Screaming Devilkin

 

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or band
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil

N° APPEARING: 1-4
AC: 2 [18]
MOVEMENT: 12 (flying only, maneuverability D)
HIT DICE: 3
THAC0: 17 [+3]
N° OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: tail slash (1d6)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: screaming
SPECIAL DEFENSES: none
SPECIAL ABILITIES: none
MAGIC RESISTANCE: none
SIZE: S (60-90 cm)
MORALE: Average (8-10)
EXPERIENCE: 420

ORIGIN: Fiend Folio (1981), created by Philip Masters

Appearance
This small, imp-like creature has maroon or ash-grey leathery skin, small horns atop its head, two large bat-like wings and a long, muscular tail ending in a wicked barb. The vile little creature usually measures between 60 to 90 cm. Its leathery wings have a 1.5-meter span and provide its only means of movement – its legs and arms being disproportionately small and useless for movement or combat.

Combat
Devilkin are extremely aggressive creatures. They will attack without provocation and never will never break off a fight willingly. They usually will attempt to swoop in from above and strike with its barbed tail for 1d6 points of damage.

Their unusually high armor class is a result not only of their thick hides, but also of their small size and maneuverability – a devilkin who cannot fly for any reason is completely defenseless, and its AC will fall to 10.

When confronted with strong opponents, particularly those armed with ranged weapons, or spellcasters the devilkin will employ its scream attack. It begins as a low moan, but quickly reaches its apex. Once it does, its loud, pandemonious din wreaks havoc to all within 30 meters. Verbal communication is impossible, even if screaming, and spell casters are unable to cast any spell with a verbal component.

Also, those within 20 meters from the creature must attempt a saving throw vs. paralyzation every round – if the save is not successful the victim will be stunned (-2 on attacks and AC, no shield or Dexterity AC bonus, and a +1 penalty on initiative) for as long as the devilkin keeps screaming.

Note that, even if a person makes his save in one round, he must attempt it again in the next if he is to take any action, as long as he is within the scream’s area of effect.

The creature can keep screaming for as long as it wants to. If there are other devilkin around, they are not affected and will keep attacking the unfortunate victims with their tails while one of the creatures maintain the constant scream.

Habitat/Society
Although they are most commonly found in mountainous or hilly regions, these creatures can live anywhere, and prefer to inhabit abandoned or desolated ruins. Predators or scavengers living in the areas where screaming devilkins dwell quickly learn that the creatures’ shrieks mean that food might be nearby.

Sometimes they will cooperate with and offer their allegiance to evil overlords or necromancers, particularly those who serve an evil archfey, such as the Queen or Air and Darkness, and an evil warlock may even gain a screaming devilkin as his familiar.

Ecology
Despite their appearance and name, screaming devilkin are not fiends, but visitors from the gloomiest regions of the Faerie Realm. While the real reason they are sent to the material plane is unknown, many sages theorize that they are embodiments of fear and panic whose goal it is to strike fear into the normal populace and spread its evil to as many as it can.

 

Dustdigger

 

art by Jim Holloway

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subtropical or tropical sandy deserts
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-intelligent (2-4)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

N° APPEARING: 1-10
AC: 16 (outside), 13 (inside)
MOVEMENT: 3 (burrowing)
HIT DICE: 4
THAC0 +3
N° OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: bite (1d8), constriction (1d6+1)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: sinkhole trap, enveloping
SPECIAL DEFENSES: natural camouflage
SPECIAL ABILITIES: create mirage
MAGIC RESISTANCE: none
SIZE: M or larger
MORALE: 14
EXPERIENCE: 270 xp (420 xp for the mirage-maker variant)

ORIGIN: “I3 – Pharaoh” (1982, by Tracy and Laura Hickman)

Appearance
A dustdigger looks like a man-sized sandy brown starfish with five long tentacles ringing a central maw lined with sharpened teeth and fangs. An adult dustdigger is about 3 meters in diameter.

Combat
A dust digger inflates its body with air, buries itself under a thin lair of sand or dirt, and waits for its prey to pass nearby – a buried dustdigger is completely camouflaged and virtually undetectable without magical means. The creature can also automatically sense the location of anyone within 20 meters that is in contact with the ground.

