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 »

If a dagger/double-dagger is not exactly correct it should not be used; rather, the AC should say "18 (special)" or something similar to indicate that the GM needs to read the description.
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Seven
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Vampire Spawn*

There are some curious differences between the bite of a Vampire and the bite of a Vampire spawn.

1. The Vampire regenerates 1d6 each round but the Vampire Spawn regenerate 1d8. Given that the Vampire is HD7-9 and the Vampire Spawn is HD4, 1d4 would make more sense.

2. The Vampire rarely use his bite during a fight as it leaves him vulnerable (AC-5). The Vampire Spawn does not have this vulnerability and instead bites on a natural roll of 20. (Critical bite?)
I'd mostly leave it like that, Spawns are not strategist, but I'd still keep the AC-5 penalties.

3. Spawn's bite can be broken by a failed morale check. Maybe make it clear when to make a morale check in this situation. (HP below a certain threshold and regenerated hp - lost hp < 1, maybe?)
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Solomoriah
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Solomoriah »

I'll be honest, I don't care for the Vampire Spawn at all. I fully endorse Seven's changes.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Vermen

Treasure Type: P each, E in lair

Seems too generous. Should probably be C in lair. (E is for things like Giants, Ghosts, Spectre, etc... C is what Goblins, Harpies and Lycanthropes have. )

Vermin Queen

Could be a great monster, but I feels like it needs more details.

"A Vermin Queen is a swarm of horrid, intelligent black beetles with the ability to assume the guise of a beautiful human or demihuman."

So, it's kinda like a doppleganger but made out of bugs? Sounds more like a colony than a swarm. Does it always look like a female character? Can it talk or make any sound? Does it wear clothes?

" It uses this disguise to waylay travelers in order to devour his or her flesh and steal their skin."

One skin equal one Vermin Queen? What happens if it kills a bunch of dwarves?

"When a vermin queen eats a living human, demihuman, or humanoid creature, another beetle is born to the swarm. When the swarm gets too big to comfortably fit into a human skin, half of it splits off and becomes a new vermin queen. The mother swarm typically deposits the daughter swarm in the body of its next victim. "

One single beetle? How many does it take to make a Vermin Queen? Wouldn't it make more sense if one new Vermin Queen is born each time a humanoid body is consumed? Or maybe after 2 or 3 bodies? How many is one too many? There would be like a million of those, no?

It can attack with claws or with a weapon, but it doesn't seem to wear armor. Does that means it's limited to a small weapon like a dagger or would it appear as a beautiful human carrying a large weapon? Would the claws be visible?

Obviously, it doesn't bleed, but would it leak beetles instead?

No resistance of vulnerability to special attacks are listed. Fire? Fear? Mind control? ESP? Cold?

What happens when it reaches 0 hp? Does that just mean it loses cohesion and the remaining beetles fly away?

"A vermin queen can freely change between humanoid and swarm forms once per round."
Does that mean the empty skin drops to the ground? A swarm still attacks with 2 claws?
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Violet Fungus

"A Violet Fungus resembles a shrieker, and is often found
growing among them... a violet fungus flails about with its
tentacles at any living creatures that come within its reach."

A shrieker doesn't have tentacles. At least, I don't think it does.
The description should includes those tentacles, including how many there are.
I see that in one edition Violet Fungi had 1d4 "branches" and therefore 1d4 attacks.

Will-o’-Wisp

Treasure Type: U

A Wisp does not carry items. The treasure here is supposed to be an incidental lair treasure.
Wisps like to lure enemies to their death and the treasure is what's left of previous encounters, possibly at the bottom of a hidden pit or the like. That's only found if the Wisp is followed to its "destination" in a swamp or marsh.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Wolf, Giant (Winter & Worg)

I would drop the "Giant" epithet here. The core rules have

Wolf (Normal and Dire)

And worgs are smaller than dire wolves.

Maybe drop the HD of the Worgs to 3 or 3+3 or something since they are quite smaller than the HD 4 Dire Wolves. Worgs are 5 feet long and weight 300lbs. Dire wolves are 9 feet long and weight 900 lbs. It's not subtle. Normal wolf are HD 2, btw.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

Wolverine

Could do normal and giant.

Giant wolverine is 4 to 5 feet long, its tail is 3 feet long and it weights up to 80lbs.

AC 13
Hit Dice: 4
Damage: 2d4/2d4/1d6+2
Movement:40’ Climb 20’ Burrow 2'
Save As: Fighter: 3
XP: 240

The rest is the same.

Wug

Could use more details on the leadership.
Maybe, any group of 5 or more is lead by a sub-leader of HD3.
A lair is ruled a shaman of HD 4+1d4 with the ability of a cleric of the same level.
No need to be overly precise, but some rough guidelines...

Zombraire (And Skeletaire)

Could split them into their own entries.
Honestly, I'm surprised that the treasure is NIL.
I'd imagine the treasure to be proportional to the HD of the monster.
Zombraire HD2, no treasure, Zombraire HD12, I'd expect a decent loot.

And that's all I have.
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chiisu81
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by chiisu81 »

Thanks Seven 8-) I'll let Solo and others comb over your edits for any needed comments, corrections, etc. before I begin work on the next release.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by Seven »

SmootRK wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 9:59 am Originally, Fauns and Ibix were written for my kids campaign as playable races. Obviously not totally original in design concept, but the Fauns were written to emulate the kinder gentler sort of creature like CSLewis's Tumnus the faun from Narnia. The Ibix version was simply to have an alt version that works well as bad guys, and it has some inspiration from "diablo video game (original that is, never played later ones).

The Satyr entry came later from another contributor, but clearly wanted to link to them to the others. IMO, the Satyr is the rare "true fey or sidhe creature", while the Faun/Ibix are relatively more common (yet are lesser races) that trace their origins to true Satyrs.

Just the actual history/origins of what we have in the Field Guide... was never meant as write ups of versions of the original greek sources.

As far as wording/lingo, you are probably right about the "rarer" uses.
That makes a lot of sense.
Historically, Satyr and Fauns were different things that ultimately got confounded.

Another change I'd make about the Satyr description.
"A Satyr's body has the upper half of a man and the lower half of a goat, with red or chestnut brown hair, and hooves and horns that are jet black."

It would be more historically accurate and interesting to drop the horns and focus on a long tail instead. Also, they should probably have beards, perhaps pointed ones, or goatees.
Without the horns, it is possible for Satyrs to appear human in some context, a bust of a satyr, a satyr appearing through a window, etc... It's a device I use in my campaign.
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AlMan
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

Post by AlMan »

Noted this while looking up other information.

Currently the Infernal, Succubus is between Infernal, Lemure and Infernal, Quasit. It should be between Infernal, Spined Devil and Infernal, Vega to be in correct alphabetical order.
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