The DwarfAs seen in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, we take a closer look how this entry contributed, or sometimes not, our D&D adventures. From Monster Manual I, it is the Dwarf.
“[Dwarves] live no less than 300 years on the average.”
ranks prominently in D&D lore. We celebrate the release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, with an entry from Monster Manual I.
“… usually found dwelling in great hills or mountainous regions. … They are greedy and avaricious. “
The Brain MoleThere is still room for Dungeons and Dragons: Monster Manual I silly monsters. We discuss the infamous, but more likely overlooked, Brain Mole. It adds excitement, drama, and passion to any adventure.
“… chance per melee round of causing permanent insanity …”
Documented deep inside Dungeons and Dragons: Monster Manual I, is a troubling entry and warns of underground hazards. A giant amoeba seeps in dungeons like an infamous “blob”.
“The fluids excreted by [the Ochre Jelly] dissolve flesh …”
in spite of its name, is a mysterious creature with a specific set of rules. And the rules suck! We take a look at an undead entry from the vaulted Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual I.
“Ghosts are the spirits of evil humans who were so awful in their badness …”
The Treantinspired from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, is one of many wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing type monsters. Cleverly renamed not to violate any copyright, this talking tree was only for fans of Middle Earth and not always well received.
“… strongly related to humans and trees, combining features of both species.”
The Flesh Golem,is an entry found deep into Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual I. Like all golems, it is a monster resulting from part magic and part science. Much like Frankenstein’s monster, it is pieced together from dead flesh.
“The cost of materials is 1,000 gold pieces per hit point … it requires 1 month to fashion the creature.”
The Morkoth,from Monster Manual I, was a squid-headed hypnotist from deep waters. If your heroes have the technology of deep sea diving and able to breath underwater and see without the aid of modern illumination, they may run into the Morkoth! We add another “silly” monster to our list.
“[The Morkoth] is possibly humanoid, but reports vary.”
The Ghoul,was a cruel creature of the undead. From Monster Manual I, the tome describes the feeder of corpses as cruel and deranged. It was a reason to avoid graveyards at night.
“Any human killed by a ghoulish attack will become a ghoul …”
The IxitxachitlFrom the middle of Dungeons and Dragons: Monster Manual I, comes a confusing and downright odd entry, the Ixitachitl. An evil aquatic monster with the sensibilities of a cleric. And they come in vampire form too!
“… a race of intelligent rays which dwell in shallow tropical seas. They are of evil disposition, and clerical in nature.”