Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

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Solomoriah
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Solomoriah »

Seven wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 5:58 pm I totally misunderstood that rule. I thought AB was to be mentioned only when it was not the value from the table.

So, AB so should be shown when HD is above 8. Gotcha.
Yeah, exactly. Whenever it isn't the same as the hit dice number, regardless of why.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Note on Treasure Type.
I went back to the core rules to see if Lair Treasure (A to O) were only given to monsters appearing in lairs. I found 2 exceptions. Centaurs (I assume that they are nomadic and have camps instead of fixed lairs) and Ghost (The place a ghost haunt is basically its lair).
Also, the "in lair" epithet is only used when a monster has both individual and lair treasure.
My opinion is that it would be best to stick with those practices.
It's always possible to use "special" and describe any other treasure distribution.

Skeleton, Pitch

Treasure Type: B

Not sure why it has a lair treasure. It's only found in groups of 1d4 and it doesn't have lairs.
Maybe an individual type would work better?

Skragg

Treasure Type:B, D in lair

It's really both B and D in lair, but written like that, one could think it's B on the road and D in lair.
I'd just write "B,D". It has more treasure than the stronger troll, but that makes sense to me since it seems more greedy, focused on extorting tolls.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Solomoriah »

Good points. I had wondered about the pitch skeleton's treasure but hadn't gotten around to asking.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Let's just recap the treasures quickly.

Aboleth (and skum)

The aboleth has a type H, normally reserved for dragon hoard, but I think it's fine.
However, the skum get a B treasure. They live in the aboleth's lair so I don't expect them to have anything.

Banshee*

It's a type of ghost, so I think it's fine.

Barghest*

It has a D treasure, so maybe add Lair 1d8. That would cover when it's "found ruling over goblins or hogoblins". For the case in which they are haunting a stretch of road, perhaps add in the description that their treasure in this case is buried nearby, often behind a shrine. Or something like that.

Behir

Maybe just add Lair 1d2

Bone Crone

No. Appearing: 1
Treasure Type: C; E, N in lair

I suggest 1, Lair 1 and change the Treasure Type to U; E, N in lair

Boggart

No. Appearing: 1
Treasure Type: D

Maybe add Lair 1.

Celestial, Solar

No. Appearing: 1
Treasure Type: E

I don't figure a Solar as having a lair with bags of coins.
Maybe change to special, and add to the description that there is a 50% chance that it will have 1d4 magic items?

Cloaker

No. Appearing: 1d3
Treasure Type: C

I'm inclined to say none here. Keeping a treasure would be a hassle for a monster that rely on stealth. Usually these types of monsters leave incidental treasures where they dump the dead bodies, but there isn't really a code for that.

Couatl

No. Appearing: 1d2 Wild, Lair 1d6

Seems to be missing the dice roll for Wild or it's inverted.

Draugr

No. Appearing: 1

Add Lair 1or maybe just Lair 1?

Ettin

No. Appearing: 1d4
Treasure Type: J (Y in lair)

Maybe 1, Wild 1d2, Lair 1d4?
J is actually possible for a giant. Y does not seem to exist. Giants normally have E treasures.
In this case let's say E+1d10x1000gp
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Gump

No. Appearing: 1
Treasure Type: C

Maybe add Lair 1.

Infernal, Succubus*

Treasure Type: I, L

I think that's fine. It's small enough to carry.

Infernal, Vega*

No. Appearing: 1
Treasure Type: A

I would add Lair 1.

Infernal, Vrock*

No. Appearing: 1d4
Treasure Type: B

I think treasure should be Nil here. These things are in the business of doing damage, not gathering coins.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Solomoriah »

Seven wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:20 am Let's just recap the treasures quickly.

Aboleth (and skum)

The aboleth has a type H, normally reserved for dragon hoard, but I think it's fine.
However, the skum get a B treasure. They live in the aboleth's lair so I don't expect them to have anything.
Yeah, that B is probably wrong. Don't think they need a treasure at all.
Seven wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:20 am Barghest*

It has a D treasure, so maybe add Lair 1d8. That would cover when it's "found ruling over goblins or hogoblins". For the case in which they are haunting a stretch of road, perhaps add in the description that their treasure in this case is buried nearby, often behind a shrine. Or something like that.
Disagree here. I prefer to leave this one vague as it is; placement of a treasure should not trouble a GM.

