d66/d36 Monsters of the Wild & Melancholy Mountains

John Blanche.
Only just realised that those aren't pectoral muscles.

These mountains were going to be Remote & Lonely back in May, but I've passed through the other stages of lockdown life and we're now at Wild & Melancholy.

Unbalanced probabilities of the table will lead to unbalanced encounters at the table.

Storm Goats were originally going to be Storm Giants, but I couldn't think of anything interesting to say about them.

[Edit: table re-formatted as nested list 2023/05/10]

1. Roll d6:

1. Sphinx Elves. Naked & velvety, writhing white hair, blank pearly eyes; telepathic; information traders.

2. Goblins. Animal heads. Fish for wayfarers with eagle claws on spider silk. Cobweb and mushroom stalk suspension bridges/ fishing platforms between the most inaccessible crags and cave entrances.

3. K-Nomes. Brutal elementals; naked, hairless Dwarves of rock & lava; despise all non-mineral life. As strong as Giants; throw boulders, cause rock slides, summon lava. Weapons shatter on their stone hide.

4. Mountain Trolls. Wild black hair and curling horns; huge heads and hands but otherwise Human-sized. Tap staff against rock face to open a door or conjure a spring. Said to have treasure hoards.

5. Brocken (Mountain) Spectre (1). Rainbow-haloed genius loci, appears both enormous and distant. The weather and the mountain fauna & elementals do its bidding. Its telepathic voice sounds like it booms and echoes across the mountains, but is just in the heads it chooses.

6. Cave Bear (1). Looks like a dead black shape as it does not reflect any light. Silent wall-crawlers and ceiling-clingers. Howls and suffers in sunlight, and always moves to extinguish light sources. Intelligent animal that knows humans take off their armour to sleep in caves. For stats, Just Use (Black) Bears.

2. Roll d6:

1. Ropy Muggers. Look like miserable, stunted trees tangled with dusty, stone-coloured creepers. Strangle and crush, then drink your insides through a modified claw in their root-like foot. Subtle by day; blunder about at night. 

2. Wolf Elves. Look like sturdy, surly fur-capped, bare-armed trappers and herders until you realise they’re not. People wanting to become Werewolves seek out Wolf Elves to try and make deals, or just try to steal their stuff.

3. Giant Shadows. If a light source is brought into their cave, they can make themselves bigger than human-size, as well as being able to extend themselves to titanic proportions pursuing those who flee outside. However, they are bound to a blood-stained, symbol-carve, cursed rock and can only act outside the cave to the extent of their cast-shadow size.

4. Skeleton Army. A detachment of armed and armoured Skeletons, at attention and awaiting the Triumph of Death. You can safely pass by/through them if you don’t disturb their formation or equipment.

5. Brothers of the Pine. Sap-infused undead; want you to join them in the pines in the pines; only leave treeline after dark. Often return to their communities to whisper and hiss down the chimneys.

6. Predatory Succulents. Exact sizes and appearance depends on species, but they generally look like sandy-grey pineapples/ peyote buttons. As part of their lifecycle, units detach and roll off in search of living prey. They kill using psychedelic poison, flesh-dissolving enzymes or bashing and rolling, then settle down to take root and flower in the remains.

3. Roll d6:

1. G-Nome. Brutal elementals; naked, hairless Dwarves of tree-trunk and creeper; despise all non-plant life. Plant trees to extend the forests, fertilised with ground bones and spilt blood.

2. Nightgaunts. Faceless rubbery winged ticklers; they might be dropping off or picking up. Leave them alone and you should be fine.

3. Mi-Go. Mining, patrolling or scouting. Not in disguise. Not happy to see you or be seen. Willing to go the extra mile to maintain their privacy.

4. Cyclopes. Humanoids with a single eye. Poor depth perception, but can also see incredible distances and near microscopic things - possibly clairvoyantly. Neutral mystics. Sworn enemies of Ghouls.

5. Empty Skins. At a distance, rags blown towards you on the wind. They’re drying out and looking to resolve this. You’ll be surprised how much of you will fit inside.

6. Glitter Cats. Static-charged tatzelwurms. A charming combination of cat and ferret, with the intelligence and dexterity of a monkey. Can understand and imitate human language, but are no great conversationalists. Willing to become companions/ familiars, for a while. Sworn enemies of Ghouls. 

4. Roll d6:

1. Oreads. Mountain dryads; hairy goat legs and impressive horns; bows and spears; cast ventriloquism and merge into stone.

