A to Z: R is for RATS!
Posted: April 20, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, adventures, aldeboran, misc, monsters, movies 6 Comments
R is for Rats!
Does anyone else remember the movie, “Ben,” with theme song sung by a very young Michael Jackson? Jackson was still black and still had a nose at that time, which made his involvement in a movie about telepathic killer rats all the more ironic since I remember seeing pictures of human corpses who had apparently been nibbled on by rats (the rats often eat the noses first — was Jackson’s future noselessness predicted by his involvement with the Ben theme song?).
If you don’t know, ‘Ben” was a movie from the 1970s and a sequel to a movie called ‘Willard.’ I barely remember the Willard movie… but I recall that ‘Ben’ was a film about a boy who had a pet rat he named ‘Ben.’ Ben was also a super intelligent telepathic rat who could control swarms of other rats. Scenes from the film included actors covered in fake blood thrashing around among tame rats who were probably trying to lick the peanut butter off of the actor’s bodies as stage hands off camera threw rats at them.
In Aldeboran, there are several kinds of rats. The houses, ships and barns of humankind are home to Norway rats, brown rats, black rats and other mundane vermin.
Of slightly greater concern are the ‘trench rats.’ These are bigger, bolder and more agressive than ordinary rats and tend to attack in swarms, making ‘rat catcher’ a full time job in the major cities like Eord.
Of slightly greater concern than trench rats are the ‘dungeon rats’ or ‘giant rats’ or ‘Sumatran rats.’ These are the big, hairy fuckers that have 1d4 hit points and who wander up and down the corridors of most dungeons. They serve as food for goblins and adventurers who forgot their iron rations… and dead goblins and dead adventurers often serve as food for Sumatran rats… ah, the circle of life. Why people on the world of Aldeboran refer to ‘Sumatran rats’ as ‘Sumatran’ when there is no Sumatra on this world is a mystery that the sages cannot answer. Similarly, there are ‘french cut’ green beans, ‘french fries’ and ‘french kissing’ in Aldeboran, but there is no ‘France.’ Go figure.
Mutant varieties, including albinos, have been encountered and the albino variety are sought after for their valuable pelts. Even more worrisome than the Sumatran Rats (which are bad enough, really), are the really fucking big rats. Some call these “Really Fucking Big Rats” or “Monster Rats” or “R.o.T.S.” (Rats of Tremendous Size). These can range in size up to 8-10 feet from nose to tail. The larger ones can bite a man’s hand off at the wrist. Do not fuck with them.
Rumors also persist of rats who have been altered or magically enhanced or mutated (or perhaps just blessed by the gods) and may have human-like intellect and build enormous ‘shadow cities’ beneath the earth where they have kings of their own and plot one day to conquer the surface dwellers, but this really must be nonsense. That just does not seem remotely plausible!
from Ben:
A young Michael Jackson wearing a terrifying pair of pants sings the theme song (warning: pablum alert!):
zombies
Posted: April 19, 2011 Filed under: monsters 3 Comments
Zombie: (aka “zombie” or ‘zombi’)
True Zombie / ordinary zombie
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Initiative: d4
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1 (hands)
Damage: 1d8 each
Special: Immune to cold and shock, ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons, 50% immune to criticals
Save:
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP:
Ingredients: mortified flesh
Zombies are dead corpses animated by magic. They have no will of their own and are given instructions by their creator (usually a magic user or cleric).
Zombie, Black Mold: (aka “moldies”) 
False Zombie / Moldus Negrus
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Initiative: d4
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d6 + spores
Special: x2 damage from fire, ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons, cold and daylight causes dormancy, spores infect prey
Save: ?
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP:
Ingredients: black mold
Black mold ‘zombies’ are not actually undead creatures and thus are not true zombies; they cannot be ‘turned’ by a cleric. They are the bodies of dead humanoids animated by a deadly black fungus that grows on flesh. The fungus has a rudimentary intelligence and will seek to infect other creatures in order to spread the colony.
Any creature coming in contact with the black mold zombie (example: being struck by a black mold zombie) or touching a patch of black mold must make a save against poison or become infected with the black mold spores. The mold will consume 1d6 points of constitution per turn after contact; when CON reaches 0, the victim will become a black mold zombie. Torches can be used to burn the mold off the victim (1d6 damage per application). Fire causes x2 damage; cold will cause no damage but will render the mold inert for 1-6 rounds. Because they have no functional internal organs, they take ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons.
