Land of Ice (Monsters, Part 4)

[continued from here. The snow is really coming down now (and sticking) and while I could still walk to work from my home, I have no nanny for today so I am staying home with my boy. This is the last section in the Chapter 6: Monsters for LAND OF ICE. Tomorrow, I should start posting the treasure section]

Snow Viper

Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 1-2 hit points*
Move: 90’ (30’)
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: Poison
No. Appearing: 4-16 (4-32)
Save As: Normal Human
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil

A small, poisonous land predator, the average snow viper is only 2’-4’ in length, and generally avoid attacking humans unless their nests are disturbed; however, as they generally lair within shallow snow drifts it is easy enough for an unwary party to accidentally blunder into a nest of vipers. Their strike is exceptionally quick (they always gain initiative) and a shield is little defense against their attacks. The venom of a single viper bite isn’t generally enough to kill a human: one bite will make the character woozy for D10 hours (-1 to attack rolls and saves), a second will reduce the character’s speed by one-half for a day, and a third bite will render the character comatose with paralytic shock (save versus death to awaken in D8 hours but then suffers all other effects and treats Constitution as one-half normal until recovered). A character is allowed a save versus poison against every bite to avoid the cumulative effect.

Southlander

Armor Class: 9
Hit Dice: 1D4 hit points
Move: 120’ (40’)
Attacks: 1
Damage: By weapon
No. Appearing: 1-8 (3-18)
Save As: Normal Human
Morale: 6
Treasure Type: A (whole village)

Humans residing in the (slightly) warmer southern regions. The climate has made them softer and their lives easier than that of the northmen, who will raid their settlements and towns during winter months to supplement their meager supplies. For the most part, they are equivalent to the Normal Humans described in the Basic rule book.

Troglodyte

Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 1+1
Move: 120’ (40’)
Attacks: 2 claws, 1 bite
Damage: 1D4/1D4/1D4
No. Appearing: 1-8 (2-40)
Save As: Fighter 1
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil

An extremely primitive, proto-manlike humanoid living deep beneath the mountains where the warmth of geothermal springs are insulated from the cold of the surface. Dwelling in absolute darkness, they use heightened senses of smell and hearing to track their prey: any stray creature that wanders into their underground world. As should be expected, they are expert climbers and spelunkers, and are able to surprise opponents on a 1-4 within their familiar underground environment. They possess nothing of value.

Valkyrie

Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 2
Move: 120’ (40’)
Attacks: 1
Damage: By weapon
No. Appearing: 1-4 (1-8)
Save As: Fighter 2
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: As NPC

By life of a northman is far from peaceful, and raids and war can take a great toll on a settlement’s fighting force. Over the centuries, a tradition has developed in many villages whereby a special cadre of female warriors, called valkyrs, will act as the defenders and champions of a settlement. Fierce fighters, these individuals never go adventuring or raiding; their sole duty is to act as guard and defense against creatures that would threaten their people. Valkyrs train their own, only accepting the strongest and bravest maidens into their ranks. When they marry, a valkyrie generally “retires” from service, but many valkyrs remain single their entire lives; others return to valkyrie service upon the death of their spouse and adulthood of their children.

Viking Warrior

Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 1
Move: 120’ (40’)
Attacks: 1
Damage: By weapon
No. Appearing: 2-8 (3-30)
Save As: Fighter 1
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: See below

Viking warriors are northmen skilled at both fighting and sailing, and are the general raiding and war party one will encounter in the LAND OF ICE. A longship can carry approximately 75 such warriors, though smaller ships with contingents of 30-40 are not unknown. Vikings encountered are 50% likely to be led by an NPC fighter of 1st through 3rd level (roll D6 and divide by two). Vikings returning from a successful raid will carry Treasure Type A; otherwise, they carry no valuables aside from their weapons and gear.

Witch

Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 1-4**
Move: 120’ (40’)
Attacks: 1
Damage: By weapon
No. Appearing: 1 (1-4)
Save As: Magician
Morale: 7
Treasure Type: As NPC

A witch is the name given to natural psychics who have mastered the arts of seidhr without the benefit of formal training, usually through experimentation and meditation in isolation; this includes any psychics found among the southlanders. A witch should be created as a magician of 1st through 4th level (roll D4), but they never receive more than 1 psychic talent point per level (i.e. they cannot spend an advance on an additional psychic talent point), nor can they “clean” psychic corruption. On the other hand, witches care nearly as little for honor as thieves, and never lose XP for breaking the taboos listed for magicians in Chapter 4.

Woolly Mammoth

Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 9
Move: 120’ (40’)
Attacks: 2 tusks or trample
Damage: 2D4/2D4 or 3D8
No. Appearing: 0 (1-20)
Save As: Fighter 3
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: See below

Although covered in long, shaggy hair and sporting incredible curved tusks, the mammoth is not noticeably larger in size than the Terran elephant (about 10’ at the shoulder). Their tusks are worth 40-160 gold marks (4D4 multiplied by 10). If a reaction roll indicates attack, it will charge an opponent, striking with its tusks for double damage. On every round that follows the creature will either attack with tusks (25% chance) or trample (75%), gaining a +4 to attack rolls when trampling man-sized and smaller targets.

Wraith*

Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 3*** to 7***
Move: 180’ (60’)
Attacks: 1
Damage: See below
No. Appearing: 1-4 (1-8)
Save As: Alfar 3
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: F

A wraith is an alfr that has undergone a terrible transformation due to excessive psychic corruption. The creature becomes an incorporeal, ghost-like thing, malicious and hateful of the living. They have a hit dice equal to their original level +2 (reroll hit points) and while they possess their former psychic abilities, they are unaffected by the psychic talents of others. Wraiths are exceptionally dangerous.

In combat, a wraith may use its psychic talents or may attack a creature with its touch. A successful attack reduces the target’s Strength score by 1D4 points. Unless reduced to 0 these strength points are recovered at a rate of 1 per day. A character reduced to 0 strength becomes a wraith with hit dice equal to its own level divided by two (round up); such a being is completely in thrall to its creator wraith. Individuals that do not have a strength score (like normal humans) take D10 damage to hit points instead, becoming a wraith of one-half its normal hit dice if slain. Creatures with less than one hit die in life become shadow wraiths, unable to attack, simply existing in a perpetual half-life of silent misery, communicating through gesture alone.

Wraiths cannot be damaged by normal weapons, or even those of +1 (“old craft”) enhancement. Only psychic imprint weapons (+2 or better, see Chapter 7) can damage or kill a wraith. A wounded wraith heals one hit point per day. Being incorporeal, wraiths do not usually wield mortal equipment (a wraith with telekinesis can utilize a physical weapon in combat instead of its touch attack); however, many retain a small hoard of worldly possessions from their past lives.