When a living creature walks over a dust digger, the creature deflates its body causing a sinkhole effect attempting to shove the prey into its mouth. Victims caught into this situation must succeed on a Surprise roll with a -3 modifier; surprised victims cannot react fast enough to escape, and will fall into the creature’s pouch and be automatically trapped and constricted (see details below).

If the victim is not surprised, however, he can either fight the creature (with a -2 modifier to the attack roll due to unstable ground) or make a successful saving throw vs. Breath Weapon to escape; failure, however, means the victim is completely trapped by the dustdigger’s tentacles.

Once a victim is trapped inside its pouch, the dustdigger will instantly flip its arms over its mouth and constrict its prey, enveloping the victim and inflicting 1d6+1 of constricting damage.

After enveloping and constricting its victim, in the next round the dustdigger will bite once per round, inflicting 1d8 hit points of damage with each bite until the victim is either killed or breaks free. No attack roll is necessary if the prey is fully trapped inside.

Those enveloped by a dustdigger can either attack with a -4 penalty, if they have a small weapon available, or can try to force their way out with a Strength check (for this purpose, consider that an average-sized dustdigger has a Strength of 16).

If a grabbed opponent is up to one size smaller than the creature, it will be automatically swallowed whole. Once inside the dustdigger’s interior, the opponent takes 1d6+3 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 points of acid damage.  A swallowed creature can also cut its way out by using a small slashing or piercing weapon to deal 10 points of damage to the dust digger’s interior (AC 13). Note that a victim cutting his way out may very well find itself in a worse predicament than it was since the dust digger’s body is buried in the sand or dirt surrounding its area.

About one in five dustdiggers can create illusionary mirages to lure their prey, and will typically project a pool of bubbling water in the desert sands when approaching victims come within striking range.

Habitat / Society
The dustdiggers inhabit arid areas that have loosely packed, sandy soil, such as desert dunes.

Although they tend to roam a large territory in search of prey, these creatures are cunning enough to settle near caravan routes or oases. They travel only at night and only for a few minutes before digging a hole and settling in again.

They do not form packs, but sometimes more than one dustdigger can be found in the same area, particularly during mating season. Females usually lay 2 to 4 eggs per year after mating, and newly-born dustdiggers are completely self-reliant.  

Some nomadic desert tribes consider hunting and killing dustdiggers as a great feat of strength and courage.

Ecology
Dust diggers are nocturnal desert carnivores about 3 meters in diameter. The creature spends most of its life buried under sand and dirt, waiting for potential prey to wander too close or actually wander over the area where it is buried.

After killing its prey, a dustdigger will sink in the sand and stand still to devour it slowly. The creature cannot digest metal or stone, and will regurgitate items made of those materials.

In theory, dustdiggers never stop growing up, and some gargantuan-sized creatures, large enough to swallow an elephant whole, have been reported from time to time.  

A dust digger can burrow through sand, loose soil, or almost any sort of loosely packed earth as easily as a fish swim through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other signs of its presence.

 

Nothic

Nothic

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: High (13)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil

N° APPEARING: 1
AC: 5 (15)
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 3+3
THAC0 15 (+5)
N° OF ATTACKS: 2 or 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: claw (1d6) / claw (1d6) or gaze
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Rotting gaze
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See invisible and ethereal
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Darkvision, Weird insight
MAGIC RESISTANCE: None
SIZE: M (1,75 m)
MORALE: Elite (14)
EXPERIENCE: 975

ORIGIN: Miniatures Handbook (D&D 3.5)

Appearance
The nothic is a bloated and misshaped creature with some truly bizarre figures, the most prominent being its big mouth filled with sharp teeth and the large eye that takes up most of its face. It has a hunched over stance, as if they are unable to stretch their back into an upright position, and its members are thin and wiry. The arms extend past the length of its body, dragging along the ground but are surprisingly strong and end up on sharp-clawed hands. A nothic always walks with a strange, uneven gait.

Combat
Despite its sharp, iron-hard claws, a nothic only employs melee attacks as a last resort.

