ignore anything that's incompatible with the target system.

(Slaine already has some benefits of the 1e AD&D Barbarian)

Slaine the King: He's now a 9th level Fighter and he can use his warp-spasm twice a day, for a total of 18 rounds.

If he's also Ba5ec Slaine, he gets additional abilities as a 9th level Fighter and Barbarian in 5e.

I toyed with modelling him after a 1e AD&D Bard - he becomes more mystical in his kingship and beyond. Also not a terrible plan for Gandalf.

Ba5ec Ukko: he can have the non-fighting abilities of a 5e Rogue of the same level.

Commentary.

Older edition D&D is surprisingly resistant to producing the heroic characters it is claimed to be based on, and has to break its own rules for most iterations.*

Obviously, I'm exhibiting my own bias and interpretation here:

Gray Mouser and Cugel have to be 10th level Thieves so that they can use magic. While this might work for Cugel, Gray Mouser's spell-casting comes much earlier in his career - he starts out as a wizard's apprentice.

Conan and Fafhrd both have to have Thief and/or Ranger levels because the Barbarian class doesn't yet exist, and still won't be a great fit when it does.

Is Elric that accomplished a swordsman or sorcerer without his ring and sword and ancestral demonic pacts? He is a pawn in a cosmic game (also, to a lesser degree, the Mouser and Fafhrd), not master of his own fate - he doesn't need hit points if the higher powers don't want him to die until they see fit.

* And later edition D&D feel/look like they tried to address this - it's a criticism of 5e vs. OS, for instance. It's legitimate to draw on those later editions, particularly as they're broadly mechanically compatible and mostly freely available, and I treat The Game like Lego plus off-brand compatible blocks, rather than a 3D printer.

As well as spotlighting 5e as a source, there's also:

• 1e and 2e AD&D to boost Ukko's Thief skills (racial and high Dexterity bonuses).
• AD&D for Ukko's Dexterity bonus to AC.
• 1e AD&D Unearthed Arcana for the Slaine's (Barbarian) hit dice and Dexterity bonus to AC.
• 2e's Celts Historical Reference, for Slaine's Salmon Leap and Spear Catch feats (without the WP and NWP requirements).

The idea is that these kinds of celebrities should be more powerful than the PCs, but not so much that they utterly outclass them. As long as the players are participants rather than spectators, it should be fine.

Slaine's warp spasm could be a whole sub-system, but here it's just the druidic animal growth spell. Another possibility: use the AD&D enlarge spell, with warped Slaine as an Ogre (stats a bit too close to the regular Slaine in this iteration) or a Giant depending on how powerful his rage was.

CYTHRONS (from 2000AD's Slaine) - Monster for Old School Fantasy & Horror

 

Glenn Fabry.

The Earth is a farm. We are someone else's property. (Charles Fort)

AC Unarmoured   HD 6+3 or 8+4    Movement 100% Normal Human    Morale 11

Time-travelling humanoid alien demons that inhabit Cythraul, a hell-dimension that is in fact the Earth millions of years before the appearance of earthly life. Imprisoned (in space, but crucially not in time) after losing a cosmic war, they are analogues in Slaine's world for the Great Old Ones and Old Ones/Elder Things.

They feed on the energy produced by human emotion, especially the negatives ones. As well as food, this energy can be harnessed towards the goal of awakening the dead/sleeping High Cythrons and freeing themselves from the Earth.

Alignment: We're nothing but stupid animals to them. Some of them like hurting us more than others. Some keep us (or merely a scrap) as pets. Mostly we're raw materials.

Three-way alignment, they're Chaotic, I suppose; nine-ways, they're a mix of Lawful and Neutral Evil - possibly representing the organic farmers (millions of year alien conspiracy) vs. the battery farmers (full-scale alien invasion).

Dexterity, Intelligence and Strength: min.12 in each; 13/15/13 min. array for 8+4 HD Cythrons.

Roll d6+12 for exceptional individuals. Modifiers as for stat/system.

Innate resistances: Half or no damage from cold, electricity and normal fire.

They are immune to acid, poison (inc. gas)/venom and the related abilities of jellies, oozes and slimes. These are variously cleansing, refreshing and therapeutic to Cythrons - they enjoy them.

Unless specially made, their armour, equipment and garments do not share any or all of these resistances.

And they hate it, spoils a good abduction.

Weapons and Armour: swords, axes, spears and pole arms of various levels of sci-fantasy sophistication but really anything they/you want, including their bare hands (prolonging their victory so they can feed on your desperate fear, puny mortal).

Can use leyser weapons (sci-fantasy magical energy weapons - swords, pistols, cannons) but - from the comics- favour minions, hand-weapons and optical leyser beams (see below).

Cythron Power Suit: the wearer look like a sci-fantasy ancient astronaut insect-skeleton stormtrooper (see above). Often look like ancient images/descriptions of deities.

