Mystara Bestiary

Actaeon (Elk Centaur) *

An actaeon is a protector of the woodlands. They are well-known to centaurs, dryads, and other sylvan folk, both giving and receiving aid. They sometimes work with druids. An actaeon has antlers and an elk-like pelt, but human-like features. It wields spears made of wood and bone. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d12+1, Strength d12+3, Vigor d12

Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d12, Notice d8, Stealth d12, Survival d8

Pace: 8, Parry: 8, Toughness: 10

Edges: Frenzy (Imp)

Gear: two spears (Str + d6)

Special Abilities: 

• Antler: Str +d6

• Size 2: 9' tall

• Breath Weapon: The actaeon breathes a magical polymorph effect. Creatures affected must make a Vigor test at a -4 penalty, or become transformed into animals such as owls, squirrels, deer, etc., with a size between -4 (Tiny) and 0 (Medium). In a critical failure, a creature's Smarts becomes Animal Smarts, as well. This effect can be dispelled at -2. The actaeon can use its breath weapon once per day.

Ape, Rock  Baboon

Rock baboons are larger and more intelligent than ordinary baboons. They use simple, improvised weapons.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 A, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6

Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 7

Edges: -

Hindrances: Can't Swim

Gear: bone club (Str + d4)

Special Abilities: 

• Bite: Str +d4

Ape, Snow

Snow apes are cunning, human-sized creatures similar in appearance to baboons. They have white fur, making them almost undetectable in the snow. They are cunning, and make use of simple tools such as clubs or sharpened bones. They are reclusive, but territorial, and aggressive. In combat, they prefer to bash their opponents, then subdue them by grappling.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 A, Spirit d8, Strength d12+1, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d10, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d10

Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 7

Edges: Acrobat

Hindrances: Can't Swim

Gear: heavy club (Str + d6)

Special Abilities: 

• Bite: Str +d4

Athach

An athach is a brutish, giant creature with a third arm sticking out of chest and a mouthful of venomous fangs. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d12+5, Vigor d12

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6

Pace: 12, Parry: 6, Toughness: 13

Edges: Brute

Gear: tree stump (Str+d8), thrown boulder (Str+d8)

Special Abilities: 

• Bite: Str +d6

• Hardy: If the athach is Shaken, another Shaken result doesn't cause a Wound. 

• Low Light Vision

• Poison (-4): An athach's bite delivers a paralyzing poison (2d6 rounds)

• Size 5 (Large): Athachs are 18 feet tall

• Three-Fisted: When an athach uses a different one of its three arms to attack or grapple, it does not incur a Multi-Action penalty. 

Baboon, Rock

Rock baboons are both larger and more cunning than the ordinary sort. They are omnivores, and prefer meat. They are not skilled tool users, but will use rocks and bones as weapons. A full-sized pack might be up to thirty members, led by a dominant male. They don't usually attack large prey, and avoid predators,  but are territorial and may attack intruders if they have a numerical advantage. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d10, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d4

Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 6

Edges: -

Hindrances: Can't Swim

Gear: bone club (Str + d4, shatters on Critical Failure)

Special Abilities: 

• Bite: Str + d4, can be used in close combat

Bee, Giant

So-called "giant bees" are a foot long, and aggressively attack creatures near their underground hives, which houses over a dozen bees plus the queen. The queen has a higher Spirit, Vigor, and Fighting by one die type, increasing its Parry and Toughness. Raiding an entire hive yields about two pints of magical honey, which if consumed, heals one Wound. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6

Pace: 7, Parry: 5, Toughness: 3 (1)

Edges: -

Special Abilities: 

• Armor (+1): Carapace.

• Poison: Lethal.

• Size -3 (Very Small): One foot long. Scale modifier -4.

• Sting: Str + d4 plus lethal poison, can be used in close combat.

Beetle, Fire

Beetles are subterranean scavengers. They have glands that chemically generate light equivalent to a torch; two above their eyes, one on the abdomen. The glands will continue to give light 1d6 days if carefully removed. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d6

Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 3 (1)

Edges: -

Special Abilities: 

• Armor (+1): Carapace.

• Bite: Str + d4, can be used in close combat

• Size (Small) -2: Two and a half feet long. They have a Scale modifier of -2. 

Beetle, Oil

Oil beetles respond to being attacked by squirting a caustic oil. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d6

Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 3 (1)

Edges: -

Special Abilities: 

• Armor (+1): Carapace.

• Bite: Str + d4, can be used in close combat

• Size (Small) -2 : Three feet long. They have a Scale modifier of -2. 

• Squirt Oil: This is a ranged attack using Athletics, with a range equal to their Vigor. A victim must make a Vigor roll to resist this painful acid attack. On a failure, a creatures takes a Wound, but this cannot cause incapacitation. Instead, a creature who cannot endure any more Wounds is Fatigued for 24 hours. 

Beetle, Tiger

Tiger beetles are so called because of their aggressive nature, and their striped carapaces. They are carnivorous. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6

Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 4 (2)

Edges: -

Special Abilities: 

• Armor (+2): Carapace.

• Bite: Str + d6, can be used in close combat

• Size (Small) -2 : Three feet long. They have a Scale modifier of -2. 

Blink Dog

A blink dog looks like a canine animal, but is actually an intelligent creature. They prefer to live much like wild wolves, protecting their territory from encroachment by those who wish them harm. They have an apparent vendetta against displacer beasts, perhaps originating from their home plane.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d8, Focus d10, Notice d10, Stealth d8

Pace: 8, Parry: 6, Toughness: 5

Edges: Alertness, Dodge

Gear: -

Special Abilities: 

• Bite: Str + d4

• Low Light Vision

• Innate Power (automatic): teleport, with the Personal modifier. 