2. Summer Oread (1). Casts burning eyes, Elagabalian blossom deluge, summon thunderstorm and call lightning; regenerates in the rain; no mountain creature can/will harm it, save that it fears Old Father Moon. Smells gorgeous. Blinks if surprised.

3. Grey Man (1). Enigmatic and lonely, gentle and naked, tall and smelly. Reskinned B/X Troglodyte. Knows how to remove your liver while you are sleeping so that you waste away and die. Has been known to guide wayfarers to safety but also to push them down precipices.

4. Rock Scorpions. Look like piles of rocks until they move; venomous, but not carnivorous. Strong for their size and can cling to steep inclines - Dwarves, Goblins and Trolls use them to pull carts.

5. Abyssal Drakes. Slender, glistening salamandrine things that crawl up from some of the blackest pits at the heart-roots of mountains. As intelligent as swine, mewl like kittens; die and disintegrate in direct sunlight. Constantly shed a sooty substance that also exists in higher dimensions, leaving patches of chilly darkness that normal light cannot dispel - clings to objects, to creatures, to the air itself. They are enthusiastic for fresh blood but have no idea how to get it themselves.

6. Storm Goats. Sturdy mountain goats with towering horns. Their shaggy coats spark with static and they attract lightning bolts. They spectacularly expel their accumulated charge with no harm to themselves. Guess what? Evolution has adapted this ability as an attack/defence mode.

5. Roll d6:

1. Cloud Elementals (Nephilim). Intelligent non-corporeal beings of the wind, rain and sky. Psychic feedback means they look like you expect them to, culturally and geographically speaking. Normally invisible, they condense forms using the available dust and water.

2. Land Elementals (Anakim). They are young - mere tens of millions of years old - and impatient to end their Dreaming so they can walk abroad. Each Anakim is a weathered mountainside that has taken on the vague or definite appearance of a living being or product of civilisation. They can fragment and project their consciousness, extending their Dreaming throughout their body - thus, they may be inhabited and also haunt themselves.

3. Skeleton Wyrm (1). Giant serpentine mammal with transparent flesh; looks like a long pile of bones until it rears up and starts hissing; wants to be left alone. Scavenger. Prizes gems.

4. Invisible Vampires. Bash you with rocks, branches and blows, then lick up the spilled blood; push you off cliffs for a feast; no-one knows what they really look like, or even if they’re undead. Will ride animals to exhaustion. Can go abroad by day.

5. Night Rippers. Lynx-sized pack predators. Mountain lion body, owl's head and claws; distinctive shriek. 

6. Veiled Oreads (1-3). Undead mountain dryads (ghost/ banshee). Sing mournful songs and give a deadly shriek. Not automatically hostile. Roll d6 to see which season each channels/ represents: 1-2 autumn, 3-4 spring, 5-6 winter.

6. Roll d6:

1. Mother of Eagles (1). Legendary Gryphon. Mines and eats precious metals. Can no longer fly because it is so infused with gold, electrum and silver. Can reflect light to dazzle and burn. Try crossing a Griffin with an Aurumvorax to get stats.

2. Dwarven Slavers. Cigar-chewing, pistol-toting bastards from inside the mountain; odds/evens, they’re on their way out, and well equipped/ on their way back, with slaves in tow.

3. Old Father Moon (1). Spindly boneless giant with glowing pumpkin head; hands spread like skinless bat wings; dozens of wormy toes; can squeeze through gaps and stuff itself into tiny hidey-holes. Really wants to eat the Summer Oread. Bugbears revere it, but it doesn’t care. Regenerates from even the tiniest piece if not dealt with in the proper manner.

4. Old Man of the Mountain (1). Dual-wields long knives in as many pairs of hands as he needs, pulling both out from beneath his ragged cloak like a beetle unfolding; finds firearms, barometers and clockwork fascinating. Has brokered a treaty between the Oreads and the Brothers of the Pine. Possibly human.

5. Monastic Vultures. Wear concealing robes so you can’t tell they’re vultures with prehensile wings; appear to ‘tend’ to the dying and the dead; especially love eyes and guts. Will warn you to watch out for Night Rippers and Nomes (they don’t leave much behind).

6. Shaggy Horntoads. Somewhere between toad and lizard; very patient; more than can be fed will gather to take you down, then sort it out between whoever’s left. They're bigger  (could swallow a goblin, halfling or human child) than their lower altitude cousins and resistant to cold and lightning.