• As protective as chainmail, as encumbering as leather.
• Activated by thought control:
•  +5 bonus to AC* and saves vs. all attack forms, protection from normal missiles, resist cold, resist fire.
• Non-Cythrons will need to be instructed or experiment in order to use the suits as more than passive protection, but even a brutal and unimaginative barbarian will find it easy enough.
• 8+4 HD Cythrons get the added benefit of protection from mortals - immunity to non-magical attacks from 0 to 3rd level characters. 
• Optical leysers: 2 beams per round for 2-12 hits, plus save vs. stun (1-4 rounds). Electricity or energy immunity works against the stun effect. Ranged touch attack, adjusted for cover (including shields).
• Fly as a glowing energy ball. I'm going to rule that you can travel through any non-solid medium without ill-effect in this state.
• Additional weight/living beings can be carried. In the comics, a Cythron abducts Nest (female human druid), and Slaine rescues both Tlachtga (female human fighter) and Ukko (male dwarf thief).
• Non-Cythrons need to concentrate while doing this. Double-ones on 2d6 you botch landing/re-entry and materialise in an occupied space. 
• I suggest contested saves to see who survives if it's a living being. If it's an object, roll, argue or judge to see if you have the reflexes and wit to turn back into energy and rescue yourself (still take a critical wound worth of damage). 

If one was to come onto the mortal market, it would as likely trigger an actual war as it would a bidding war.

It's sufficiently advanced technology that it's indistinguishable from magic. How it interacts with magic (and dispel magic) is up to you and your setting/system.

* Can stack with the passive protection, because I've based the Cythron power suit mechanics on Oard technology. However, I'd make protection from mortals the main effect and only use the higher AC bonus - but that's because I'm a low-armour kind of fellow.

Communication (8+4 HD only) with anything that has equal or lower species-average Intelligence than they do.

This is a universal translator ability, but they can also use telepathy - especially with minions.

Cythrons invented Common, and then took it away as a joke/punishment (symbolised in the Tower of Babel). 

The 6+3 HD Cythrons have a lesser and non-telepathic ability to speak with anything that has a language (within the range given above).

See Aura (8+4 HD only): As well as your emotional state they can easily determine your alignment, experience level and whether you are under a curse/spell. They will not be fooled (or not long fooled) by (human) disguise, polymorph or invisibility. 

The ability is a biological function and blocked by things that would foil normal vision. I'm going to say this includes magical darkness. In fog and smoke, they can probably tell you have an aura, but not the specifics.

What Was Left Out.

The Guledig (Praise Be His Name!) and the High Cythrons (Cthulhuvian in their nine-dimensional glory).

Myrddin, sired on a human mother by the Guledig, and by implication, other half-Cythrons.

The niceties of the bio-welder and the organic blender. 

Cythrons can re-make living things, for amusement and for utility. Reskin any monster as various forms of Orgot (organic-robot). AD&D Mongrelmen and Broken Ones/Shattered Brethren serve as abandoned experiments and grotesque pets. All these things are, at some level, human.

Cythron regeneration. Only one featured Cythron does this (three times, shedding its skin as it does so and extruding sucking tentacles). Slaine claims it was feeding on his energy, but he doesn't seem to suffer for it.

Cythrons vs. charm etc. As Nest is able to use the Talisman of Venus to charm the Cythron, Oeahoo, so at least the 6+3 HD Cythrons are not immune to mind-affecting magic.

How this translates to a D&D-ish system is up to you, but a quick rule could be that 8+4 HD Cythrons are immune (so Knuckles the Medium can't charm Pseudo-Osiris) and the 6+3 need two castings and to fail both saves.

Relationship to the Laws of Macrocosm - acts of so-called Good and Evil tip the balance in favour of the other side. A game of rock-paper-scissors in which you have to tell your opponent what you're going to play, and the least worst way to win is for nobody to take a turn.

Earth Power. There's at least two (1) (2) Slaine rpgs, so there's rules out there you could crib.

Commentary.

I stopped regularly reading 2000AD after the first part of The Horned God (early 1990s - switched to Fortean Times), and tended to re-read the earlier stuff in the time since (stuff I actually owned) - with the first part of Time Killer being one of the gaps in my collection.

Because it's a lot easier to access nowadays, I've speed-read c. 40 years of Slaine recently and that's the spark that lit the where's-the-Slaine-old-school-homebrew tinder. 

I can see why the Time Killer/Tomb of Terror arc wasn't remembered fondly, comparing it to what came before and (some) of what came after. Maybe the story/worldbuilding suffers because it's an episodic comic strip, put together week-to-week? I don't think the dungeon-crawl role-playing game tie-in did it any favours, either.

BUT: I was always able to squeeze a lot of juice out of it, and Glenn Fabry's art is great.

If this exercise wasn't about the Cythrons, then you could use/reskin Oards.

If you think they're a little bit low-powered for god-like beings, then graft on some later-edition types & sub-types (Aberration and Outsider?) onto them, maybe give them a d12 Hit Dice into the bargain.

Ian Sturrock did a piece on leyser weapons and Cythron characters (+2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma, +4 bonus when making magical attacks) for the d20 Slaine rpg. 

DILUVIALS (from 2000AD's Slaine - Time Killer) - Monsters for Old School Fantasy & Horror

 

Glenn Fabry.

AC +5    HD 1+4    Move 100% Normal Human    Morale 8

Beetle-skeleton tribal humanoid monsters. Plucked from the remote past to serve as minions.

One weapon attack per round for d8 (or by weapon).

Champions have +6 AC, 2 HD and 9 Morale. One champion can act as leader for 2-12 lesser Diluvials.

Leaders have +6 AC, 3+1 HD (min. 16 hp), 9 Morale and +1 to damage. They are accompanied by 2-12 champions as bodyguards.

The special weapon of the Diluvials is a bone-conch triple-horn that acts as a horn of blasting that can also transmute rock to mud once per day.  These are non-magical durational effects (10 minutes) and 50% of lost hit points/structural damage is recovered if the target is not destroyed/slain in this time.

