Dungeon Scrawler

Archemoros, the Candlebearer 16 STR, 14 DEX, 15 WIL, black sickle (d8) He appears only as a figure cloaked in shadow, a pale candle's flame flickering in an outstretched grey hand, reflecting in dark, hooded eyes. Immune to harm from mortal threats. Can travel through shadows. Light dims at his approach, refusing to illuminate his form. Critical Damage: The target is subjected to terrifying visions of the things they fear most. The visions persist until the fear is conquered, Archemoros is banished, or until the target is left in total darkness. Only pure, heavenly light may banish him--even the light of the dullest star. There is an old story about a man who loved a woman. One day, the woman grew ill, and it appeared that she would die; but the man could not accept this. Each day, from morning till night he prostrated himself before her sick bed and pleaded with the gods to spare her. Each day his petitions went unanswered. Fin...

Bedeviled Tatters 12 HP, 8 STR, 16 DEX, 8 WIL, smother, swirl Swirling clouds of blackened rags, paper, or bandages; an angry red light pulses at its center. Unaffected by mundane un-bladed weapons, which are impaired . Smother: tatters wrap around a single target; the target saves STR each turn or is controlled by the tatters. Swirl: tatters swirl like a raging storm for d4 blast damage. On every 4, an open flame is snuffed out. Sometimes, when a soul dies in great anger, that anger lingers.  And especially when that anger finds no body of flesh remaining, it may attach itself to something near to the body's final resting place--bandages, books, seals, shrouds--and so on. This is the beginning of a Bedeviled Tatters. Though it is raw anger that animates these lingering vestiges, they may yet lie dormant for a time, either totally still or drifting in dispersed, lazy patterns. When the tatters are roused--whether by great commotion or direct ...

  Batfolk 7 HP, 9 STR, 10 DEX, 14 WIL, claws (d6) Nocturnal, bat-like humanoids with poor eyesight and incredible hearing. Capable of "seeing" anything nearby by echolocation. Love music. A first experience with one of the Batfolk can be quite startling. Most often, one finds themself making their way through the dark only to walk face first into them without warning. Long arms and claws carry them steadily and silently through the dark, and huge, sensitive ears give them a form of sight that their eyes no longer provide. So sensitive is their hearing, in fact, that they can even see around corners simply by making a low clicking from their throats. Their short legs are terminated in knobby feet that are just as dextrous as their hands. Despite their offputting appearance, however, the Batfolk are generally quite sociable. Their incredible auditory gifts make them quite adept at picking up the nuances of spoken language, and they have a parti...

Eldercap 1 STR, 0 DEX, 9 WIL Wicked blue mushrooms that enthrall living creatures to spread their spores. During the day, they fill the air around them with their spores. The larger they grow, the larger the radius affected. Creatures that ingest the Eldercap's spores are infected; they gain an aversion to salty food, and in d4+2 days they become an Elderthrall. Resistant to flame, and vulnerable to salt or cold. Elderthrall (template) +4 STR, +1 Armor, 1 WIL Their skin grows pale and webbed with fungal tendrils, their eyes dull. Within the radius of an Eldercap's spores, they act according to its will. If they stray too far from that radius, they will climb to a high and secluded spot and a new Eldercap will burst from their spine. Does not roll for Critical Damage. Is not phased by physical harm. The lifecycle of an Eldercap is a curious thing. While all Eldercap's seem to possess the same instinct for dominati...

Siege-fire Beetle 9 HP, 2 Armor, 12 STR, 7 DEX, 6 WIL, sticky fire (d8, blast) Large beetles with tough shells full of viscous, burning liquid. Solitary and territorial omnivores, they burn or melt down edible matter and feed on the sticky ash. Their shells deteriorate into oozing burning fluid shortly after death. Targets hit by sticky fire with a 5 or greater take an additional d4 STR damage on the next two rounds.  Named for their profitable employment in many wars, siege-fire beetles are well known for their destructive potential. The largest specimens have been observed spraying their burning liquid over 50 ft; once coated in the stuff, a target will continue to burn as the fluid is slowly consumed. Depriving the flames of oxygen will prevent further burning, but unless the fluid is significantly diluted, or dissolved by a total immersion in wa...

Lurking Lily 8 HP, 11 STR, 4 DEX, 4 WIL, throwing spines (d4), toothy petals (d6) Large, carnivorous, white flower that floats on the water. Stalks prey stealthily by slowly drifting across the water's surface, then lashing out with spiny tentacles and a gaping mouth. (12 DEX in water) Critical Damage: Target is wrapped in coiling tentacles and dragged deep under water. Sometimes the most beautiful things are the most dangerous. At first it appears to be an exceptionally large and impressive water lily, drifting innocently across the water. Only the most paranoid observer will recognize that it always seems to be drifting closer... Lurking Lilies grow in places where water and prey are plentiful; the seed-spawn of a mature Lily will produce many new buds, which grow at the bottom of deep, mossy pools for a time before emerging en masse. At first they only swarm under the water like hungry piranhas, growing rapidly in proportion to their meals. Eventually, the strongest individual...