Its preferred attack is the rotting gaze - with a range of 10 meters, this gaze attack immediately causes 2-12 (2d6) hit points of damage, and the victim must also save versus magic or be infected with a rotting disease which is fatal in 1-6 months. For each month the rot progresses, the victim permanently loses 2 points of Charisma. While infected, the victim recovers lost hit points at 10 percent of his normal rate.

The rotting disease can be cured only with a cure disease spell; cure wounds has no effect. A regenerate spell will restore damage but will not otherwise affect the course of the disease. If a victim makes a successful saving throw, he is not infected, but he still suffers 2-12 hit points of damage.

With its weird insight ability the nothic targets any one creature it can see within 15 meters of it. The target must save versus spell. If the save fails, the creature magically learns one fact or secret about the target. The charm resistance of elves and half-elves apply against this attack.

Nothics can see perfectly in natural darkness and can see all invisible and ethereal creatures normally.

Habitat / Society
Most sages agree that Nothics are not native to the prime material plane. Their plane of origin is not known with certainty, but since they seem have a loose grip on reality and are borderline insane, many believe that they may have arrived through portals from the Far Realms or Pandemonium. 

Nothics are always alone and no one knows how these createres reproduce or even if they can form some kind of organized society.

They are normally found living in dark caves preferably close to underground rivers or lakes, but many an adventurer has found a nothic hiding in a lost library or in a forgotten dungeon, while others have been known to break into schools of magic or libraries within large cities, obsessively searching for secrets and answers to long lost questions.

Many nothics seem obsessed in always seeking magic knowledge or finding out secrets, and this includes using their weird insigh ability to see into a person’s mind to draw out information or dark secrets. What the creature does with this knowledge is unknown, but many nothics will trade secrets they learned for magical items or even more secrets.

Ecology
Nothics will eat anything, including carrion, but they seem to prefer a diet of fresh fish.

Some evil wizards have been known to keep a nothic around, either as spies - or for nothing other their own amusement. Even more appealing to their masters is that the creature is loyal to a fault. If their master is attacked, they will launch themselves at the enemy with a fury that is matched only by its insanity.

Spitting Spider

Spitting Spider

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any non arctic
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or pairs
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Usually dusk or dawn
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

N° APPEARING: 1-2
AC: 7 (13)
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 1+2
THAC0 17 (+3)
N° OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: bite (1d8)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spitting paralyzing web
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Stealth
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Nightvision
MAGIC RESISTANCE: None
SIZE: M (1,40 m)
MORALE: Average (10)
EXPERIENCE: 250

ORIGIN: "The Fountain of Health", by Ann Dupuis (Dungeon Magazine no. 39, pgs. 32 - 42)

Appearance: The body of this 1,50-meter spider is covered in coarse black hair with yellow spots on its legs and four pairs of red eyes on its head.

Combat: Spitting spiders are capable of spitting a sticky, toxic web strand for its main attack. The web has a range of 3 meters and completely encases any human-sized target it hits, gluing it to the floor and any objects within 1 meter. The spider hits automatically, but the target can make a saving throw versus Breath Weapons to avoid the web - and then only if the target is not surprised by attack.

Those caught in the web must make a saving throw versus Paralyzation or become paralyzed for as long as they are trapped in the web. If the saving throw is successful, the victims can break free of the web in 2-8 rounds - this time is reduced by one round per each +1 on his damage adjustment.

This spider can spit its web about four times in a day and, in combat, it uses its bite attack in any round it cannot spit. The bite has the same paralyzing effect, but since the poison is weaker bitten victims can save with a +3 bonus.

Spitting spiders are so stealthy that they impose a -2 penalty on their opponentes surprise rolls.

Habitat/Society: Spitting spiders usually live alone, but sometimes mated pairs can be encountered. They can be found anywhere, but prefer to make their burrows forests, caves or even abandoned ruins.

Ecology: These spiders feed on blood and other bodily fluids of their prey, which are kept alive and paralyzed in their webs the whole time. They usually prey on small mammals and birds but ocasionally hunt for larger prey. The spider's fluid can be used as a component of many different potions and alchemical poisons. 

