Not sure if this is the best place for this, but here goes:
I've been doing some research on the Amedio Jungle and Blackmoor in preparation for upcoming campaign action in two different campaigns, and I'm curious about where to find a number of monsters. If there are 3/3.5e stat blocks for them, that would be great, but if not, a 1e or 2e stat block and/or any other source that substantially describes them would be most welcome.
Here's the list:
True Troll
Kech
Werebat
Were-jaguar
Obsidian Dragon
Shadow Drake
(I'm aware of treatment of these last two in Dragon 146, but looking for an update if it exists)
Not sure if this is the best place for this, but here goes:
I've been doing some research on the Amedio Jungle and Blackmoor in preparation for upcoming campaign action in two different campaigns, and I'm curious about where to find a number of monsters. If there are 3/3.5e stat blocks for them, that would be great, but if not, a 1e or 2e stat block and/or any other source that substantially describes them would be most welcome.
Here's the list:
True Troll
Kech
Werebat
Were-jaguar
Obsidian Dragon
Shadow Drake(I'm aware of treatment of these last two in Dragon 146, but looking for an update if it exists)
(Hmm, something ate my first post!)
Werebat: Monsters of Faerun (3.0, but there exists a 3.5 web update), Races of Faerun (3.0), and a Drow version in Lost Empires of Faerun.
Werejaguar: Denizens of Dread (3.5 Ravenloft monster book by White Wolf/Arthaus/Sword & Sorcery, don't know if it's also in the 3.0 Ravenloft book with a similar title).
Kech: Tome of Horrors (Necromancer Games)
True Troll: hmm, haven't heard of it - does it go by an alias?
Shadow Drake: Not exactly, but I found a Smoke Drake in the Draconomicon. Or is Shadow Drake an alias for a Shadow Dragon?
Obsidian Drake: No idea. I've found other obsidian stuff, but not a Drake.
I hope that at least some of this will help!
Here is a useful link.
Thanks, Bellona, for both the info (from sourcebooks I don't have), and the link to WotC's monster index, which will be useful in the future.
The reference I've found to True Trolls is in an obscure Oerth Journal article on Blackmoor (in GH). If I use them, I suppose I can take a high-CR variant troll from one of the other WotC sources. I'm guessing they may have existed in some 2nd edition source--according to the article they were created by the lich-lord Ranial the Gaunt to serve as his minions, and are thus very rare.
After I posted, I found the Shadow Dragon in Draconomicon, so that one's covered. I suspect Obsidian Dragons haven't been updated to 3e, so I'll have to score a copy of Dragon 146 on e-bay.
Add to the list: Mist Dragon
Ah, good old "draco nebulus obscura"!
Dragons of Faerun. :)
Cool. How about Gibberlings?
The Gibberlings are in Monsters of Faerun.
Cool. How about Gibberlings?
Monsters of Faerun, which is 3.0. The 3.5 update is available on WotC's site here.
Edit: slightly scooped! :)
My conversion of the kech (3.5):
KECH (CR 4)
NE Medium Fey
Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +9, Spot +9
Languages Sylvan
AC 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12
hp 40 (5 HD); DR 5/cold iron
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +5
Speed 40 ft., climb 60 ft.
Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4+2) and bite -1 (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Base Atk +2; CMB +4
Special Atks traps, rend
Abilities Str 15, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12
SQ pass without trace
Feats Alertness, Toughness, Track [B]
Skills Balance +10, Climb +12, Craft (trapmaking) +11, Hide +9*, Jump +10, Listen +9, Move Silently +9, Spot +9, Survival +10, Tumble +10
Climate/Terrain: Temperate or warm forest
Organization: Pack (2-5) or band (2-8)
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: 6-15 HD (Medium-size)
A kech appears as a monkey-like creature about 6 feet tall. It has a fanged filled mouth, fiery blue eyes, and tough, leathery leaf-like skin, green in color. Kech are excellent climbers and are equally at home on the ground or in trees.
Although seemingly bestial, they are actually cunning fey, representing the cruel and capricious nature of the forest and the rapaciousness of its predators. Their chief goal seems to be to miselad, snare, and devour humans. Several small bands will sometimes amalgamate in order to raid forest communities and carry off hapless victims to some faraway spot where the keches can feast undisturbed.
Combat
Kech prefer indirect combat, utilizing pits and deadfalls to weaken parties and travelers, followed by snares to hold the weakened prey helpless to be killed. They will not hesitate to face a lone target directly, however. Opponents that are considerably superior will be attacked at night while resting. The kech will concentrate their attacks on one or two members of the party (those on watch usually). If successful, they will drag their prey off into the forest.
Traps (Ex): Kech may use their Craft skill to build snares, deadfalls, and the like. Assuming the kech take 10 when constructing these, their traps require a DC 21 Search check to detect and a DC 21 Disable Device check to disarm.