DHAX: Monster Conversion - Lone Wolf to D&D adjacent and Call of Cthulhu 5e

The snickering, ghoulish Dhax.
Gary Chalk.

One of the monsters from Lone Wolf that made an impression on me - the Dhax from Castle Death.

Canine skull, caracal ears, whale-like hide (or black scales, or short fur), webbed forepaws with retractable claws, and hoof-like feet - they're pack hunters, skilled trackers and craving for fresh meat. 

Sometimes armed with devastating Power Staves - these are not of Dhax manufacture, but are attuned only to them. 

The Dhax are intelligent and cruel, but their lifecycle, culture (material or otherwise) and non-predatory habits are unknown.

Dhax for Old School D&D Adjacent.

Armour Class +4     Hit Dice 6     Move 125% Normal Human     Morale 9 

• Claw/claw/bite for 1-6/1-6/1-8
• Dexterity min. 15 (+2 AC included)
• In their dungeon lairs, surprised only on a 1.
• Keen sense of smell and highly developed tracking skills: surprise on 1-3.
• Intelligent - at least high human average (12).
• Power Staff: damage as mace, morning star or staff (or just use d8) + d6 for baleful energy 
• save vs. wands to avoid 2d6 baleful energy blast/ bolt (60' range); recharges on a 1-2 on d6 at the end of each round.
• trying to pick up and use a Power Staff causes d6 baleful energy damage to non-Dhax per round. And it won't work for you.
• as an alternative to the above, a Dhax Power Staff is equivalent to an Int 9 Ego 12 sentient sword which tries to take control of anyone who touches it - you deliver yourself to the Dhax. If it fails to master you, take d6 damage and leave it alone.
• On death, Dhax immediately begin to smoulder, then burst into flames and are reduced to fused and stinking clinker in a matter of moments: 2-8 hits to anyone within 10'.

Rich Longmore's Dhax, giving it the old Anubis via Russ Nicholson vibe.

DHAX, Ghoulish Snickering Trackers for CoC 5e.

The Dhax are (d6):

1. Ancient astronauts once worshipped as gods, long since trapped on Earth.
2. From the Dreamlands, but physically present in the waking world at certain times, in certain places, or when certain words have been spoken.
3. One of the lesser known types of Ghoul.
4. One of the lesser known monstrous humanoid species of Earth.
5. Extra-terrestrials accidentally or deliberately transplanted to Earth by the Mi-Go.
6. Formless Spawn bound into this form by the will of Nyarlathotep at the behest of some long dead sorcerer.

I've no particular ideas on how the Dhax fit into a Mythos setting (canonical or otherwise) - I just like 'em.

STR 4d6 (14)     CON d6+12 (15-16)     SIZ 2d6+8 (15)     INT 2d6+6 (13)     POW 2d6+6 (13)

DEX 3d6+3 (13-14)

Hit Points 15               Damage Bonus +d4     Move 10

Weapons:

• Eight-fingered Claw Swipe 50%, d6
• Powerful Bite 30%, d8, automatic against grappled targets
• Power Staff:
• Strike 65%, d6 + db + d6 baleful energy
• Bolt 100%, 2d6 and destroys armour, point-for-point (Dodge, Jump or block to avoid injury)
• non-Dhax attempting to handle a Power Stave must match their current magic points with the Dhax's POW or lose d6 magic points per round - at 0 magic points, the victim will deliver themselves willingly to the Dhax in their lair. The same magic points vs. POW match is required to release a Power Stave once it has been taken up
• On suffering a death blow, the Dhax bursts into flame and burns to almost nothing in a matter of moments - 2-8 fire damage to anyone within 10' when this happens.

Armour: 2-point hide.

Skills: Tracking 60%, Sense of Smell 80%, Swim 70%, Jump DEX x3, Sneak 75%, Snicker Ghoulishly 85%, Dodge DEX x2

Spells: roll under INT on d20 for d6 spells

Habitat: Forbidden necropolises, nameless cities, lost temples. 

Sanity Loss: 0/1d6 to see the Dhax; 0/d2 to hear their ghoulish snickering and the soft thump of their hooves echoing through the tunnels ahead.

Commentary.