Maximum of one horn per 10 Diluvials. Must be wielded by a champion or leader.

Diluvials not commanded by a champion or leader will:

• stop fighting and feast on fresh kills on a 1-2 on d6 each round
• switch allegiance to the most obviously physically powerful character/monster if they fail a Morale Check

Diluvials of all types will not seek cover from magic or missile attack, nor do they make Morale Checks when subjected to same. This is because they are stupid.

Further Elaboration.

The triple-horn does damage tagged as sonic/sound/vibration, and its powers can be adapted to transmute rock to lava and stone to (lifeless) flesh. 

Transmuted flesh is permanent and used to feed the mass of Diluvials. 

They also like to use the triple-horns to liquify living victims so that they can drink them (traditionally irrevocable short of a wish) - this delicacy is usually reserved for leaders.

Higher-level Threat.

While they remain minions/sword fodder, use the leader statblock for all Diluvials to make them a higher tier threat. 

Number appearing is 2-12.

If there are at least 10, they have a triple-horn. Or, each has a 10% chance of carrying one.

Horror Monsters.

Number appearing is 1-3. Use the leader statblock. Claw/claw or claw/claw/bite if they are unarmed.

There is only one triple-horn.  It has all of the possible abilities. The Diluvials do not necessarily possess it at start of play.

If there are two Diluvials, together they can produce an infrasonic moan (as a Cloaker). If there are three, they can generate lethal vibrations (as a Death Watch Beetle, Giant).

These are the ones I'll convert for Call of Cthulhu.

Commentary.

First appear in Time Killer (1985), and that's where most of the basic information is drawn from.

Mechanically, they're the Giant Beetles with a bit of Goblin mixed in. 

There've been at least two Slaine rpgs and the Diluvials never made the cut.

The Powers of Darkness & The Lands of Legend - Monster Commentary/Conversion to D&D Adjacent

Alan Craddock cover art.

Book 5 and we're introduced to another new adventuring Profession, the Elementalist.

Basically a Sorcerer, the Elementalist has a specialist element and two secondary elements they can cast spells with. DW has five elements (though only four basic Elementals), with Darkness as the element of evil and spookiness.

You can't combine opposed elements (standard drill) and you can only take Darkness as your specialist element. Darkness Elementalists are powerful, but channelling their element corrupts them, in the form of negative geasa (loss of shadow, permanent intangibility, intermittent heliophobia, becoming a wraith etc) - PCs are not meant to pick Darkness.

The power of Darkness also corrupts the Elementalist secondary element spells, generally making them more powerful but obviously tainted.

The 10th level summoning spell for Earth, Air and Fire Elementalists each call up a statted monster. Water gets a natural disaster (tsunami) instead, and Darkness gets to summon Balor (the Prince and/or Power of Darkness) and kill everyone (summoner included and no save) within 20m (don't know how this reconciles with Balor being asleep and imprisoned, as we learn in the adventures).

The Man of Stone.

BAB +19 AC +6 att. fists d8(d14) HD 5.3 Rank (10th Rank spell)

Superhuman Strength: DW STR 19 (+2 damage bonus).

Titanic figure made of rock, conjured from a sufficient quantity of available material.

If not under the control of a summoner, it can only travel in a straight line. Able to break through walls... burrow through cliffs and subterranean tunnels.

The Darkness-tainted version battens on the flesh of living men, delighting in grinding their bones between its stony jaws.

Banshee.

BAB +6 AC +1 att. special HD 4 Rank (10th Rank spell)

Fast: at least x2 Normal Human movement rate. It's not specified but I guess it can fly.

Immune to non-magical weapons.

Implosion Attack: death, no save RAW.

Deafen: everyone within 10m (c. 32') is deafened, except the summoner. If you like, duration is while the Banshee is within range, then 2-12 rounds duration after.

An animate vortex of violent, shrieking wind.

Summoned to relentlessly pursue a single victim to death. Presumably, defeating or dismissing the Banshee is the only way to prevent this.

The Darkness-tainted Banshee will do as bid for the first victim, but then will be freed from control and not leave this plane until it has totalled 100 kills.

The Man of Fire.*

BAB +21 AC +6 att. fists of fire d10(d16) HD 6.2 Rank (10th Rank spell)

Superhuman Strength: DW STR 19 (+2 damage bonus), or it could be a +2 because it's on fire.

Scorching Presence/Touch: it can set wooden objects alight by touch, and gradually melt metal objects. Humans, after a round in its presence, are horribly scorched, but no further details or mechanics are given.

A 3m+ (c. 10') figure entirely composed of elemental fire. Material component: the bones of one who has died by fire.

The Darkness-tainted variant will serve its summoner for 1 hour, but then spends the rest of the day setting fire to everything it can because that's how it feeds/gets its jollies.

*It's called The Holocaust in the text, as in the original burnt-offerings sense of the word, but maybe you'd rather not call it that.

After the Elementalist Profession and the new spells, we get a chapter on Madness for when spells and horror twist the mind. Standard use of recent contemporary language for each disorder, and portrayal of schizophrenia as being a split personality. 

You'd probably do it differently now.

The Prince of Darkness.

This seven part adventure/campaign is set in Glissom, a part of the world lying to the north of The Elven Crystals adventure sites and also contains the Lost City of Nem, where big old bad boss, Balor, is imprisoned. 