The black mold grows on leather, flesh, wood or other organic substances underground. Daylight causes it to become temporarily dormant.
Zombie, Brain-Eating: (aka “brain eaters” or “mind zombies” or “Virals”)
False Zombie / Brain Eater
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Initiative: d6
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 2 (+1)
Damage: 1d6/1d6/1d6
Special: ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons, eat brains!
Save: ?
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP:
Ingredients: Brain eating virus (saliva)
Brain eating zombies are the bodies of dead humanoids animated by a virus and cannot be turned by a cleric. Like most zombie class creatures, they are slow moving and often appear as rotting humans. Their usual tactic is to attack with 2 claws, and, if both claws succeed, they will bite for 1d6 damage. Their saliva carries the virus: anyone bitten must save or contract the virus. Failed save means the victim will gradually lose his intelligence (1-6 points per day). When INT reaches 0, they die and become a brain eater.
Anyone killed by a brain eater will have their brains devoured and will arise in 1-6 rounds as a brain eater themselves.
The best way to ‘deactivate’ a brain-eater is to strike it in the head. Criticals scored against them are always assumed to strike the head. Players may elect to strike at the head (for a -2 attack penalty) in order to score +1d6 damage.
Because they have no functional internal organs, they take ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons.
Zombie, Headless:
True Zombie / Headless
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Initiative: d8
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 3+1
Attacks: 2 (hands)
Damage: 1d8 each
Special: Immune to cold and shock, ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons, 50% immune to criticals
Save:
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP:
Ingredients: mortified flesh
These look like normal undead zombies (minus the head part, naturally) and tend to be more aggressive (and faster!) than their cranially equipped cousins.
Because they have no functional internal organs, zombies are immune to cold and shock and take ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons.
They can be turned as 3 hit dice undead.
(edited to change and add pictures)
zombies
Posted: April 19, 2011 Filed under: aldeboran, monsters 3 Comments
Zombie: (aka “zombie” or ‘zombi’)
True Zombie / ordinary zombie
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Initiative: d4
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1 (hands)
Damage: 1d8 each
Special: Immune to cold and shock, ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons, 50% immune to criticals
Save:
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP:
Ingredients: mortified flesh
Zombies are dead corpses animated by magic. They have no will of their own and are given instructions by their creator (usually a magic user or cleric).
Zombie, Black Mold: (aka “moldies”) 
False Zombie / Moldus Negrus
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Initiative: d4
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d6 + spores
Special: x2 damage from fire, ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons, cold and daylight causes dormancy, spores infect prey
Save: ?
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP:
Ingredients: black mold
Black mold ‘zombies’ are not actually undead creatures and thus are not true zombies; they cannot be ‘turned’ by a cleric. They are the bodies of dead humanoids animated by a deadly black fungus that grows on flesh. The fungus has a rudimentary intelligence and will seek to infect other creatures in order to spread the colony.
Any creature coming in contact with the black mold zombie (example: being struck by a black mold zombie) or touching a patch of black mold must make a save against poison or become infected with the black mold spores. The mold will consume 1d6 points of constitution per turn after contact; when CON reaches 0, the victim will become a black mold zombie. Torches can be used to burn the mold off the victim (1d6 damage per application). Fire causes x2 damage; cold will cause no damage but will render the mold inert for 1-6 rounds. Because they have no functional internal organs, they take ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons.
The black mold grows on leather, flesh, wood or other organic substances underground. Daylight causes it to become temporarily dormant.
Zombie, Brain-Eating: (aka “brain eaters” or “mind zombies” or “Virals”)
False Zombie / Brain Eater
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Initiative: d6
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 2 (+1)
Damage: 1d6/1d6/1d6
Special: ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons, eat brains!
Save: ?
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP:
Ingredients: Brain eating virus (saliva)
Brain eating zombies are the bodies of dead humanoids animated by a virus and cannot be turned by a cleric. Like most zombie class creatures, they are slow moving and often appear as rotting humans. Their usual tactic is to attack with 2 claws, and, if both claws succeed, they will bite for 1d6 damage. Their saliva carries the virus: anyone bitten must save or contract the virus. Failed save means the victim will gradually lose his intelligence (1-6 points per day). When INT reaches 0, they die and become a brain eater.
Anyone killed by a brain eater will have their brains devoured and will arise in 1-6 rounds as a brain eater themselves.
The best way to ‘deactivate’ a brain-eater is to strike it in the head. Criticals scored against them are always assumed to strike the head. Players may elect to strike at the head (for a -2 attack penalty) in order to score +1d6 damage.