I found some 2e AD&D stats in a very unofficial looking Monstrous Compendium supplement that I probably shouldn’t haven’t been looking at/ for online:

AC +4 Mv 12 HD 3 Att. d4x2/d6 or weapon Size M (4’-6’tall) Morale Average  INT 8-10

How the author came up with the stats, I don't know - because this seems more like a rung on the humanoid threat ladder, rather than monsters 'among the most powerful of all the mutant guardians’ - ‘so evil, cunning and physically strong that they resemble the Agarashi’ (Bestiary of the Beyond, p. 92).

By a crude measure, Lone Wolf could be a 7th level character (one with numerous special abilities, too) when they encounter the Dhax, and there's a good chance of being killed - even without going toe-to-toe.

There's no mention of their signature weapon - the Power Stave - either; there's nothing beyond the stats, pic and reference to the book of origin. It is significantly more formidable if given the special abilities and the Power Stave described above.

(Converted to Coc, this Dhax would have characteristics close to that of a Ghoul, which has characteristics close to that of a Normal Human.)

Sam Manley. From the LW Bestiary of the Beyond.
Just looks a bit like something on the humanoid threat scale, or an AD&D demon.

Bestiary of the Beyond and https://www.lonewolfitalia.com/ are -I suppose- canon sources and helpful (the Dhax, as far as I'm aware, didn't feature in the Lone Wolf d20 game), but I'm mainly going by my memories of playing through Castle Death, Gary Chalk's somewhat ambiguous attitude towards fur and scales, and where my imagination took me.

While they're described as mutants, hybrid of human and beast, I think there's a definite whiff of the demonic about them.

d66/d36 Dungeon Monsters.

In the notes doc for my previous post, I also had another d66 table - more general monsters this time. Filled in a few gaps, swapped out a few regular generics and tidied everything up a bit.

 

Black Ichor is something like this: https://dysonlogos.blog/2018/08/06/further-delves-for-the-black-ichor/ 

 

Unless specified or you have it planned out, HD = DL (dungeon level) and Number Appearing is d6 + DL. 

 

Solo monsters have HD = average party level + DL.

 

As always, season according to taste and usual caveat about probability distribution. 

Roll d6:

1. Roll d6:

1. Silverfish, Giant: If surprised, they immediately try to escape; roll HD vs. HD to see if they overrun you; 2d6 + DL appearing. A really big one could cause ramming damage and knock you prone. Eat paper, glue and rations.
2. Spider, Giant (1): Reroll any initial Hostile Reaction. This human- to pony-sized monster is content to feast on the more numerous dungeon fauna rather than risk losing a leg against you. Odds/evens, it's a web-spinner/ running hunter. Use the same chances as Dragons for whether it's sleeping, a talker, intelligent etc.
3. Woodlice, Giant: Not aggressive; roll HD vs. HD for overrun; will attempt to eat your rations. A really big one could cause ramming damage and knock you prone. Armoured. You can cook and eat them - they smell and taste strongly of piss and make you wet the bed, but it's nutritious and may help with GUI.
4. Ravenous Larvae: Hungry and relentless; will destroy your backpack, leather goods, belts, spellbooks, rations etc.; bite for continuous damage; only scared of fire; 2d6 + DL appearing. Grow up to be Beetles, Moths or Tunnel Worms, but you'd need to be a specialist to tell them apart.
5. Beetle, Giant - Snicker-snack (1): It looks scary, it acts peaceful, it can take off an extremity on a critical hit. Heads they glue in a cluster to their abdomen as egg-chambers (they drop off when the egg is ready to hatch). Always wins Initiative when it deploys its wings, either to charge or escape.
6. Vapour Rats: Wispy trails with inky, defined eyes, teeth and nails; 1-2 on d6 each round, it coughs or sneezes and curls in on itself to nothing, uncurling a short distance away (as a Blink Dog). Intelligent animals, curious, playful - steal your trinkets and eat your rations. Magic weapons or fire/ lightning to harm.

2. Roll d6:

1. Rust Grubs: Squeal loudly as they feed; immediately try to eat your armour and weapons; first grub has double chance of surprising you;  1d6 + 1d6/DL appearing. Their acidic jaws do not harm flesh, wood or leather, but leaves an orange stain with a horrible smell.
2. Rot Monster (1): Grotesque, stinky (pineapples!), curious and sort-of-friendly, it will kill by accident or by design. Might be mistaken for something undead, as it constantly decomposes and regrows its flesh. Or it might actually be undead.
3. Ghouls: Roll d6: 1. frenzied & rotting, 2. hairy & panting, 3. pale & whispering, 4. sallow & creeping, 5. well-dressed & smiling, 6. fungoid & glowing.
4. Wererat Skeletons: Stealthy, mist-shrouded undead; chill touch drains STR; living Wererats are absolutely terrified of them.
5. Croglin Vampires: BECMI Giant Shrew crossed with a Thoul; wants to suck your blood; d6 - 1 + DL appearing. They have treasure stuffed in a greasy burrow or scattered about a bone-strewn chamber.
6. Wererats: Odds/evens, they’re armed with muskets and pistols, as well as knives and cudgels. Odds/evens, they're in human form (if capable). d3 to see if they're like Skaven, Lankhmar wererats or RAW.

