More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

[Rappy]

If it's any consolation, the gorbel isn't the worst beholderkin out there. We have to wait for the Hazards appendix for that.

[Eldan]

Did they ever update that fungal spore thingy which posed as a beholder so that adventurers would make it explode? You know, the one frome the "worst monsters" list.

[Rappy]

Did they ever update that fungal spore thingy which posed as a beholder so that adventurers would make it explode? You know, the one frome the "worst monsters" list.

Yep, that's the one I just mentioned as being in the Hazards appendix. The gas spore.

It's rather pathetic when you're a cheap knock-off of the gorbel.

[The Glyphstone]

Gas Spore is also in Lords of Madness. It's still not very impressive.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

It's rather pathetic when you're a cheap knock-off of the gorbel.

Hey, don't knock the gas spore; it came first, showing up all the way back in the 1e MM. The gorbel's the copycat here.

[Thurbane]

The explosion causes 1d4 damage! In a five foot burst! I mean, I know this is a CR 1 monster, but seriously? Even a 1st level Wizard is going to laugh at that. I know these guys were always a bit lame, but I don't remember them being this pathetic...I suppose a swarm of them might provide some small challenge to a very low level party...maybe.

I guess a more powerful Beholderkin might use these guys as guard dogs, so that when he hears the "POP!" he knows someone/something is coming...

[PairO'Dice Lost]

The one time I used gas spores was as guards/decoys for a Beholder Mage. They can pack quite a punch if you cast death throes on them beforehand.

[Rappy]

The one time I used gas spores was as guards/decoys for a Beholder Mage. They can pack quite a punch if you cast death throes on them beforehand.

That's...sadistically brilliant, actually.

Also, sorry this post was late, but I had a rather rough day. That'll teach me to try and make post schedules. I was going to have six creatures, as I noted before, but....I have no idea what the hell I should write for the next creature, the gryph. It's weird. Really weird.

----------------

Gorgimera
Have you ever looked at a chimera and pondered "Hmm, that's not quite vicious enough...let's give it petrification breath!" No? Well, that's apparently what was going through the head of the creator of the gorgimera. This CR 8 monstrosity takes a chimera and replaces the goat head and back half with the armored hide of the bull-like gorgon of Dungeons and Dragons. Thus, you combine the bite of the lion, the breath weapon of the dragon, and the petrification breath of the gorgon into a single, horrifying entity that will cause your players to scream out to the heavens for mercy from their gods.



Gorgon, True
For those of you who aren't keen on having the whole bull-monster thing in your Dungeons and Dragons as the representative of the name "gorgon", well...here are the real gorgons. Specifically, two Outsiders, the CR 20 Sthenno and the CR 22 Euryale. These wicked serpentine sisters may be on the low end of epic-level creatures, but they certainly shouldn't be underestimated; they both have fast healing, hefty damage reduction, darkvision at a range of 120 feet, immunities to transformation, sleep, stunning, and paralytic abilities, petrification gazes, spell resistance above 30 (slightly more for Euryale, adding to her Challenge Rating) and both claws and venomous snake-hair attacks. Oh, and they are immortal. That means that they cannot be killed by disintegration spells or death effects, aging, or massive damage attacks, so you'd better have a good plan to beat them up fast.



Gorilla-Bear
You know what an owlbear is, so this shouldn't really surprise you. It's a creature with the body of a gorilla and the paws and head of a bear. Combining two strong creatures, one of whom has nasty claws and teeth, into a single monstrous beast. Creepily enough, in the fashion of many "rawr I eat you" monsters, gorilla-bears are noted to "savor the taste of goblins and elves". Eeeyugh....



Grippli
The gripplis (no relation to Ripleys) are a baseline Level Adjustment +0 frog-people race. These amphibious humanoids live in tribes in the jungles and swamps lead by a tribe mother (listed as being usually either a 3rd-level Cleric or Adept), and are fond of fruit, insects, and shiny things...the last of which for decoration, not for food, obviously. they also trade with elves and halflings, presumably of the jungle racial variant. As for actual game rules, gripplis are a bit on the strong side for their listed LA, with three +2 ability score bonuses (to Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom) opposed by only two -2 ability score penalties (Strength and Charisma), the ability to cross mud and other marshy hazards unimpeded, a +6 bonus to Hide checks in swamps and forests due to their coloration, and both land and climb speeds of 30 feet in spite of being size Small. Still, I love the gripplis more than...say...the bullywugs or tsathar (the latter of which we'll meet later in this book).