Because they have no functional internal organs, they take ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons.
Zombie, Headless:
True Zombie / Headless
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Initiative: d8
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 3+1
Attacks: 2 (hands)
Damage: 1d8 each
Special: Immune to cold and shock, ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons, 50% immune to criticals
Save:
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP:
Ingredients: mortified flesh
These look like normal undead zombies (minus the head part, naturally) and tend to be more aggressive (and faster!) than their cranially equipped cousins.
Because they have no functional internal organs, zombies are immune to cold and shock and take ½ damage from blunt and pierce weapons.
They can be turned as 3 hit dice undead.
(edited to change and add pictures)
A History of Big Heads
Posted: April 16, 2011 Filed under: monsters 4 CommentsMy recent post on Oom Ambar and The Lords of Oom got me thinking on big-headed humans in general. I’ve always been somewhat interested in/creeped out by the big head aliens that permeate popular culture… and I find it interesting and curious that most people find babies so cute (babies have, proportionally speaking, really big heads) but ‘big brain aliens’ and hydrocephalics scary or horrifying. And don’t get me started on the whole folklore thing were people were those giant head masks to represent different mythical figures during Brazillian/European Carnivals or Chinese New Year(I’m gratified to learn that a lot of folklorists refer to such traditional costumes as “big heads”).
“This Island Earth” is an old movie… and I’ve never seen it… but have seen this alien costume reproduced so often… always liked it. Especially those wierd shoulders and long crab-pincer claws.
I’m a little to young to remember “Mars Attacks” when it was first issued by the card company (was it Topps?) in the 50s or 60s, but have always admired the art. Truly fiendish bigheads with laser guns. Tim Burton’s movie was also a lot of fun.
“Invasion of the Saucer Men” is another old movie with big-heads that I admired from reproductions and pictures in magazines like Fangoria that I saw while growing up… but I never saw the movie itself.
Dan Dare’s nemesis, “The Mekon.” I first learned of this Mekon through exposure to another sort of Mekon. The Mekon gets extra points for the little floating chair he rides around in.
Big Heads from Star Trek. I mentioned the general ‘big-head’ theory about the future in my previous post — in the 1970s when I was just a shaver, it was common for people to speculate that as humans continued to use their minds more and more and their bodies less and less (because we would have machines to do all of the work), our bodies would shrivel and our brains would grow. Come to think of it, Close Encounters (1977) had the big head people in it too. In addition to the movie, I remember having a ‘Close Encounters’ comic book back in 1977 or so… 
This mask just looks good. I especially like the little antennae on top.
Bighead or grey — now a staple of science fiction, conspiracy theory, alient autopsy videos, etc. 
I previously wrote about my time in an industrial noise band that ended badly (at least for me).
A to Z: M is for Monster Manual
Posted: April 14, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, aldeboran, monsters 5 Comments
Back in 1978 or so, I first acquired the ‘Monster Manual.’ It soon became (and remains) one of my favorite books. By the standards of today, it might be considered a pretty primitive effort. No color illustrations, no online updates or errata or discussion groups, etc. The interior illustrations are black and white. Some of the drawings look pretty amateurish. Many of the monsters are downright silly. Plus the book leaves all sorts of questions unanswered. For example, it says that the touch of the tendrils of the violet fungi will rot your flesh, but fails to say what having ‘rotted flesh’ means for your character. Despite the flaws, this remains my favorite monster book. Maybe I love it because it was the first book like this that I owned (although The Glass Harmonica Lexicon is somewhat similar and I had that book as well around the same time). Maybe I love it because we had so much fun with it. Maybe I love it because I spent so much time turning the pages and reading the descriptions and wondering at these fantastic creatures. I don’t know, but I think it remains one of my favorite books.
A to Z: H is for Hook Horror
Posted: April 8, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, adventures, aldeboran, monsters 4 Comments
H is our letter for the day and today I will talk about “The Hook Horror” from the 1981 Fiend Folio. Fiend Folio is one of those books that I didn’t like when it came out because all of the critters in it seemed so weird and useless and lacking in logic… and then I grew up and stopped taking it all so seriously… or something like that. The hook horror lives in caves, is 9 feet tall, moves at 90 feet per turn, has an AC of 3 (which is pretty good) and has 2 attacks per turn that inflict 1-8 damage each. Weighing in at 5 hit dice, it is a little tougher than ogres (4+1 hit dice) and a little weaker than giants (8+ hit dice or more, unless you are talking about those pathetic Verbeeg). It bothers me that the hook horror is not described as being able to peck or bite with that massive beak (in the picture, his beak is bigger than his hooks). I’m thinking that would be something I would change with a house rule. The hook horror is nearly blind but has excellent hearing (therefore turning invisible won’t help you — HAH— but your magic user might find a use for that audible glamer spell). They communicate by clicking their exoskeletons. This makes them sound like they are insects, but in the drawing they look like a double-hand-amputee in an evil chicken suit. I actually like the drawing so I wouldn’t change that… even the lumpy sweater-vest and panties that the hook horror is wearing. 