Monsters who have the same numbers in lair as they do wandering usually have no "Lair..." designation for the number appearing; this is by design, not a random happenstance. (Monsters who do have something like "1d8 Lair 1d8" were written or edited by someone else, most likely.)
Seven wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:20 am Bone Crone

No. Appearing: 1
Treasure Type: C; E, N in lair

I suggest 1, Lair 1 and change the Treasure Type to U; E, N in lair
Huh. This one is quite strange. Will likely proceed as you suggest. Generally prefer for lair treasure types to appear first, then individual treasures afterward if any.
Seven wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:20 am Celestial, Solar

No. Appearing: 1
Treasure Type: E

I don't figure a Solar as having a lair with bags of coins.
Maybe change to special, and add to the description that there is a 50% chance that it will have 1d4 magic items?
This is a good idea.
Seven wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:20 am Cloaker

No. Appearing: 1d3
Treasure Type: C

I'm inclined to say none here. Keeping a treasure would be a hassle for a monster that rely on stealth. Usually these types of monsters leave incidental treasures where they dump the dead bodies, but there isn't really a code for that.
Also a good point.
Seven wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:20 am Couatl

No. Appearing: 1d2 Wild, Lair 1d6

Seems to be missing the dice roll for Wild or it's inverted.
"Wild," should be omitted.
Seven wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:20 am Ettin

No. Appearing: 1d4
Treasure Type: J (Y in lair)

Maybe 1, Wild 1d2, Lair 1d4?
J is actually possible for a giant. Y does not seem to exist. Giants normally have E treasures.
In this case let's say E+1d10x1000gp
Yeah, this is weird. Your suggestion is good.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Solomoriah wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 6:12 pm
Monsters who have the same numbers in lair as they do wandering usually have no "Lair..." designation for the number appearing; this is by design, not a random happenstance. (Monsters who do have something like "1d8 Lair 1d8" were written or edited by someone else, most likely.)
This is the kind of things that one does not pay attention to after a while.
However, the core rules states "Monsters that only appear underground and have no lairs will have a singe die roll; those that have lairs and/or those that can be found in the wilderness will be noted appropriately. " Maybe some some confusion stems from those having lairs underground? A solitary monster like a lich, is usually found deep inside its lair. Is that best captured as 1 or 1, Lair 1, or just Lair 1?
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

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Just "1."

You have noted an inconsistency between my intentions and how I wrote the rules. I may have to revise the explanatory text if I ever do a new version of the core rules.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Snail, Giant Barb

No idea how big this thing is.
Let me try to guess. HD4? I'd say the shell has a diameter of 6 to 8 feet.

Snail, Giant Cone

No idea how big this one is either. HD3? And it's a cone? And it's "extremely well-camouflaged"?
What comes to mind is a fake stalagmite. Is that correct? Would probably be 4 to 6 feet high.

Snail, Giant Pounder

Same thing. HD2? About the size of large dog or a pony?

Snake, Giant Two-Headed

HD5, so that's probably the biggest one. Shell 8+ feet of diameter?

Snake, Vort

HD1+2
Damage: 1d3 + poison
Movement: 50'

First of all, because of the poison, this should be HD 1+2*, like all the other poisonous snakes.
The XP would then be 37.

This is described as a "large snake ranging from 7 to 9 feet in length."
The average Pit Viper is 9 feet long, HD 1* and does 1d4 points of damage.
So it's a tougher, smaller version that moves very fast for a snake.
That's fine, but none of that is explicit in the description.

Spider, Giant Bola

Same story. I'm not sure about the size.
The Giant Tarantula is also HD4 and the size of a pony.
Is the Giant Bola Spider as big?

Spider, Giant Diving Bell

Same comment.

Spider, Giant Ice

HD6. Is it bigger?

Spider, Giant Trapdoor

Also missing a size.

"It springs out to attack passing creatures by detecting vibrations, trying to drag them inside its lair (see the wrestling rules in the Encounters section of the Basic Fantasy RPG Core Rules)."

Why not just spell it out? The spider attack with a bonus and the victim is dragged at half speed unless it makes a save vs death ray. +1 to hit and on saving throw per appendage. So, what does that mean? +2? + 3? Victim can do no more than struggle to escape with another save. It seems like the spider would need a single round to drag the victim in and close the trapdoor. Then what? What does it take to force it open?
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Steel Spider

Armor Class:18 †

It seems like it shouldn't have the double dagger. Normal weapon do half damage, that's more like the skeleton.

"A Steel Spider is a construct used by inventive Magic-users to guard his or her possessions."

I would have used "their possessions".

Does it get a +2 hit bonus on that leap attack? I could even argue for the double damage since its arms are really shortswords.

Tapper*

It's turned as a zombie yet, it's only HD3.
Way too harsh. A cleric 6 will have to roll a 20, a cleric 7 a 19.

" A dwarf killed by a tapper will rise as one unless bless is cast upon its body."

Couple of things here. The rise mechanic is often not clear on when this happens. Next round? The next day? The other thing is why would a fighter rise as an undead miner? It make more sense for victims to rise as a normal zombie under the control of the tapper who killed them. They'll act as security guards.
Last edited by Seven on Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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