Jaculus (tree snake)

Jaculus

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate / Forests
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Flock
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

N° APPEARING: 2-8
AC:6
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE:1
THAC0 19
N° OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: gore (1d6), bite (1d3)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Leaping 
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camouflage

SPECIAL ABILITIES: None
MAGIC RESISTANCE: None
SIZE: L (2,30 m)
MORALE: Average (8)
EXPERIENCE: 70

ORIGIN: Medieval folklore (The Aberdeen Bestiary)

Appearance: Also known as javelin snake or tree snake, a jaculus (pl. jaculi) has brown-colored scales, a long muscular body and a broad, arrow-shaped flat head with a ridge of razor-edged bones projecting at either side.

Combat: Although their scales are naturally brown-colored, jaculi can change their color to perfectly match their surroundings. Because of this chameleon-like camouflage ability, their opponents suffer a -4 penalty to surprise rolls. A jaculus can hurl itself down on an opponent like a javelin from a point 15 meters or more above. This flying gore attack (+1 to hit) deals 1d6 points of piercing damage from the snake’s bone ridge. If a foe proves too troublesome, the jaculi will jump to the nearest tree to escape in search of easier prey.

Habitat/Society: Jaculi are usually found in temperate or warm forests. They live in the treetops of the tallest trees in pairs or flocks of up to eight snakes, although larger flocks of up to twenty individuals are not unknown. 

Ecology: Tree snakes usually swallow small prey whole. Their staple diet consists of birds and small mammals, but they can also bite and chew, savaging prey too large to swallow. Unless they are starving, they eat only prey they have killed themselves less than two days ago. When feeding hungry young, a jaculus sometimes will slay a large beast and hide in or under the corpse to await vultures and other carrion-feeders, which it slays as well. Although not naturally vicious, jaculi are highly territorial and excitable and may become very agressive when someone intrudes into what they regard as their territory

Redcap

A new, fearsome fey for the AD&D 2nd edition game

Redcap

illustration by Alan Lee

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate / Moorlands and ruins
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary (usually)
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-9)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

N° APPEARING: 1
AC: 6 (14)
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 4+4
THAC0 17 (+3)
N° OF ATTACKS: 3 or 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: claw (1d6) / claw (1d6) / bite (1d4+1); thown rock (2d6); or per weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Climb Walls 70%, Regeneration
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Nightvision 30 m
MAGIC RESISTANCE: None
SIZE: L (2,10 m)
MORALE: Elite (14)
EXPERIENCE: 650

ORIGIN: Scottish folklore

Appearance: Gnarled, hideous old man, with warty grey skin and dark hair, protruding yellowish teeth, sharp claws and bloodshot eyes, always wearing a red cap which gives the creature its the name.

Combat: Redcaps attack opponents directly and without fear, especially when defending their lairs. Redcaps usually employ their claws and bite in a fight, but they will use large weapons such as halberds, falchions, claymores or war clubs if they can get a hold of them. They are also fond of throwing large rocks at their opponents from above. Despite not being too bright, Redcaps can be very sly, and if outnumbered they often try to lure enemies into the deadly booby-traps that permeate its lair (such as falling boulders or hidden pitfalls). If the creature’s cap is soaked in human blood the Redcap will regenerate 2/hp per level; however, if their cap ever runs dry or is lost, they lose this ability and become stricken by weakness (-1 to attack rolls and armor class, movement is reduced to 6). Holy water burns them for 2d4 hit points per vial.

Habitat/Society: Redcaps are solitary creatures and will avoid the company of other creatures, even other Redcaps. In some rare occasions, however, a Redcap will ally itself with an evil mage or an annis hag for a short time if they share similar goals. They prefer to live in abandoned ruins or old castles in moorlands and heathlands, and will murder and eat anyone who trespasses into their lairs.

Ecology: These evil fey live to kill and eat, and are interested in little else. Humans are their favorite food, and children and Halflings are particular delicacies. Blood is also important to Redcaps because of their regenerative abilities (see above); unsurprisingly, a Redcap who is separated from its hat will try to get it back by any means possible. Redcaps’ teeth are an important ingredient of some magical potions; some sages say that people who carry these teeth are afflicted by a curse until they get rid of them. It is not know how Recaps are born, since female Redcaps have never been seen.
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De onde vêm os humanóides?