Head north to rescue a King (if he isn't already dead - which he is), recover a relic and hopefully put paid to the dastardly plans of the Darkness Elementalists, thereby saving the world from being stared to death by Balor, the Prince of Darkness of the title.

Like with The Elven Crystals, there're hints this was originally written for another system/ system neutral. Tonally, it is more of a romp than my personal core four DW scenarios - though there's more sense of the integral setting than in Crystals.

Geoff Wingate.

Part 1 - The King's Tower.

If you stick to the read-aloud text (something I'm not keen on, generally), the PCs are about to fail to earn the 100 Florins they're each being paid to guard the King during an important festival.

Then evil Hawks swoop down to carry off/kill the King and snatch the sacred Hearth Fire. Even if you uncover the secret plot and villains at this early stage, you still get an offer of 100,000 Florins (silver pieces)* to head north and set things right.

*enough to buy 40 Warhorses or 200 suits of chainmail or 1,000 crossbows or 1 million slingshots.

Hawks of Balor.

BAB +7 AC +3 (+7 vs. missiles) att. claws d6(d8) HD 4.6 Rank 7th

Carry Off: if a Hawk rolls a crit or 5 more than it needs to Hit, it will attempt to grab and carry off the target (save to evade). Carrying an adult human-sized victim, they can rise 6m (c. 20') per round and will release their prey if they lose >50% of their hp.

Giant Hawks in the service of Balor. There might be no more than 6 of them and they might be magical creatures.

Any survivors from the initial attack turn up outside the Lost City of Nem, but they just cast their spooky shadow on you as they fly over: save to resist or you're subjected to madness (or equivalent).

Their AC vs. missiles is because of their speed in flight and semi-camouflage in poor light.

Part 2 - The Inn of Chang.

More of an encounter than an adventure. 

Don't show the players the illustration or you'll give the whole game away. 

Part 3 - The Siren Woods.

Between you and the next destination are Elf-haunted woods with magical traps and an undead warrior-king.

The Elves are Ranked characters (Sorcerer and warriors - presumably Knights) and have invisible elven strands that hold you fast until you roll 2d10 < STR to break free. They also have blow pipes with poison darts: save or die with advantage/bonus if 1-2 darts hit, normal chances 3-4 darts, and at disadvantage/penalty 5-6. 

Also: whether or not the poison gets you, save vs. magically-induced hallucinations (dispel magic or similar to relieve). Roll d6:

1. Totally devoted to next person of opposite sex you meet.
2. Next creature you meet is a Basilisk so you keep your eyes averted.
3. 10% each minute you experience intense vertigo and throw yourself to the floor.
4. Fall asleep for 2 days (cannot be woken) and forget the past year.
5. and 6. All your companions are your enemies, so kill or be killed. Spell Expiry Roll or 2d6 rounds.

Revenant.

BAB +15 AC as armour att. weapon +2 HD 6.2 Rank ?

Superhuman Strength: DW STR 19 (+2 damage bonus).

Zone of Mist: fight it as if blind/invisible/in total darkness; outside of melee, you're outside the mist and the sight and sound of the fight is hidden by an illusion (looking lovely and monster free). Normal chances to disbelieve, or you can just step back in range.

A green-faced, humanoid creature with white flowing hair and overlong nails dressed in verdigris-stained armour of an antique fashion.

Dissolves into greenish gas when slain. Undead and corporeal, but the monster isn't the corpse buried here (even though it is, if you know what I mean).

Part 4 - The City of Mimir.

Side trip to a dungeon with monsters, treasure and traps. Haunted by an ancient demon that pretended to be (or was somehow believed to be) a benevolent deity.

Necrophobius (Physical Incarnation of the Demon Shader).

BAB +17 AC +8 att. forelegs d6(d6)  mandibles d8(d20) HD 5.5 Rank ?

Reflexes/DEX: 14.

Strong: DW STR of 16+.

Seize Victim: if hit by both forelegs, roll d20 < (STR-4) or seized for automatic mandible hits each round thereafter.

Suck Out Brains: takes one round and then it will vanish into thin air (teleports to The Sanctum of the God to deposit the cranial goodness).

    Ambiguity in the text means that Necrophobius sawing off the top of your skull might need a roll of some kind, or is abstracted as happening once you're down to 0 hp.

    And you could substitute any brain-extraction mechanics you have knocking about, if you prefer.

Turned by a Relic, or maybe as a Special.

Necrophobius is its name: a giant praying mantis about 5m [c. 16'] long... has long forelegs and razor-sharp mandibles that can cut through bone.

The Demon Shader exists as a Green Devil Face/Blikdak-type thing in The Sanctum of the God (it's just a dungeon room), waiting for Necrophobius to bring it brains to consume. Looking into the eyes of this extrusion/image/manifestation requires a save vs. madness.

Succubus.

BAB +7 AC +1 att. weapons x2 + grapple HD 2.6 Rank ?

Multiple Attacks: makes 2 weapon attacks and 1 grapple attack per round; presumably they could make 4 weapon attacks if they were properly equipped.

Grapple: resolve this attack as d20 < (Succubus STR + Reflexes/DEX) - target STR. Anyone held can be automatically hit with weapon attacks each round, or the Succubus can attempt to drag them away (throwing them into the mouth of possibly another manifestation of the Demon Shader).

    No Strength or Reflexes scores are given for the Succubi in the text.

Regeneration: 1 hp/round from non-magical damage.

Destroyed by the touch of a relic, reducing them to ashes.

Intangibility: they can pass through walls; no more details, and other obstacles not specified.