3. Roll d6:

1. Frilled Priests: Ignore all bonuses to Reaction because they're not happy you’re interrupting their pilgrimage/ sacred rites. Their artefacts are valuable but cursed/ venomous.
2. Trolls, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes and/or Goblins: The grim fairy tale kind. At least one spell & possibly full casters (L=HD); 2-3 on 2d6 to spot them if you're L3 or less, 1-2 on d6 if you're L4 - L7. Only take min. damage unless from iron or blessed weapon. d3 appearing DL 1-3, d6 4+.
3. Ogres: Base HD 4 + 1 (17hp) plus 1 + 1 (5 hp) per 2 whole dungeon levels. No. App. is d2 x DL - these Ogres are friends and/or a family. Not that much bigger than humans, but much tougher. Like food and treasure more than they like recreational cannibalism. Which they do like.
4. Giant Moth Swarm: Big, but no bigger than a substantial thumb. Disturb them and they swarm all around and over you. Keep calm and you'll be okay, otherwise you'll agitate them even more and they'll start smothering you. 1 on d6 they're blood suckers, too (a polymorphed Vampire if there's one in the dungeon).
5. Kobolds/ Knockers: You can’t hurt them unless you use iron or blessed weapons or mining tools; death throes in spectacular Dragonlance Draconian fashion. They definitely know where there's treasure, traps and Black Ichor. Reskin duergar,  gnome, halfling or svirfneblin. d3 appearing DL 1-3, +DL-3 on 4+.
6. Beetles, Giant – Fire: Easy-going arthropods with glowing glands (red, yellow or blue). Non-aggressive unless you start messing with their eggs. Often devoured by their Ravenous Larvae.

4. Roll d6:

1. Moth, Giant – Brillig: From head to torso sized. If one hovers (can't do anything else), it's like a +2 mirror image effect. If there's 3 or more flying around, they're under a blur effect. Their vomit is like Giant Locust spit. Non-aggressive. Killed by sunlight.
2. Mound People: Tall, pale skin, black hair, glazed eyes; finely crafted antique armour, weapons and equipment. Everything is as if in dream to them. Odds/evens, they attempt to charm you into following them, and eventually disappear into solid earth or stone - taking you with them or leaving you behind, heartbroken (Black Ichor is the only cure).
3. Custodians/ Guardians: They won’t hurt you unless you’re harming the dungeon, but they make you feel uneasy, creepy little cherub-things. Reskinned BECMI Halflings.
4. Bugbears: There’s a good chance that Black Ichor (or a shrine to Tsathogghua) is nearby; they’re aggressive, but not stupid, and they've got homes to go to not that far away.
5. Ghosts: Lots of people and monsters died down here; odds/evens, they have remains that can be laid to rest; d3 appearing, regardless of DL. They can scare (even unto death) and curse the living, but otherwise cannot harm them directly.
6. Troglodytes: Nude and slinky reptile people who think material culture is pointless - especially that of dry-skin surface-dwelling light-seers. Unless you surprise them, they will be camouflaged; will follow you to pick off stragglers, because you're tasty.

5. Roll d6:

1. Blind Hairy Underworld Cannibals: Don’t speak your language but they're not stupid, and not necessarily hostile if they’re not hungry (odds/evens).
2. Guardian Skeletons: Hand weapon, spear, shield, helmet, armour in any combination; either on patrol or tied to a particular area or object. They will fight to the death, but won't attack unless you interfere with their duties.
3. Tunnel Worm (1): Odds: soft and slimy, drools and spits digestive enzymes that eat through flesh (vinegar or wine to rinse). Elongated, it runs the length of the passageway; compressed, blocks it like a fleshy plug. Evens: armour plated, jaws bite through metal, superheated innards so dangerous death throes. Burrows through rock.
4. Creeping Shadows: Hang around at the edge of the lamp light, waiting to drain the life from the dying (any Casualty/0 hp, but also 3 hp or less); immune to normal weapons.
5. Crawling Slime (1): Shimmers with hypnotic rainbow colours; destroys wood, metal, and flesh.
6. Mad Dogs: Not necessarily rabid, but hungry and dangerous.