É algo comum em aventuras de fantasia: após derrotar os humanóides malignos que vêm atormentando a região, os PCs exploram seu covil e deparam-se com um grupo de fêmeas e filhotes. E aí surge o dilema: que fazer? Passar a espada neles? Deixá-los livres, mesmo sabendo que estas criaturas são irredimíveis?

A resposta depende do modo como você e seus jogadores vêem os PCs. Se eles forem mercenários aventureiros amorais (na tradição de Espada & Feitiçaria), a resposta é óbvia. Porém, se eles forem heróis justos e nobres, como na fantasia heróica ou épica, a resposta fica mais complicada.

Para DMs que não querem lidar com essa questão na mesa de jogo, por qualquer motivo (talvez você tenha jogadores muito jovens no seu grupo; talvez você não aceite esse tipo de atitude em uma campanha heróica), há duas soluções relativamente fáceis.

A primeira, e mais simples, é considerar todos os covis e esconderijos como "casernas", onde há apenas combatentes, e nunca "civis".

A segunda é substituir o naturalismo pela fantasia pura, como sugere Beedo, autor do blog Dreams in the Lich House, neste artigo.

Nessa abordagem fantástica, os humanóides teriam uma origem mágica e extranatural, a exemplo dos orcs de Warhammer, que são fungos extremamente complexos que se reproduzem por esporos.

Para muitos, essa origem pode soar absurda demais, mas há outros exemplos mais enraizados no folclore:

* goblins seriam algum tipo de ser feérico decaído, que nascem de cabaças plantadas pelos reis-goblins nas noites de lua cheia ou migram ocasionalmente do reino das fadas sombrias para o plano  material.

* kobolds seriam fadas malignas e ardilosas que vivem nos mais profundos recônditos da terra.

* orcs seriam algum lêmure ou ser infernal que ocupa um corpo criado artificialmente por magia ou alquimia.

* gnolls seriam bandidos transformados por uma bruxa ou estriga poderosa e imortal, que os usa como seus capangas.

Outro autor, Fr. Dave, do excelente blog Blood of Prokopius, que usa uma abordagem cristã em seus jogos de D&D clássico, oferece algumas alternativas interessantes:

* os humanóides podem ser personificação de pecados - uma visão similar, porém não exatamente igual, ao conceito de seres feéricos que mencionei acima.

* eles seriam humanos ou quase-humanos corrompidos pelo mal (uma abordagem semelhante àquela utilizada como origem dos orcs no filme A Sociedade do Anel).
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E por aí vai. E vocês, leitores, preferem a abordagem naturalista ou fantástica?

Goblins

Na maioria dos cenários e campanhas de fantasia, goblins sempre são utilizados como "vilões básicos", especialmente em aventuras introdutórias ou para jogadores iniciantes. Individualmente fracos, são perigosos em bando, encaixando-se perfeitamente no arquétipo de "peste" ou "vilão covarde", que fogem para o fundo de suas cavernas sempre que estão em desvantagem.

Como sempre achei essa aboardagem muito sem-graça, resolvi injetar um pouco de variedade nos goblins do meu mundo, que lá possuem cinco sub-tipos, cada um com suas características próprias:

Goblins da colina

São o tipo mais comum de goblin; eles têm pele verde-oliva, cabelos pretos finos e olhos cor de âmbar. São delgados e ágeis, e compensam a falta de força física com destreza e astúcia.

Eles controlam vários territórios ao sul do continente e se organizam em clãs chefiados pelos goblins mais fortes. Muitos humanos os consideram estúpidos, mas essa é uma suposição perigosa, pois eles são tão astutos e engenhosos quanto outras raças.

Goblins da colina freqüentemente selam alianças com bandos de worgs, e sobrevivem atacando e pilhando vilas humanas próximas ou mesmo o território de outros clãs goblins.

Goblins da floresta

Estes goblins habitam as florestas ermas e inexploradas do norte do continente, e atacam viajantes incautos que adentram seu território, roubando suas armas e posses, e capturando prisioneiros que quase sempre são devorados em banquetes. Muitos desses goblins aprenderam a domesticar aranhas e vespas gigantes, que são utilizadas em combate e na defesa de suas vilas.