Naked, pink-skinned creatures, with four long arms and a tail and monkeylike face.

As presented, they're just demonic guardians/servitors, but the name, abilities and appearance are suggestive of a much more interesting monster. 

Superficially, they're not obviously very sexy (except possibly in a Slaaneshi or Silent Hill way) but I suppose - this being Dragon Warriors - maybe it's the coming into the bedroom by walking through the wall and then wrestling with you that gets the stories started.

A cool monster that you could get more out of.

Mud Wyrm.

BAB +5 AC unarmoured att. fangs d8(d12) + shock HD 4.8 Rank ?

Electric Shock: save to resist with advantage/bonus or paralysed by a bite-administered electric shock.

    As written, the attack is magical and you sink into chest-high/ 1m (c. 3') deep mud. Presumably, you drown. 

    Use a Spell Expiry Roll or 2d6 round duration, or a per round 1 on d6 recovery roll (as if KO'd/0 hp in DW), because it doesn't tell you how long the paralysis lasts. Nor how long it takes to drown.

Large brown eel... 6m [c. 20'] long... two pin-sized eyes and huge circular mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. Characters will only see a disturbance in the mud as it approaches them.

Suggestion that it might be intelligent (treasure-hoarding) and magical, though maybe making its bite a MAGICAL ATTACK was for mechanical convenience.    

Part 5 - The Mountains of Brack.

You need to cross these to get to the Lost City of Nem. There's a convenient and dangerous dungeon that is apparently the only way. No-one's ever returned and a sort-of Roman legion wasn't able to do it. 

If you don't want to run this as written, do a resource-management and random encounter expedition over the mountains instead. 

Shadow Gaunt.

BAB +11 AC +3 (or special) att. talons d8 + special HD special Rank (6th Rank Darkness Elementalist)

Powers of Darkness: has the powers of a 6th Rank Darkness Elementalist, which doesn't easily map to D&Dish. Give it any 6 anti-good, darkness, fear, illusion and/or shadow spells from across available spell lists. 

    The DW spells are, 1st Rank to 6th: Catspaw (move silently, redundant); Darkeyes (see in the dark, dazzled by sudden light, probably redundant); Benight (darkness effect that also triggers save vs. madness); Curtain of Night (wall of darkness that blocks hostile spells; reflects fire/light-based magic at the caster); Javelin of Darkness (single target attack but AoE blindness; javelin has no other special properties but I guess it's basically a 'concealed' magic weapon); Shadowfall (eerie twilight by day; by night, utter darkness, induces panic/phobia; 1 mile radius).

    Strictly speaking, a Darkness Elementalist also gets to use spells from two secondary elements and accumulates geasa, but I don't think that's meant in this case.

Stealth: its STEALTH is 25, one of the highest in DW, and should be reflected in the monster's abilities. See Okeman for suggestions. This monster has no need for Catspaw spells.

Evasive: 25% of evading any attack, successful hit or area of effect, and appearing behind the attacker, immediately getting surprise/rear attack bonus on the next round. 

    Because of this you will have no immediate way of knowing that it is...

Immune to non-magical weapons 

    or that it has a...

Special Vulnerability: no hit points but a single successful hit from a magic weapon will dispel it.

Shadowy Talons: ignore armour (Unarmoured AC only, no parrying, no shields etc). But, if you defeat the Gaunt, all lost hp are restored (unless you're dead).

Death Curse: whoever strikes the killing blow against the Gaunt must save at disadvantage/penalty vs. a suitable curse.

Creatures of shadows brought together by the highest necromancy known in the occult arts. A mage will enter an unconsecrated burial ground and, using a summoning, bring the shades from the graves till they form a dark, almost solid body. This gradually takes a humanoid shape with two small holes where light can pass through, where the creature's eyes should be. Someone seeing a Gaunt flitting down a dark alleyway would take it to be a tall, cloaked figure until they turned and saw the hollowness of the creature's eyes. Sometimes, if there is light behind them, rays of light will pass through these eyeholes, but no light will pass through the creature's inky-black body.

This one's my favourite, less because of how it plays in the adventure (it's just an interesting monster obstacle), than because of the possibilities in other situations.

Its AC+ comes from high DEFENCE, but it also has one of the highest EVASION scores in the game (better than a 12th Rank Assassin) so you could give it more +. Or you could apply that +3 as a bonus to all saves instead. Both options work.

Ice Statue.

BAB +9 AC +6 att. fist d8(d8) HD 7.3 Rank ?

Strong: STR 16+.

Vulnerable to fire: takes double damage.

Regenerates 1 hp/round from all but fire damage, as long as in freezing conditions.

3m (c. 10') tall animated/living statue of ice. Implied to be humanoid, but no other details given. 

Ice Octopus.

A purple, tentacled monster, its body covered with mauve polyps and suckers and with two octopoid heads.

It's the monster component of a trap, attacking with 4 tentacles (BAB +2 HD 1.7). No damage but if you are struck twice, you are dragged into its watery lair which instantly freezes, instantly killing you.

8 hp damage to destroy/sever a tentacle, and I'd rule that any tentacle that's hit a target cannot attack another - you could also use grappling rules for this instead.

Destroy all 4 tentacles and it will disappear forever into the depths of the fountain. Saves as a 10th level Fighter/10 HD monster if you try an alternative to hack-and-slash - but no stats for the body.

Vampire Bats.