6. Roll d6:

1. Shuffling Corpses: Bog-standard zombies; will attack half-heartedly, unenthusiastic in pursuit. 1 on d6 each round to realise they've been hungry for living flesh all along and that's the motivation they needed. Or roll on this table.
2. Miners: Underworld humanoids, digging out treasure or remodelling the dungeon. Probably short in stature, but odds/evens they're mundane/ supernatural.
3. Lost Hirelings: They’ll join you for a chance to get back to the surface world. Odds/evens, at least one is a disguised monster.
4. Bristling Burrower (1): Bear-badger-mole-porcupine; claw/claw/bite; shed/shoot diseased spines. It's almost blind, but has a superb sense of smell and echo-location. Strong, identifiable musk to mark its territory. Aggressive; avoided by all intelligent dungeon denizens.
5. False Healer (1): Whatever it turns out to be, it appears to be a healer with a safe place to rest. Doppelgangers, medusas, mind flayers, undead and subterranean nymphs all spring to mind.
6. Adventurers: You might even know them. Roll d6 to determine how many of No. App. are actual adventurers, the excess are hirelings, prisoners and animals. Odds/evens, they're doing better/worse than you so far.

d66/d18 Horrible Humanoids

Not done a d66 for a while now - here's 18 types of humanoid monster encounter you might run up against in your local megadungeon. Season according to your setting and system.

Number Appearing is d6 + dungeon level; HD can be capped at dungeon level. Damage d6.

Lone monsters are 50% specials with HD = average party level + dungeon level. Damage d6+1 (or d8).

Controlling Cloaks and Brain Bats are not humanoids, but will 50% be in possession of one as a host (roll again on this table for type if you like). If more than 1 is encountered, you can check for each or the one is trying to lure hosts for the others.

d66	Result
11,12	Hyperboreans. Short, slim, red hair and beards; Stone Age hand weapons but 50% chance of ancient technology that looks like magic; at least one spell each (B/X Elves). You’re a come-lately sub-being driving them inexorably to extinction, but they don’t automatically hold that against you.
13,14	Black Ichor Addicts. Wretched dungeoneers (human or otherwise) without a choice; if they don’t know where there is Black Ichor, they want to know; always initial Neutral Reaction.
15,16	Eyeless Cannibals. They don’t need eyes to find you (so you can surprise them even with a light); they don’t need clothes, either; don’t want to eat you more than they want to live.
21,22	Radioactive Dwarves. Solemn, slow, bald, robes and jewelry of lead; their very presence weakens and kills you; if they’re Hostile, it’s because their brains are rotten. You could reskin duergar, svirfnebli and similar - or give them psionics.
23,24	Minions. Of the dungeon master; they have been sent to foil or imprison you; know things you can beat out of them; 1 on d6, there’s a spell-caster with them; similar chance they have a double strength leader/ champion/ brute.
25,26	Doppelgangers. Whether made out of shadow or made out of meat, they want to walk into your life and then out of this dungeon; might not look like you at first.
31,32	Bandits. They only want your stuff, but will kill for it if they need to; probably not welcome in the dungeon, either; probably adventurers/ dungeoneers/ murderhobos like you.
33,34	Controlling Cloaks. A sort of vampire; clings to your back and shoulders; do what they say or they’ll bite and smother you; can’t go out in the daylight; good relations with Dark Ones, know where there is Black Ichor, hate Brain Bats and Frilled Priests.
35,36	Custodians. Cherub/putti, elemental manifestations that maintain and protect the dungeon; essentially neutral, they’re there to stop chaotic disruptions to the dungeon, so might step in to break up a fight. Reskinned B/X Halflings.
41,42	Berserkers. They can’t help it – they just love to fight. Odds/evens, they’re thigh-slapping Brian Blessed knock offs who’ll share a pint with you afterwards, or cruel bastards who like to cripple and kill.
43,44	Carrion Sifters. Ghoulish wretches that like to send others against others and pick over the corpses; spies for the Dark Ones, know where there’s Black Ichor and monster lairs.
45,46	Brain Bats. Ugly telepathic winged brains that are low-rent, off-brand mind flayers/ intellect devourers; it’s really obvious to everyone else if you’ve got one clinging to your head, but you have no idea; hate everyone.
51,52	Dark Ones. Ultimately out to dominate and supplant the human race, but never overlook an opportunity to do a little business; Hostile means you’ve stumbled on something private and secret. They run those incongruous shops in mega- & roguelike-dungeons. Cartilage instead of bones, nails and teeth; stretchy.
53,54	Cenobites. Flayed men and rubber maids, armed with hooks, chains, spikes, hooked and spiked chains, and flensing knives; they just want to share the exquisite pain with you. Each round, 2 on 2d6 they’re sucked back to their hell dimension - you might go with them if they’ve hooked and chained you.
55,56	Frilled Priests. Never stop pilgrimaging; can spit holy venom and use telescopic rods to shrink down and escape; interested in Black Ichor and Hyperboreans; know spells.
61,62	Lost Souls. Not quite alive, not quite undead; they’re attracted to your light and life, but can’t tolerate it for long; some can still remember their mortal lives.
63,64	Shape Devourers. What they kill and eat, they can turn into; if intelligent, they’re collectors/ connoisseurs; hate Doppelgangers and can recognise them.
65,66	Ancient Knights. They chose… poorly, and must guard the thing forever; not undead; cannot leave their charge; must be destroyed or they eventually reform and rise; at least full chainmail armour, with ancient weapons and shields; might never have seen a firearm.