Sua pele verde-mosqueada os deixa quase invisíveis em meio à folhagem densa, tornando suas emboscadas particularmente perigosas.

Goblins noturnos

Com pele verde-acinzentada e olhos cor de âmbar característicos de sua raça, estes goblins habitam cavernas profundas e somente vêem à superfície em noites sem lua, trajando túnicas e capuzes pretos e empunhando machadinhas e facões, atacando a todos que vêem pela frente em um frenesi sangüinário.

Seus xamãs detêm grande poder e são responsáveis por preparar várias poções feitas com cogumelos subterrâneos que lhes dão força e vigor sobrenaturais.

Goblins marinhos

Estes goblins vivem em cavernas marítimas próximas ao litoral ou em ilhas afastadas. Eles são anfíbios, possuindo guelras, membranas natatórias nas mãos e corpo coberto de escamas esverdeadas. Normalmente goblins marinhos são mais altos e esguios que outros tipos de goblins. Territorialistas e agressivos, eles costumam atacar comunidades costeiras humanas ou cidades dos elfos marinhos para pilhar e destruir.

Hob-goblins

Com cerca de um metro de altura, estes goblins são os menores e mais fracos de sua espécie. Sua pele é normalmente esverdeada, avermelhada ou cinza, e os machos apresentam um par de pequenos cornos na testa. Esquálidos, ignóbeis e covardes, eles habitam florestas densas, pântanos fétidos ou covis subterrâneos, normalmente servindo  como lacaios ou capangas de alguma criatura mais forte ou poderosa. São especialistas em armadilhas e emboscadas, e dificilmente enfrentam seus oponentes abertamente, a menos que tenham vantagem numérica de três para um.

Drows

Em uma postagem recente de seu blog, minha amiga Ana descreveu algumas das experiências de suas personagens com os primos malignos dos elfos, os drows, também conhecidos como “elfos sombrios”. Inspirado no texto da Ana, resolvi abordar os vilões de pele obsidiana, mas por outra ótica – pois, ao contrário da maioria dos jogadores, senhoras e senhores, eu odeio os drows.

Pronto, falei!

Eu realmente não consigo dizer uma razão específica para desgostar deles, mas posso dizer que essa antipatia vem desde a primeira vez que li a descrição desses manés no Monstrous Manual.

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Seja qual for o motivo, o conceito dos drows simplesmente não funciona para mim. No vejo nessa raça motivação ou credibilidade suficiente para utilizá-los em minhas campanhas. A idéia original, de uma tribo de elfos que perdeu uma guerra, foi exilada para o subterrâneo e agora quer vingança contra o mundo da superfície parece algo datado, implausível ou saído de uma história ruim de ficção-científica da década de 50.

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O fato dos drows terem sido utilizados como vilões principais até a exaustão em muitos cenários oficiais pode ter contribuído para isso. E para piorar as coisas, na época que comecei a jogar RPG, lá pelos anos 90, a maioria dos jogadores que conheci queria fazer um “drow renegado” – conceito que, na maioria das vezes só levava à criação de clones mal-feitos de Drizzt. E acreditem, era difícil aturar esses personagens, quando todo drow renegado tinha aquela atitude emo, típica da década: “meu povo me odeia pois sou bom, o povo da superfície me odeia porque sou drow... ó vida, ó azar...” Argh!
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Originalmente o termo “drow” (e sua variante, “trow”) era utilizado no folclore escocês, mais especificamente no folclore das Ilhas Órcadas, para se referir a um tipo de fada maligna, muito semelhante aos svartalfar escandinavos.

Porém, os drows, como conhecemos no AD&D, foram criados pelo “pai da criança”, Gary Gygax. Sua estréia se deu na série de aventuras Against de Giants, publicadas em 1981. Desde então, as ignóbeis criaturas vem sendo utilizadas como vilões principalmente em Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk e em diversas aventuras. Infelizmente.

Porém, nem tudo está perdido. Dois cenários me apresentaram novos conceitos de elfos sombrios que, em minha opinião, funcionam muito bem.