The Trader 10 HP, 5 STR, 10 DEX, 12 WIL, bag-slam (d10) Small, insectoid merchant that frequents deep dungeons. Appears abruptly in hopes of trading for unusual objects; disappears just as abruptly once a trade is made. If given something it shows interest in, it will give an object in return. Roll 1d6. 1-3: Obscure piece of Junk, 4-5: Item of comparable value and interest, 6: Useful Relic. Deep in the dungeons depths, you may be surprised to run into the Trader. They appear suddenly, and they do not speak, they just stare with wide unblinking eyes. In a moment, they pull something unique from their pack--a trinket, it appears, but with hidden value... at least that's what you presume from their eager insistence. However, they do not accept regular money--they seem to have no use for it. Instead, they trade in kind: an oddity for an oddity. The Trader is scrupulous, and makes for no easy dupe. Be wary, however; the Trader's own wares are useless junk just as often as they are...

Vice-spider 7 HP, 10 STR, 16 DEX, 6 WIL, claws (d6+d6) Large, agile spiders with spiny forelimbs and a pincer abdomen. Often found in small packs, they prefer to ambush from a ceiling or crevasse. Critical Damage:  The vice-spider grabs the target in it's pincers and makes a hasty getaway to finish their meal elsewhere. Silent and swift predators, you'll be lucky if you hear their chittering and skittering before they appear; stalking across walls and ceilings, skittering legs and long feelers clamor hungrily for their next meal. First, they lash out with their ragged spiny forelimbs, then grab prey in massive grasping pincers to carry them away with wicked speed to be devoured. Often they are encountered in groups of two or three, using limited coordination--through clitcks and chitters--to corner prey. There appears to be some sense of ownership among them, as they never fight over food or steal from each other. Take caution: if they are found alone there is probably a hun...

Adderfolk 5 HP, 9 STR, 16 DEX, 6 WIL, bite (d8), longbow (d8) Long, serpentine humanoids with unnaturally long limbs that live among the trees  Hunt in teams of three to five members, preferring to attack at range from high places  Their long limbs and claws make them excellent climbers; they use their long tails for stability and cannot be easily knocked from a perch. Deep in the forest they hunt. High in the trees they move, swiftly and silently; they are relentless and effective hunters.  By most accounts they are merciless and hostile to outsiders, but a few speak of a different impression--of spotting them unawares with a far away look in the eye, as though straining after a song on the breeze that no one else can here.  The truth is tragedy: of a people--noble, cunning, and strong--poisoned by a dark curse, carried on dra...

Blood Buzzard 7 HP, 10 STR, 13 DEX, 7 WIL, beak (d8), claws (d6+d6) Large predatory birds with sickle claws and serrated black beaks, wreathed in snow-white feathers stained with blood. Greedy and ravenous, they will converge from miles around on the slightest scent of blood, gluttonously devouring whatever they find until their guts are too heavy for flight. Feeding Frenzy.  When any combatant takes Critical Damage, all Blood Buzzards present are driven to a mania--their attacks are enhanced, and they do not have to make Morale saves. Found in all manner of deserts and badlands, Blood Buzzards are relentless predators with insatiable appetites. Though they thirst for blood, they will not harm their own kind--whether this stems from a sense of camaradarie between the beasts, or from the reportedly caustic quality of the meat is a matter of speculation. Regardless, if you find that travelers on the ways have suddenly become timid and polite beyond your expectations, keep one ear...

Face-stealer 8 HP, 10 STR, 10 DEX, 14 WIL, fists (d4) Their true form is that of a writhing mass of oily black worms, topped with a fleshy, mask-like face. More often they wear the form of someone who's face they've stolen. They cannot steal a face against one's will, but instead must receive it through a consensual trade--usually an exchange for information or some object of value. An object received in trade from a Face-stealer is indistinguishable from the real thing by mundane means, and dissolves into a clump of black worms d4 days later. The worms eventually find their way back to the Face-stealer. From the shadows, a figure approaches. What at first seems to be a mass of writhing worms resolves into the silhouette of a human figure, black as pitch, but with a beautiful and pleasant human face. The face smiles at you, and in a bewitching voice as sweet as honey it speaks: "How may I serve you?" Face-stealer is a misnomer, for t...

Oddling 3 HP, 7 STR, 12 DEX, 8 WIL, claw/bite (d4), slingshot (d4) Small, mischevious, grotesque humanoids with a variety of physical mutations. Avoid combat, except to take targets by surprise with numbers. Critical Damage: rather than doing further harm, a nearby Oddling steals a random item from the targets inventory and runs off with it. No one is quite sure where Oddlings come from, though there are many theories. Some think they grow spontaneously from muck and refuse--where else do they get their ragged clothes? Others, with great sophistication, explain that when a gnome's mother tree withers, the whole tribe mutates into Oddling form. Still others think them the result of malign experiments performed on missing children. Wherever they come from, everyone knows an Oddling when they see one: diminutive, dishevelled, and mischievous in the extreme--and with the face of something entirely inhuman. For the Oddlings' part, they don't see...

Bull-frog 8 HP, 1 Armor, 14 STR, 9 DEX, 4 WIL, bite (d8) Huge, hungry, solitary amphibians with thick rubbery skin and curved horns Sluggish unless hungry or it's territory is threatened, then fiercely persistent. Skull bash (d12): launches into a target within 40ft; if the Bull-frog collides with a wall or similar object, it cannot attack on it's next turn as it regains composure. Found in damp and humid places, these huge amphibians boast an impressive bulk and an even more impressive appetite. During the heat of the day, or times of rest, they will submerge themselves in deep water or cool mud, leaving only their eyes and nostrils exposed. Male bull-frogs are solitary and fiercely territorial; when a potential rival enters their territory, they puff up their stretchy throats in an attempted intimidation display. If this doesn't work, the competitors square up, cock their powerful legs, and crash their thick skulls into each other until some...