OARD: Monster Conversion - BECMI D&D to Call of Cthulhu 5e

I recently did a CoC to D&D conversion for Mi Go, and mentioned the Oards as a front for the Mi Go - so here's a version in BRP format. 

OARDS, Cat's Paws of the Mi Go.

Grown in vats, augmented with technology, the Oards are the things behind most of the commonly recognised types of UFOnaut -and some of the more bizarre Men in Black encounters- using cloaking devices and cerebral dampeners to manipulate human witnesses. 

Physically, Oards are humanoid and very similar in appearance to each other. Diversity of appearance is dependent on cultural expectations of the intended human audience. Oard technology can be used to disguise their appearance or to confuse human senses, but this is a projection rather than a changing of form. 

Their general appearance, behaviour and technology will superficially reflect the historical background of your game, and what people at the time were describing/ experiencing when they encountered an unidentified flying object and/or its crew - aliens, fairies, German spies, Napoleonic troops, flying saucers, rockets, airships, ornithopters, balloons, even boats lifted by evaporating dew.

Oards are intelligent and self-willed, but are the creations of the Mi Go and ultimately serve them, consciously or unconsciously. Only the Mi Go know whether the Oards are the source of or are built on the template of the cross-culturally common characteristics of the UFO abduction/encounter experience.

Oards do not know that they are constructs of Yuggoth, and believe themselves to be a galaxy-spanning civilisation of ancient pedigree. The lack of clear cross-references in Mythos sources concerning the Mi Go suggests that the Fungi have either been successful in hiding their authorship or that the creation of the Oards is of a comparatively recent date.

All Oards are programmed not to harm or interfere with the Mi Go. An Oard encountering a Mi Go will either be utterly unable to detect its presence, or immediately stop what it was doing and await orders. A Mi Go can command an Oard to harm another Mi Go, but rival Fungi can match POW to wrest control from each other.

Humans can be converted into Oards. The process is comparatively simple for the Mi Go, and an Oard body is sometimes used instead of a brain cannister. If carried out by the Oards, conversion is much more protracted (it can be done over several years and multiple procedures) and much more like torture - it has more to do with Mi Go terror-tactics than efficiency.

Most Oards are STR, SIZ and INT 10, with those having 13 SIZ and 14 INT representing leader types. 

STR 18 Oards are combat/ invasion ready - it has no bearing on their apparent rank.

STR 10 or 18    CON 20     SIZ 10 or 13     INT 10 or 14     POW 0     DEX 13

Hit Points 15 or 16              Damage bonus nil or +d4     Move 8

Weapons: 

• Air Rifle: 95%, range and damage as whatever is the best similar projectile weapon available to the characters for their historical period, but preferably one that they do not possess or have easy access to.
• Smoke- and heat-less, nearly silent, and the ammunition can be envenomed, drugged, explosive etc.
• 6 shots when fully loaded.
• Flame Pistols: 100%, 2d6 + sets fires 
• Discharges a 20' streamer of burning gas - Dodge or block.
• Fully charged, good for 6 shots.
• Ray Glove: 100% for single shot in a combat round, 50% each for two, 30% each for three, d6+1 and ignores most armour, up to at least late 20th Century Earth tech.
• You can attempt to Parry or grapple to push it away in melee, otherwise Dodge, Jump or get behind good solid cover.
• A single shot has an effective range of as far as the Oard can see.