Um deles vem do GURPS Fantasy. Neste cenários, elfos sombrios são apenas tribos ou grupos de elfos racistas e xenófobos que crêem que os elfos, devido à sua superioridade natural, deveriam governar o mundo e se livrar de todas as outras raças. Renegados pelos outros elfos, que consideram tal visão um sacrilégio, eles vivem isolados no interior de florestas antigas e impenetráveis, donde tramam sua vingança contra a humanidade. Este conceito pode não ser um primor de originalidade, mas é mais plausível.

O segundo vem de Dragonlance. Lá não existem drows; elfo sombrio é simplesmente um título dado a qualquer elfo que foi exilado devido à prática de algum crime que os elfos consideram hediondo, como assassinato de outro elfo ou, como no caso do mago Dalamar, prática de magia negra.

Uma outra alternativa, e que venho desenvolvendo há um tempo, é substituir os drows por seres feéricos sombrios, como foi feito no excelente suplemento The Shadow Rift, de Ravenloft - embora, nesse caso, muito provavelmente o DM terá de adaptar os diversos seres lá descritos à sua campanha particular, o que não é tão difícil.

Até a próxima.
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Meus monstros favoritos

Arte: Sahuagin, por Tony DiTerlizzi.

A maioria dos meus colegas de blog de língua inglesa estão postando suas listas de monstros favoritos do AD&D. Então, para seguir a tendência, aqui vai a minha lista de monstros:

Aranhas gigantes – Ao contrário da maioria das pessoas, eu não odeio ou tenho medo de aranhas. Pelo contrário, acho que são criaturas fascinantes e belas (a seu modo). Ainda assim, a maioria das pessoas sofre de algum grau de aracnofobia, e Peter Jackson nos mostrou como este tipo de monstro pode ser aterrorizante.

Beholder – uma criatura original criada por Terry Kuntz na década de 1970, o Beholder é tão mortal quanto sinistro. Muitos jogadores acham que é uma criatura idiota ou de aparência ridícula, o que em minha opinião só faz aumentar seu “fator periculosidade”, pois já vi muitos grupos tentarem enfrentar um destes bichos sem planejamento ou estratégia, e o resultado foi um legítimo G.I.M. (“grupo inteiro morto”).

Dragões – Uma criatura que pode ser considerada um símbolo do AD&D – e dos jogos de RPG de fantasia em geral. Criaturas inteligentes e extremamente poderosas, que estão presentes em praticamente todas as mitologias do mundo. Em uma palavra: fascinantes.

Ettin – um gigante de duas cabeças, adaptado do folclore inglês, pode ser utilizado tanto em aventuras mais leves ou cômicas, ou como um oponente cruel e perigoso.

Sahuagin – homens-peixes sanguinários e inteligentes que atacam tanto outras raças marinhas (como tritões e elfos aquáticos) quanto navios e cidades costeiras, com uma dose de terror lovecraftiano. Como não gostar de tais criaturas?

Salgueiro Negro – por algum motivo, tenho um ponto fraco por plantas assassinas e comedoras de gente. E como o salgueiro é uma de minhas árvores preferidas, este monstro entrou para minha lista de monstros favoritos – embora eu não tenha tido oportunidade de utilizá-lo em jogo (ainda!).

Trolls – o troll do AD&D não é inspirado naquele do folclore, mas sim nas criaturas descritas no romance Three Hearts and Three Lions, de Poul Anderson. Famosos por sua capacidade regenerativa e força, e por freqüentemente andarem em bando, são um desafio digno para qualquer grupo de aventureiros.

Vampiros – quando utilizado dentro de seu contexto folclórico original ou quando fiéis à criação de Bram Stoker – predadores da raça humana, astutos e perigosos – vampiros são oponentes formidáveis, e Raveloft é o maior exemplo disso. Quando utilizados como emos chorões inspirados à la Entrevista com o vampiro... sem comentários.

Wererat – na minha opinião o mais interessante dos licantropos. Além de ser uma criatura essencialmente urbana, ratos são animais absolutamente asquerosos, o que faz deles excelentes oponentes.

Wight – inspirado nas Criaturas Tumulares de Tolkien, o que faz dessa criatura um dos meus mortos-vivos preferidos - além do fato de drenar força vital, o que é suficiente para assustar até o jogador mais blasé ou super-confiante.