MONSTER NOTES ------------- * Many monsters can SEE IN THE DARK. Picture a house at night with all of the lights off. After your eyes become accustomed to the dark, you can see your way to walk down the hallway, see where all of the larger furniture is in the living room, and tell who is sitting on the couch. You could not, however, read a book, make dinner, or play a boardgame in these conditions. To do those things, you would need a source of light, however dim, to see detail by. This is how "Darkvision" appears to monsters. They will still use light for many things in their area of the dungeon, just like anybody else - although it will usually be somewhat less bright than the lighting used by surface dwellers. Fantastical beasts - chimera, hydra, griffon - do not typically use light, of course. * Most Humanoids and many monsters can speak the Common Tongue to some degree. Evil monsters may try to extort treasure or magic items from the characters. They may also take bribes to leave adventurers alone, especially if they feel threatened by the size/strength of the party. * Most humanoids and many monsters have a 2 in 6 chance to Hear Noise. * Most monsters use a D6 for HD. * Monsters with extra pips on their hit dice are treated as the next higher level for determining things like the effects of magic spells or how many can be controlled or summoned. For example, a hobgoblin has 1+1 HD and so would be treated as a 2HD monster in these cases. * Intelligent monsters usually Save at their Hit Dice level and will normally Save as Fighters(when saving throws are differentiated by class). Some will get bonuses to their Saves because of high PSY, DEX, or for other reasons. Unintelligent monsters(animal types) will save at 1/2 of their HD level with fractions rounded up. * Monsters attack once for each hit die against 'Normal Men', the same as Characters do. So, a Frost Giant with 8HD would attack 8 times in a single round when fighting 'Normal Men'. * A number of humanoid monsters have shaman/witchdoctor types among them (orks, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, lizardmen, giants, troglodytes, and others). These spellcasters can be up to 7th level in ability and employ a useful mix of magic-user, clerical, and druidic spells. * If a monster has Charmed a creature or character, the charm will be usually broken upon the death of the Charming monster. * Acid damage from a monster such as a Gray Ooze or Ochre Jelly will continue for as long as the character stays in contact with the monster AND UNTIL the acid is washed off with water or wine. * Ghoul paralysis lasts 2D4 turns if the Saving Throw is failed. Anyone with a CON of less than 13 must make a system shock roll to survive. Chance of survival with a 12 CON is 90%, with an 11 it's 80%, 10 is 70%, etc. At 4th level characters are immune to ghoul paralysis and can cancel the paralysis in others of lower level by touch. * If any PC of less than 4th level is killed by a ghoul, they become a ghoul. * Wolfsbane can be used as a protection against lycanthropes. If a sprig of the plant is brandished, a lycanthrope will not approach within 10 feet of the one holding it. If the sprig is thrown at a lycanthrope and hits it (make an attack roll), the creature must Save vs Spells or flee in fear from the area. Wolfsbane grows in hilly meadows and has blue/purple flowers. * Lycanthropy can be cured by distilling the essence of a Moonflower into a potion. Moonflowers only bloom at night under the light of the full moon, which is when they must be harvested using a silver knife. The potion must be drunk from a silver chalice and the character will be unable to adventure for 3 days afterward while they are healing from the disease. * When you meet the gaze of a basilisk, if you don't make the saving throw, you are turned to stone. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PURSUING MONSTERS ----------------- Monsters will automatically attack and/or pursue any characters they "see", with the exception of those monsters which are intelligent enough to avoid an obviously superior force. There is no chance for avoiding if the monster has surprised the adventurers and is within 20 feet, unless the monster itself has been surprised. If the adventurers choose to flee, the monster will continue to pursue in a straight line as long as there is not more than 90 feet between the two. When a corner is turned or a door passed through or stairs up or down taken the monster will only continue to follow if a 1 or a 2 is rolled on a 6-sided die. If a secret door is passed through the monster will follow only on a roll of 1. Distance will open or close dependent upon the relative speeds of the two parties, men according to their encumberance and monsters according to the speed given. Burning oil will deter many monsters from continuing pursuit. Edible items will have a small likelihood (10%) of distracting intelligent monsters from pursuit. Semi-intelligent monsters will be distracted 50% of the time. Nonintelligent monsters will be distracted 90% of the time by food. Treasure will have the opposite reaction as food, being more likely to stop intelligent monsters. Random Actions by Monsters: Other than in pursuit situations, the more intelligent monsters will act randomly according to the results of the score rolled on two (six-sided) dice: 2 - 5 negative reaction 6 - 8 uncertain reaction 9 - 12 positive reaction ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monster Encounters. Monster may be... ARGUING loudly with another(or with itself) ART - painting, music, sculpting... BATHROOM BORED and looking for something to do BUILDING a tower of bones, play fort, hide and seek BULLYING a weaker creature/being bullied CARVING an inscription or warning on wall or door CHALLENGING CHARACTER TO A DUEL/FIGHT CHASING food/being chased CLEANING CLIMBING COOKING dinner/being cooked for dinner CRAFTING DANCING DAYDREAMING, DEEP IN THOUGHT DEBATING dungeon dweller concerns DIGGING up or burying something important DRUNK EATING Dinner and hates interruptions FETCHING something/someone for the boss FIGHTING with another creature GAMBLING GRAFFITI GUARD duty IN HIDING and fearful of everyone INTERROGATION JAILOR LAYING IN WAIT for intruders LOOKING FOR TROUBLE LOST and wandering MAD, deluded, crazy MEDITATING MEETING MOONLIGHT STROLL alone or with a friend PARALYZED PARTYING PATROLLING the area PLAYING a game PLOTTING secretly PRANKING another PREPARING FOR BATTLE PRISONER READING RECOVERING FROM WOUNDS/ILLNESS REPAIRING faulty trap or worn equipment ROUGHHOUSING SEARCHING a room SLAVING work SLEEPING, dozing, resting STALKING prey/being stalked STORYTELLING STUDYING SWIMMING TORTURE TRAP: setting a trap or caught in one TRAINING TRIPPING on Acidberries WEEPING WOUNDED and in need of aid