Groaning Spirit (Banshee)

The groaning spirit is the malevolent spirit of a female elf that is found haunting swamps, fens, moors, and other desolate places. Groaning spirits hate the living and seek to destroy whomever they meet. A groaning spirit appears as a translucent image of her former self.

And now you have seen all the fluff for the banshee, and all you really need to know. It's about as bog standard undead motivation as you can get, and while the elven note is novel, it's also rather confusing. Why are banshees always female elves? Explain, please, Tome of Horrors. The Monstrous Manual didn't really help me in this matter either, so...myeh.

The banshee also has the ability to sense all living creatures within a 5 mile radius, a chilling touch, a fear aura, and the ability to cast wail of the banshee to instakill you if you fail your save (this is a CR 7 monster, mind you!). The only fortunate point is that you get to have a little payback if you're a divine spellcaster; dispel evil works as a Will-save-or-instakill effect on banshees.

[Terraoblivion]

I would imagine that banshees always being female elves in D&D is a leftover from Lord Soth's curse, which involved the ghosts of female elves who could kill with their screams. I have no proof, but i imagine that was where they entered D&D rules and they just got branched out so they could be used for something not relating to Lord Soth, but they never got around to axing the female elf part.

[Divayth Fyr]

Perhaps the banshee are always female, because that's how the Irish mitology (from which the creature was most likely taken) portraits them - as female spirits

[Terraoblivion]

Doesn't explain the elf aspect, though. Focusing on Lord Soth's wife kind of does, though. Especially since him and his past was in the original Chronicles from 1984 and the campaign setting was from 1982, not unlikely that the banshee didn't enter D&D until after that. Still it is just my most educated guess.

[Rappy]

Doesn't explain the elf aspect, though. Focusing on Lord Soth's wife kind of does, though. Especially since him and his past was in the original Chronicles from 1984, not unlikely that the banshee didn't enter D&D until after that. Still it is just my most educated guess.

The Tome of Horrors lists the first appearance of the banshee being in 1977, but it's possible that creature evolution lead to Lord Soth's history entering the mix.

[Terraoblivion]

I see. In that case i am stumped. I guess it was just something along the lines of Celtic=elves. At least i can think of no logical explanation for why banshees have to be elves.

[Divayth Fyr]

Well the banshee was the "woman of the fairy mounds" and elves seem to fit that more then the other races. (on a sidenote, when did the Seelie Court enter dnd? if it was after the banshee appeared, it might be one of the original reasons for banshee=female elf)

[Rappy]

I know there was a Seelie fey note from 1992, but I can imagine they stretch back farther. Just how far that is, however, I'm not sure.

[Thane of Fife]

I've always really liked Grippli. I don't think I've ever used them in a game, but I can recall writing a Redwall-esque story involving frog-people at one point, and naming the main character Grippli. But come on, 700-year-old frog people with opposable thumbs! How can you not love it?!

While Gorgimeras are fun, after reading Cult of the Dragon, I prefer Dracimeras - imagine a Chimera, but replace it's two non-dragon heads with more dragon heads. Brilliant!

I find it odd that Banshees cast Wail ofthe Banshee. Why not give them a similar ability? Surely they shouldn't have to cast a spell named after their best attack method?

[PairO'Dice Lost]

I find it odd that Banshees cast Wail ofthe Banshee. Why not give them a similar ability? Surely they shouldn't have to cast a spell named after their best attack method?

It's more that they have an ability which was subsequently copied by arcanists and named "wail of the banshee" rather than that they cast a spell to use their ability. Just because the banshee comes later book-wise doesn't mean the spell would have come first in-game.

[Rappy]

Yeah. And to be fair, it's called "Keening", but is noted to essentially be wail of the banshee.

[Thurbane]

The earliest mention of Banshees in D&D that I can recall was the 1E MM, and they were listed (with no explanation) as the spirits of evil female elves. Presumably, this was because an evil elf was such a rare thing...obviously, this was before the Drow came along in the 1E FF!