Their razor-sharp teeth give them great armour penetration: +3 to Armour Bypass, automatically beating DW padded or hardened leather, and ring mail. Resolve in D&Dish as simple bonus to Hit.

The bite is infected with a strong poison - whether that means disease or not, the save-or-die is at disadvantage/penalty. 

Survivors end up with deathly pale skin and a strong aversion to sunlight (either -3 penalty to Hit and AC, or borrow something from a pre-existing heliophobe). They're not vampires, but maybe Pseudo-Vampires (AD&D 1e Monster Manual 2), and the population of DW is somewhat ignorant of the nuances of monster classification - expect to be blamed for any outbreak of pernicious anaemia wherever you go now.

Ice Spectre.

BAB +8 AC unarmoured att. special HD 2.2 Rank ?

Surprise: 1-4 on d6 when it just appears to be a lump or patch of ice.

Deadly Touch: touch attack ignores non-magical defences; 2d6 hits and instant death on a 12 (save to resist cold and/or magic). 

Life Drain: touch damage added to its hit point total.

Spectral arms burst from the ice, and attempt to drain mortal warmth in the form of hp. The Ice Spectre does not get its instant death ability until it has drained min. 10 hp and is able to manifest fully.

Once manifested it can claw and clutch at your heart with its icy claws, and can potentially absorb limitless amounts of hp as long as there are warm bodies to drain. 

No more details, not even if it's actually undead - a variant of the Spectre in Book 1. Pretty cool, though, pun acknowledged.

I like to imagine it gets bigger and more like a living blizzard the more warmth it devours.

Ice Snake.

BAB +8 AC +9 att. tail d10(d6) HD 10.2 Rank ?

Camouflage: 100% concealment in ice and snow - you don't know it's there until it attacks.

Coil: save to evade (with advantage/bonus if you're not surprised) or trapped in a 10m (c. 30') circle of its body and subjected to breath weapon attack each round. 

Breath Weapon: save to evade or immobilised for 10 rounds (1 minute) as you're covered head to toe in freezing ice. You also need to save vs. death by shock (RAW as written, d20 < current hp).

Superhuman Strength: DW STR of over 19 because gets +3 Armour Bypass RAW.

Also referred to as an Ice Serpent and a Giant Ice Snake, it's a 20m [c. 65'] long crystalline being. It's eyes... [glow] redly in any light. Anyone not caught with its coil and breath is lashed by the giant armoured tail.

It might also have the ability to cast an illusion of a treasure hoard as a lure, but this isn't specified - it's a component of the trap/trick the monster is a part of.

The text baldly states the party don't stand much chance of defeating this monster in a straight combat. No suggestions apart from escape. Whether that applies to D&Dish characters, I don't know.

Rime Wraith.

BAB +14 AC unarmoured att. weapon HD 8 Rank ?

Fear: d8 fright attack, as a regular DW Wraith.

Immune to non-magical weapons.

Immune to indirect attack magic: this is spells like fireballs and magic missiles, if you've forgotten. The text specifies the DW Sword of Damocles spell is the only exception.

Evasive and Insubstantial: 50% chance of evading any successful attack and appearing behind its opponent, for a surprise/rear attack (see Shadow Gaunt).

Bob Harvey.

It's not much like the normal DW Wraith: no death spell and it fights with a physical weapon. It is very definitely the ghost/remnant/revenant of someone once alive - in this case, a warrior named Valhar.

Presumably, other Rime Wraiths would resemble who they were in life. 

Interestingly, Valhar's Wraith is a separate entity from his spirit/soul, as that is hidden in an Amulet of Soul Storing elsewhere and will attempt to possess any mortal who dares to put it on. There are no details as to his personality or goals, living or undead. Described as a warrior, he's classed as a 5th Rank Mystic.

Part 6 - The Hall of the Frost Giants.

Geoff Wingate

Repurposed as a lair by two Frost Giants, this site was originally something to do with Valhar and/or his culture/faith. You don't absolutely have to explore this place, but you might encounter the Frost Giants later if you don't deal with them here.

Frost Giants don't always have to be fought to the death because of their code of honour (see Book 1). However, they do keep an extensive larder that is recognisably human.

One Giant wields a trident. In DW a spear is a 2d4 Armour Bypass and 4 damage weapon. Conversion to D&Dish and the Giant's STR bonus to one side, the trident has d8 Armour Bypass and inflicts 2 damage per prong - roll d3 to see how many hit home, and it's automatically all three if you're helpless. Which I think is an interesting way of mechanically differentiating the two weapons.

Mastiffs.

BAB +1 AC unarmoured att. bite d12 HD 3.5 Rank ?

Dread Barking: their hollow, sepulchral barking forces a Morale Check. As this doesn't apply to D&Dish PCs, see the Forest Harpy for options.

Throat Rippers: RAW for DW, they have low ATTACK but automatic Armour Bypass to abstract their focus on the throat of their victims. 

    For D&Dish, the d12 bite damage might suffice, or make it 2d6 (slightly higher average damage per round).

Alternatively, give the Mastiffs the special ability of the BX/BECMI Giant Shrew (ferocious attack vs. 3HD or less - save vs. death ray or flee), and double damage on a nat 20 if you don't already use crits.

They're big dogs that fight to the death unless called off. 

Possibly supernatural: unlike ordinary dogs their breath is cold.

Part 7 - The Temple of Balor.

The Lost City of Nem awaits, along with Darkness Cultists (ninjas) and three potential setting-derailing monsters (with Balor being the only explicit one). Okay, maybe Krang isn't but I like to think He could be.