Armour: Minimum damage from impales. Unaffected by terrestrial poisons and venoms. 

Immune to mind-reading, mind-control and emotion - except when caused by Mi Go or some kind of genius computer hacker.

Oards may wear a protection belt that generates an invisible personal forcefield - this becomes especially common from the 1960s onwards.

This gives 10 armour points vs. frontal attacks from hand weapons and directed energy (including explosions), and complete protection from non-magical projectiles (either deflecting or dropping them, you decide).

The wearer is unaffected by extreme environmental heat & cold, and has limited anti-gravity - they can descend straight down 50' without harm, can cross 20' of water or similar without danger of sinking, and walk across any distance of snow, sand, dust or similar without hindrance and without leaving footprints 

Spells: None - Oards do not use or understand magic. 

In a pre-modern (and/or magic-heavy) setting, their technology will be seen as magical.

Skills: Abduct 100%, Cattle Mutilation 99%, Probe 100%, Resistance is Futile 80%, Misunderstand Human Subtleties 95%, Misuse Human Artefacts 35%, Appear Benevolent 15%.

Habitat: It seems likely that they maintain secret bases on the Earth and its Moon, not being truly extra-terrestrial. Oards will sometimes be in the entourage of Mi Go, or disguised Mi Go will be mixed in with the group.

Sanity Loss: To see the true form of an Oard, 0/d3; to be abducted, 0/d6; to survive conversion, 0/d10; to discover that Oards are a front for the Mi Go, 0/d6.

Using Oard Technology.

The short answer is that you can't - Oards interface with much of their equipment through cybernetic implants, so their weapons are unlikely to have something as simple as a trigger to squeeze, nor their computers a keyboard and mouse.

Partial Oard conversion or a surgical intervention by the Mi Go could equip a human to use Oard equipment - while possibly to the character's advantage, this will be to create more useful minions.

If even this seems too generous, you can rule that this is part of Nyarlathotep's portfolio and will be done only to further the designs of the Outer Gods - or to simply further humanity's plunge toward bloody chaos and extinction.

I wish these two were holding hands so they could exchange long protein strings - if you can think of a simpler way, I'd like to hear it.

Commentary.

The Oards are time-travelling aliens from the 1985 BECMI module Where Chaos Reigns by Graeme Morris (CM6 UK). They're androids or cyborgs, combining technology with their organic body, that are attempting to prevent the development and ascendancy of magic on the world of Aelos by interfering at critical points in history.

Which seems to me like the kind of thing the Mi Go would do.

I've seen unsupported statements that they were the prototype for the Borg in Star Trek, but they seem more likely to be descendants of the Cybermen from Dr. Who.

Dungeons & Dragonwarriors - Who is That?

Okay. A bit of a change of pace, so bear with me on this one.

In 1986, Out of the Shadows - the fourth in the Dragonwarriors series - hits the shelves and introduces us to the Assassin Profession.

In illustrations accompanying one of the included adventures -'The One-Eyed God'- this faceless character turns up twice. Apart from the armoured figure on the left (being the exception to prove the rule), there are no other characters illustrated in this fashion throughout the 4 books so far.

 

Because this is book 4, I think the character is an Assassin: staff and dagger/short sword are their speciality weapons, and they prefer light or no armour.

Other special abilities of the Assassin include Climbing, with added acrobatics: 

An Assassin can leap up to scale any obstacle below 3m in height, given at least 5m as a run-up. This is executed as a single jumping somersault - spectacular, though it can lead to problems if the drop on the other side is more than 6m!

Assassins can fall up to 6m without sustaining injury. 

- Out of the Shadows, p.19-20

So the boots are off for some jumping, leaping or tightrope walking.

Though we can't definitively determine gender or ethnicity from the illustrations, I think that this character is Diana the Acrobat from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon (1983-1985).

The outfit is not 100%, but I think that could be for the same reason the face is hidden - so as not to poke the D&D litigation monster. Alternatively, Bob Harvey might just have thought that her original get-up wasn't suitable for the frosty wilds of Algandy.

Why? 

Is this an Easter egg or a coincidence? Does anyone know either way, or even think this is plausible?