[Rappy]

Gryph
A four (or sometimes six)-legged ibis that implants its eggs in living organisms. ...Just...I don't know what to say about it...Dungeons and Dragons! *Throws up hands in defeat*



Guardian Daemon
While not quite a true daemon (indeed, they are listed as being True Neutral with "evil tendencies", and they are creations of the daemons for summoning purposes), this CR 7 Outsider certainly isn't to be underestimated. The guardians resemble a mixture of animal (usually an ape, bear, or big cat) and horned daemon and watch over rooms or treasure stores...you know, the typical D&D monster job. A guardian daemon attacks with both its arsenal of claws and teeth, but can also expel a 30-foot gout of fire to snipe targets at a range; this is rather useful, considering that the guardian daemon must stay in a designated 100+ (10 extra per caster level of the summoner) square foot region. While not especially inspired, the guardian daemons are a good gateway drug for later adventures with true daemons.



Hangman Tree
Most likely formed after a few too many ghost stories, the CR 7 hangman tree is a hellish oak with noose-like tentacles for grappling opponents and hallucinogenic spores that can make an opponent believe it is either a treant or a mere oak in the woods. It's also weak against electricity and cold, for whatever reason, and is slowed by darkness spells (again, for whatever reason). The more interesting thing than the monster itself, though, is the fact that this idea was apparently good enough that Necromancer Games decided to do it twice. In the Tome of Horrors II, there is a similar creature known as the gallows tree. The two major differences are Challenge Rating (7 vs. 13) and the fact that the gallows tree took a page from the yellow musk creeper's book and creates plant zombies.



Haunt
The haunt, a CR 4 incorporeal Undead, is essentially a ghost-lite; it can transform into a will-o'-wispy light ball, deal Dexterity damage, and possess a living being, but not much else. It also suffers from some somewhat contradictory flavor text. The haunt is obsessed with achieving rest at last, since the cause of its death has trapped it within a 60-foot boundary zone around the place where its body fell. How does it do that? Why, by mercilessly assaulting with its Dexterity drain and then hijacking the paralyzed body for its own purposes, of course! Just in case you forgot that undead are under contract to be malevolent.



Hellmoth
A giant CR 6 Aberration of a moth. Envelops foes and sets them on fire. Not as interesting as such a premise would indicate.



Hippocampus
A classical Greek legendary "merhorse" with human-level intelligence. Good for sea-going characters and NPCs, particularly aquatic elves and the like, bad for Let's Read purposes. I don't really have that much to say about them, really.

[Fhaolan]

I see. In that case i am stumped. I guess it was just something along the lines of Celtic=elves. At least i can think of no logical explanation for why banshees have to be elves.

Because shee = elf. It's the same word as 'sidhe' and 'sith', just in a different dialect of Gaelic. In the original mythos, banshee's weren't ghosts as such. They were one of the many types of elf/goblin/whatever.

In old mythos, the dividing line between elves, faeries, and spirits was kinda blurry. This is true for Celtic myth, Norse myth, Japanese myth, etc. When translating those mythos into D&D, which has very specific, tightly defined catagories, there are several glitch points like the Banshee.

[BobVosh]

Wow, long read from start til here. I ran a module that use those weird Satyrs as demons were devastating the forest that the elves lived in. The PCs were way over level to be threatened by such things, but they added a little flavor.

I also like the hangman tree a lot. Its just kinda neat, and I like vicious stationary plants as well as the more mobile ones.

[Rappy]

Hoar Fox
This silver-furred tundra creature is essentially another "low-level moving profit" monster. A CR 2 Magical Beast with a relatively strong breath weapon for its size, hoar foxes have pelts that are worth 200 gold pieces on the market...unless it takes fire damage, in which case the pelt is dulled and worthless. So yeah, against all common sense, don't apply fire to this Cold subtype monster.



Huecuva
And finally, we're at a monster that I like again! If demonic knights (which will be covered in the demons and devils "appendix"...I'm almost tempted to start a separate thread for the appendices, starting with the templates appendix, so we can get there faster and finish this book as a whole up sooner. But I won't be greedy unless someone else thinks it's a good idea) are the perversion of the Paladin, skeletal warriors of the Fighter, and liches of the Wizard, then the huecuva is most certainly the perversion of the Cleric. These tattered-garbed skeletal figures are clerics cursed by their gods for an unforgivable sin at the end of their lives, and are forced to wear the form of the undead they loathed as penance.