Ice Snakes.

BAB +3 AC +6 att. bite d6(d4) HD 0.6 Rank 2nd

Freezing Bite: save to resist with advantage/bonus or suffer as if subject to the Ice Serpent's breath weapon.

Normal-sized snakes made of frosty, crystalline substance and powered by some ancient sorcery. 

You decide whether they're magical creatures, constructs or elementals. Doesn't say whether they are related to the Giant Ice Snake, though they're clearly similar.

The Grey Hood.

HD 1.7 (8 Health Points)

See also the Executioner's Hood in AD&D 1e Monster Manual 2.

A grey swirling barrier of energy through which it is not possible to see.

As long as you're coated in a certain substance (no more defined in the text than as a pool of dark viscous water - but outside the adventure it could be wine, vinegar, oil, tar, butter, mashed garlic, the Black Ichor etc), you can pass through that barrier - it parts to allow passage. 

If you're not coated, it pulls its substance into a bag/hood over your head (and it can attack multiple/separate targets) and you are subjected to a high-pitched screaming sound as the creature begins to suck away [your] lifeforce. 

Save vs. spells each round or death so instantaneous that observers cannot tell that the Hood has destroyed and replaced the brain with its own substance. The victim is now a puppet of the Hood and will attempt to kill unpossessed characters. Once only puppets remain, they travel to the surface world to capture/lure more potential hosts.

Hosts can be recognised by the grey film over their eyes. Do they retain languages, memories, skills, spells? Is the Hood an intelligent parasite? No details.

The Grey Hood is vulnerable to metal, so can be ripped from the victim's head in 4 person-rounds if the rippers are wearing mail or plate gauntlets. If using a weapon, make a DEX check to not injure the victim underneath. 

This vulnerability implies other possible solutions to passing through the barrier (which is 10m or c. 30' across in the adventure) and possibly indicates that the dark water is full of dissolved/suspended metallic minerals. A full suit of plate might work to pass, but might also just hide the fact the Hood has infiltrated the closed helmet through a chink.

Reminds me of the Krask, in that it seems somewhat out of place in the broader sensibility of the DW setting - an alien and sci-fi inflection that works in isolation. 

Krang, The Flesh Eater.

BAB +19 AC +6 att. pincers d8(d10) HD 10.2 Rank ?

Immortal: you can kill Krang, but Krang won't otherwise die. This isn't specified, but it's what I think.

Superhuman Strength: DW STR of 19.

Relentless Pursuit: once Krang has scented human flesh, Krang will not be deterred. Until He can devour that flesh, He will eat his way through the thickest of walls and any metal to get at his victim. 

    You need a dispel magic or similar to break the connection. 

    Maybe there's a way to temporarily delay/divert Him with some kind of offering?

Spit Acid: at short range - but this is not defined (it's by device/weapon in DW); causes d4 hits or damages armour by 1 point. Also doesn't say if it's instead of or in addition to pincer attacks.

    Magical armour keeps its bonus as long as it retains non-magical AC value in this case.

Magic Resistant: saves vs. magic with advantage/bonus.

Keen Senses: Krang has one of the highest PERCEPTION scores in the game as well as being able to detect and track individual human scents over distance and time, so you might want to give Him some additional abilities based around this.

    At the very least, He cannot be surprised.

A fierce monster with turkeylike wattles of flesh about his neck and an elaborate horned breathing apparatus that connects his nostrils with his mouth. Wide-set eyes and a row of spiky mounds on top of his head, a long lizard-like tail, with an armoured scaly body, complement the horrible picture.

And pincers, number unspecified.

In the adventure, if you fail to close some bronze doors Krang will come shuffling up the stairs after ten rounds (1 minute) and pursue you. The text then goes on to say that walls and metal are no obstacle to Krang once He has the delicious scent of humans in his horned breathing apparatus.

Krang was fettered here by Balor, Prince of Darkness, countless centuries ago but may not be an actual prisoner, as it seems to otherwise be able to come and go from its lair in a frozen grotto deep beneath the Lost City of Nem.

There's about Krang something of the Tarrasque and the exuberant profusion of less well known Great Old Ones and I like Him for it.

Ganglion.

BAB +5 AC unarmoured/special att. special x8 HD special Rank ?

Tentacles: anyone hit by a tentacle must roll 2d6 < STR or be pulled into the Ganglion's pit of frothing, roiling liquid. Every additional tentacle hitting the same target adds 1d6 to that roll.

    Each tentacle has 5 hp.

Acid Pool: anyone dragged into that frothing liquid takes d10 acid damage/round; your armour will protect you for a single round before it dissolves.

    Presumably you can climb out. 

A giant octopoid creature with quivering greenish-mauve skin [and] eight long translucent tentacles.

Has 40 Health Points in its body and 40 spread across its tentacles, so it could be a 17.7 HD monster if you want; I'd go with 8.8, counting the body only. If you can inflict 40 hits on the body, it will die, and it will retreat if you destroy its tentacles (not specified, but it hasn't any other attacks).

There is a possibility that the tentacles are missing a DEFENCE and/or Armour Factor score, but it otherwise seems that you auto-damage this monster. The text seems to suggest that being close enough to attack the body is more risky than just being in range of the tentacles - maybe this could be resolved as whether you're pulled into the acid pool at the end of the next round or the end of this one.

It's an obstacle/trap monster, with a similar MO to the Allansian Blood Beast, and I like it.