Snares entangle those caught in them (+11 melee touch; DC 21 Strength check to break or DC 21 Escape Artist to wriggle free). Deadfalls affect a 5 ft. x 10 ft. area for 4d6 damage (DC 21 Reflex for half). Kech traps are used in conjunction with false trails (DC 20 Survival check and Track feat needed to detect the ruse) and ambush attacks.
Rend (Ex): If a kech hits with both claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 2d4+3 damage.
Pass Without Trace (Ex): Kech can move across any ground—ice, snow, mud, without leaving any footprints. Tracking a kech by nonmagical means is impossible.
Skills: Kech receive a +8 racial bonus on Climb, Balance, Jump, and Tumble checks. A kech can take 10 when climbing even when distracted or under pressure. *Due to their coloration and leaf-like skin, kech receive a +12 racial bonus to Hide checks when in a forested area.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Kirth! If I get a copy of #146 and have time to do a 3.5e Obsidian Dragon, I'll post stats.
Thanks for help on the other stuff, everyone! Now my player is really gonna hate the Amedio Jungle!
Would the obsidian dragon look like this:
EN World Monster Conversions: Obsidian Dragon
EN World's Creature Catalog has some awesome conversions, and I believe the same people did many of these conversion that also did various Creature Catalog articles in Dragon over the years.
Wasn't there a conversion of the mist dragon on the WotC "Monster Mayhem" site a few years back? See if this link works.
Thanks KnightErrant and Kirth! You guys Rock! Now I can give Ebonfrost some 3.5e stats and make her an interesting NPC for the Blackmoor campaign I'm cooking up.
For a Blackmoor campaign, be sure not to forget the ice toads (Oriental Adventures) and their frostfolk servants (Frostburn). Dunno what to do about the Egg of Coot, though.
Thanks Kirth. Those two monsters are definitely in, and I have Frostburn, which stats both for 3.5.
I have some very, very special plans for the Egg of Coot, if the campaign lasts long enough to carry them out. I won't divulge here, since at least two of my players sometimes drop by these boards. For the early part of the campaign, some Qullan (from one of the early Living Greyhawk Journal issues) will do for foreshadowing.
Still curious if anyone knows anything about True Trolls. They were mentioned in Frederick Weining's Oerth Journal article on Blackmoor. If there's no canonical rendering of them, I guess it would be easy enough to make them up whole cloth.
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This post at Enworld indicates that, in the original Chainmail, Trolls were what we call ogres, and True Trolls were more powerful monsters (probably what we call trolls now).
I have some very, very special plans for the Egg of Coot, if the campaign lasts long enough to carry them out. I won't divulge here, since at least two of my players sometimes drop by these boards. For the early part of the campaign, some Qullan (from one of the early Living Greyhawk Journal issues) will do for foreshadowing.
Cool! A series of Blackmoor adventures for a PC Fochlucan Lyrist have been in the back of my head for years; any of your materials you're willing to share would be very much appreciated: egoldma (at) sbcglobal (dot) net.
I've got the first adventure mostly done, but needs some details filled in and some stat blocks added/fixed up. I've also written up a monster campaign handbook, although it will need some more tweaking before I kick off the campaign. I'm finishing up Red Hand of Doom right now with my online group, which will probably take another month or so, and then I'm planning on taking a month off before launching this one.
I'm not sure how closely our visions of Blackmoor jibe, but I'm happy to share stuff. If you don't hear from me in the next two weeks, Kirth, e-mail me (abatai at yahoo.com) to remind me.
Ungoded--Thanks for taking time to provide these links.
You're right, as far as Chainmail rules are concerned--"true trolls" appear to be the forerunner of D&D trolls. The the 3.5e troll is a direct descendent of the AD&D 1e troll (and maybe OD&D troll--I can't remember if they had regeneration because I only played that edition a few times), which in turn comes from Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts and Three Lions," cited in the Chainmail rules as the source for the "True Troll."
However, the Oerth Journal Blackmoor article dates to the late 90s, so it is of 2nd edition vintage, and written by someone who has been extensively involved in developing the Greyhawk setting (one of the editors of the Living Greyhawk Guide, IIRC). That leads me to suspect there is a 2nd ed. "True Troll" that is even more powerful than the ordinary kind. The article hints that they might have been magical constructs or magically bred by the lich-lord Ranial the Gaunt.
So, I'm still interested to know if anyone has any other references to "true trolls" in 1st or 2nd edition D&D rules (or 3rd ed., for that matter). Not that I couldn't come up with something that would work pretty well. Based on the troll but adding some nasty DR, immunities, and a couple of spell-like abilities.
Based on the troll but adding some nasty DR, immunities, and a couple of spell-like abilities.
So, a half-fiend troll would be just the thing... I look forward to seeing what you've got. I never did get any further than some scribbled notes on the back of a cocktail napkin.
Hmmm. Good idea. That, or some other template, or combination.
Thanks Greg!
The kech was also updated in Paizo's W2: River Into Darkness, albeit in a pygmy variety.
Ooh... I missed that! <frantically scurries to shelf to recover W2>
Edit: Ah, I see. They're size-adjusted Tome of Horrors ones. Freakin' awesome adventure, though!