A huecuva can spread filth fever across the land under the guise of a mortal being (thanks to spell-like abilities to aid in that front) and claw at the living. There's only problem...the huecuva is weak. Horrendously weak. A CR undead isn't going to impress anyone for long, and I can certainly see why Wizards of the Coast themselves made the huecuva as a template. On the other hand...well...this one's Open Game Content. *Shrugs* One could always waive the "3-6 hit dice" advancement and have it have 2 hit dice in addition to all the Cleric levels it had in life. That sounds like a nice fix, actually.



Inphidian, Common
Inphidians are more or less Yuan-Ti with the serial numbers filed off. They are snake-mutants with vipers for hands and, in the case of the common inphidian, capable of expelling a caustic blinding spray like that of a spitting cobra. I'm also curious if the name is an indicator of planning ahead; the common inphidian is the only member of the group in the Tome of Horrors, and is even reprinted in the Tome of Horrors II with two new inphidians. Also included are stats for inphidian gauntlets (hands for creatures without them) and the Serpent domain for Clerics. The common inphidian is a CR 3 Monstrous Humanoid, by the way, before I forget to note that.



Iron Cobra
Does what it says on the tin. The iron cobra is a cobra made of iron, a CR 2 Construct with the multipurpose functions of hoard guardian, bodyguard, and assassin. An iron cobra can, without fail, find a specific target its master has seen or has an object belonging to within a 1-mile radius, hence the assassin part. In addition, an iron cobra's venom compartments can be filled with whatever poison its master favors, which helps in most situations. Whether you want a rival to die or simply to paralyze an attacker for later questioning, an iron cobra can do all that and more.



Jack-o'-Lantern
This vaguely humanoid mess of vines and a carved pumpkin head is essentially the plant version of a golem, with "A combination of druidic magic and fey spirits" animating it instead of arcane magic and elemental spirits, and it has an intellect on par with an ogre rather than requiring constant orders. Its face is carved to bear a resemblance to its personality (read: alignment), so a Chaotic Evil jack-o'-lantern may have a Jokeresque face as it descends upon a Lawful Good jack-o'-lantern with a knightly visage. This is a fun creature, I will admit, as it is a pretty interesting encounter for a CR 3 Plant, and one that won't soon be forgotten. Especially considering that it doesn't just attack with its rending claws...it can shoot flaming pumpkin seeds! Oh yes, you heard that right. Flaming. Pumpkin. Seeds.

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Next time, we'll have a grand total of six creatures I'm rather apathetic about as we dip into the next "valley" in the book's quality...well, in my opinion, at least... Don't worry though, the fey will come to bail us out in the update after that, I'm certain of it!

[BobVosh]

Just as I finished reading this thread, I get pulled back in!

I like the iron cobra as a little buddy to an assassin. A weak undead Huecuva is kinda meh, one of the creatures that works better as a template.

Jack-o'-Lantern is....odd. I'm not too enthused on it, as it seems a bit slapstick in its way. Which, of course, is very TSR.

[Rappy]

A weak undead Huecuva is kinda meh, one of the creatures that works better as a template.

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly. Hence my suggested fix for it. And speaking of the huecuva and kin, I wonder if there are "undead exemplars" for other classes besides those I mentioned. I am pretty sure I at least remember an undead anti-Rogue with a name to the effect of "Traitorous Thief" or "Cowardly Thief" or something like that.

[some guy]

I always like reviews of monsters, and this thread is no exception.
That Carrion Moth actually seemed interesting, gives the carrion crawler some hooks. ("If we let that crawler escape, we're going to let something terrible loose.").

Draug
Presumably the flight is based around the Flying Dutchman, which makes me wonder why they didn't just give it a Dutch name rather than a Norse one.

There's not really a good Dutch name for that. Spookpiraat, geestzeerover, zeegeest are all possibilities, but are also terribly lame and have no character or connection with folklore.
If you want a good undead Dutch (undutch?) creature I suggest a vuurman or a wit wief. A vuurman (transl: fireman) was usually a farmer who tried to expand his land by moving a borderstone. After the farmer's death he is cursed to wander around cluelessly, carrying the borderstone and asking "Where should I put it?". It will find peace if told "Where you got it from.". It is also fiery, I don't know why.
A wit wief (transl: white wife) is usually the ghost of a witch. They hang around burial mounds and will not harm anyone who doesn't bother them (they will flip out if you stumble upon their territories or insult them). They can take the shape of mist, or mist and fog surrounds them. Sometimes they're kindred, helping with pregnancies or whatnot.
Could make for interesting encounters.