Balor, Prince of Darkness.

A gigantic being covered with coarse, goatlike hair.

No stats are given for Balor, as no weapons or spells known to man can defeat or injure him in any way.

Balor breathes out every 6 rounds (30 seconds), with a great sigh delivering a blast of poisonous breath down the tunnels to his prison: save to evade to avoid taking a breath, then save to resist or die (I think) and save vs. madness, too.

At the very doors to Balor's prison, every exhalation is accompanied by an aura of shining darkness in the form of his leering face: d20 fright attack (save vs. fear at disadvantage/penalty or die/go mad) if you look directly at it.

If you decide to enter the chamber where his massive head is (taller than a house with his chin resting on the black marbled floor), roll for surprise (or DEX save) to see who accidentally looks directly into Balor's eyes burn[ing] with coal-red fire: save vs. magic at disadvantage/penalty or instantly and irrevocably dead by fiery disintegration.

This close, with every inhalation you risk being sucked into Balor's maw and consumed. This is automatic if subtracting the STR of the breath (12) from your STR results in a negative number. Even if it's positive, you still have to roll under that number to resist.

If the doors are open but you're not yet in the chamber when Balor inhales, you can make a DEX save to grab onto something which gives you +5 to your STR when calculating whether you get sucked in.

Close the doors and go downstairs!

Defeating Balor depends on extinguishing the magic fires and spoiling the pentacles of the ritual intended to release him. If you don't do both (though you can't really do one without the other if I'm reading it right), Balor will wake up fully (within an unspecified time) and ravage the land.

The Lands of Legend.

This book takes a look at a larger slice of Legend - a five-million-square-mile slice, in fact!

Alan Craddock cover art

As well as the gazetteer and other setting background, a new Profession (Warlock) and rules for languages, long-distance travel, seafaring, crime-and-punishment and social class/character background, we also get mentions of Newtlings, Night Elves, Trollbears, Eidolons, Ice Ghouls, and a/the Wendigo - all in passing and detail free. 

We learn a little of the geographical/cultural distribution of some monsters via the encounter tables for waterborne adventures, including a surprise appearance by Orcs! I thought they had dropped out of DW by the end of Book 3, but here they are in the world-guide as a shipborne encounter in Uncharted Waters. 

Maybe all DW Orcs are Sea Orcs or Viking Orcs or something, and just hail from Beyond the Fields We Know. Maybe all DW Orcs are Spelljammer Scro - away-teams and castaways, having their own sci-fi adventures on a threatening alien world dominated by merciless Humans.

The only statted new monster turns up in the adventure 'Mungoda Gold' as a treasure guardian. And we also learn that standard DW healing spells are less effective against tropical diseases, suggesting that the component of knowledge in a spell can be as important as reality-bending magic power.

Guardian Demon.

BAB +19 AC +5 att. claws d12(d18) + strong venom HD 11.5 Rank 16th

A smoky, long-limbed monstrosity... no eyes or any other features until it opens its sharply angled maw to reveal a glowing gulf of blue light.

What Was Left Out.

Giant Spider from Out of the Shadows.

BAB +6 AC +2 att. bite d6+1 + venom HD 2.8 Rank 3rd

Strong: STR 16+, because it gets a damage bonus.

Stronger Web: penalties per round increased by 1.

Venom: as a Giant Spider (Book 1).

Missed this first time round.

A slightly stronger/tougher Giant Spider that turns up in The Sins of the Fathers adventure in Book 4.

Retreats if reduced to 4 hp, which -along with the mythic underworld/otherworld location- suggests it might have intelligence and even personality.

Commentary.

I always knew my D&D had a high level of DW content, but thought it was more about soulless Elves and dark supernatural flavour. Looking back, I notice that I instinctively used adventuring procedures that - though common to many fantasy rpgs - were codified in Book 1. I also think it's fair to say that it's because of DW that I always had crits on Hit Rolls, even in D&D editions that don't have it as a core rule, and why my default survivability measure is rounds=STR. 

I like the profusion of multiple resolution mechanics across the six volumes. This is part of my attraction to Old School stylings/systems; universal mechanics are all very well, but they don't exercise my imagination the same way. Resolution dice are inconsistent - d20, 2d10, 3d6 - and I'd like to know the reasoning behind these choices: combat is trad d20, magic save is 2d10, poison save is 2d6 to 4d6, sometimes an ability check is one roll, then another.

Reconsidering the BAB values, I think there's a strong case for adjusting the significantly higher ones down to HD-generated equivalent levels. Possibly anything with a Rank exceeding its HD gets advantage/bonus to Hit; maybe + = Rank minus whole HD. IDK - I keep them in for illustration.

Are there any/many clones of Dragon Warriors? A very shallow search says no.

The only system I can identify having a clear relationship would be Romance of the Perilous Land (by Scott Malthouse/Trollish Delver), which is rooted in the folk mythology of the British Isles and also uses a variation of the ATTACK/ MAGICAL ATTACK/ SPEED/ STEALTH minus DEFENCE/ MAGICAL ATTACK/ EVASION/ PERCEPTION = Target Number mechanic. 

A less obvious line can be traced from Dragon Warriors through to Lamentations of the Flame Princess. It's baked into both systems that Elves and Magic Users/Sorcerers are unholy, and this crops up in the text and the mechanics rather than being a forefront detail at chargen. Though this might just be a strand of Old School preference/thinking than a deliberate reference.