Guard the rear! Your henchman has just been trepanned by a hook horror!
A to Z: F is for Flightless Birds
Posted: April 6, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, aldeboran, monsters 1 Comment
The image at left is of an ‘axe beak’ from the Monster Manual (1e) rather than an image of ‘flightless birds.’ Flightless birds don’t have a picture and I always liked the axe beak picture. The axe beak can’t fly (neither can the penguin), so I suppose it qualifies as a ‘flightless bird.’ He also looks kind of pissed off.
‘Flightless Birds’ is one of those Monster Manual entries that always makes me want to say, “Hah…hah…what the fuck?” when I read it. According to Saint Gygax, they are ‘typified by the ostrich, emu and rhea.‘ It also says that they have between 1 and 3 hit dice and can inflict 1-4 or 2-8 damage! Gygax clarifies that the ostrich types have 3 hit dice and do 2-8 damage. So, in D&D, an ostrich is more likely to kill you than an average homicidal man with a hatchet who will have only 1-6 hitpoints, attack as a 0 level creature and inflict only 1-6 damage each time he whacks you with his hatchet. What the fuck? I met someone once who worked at the zoo and she said the ostriches were kind of mean and cranky, but I never heard of them killing people. On the other hand, having a 1st level party getting TPK’d by a flock of “the other-other white meat” while taking a shortcut across a pasture is kind of funny.
Inspired by pictures like this(below), I’ve always wanted to create ostrich cavalry for Aldeboran:
A to Z: D is for Demons
Posted: April 4, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, adventures, aldeboran, monsters 1 Comment
Today, D is for Demons. One of the delights of monsters like demons (and devils) is that they can seemingly be so diverse in appearance without raising any eyebrows (if they have eyebrows). Check out the third figure from the left in the picture at right: he has a bird face growing out of his ass! How does that work for him? I don’t know. But it would make sneaking up behind him somewhat difficult. A few years ago I was thinking about the demons and devils I might use for Aldeboran and I considered making them all unique. Perhaps forms, features and special abilities could be randomly generated. I didn’t pursue it any further, but that idea is still on the work bench.
A to Z: C is for Cylons
Posted: April 3, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, adventures, aldeboran, monsters 5 Comments
This will probably interfere with my credibility in some people’s eyes, but I am one of those misbegotten assholes who actually prefers the newer Battlestar Galactica to the original series. I know that this is treason. The original aired the same year I started playing D&D (1978) and featured monsters, ray guns and all kinds of other stuff — I just don’t remember it very well, and what I do remember involves a dorky little kid and a robot dog. The original cylons were cool, though. Even when they photographed them through the magic ‘star filter.’ Photos taken through star filters always look cheesey and kind of porn-y… I suppose if robots give you wood, that is a good thing… but speaking of robots giving one wood, have you seen the Svedka Vodka commercials with the dancers and sexy robot? They just freak me out and make me never want to drink Svedka.
C is for cylons. In Aldeboran, I want to have cylons. Why they are there and what they are doing I don’t know yet. But there will be cylons. Some of them will be clanky ones that look like a dude in a suit (see at right) with a red eye that goes back and forth like he is watching a ping pong match. The one in this picture even has a sword! I don’t remember if they had swords or not in the original series. Others will look just like people. Fuck! Maybe they will think they are people and get freaked out when they find out they are cylons! I also want to have a ‘war of the worlds’ bit, but I don’t know if that will be related. Maybe I will wait to talk about ‘War of the Worlds’ when we reach W.
A to Z: B is for Bandits!
Posted: April 2, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, adventures, Dungeons and Dragons, monsters 1 Comment
Today’s letter is ‘B.’ B is for ‘Bandit.’ I’m not talking about the dog who accompanied Johnny Quest… nor am I referencing the CB handle of Burt Reynold’s character in “Smokey and the Bandit,” but unlawful types who lurk in the wild places of the world and rob others.