Anyway, nice work, Rappy!

[Rappy]

A wit wief (transl: white wife) is usually the ghost of a witch. They hang around burial mounds and will not harm anyone who doesn't bother them (they will flip out if you stumble upon their territories or insult them). They can take the shape of mist, or mist and fog surrounds them. Sometimes they're kindred, helping with pregnancies or whatnot.!

That does sound interesting, yeah. It's somewhat like a less malevolent version of a d20 Modern monster called the doom hag.

-------------------------

Jaculi
An 8-foot serpent with no skin on its face and barb-like protrusions arrayed around its head. It has a CR 1/2 Magical Beast, and takes no damage from falls of 30 feet or less. All in all, it seems to be a weaker equivalent of a jaculus...although if the name didn't tip you off to that, I don't know what will.



Jellyfish, Monstrous
Here we have a CR 2 Vermin that isn't nearly as "monstrous" as its name implies. It's size Large, and has improved grab, transparency, water jet movement, wavesense, and 1d6 Dexterity damage poison...you know, what you'd expect from a typical jellyfish. They don't really escape the scope of true jellyfish and enter "monster territory" by powers or size. Indeed, when I saw the name, I was expecting something akin to the unsubstantiated reports of shark-swallowing deep-sea jellyfish.



Jupiter Bloodsucker
A CR 3 Plant-type monster with suffocation and blood drain attacks. Another example of the twisted ecology of Dungeons and Dragons, but its sparse fluff detracts from it.



Kamadan
It's a giant leopard with snakes sprouting from its back. It's like a medusa, only...not really. There is a constrictor CR 4 and a venomous CR 6 variant. Both variants breath sleep gas from the leopard head. Why? I don't know. I...I don't know. You've put me at a loss for words again, Tome of Horrors, but I will get my revenge!



Kampfult
A tree that kills by bear-hugging you to death. Again, I don't know why. Don't know, don't care.



Kech
These CR 3 Monstrous Humanoids resemble anthropomorphic spider monkeys, and live in clans found throughout temperate forested regions. They have leaf-like fur that helps them camouflage themselves, and they can pass through a region without a trace. For whatever reason, they are usually Neutral Evil. Sure, they are noted as being predators that snare prey in traps, but so do humans. Suffice to say, the kech aren't quite up there with the banderlog, hadoozee, and su monster on my list of favorite primates.

[Fhaolan]

Kamadan
It's a giant leopard with snakes sprouting from its back. It's like a medusa, only...not really. There is a constrictor CR 4 and a venomous CR 6 variant. Both variants breath sleep gas from the leopard head. Why? I don't know. I...I don't know. You've put me at a loss for words again, Tome of Horrors, but I will get my revenge!

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what the original version in the 1st ed Fiend Folio was. There was a mention of it being a displacer beast relative, but that's the only additional info.

There is an advantage to the original Fiend Folio. It actually lists in the appendix who submitted the creature to White Dwarf or TSR UK (Games Workshop who published White Dwarf lost the license to do D&D products when TSR spun up a UK sub, which happened while the book was in production.) So you can find out exactly who is to blame for the insanity.

[Asbestos]

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what the original version in the 1st ed Fiend Folio was. There was a mention of it being a displacer beast relative, but that's the only additional info.

There is an advantage to the original Fiend Folio. It actually lists in the appendix who submitted the creature to White Dwarf or TSR UK (Games Workshop who published White Dwarf lost the license to do D&D products when TSR spun up a UK sub, which happened while the book was in production.) So you can find out exactly who is to blame for the insanity.

I could have sworn I've seen a similar creature mentioned in some myth or legend but I wasn't able to track it down. The creature appeared again, though somewhat modified, in the Maztica setting. There it was more like a displacer beast and only had two snakes that sprouted from its shoulders.

[Fhaolan]

I could have sworn I've seen a similar creature mentioned in some myth or legend but I wasn't able to track it down. The creature appeared again, though somewhat modified, in the Maztica setting. There it was more like a displacer beast and only had two snakes that sprouted from its shoulders.

The best I've been able to come up with is some descriptions of Cerebus having a 'mane of snakes'. That does seem like something that would get ported over to a lion-like creature in somebody's mythology, though. I just can't find an example anywhere.