• Size -1: The size of a dog or wolf. 

• Speed: d10 running die

Carrion Crawler

A carrion crawler is a scavenger and opportunistic predator. It has eight tentacles which it uses to paralyze prey before it devours it. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d10, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d12, Stealth d6

Pace: 8, Parry: 5, Toughness: 9

Edges: -

Gear: -

Special Abilities: 

• Bite: Str

• Low Light Vision

• Paralyzing Touch: A carrion crawler may touch an opponent (with the usual +2 bonus) with a tentacle, exposing it to paralytic poison. 

• Resilient: The carrion crawler can take one Wound before being Incapacitated. 

• Size 2: Carrion crawlers are 9' long

• Tentacles (4)

• Wall Walker

Golem

A golem is a construct created by a powerful spellcaster. There are many types and materials; the following are just examples. Golems often have special immunities, attacks, and traits imbued by their creator. 

Amber Golem

An amber golem resembles a great cat, such as a lion or tiger. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d12, Vigor d12

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d10, Notice d10, Survival d6

Pace: 8, Parry: 7, Toughness: 11 (2)

Edges: Frenzy (Imp)

Special Abilities: 

• Armor: Amber golem gains +2 Armor from their magical crystalline structure.

• Construct: +2 when attempting to recover from being Shaken, ignore 1 point of Wound penalties, don’t breathe or eat, immune to disease and poison, don’t Bleed Out, and Wounds are removed with Repair instead of Healing with no “Golden Hour.”

• Faultless Tracker: Amber golems gain a +2 bonus to Survival for tracking.

• Fearless: Golems are immune to Fear and Intimidation

• Immunity (non-magical weapons): Golems take no damage from non-magical weapons.

• See Invisible: Amber golems can see the invisible. This work like conceal/detect arcana but is active at all times (costing no power points) and uses the amber golem's Notice for rolls. 

• Size 3

Bone Golem

Bone golems are four-armed constructs cobbled together from multiple skeletons.  

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d8, Notice d6

Pace: 7, Parry: 6, Toughness: 9 (2)

Edges: Ambidexterity, Two-Fisted

Gear: four short swords (scimitars)

Special Abilities: 

• Armor: Bone golem gains +2 Armor from their magically hardened bones

• Construct: +2 when attempting to recover from being Shaken, ignore 1 point of Wound penalties, don’t breathe or eat, immune to disease and poison, don’t Bleed Out, and Wounds are removed with Repair instead of Healing with no “Golden Hour.”

• Fearless: Golems are immune to Fear and Intimidation

• Immunity (Fire, Cold, Electricity)

• Immunity (non-magical weapons): Golems take no damage from non-magical weapons.

Bronze Golem

A bronze golem is a sixteen foot tall metal colossus, full of intense heat. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d10, Strength d12+3, Vigor d12+1

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d12, Notice d6

Pace: 8, Parry: 8, Toughness: 17 (4)

Special Abilities: 

• Armor: Bronze body provides Armor +4 

• Bronze Fist: Str + d6, plus Heat.

• Construct: +2 when attempting to recover from being Shaken, ignore 1 point of Wound penalties, don’t breathe or eat, immune to disease and poison, don’t Bleed Out, and Wounds are removed with Repair instead of Healing with no “Golden Hour.”

• Fearless: Golems are immune to Fear and Intimidation

• Heat: When a bronze golem hits, it additionally deals 2d6 fire damage from the intense heat of its body. It also inflicts this damage while grappling. 

• Immunity (Fire): Bronze golems take no damage from fire or heat. 

• Immunity (non-magical weapons): Golems take no damage from non-magical weapons.

• Molten Blood: Anyone scoring damage on a bronze golem with an edged weapon, such as a sword or spear, must make an Agility roll. On a failure, they take 2d8 fire damage from the bronze golem's molten "blood."

• Size  5 (Large): A bronze golem is sixteen feet tall and immensely heavy. It can take one additional Wound, has Reach, and has a Scale modifier of +2. 

Mud Golem

Mud golems resemble muscular warriors, but are made of dense mud. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d10, Strength d10, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d10, Fighting d10, Notice d6

Pace: 6, Parry: 7, Toughness: 9 (2)

Special Abilities: 

• Armor: Dense body +2

• Construct: +2 when attempting to recover from being Shaken, ignore 1 point of Wound penalties, don’t breathe or eat, immune to disease and poison, don’t Bleed Out, and Wounds are removed with Repair instead of Healing with no “Golden Hour.”

• Fearless: Golems are immune to Fear and Intimidation

• Hug: A mud golem may crush a Bound or Entangled opponent for Str + d6 damage. The opponent must make a Vigor roll; on a failure, they take a level of Fatigue. Incapacitated characters who are not rescued will perish, as per drowning. 

• Immunity (non-magical weapons): Golems take no damage from non-magical weapons.

• Mudwalker: A mud golem can walk or swim over mud easily, and submerge or rise to the surface at will. It may treat mud as water or solid ground, whichever is more advantageous to it. 

Obsidian Golem

Obisdian golems look like humanoids carved from the black glass. Unlike most golems, they can speak, although their responses are usually limited to simple commands and passcodes. An obsidian golem that is "killed" is reduced to a pile of shards. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d8, Notice d6

Pace: 7, Parry: 6, Toughness: 8 (1)

Gear: spear

Special Abilities: 

• Armor: Their hard, though brittle, obsidian bodies provide +1 Armor. 

• Construct: +2 when attempting to recover from being Shaken, ignore 1 point of Wound penalties, don’t breathe or eat, immune to disease and poison, don’t Bleed Out, and Wounds are removed with Repair instead of Healing with no “Golden Hour.”

• Fearless: Golems are immune to Fear and Intimidation

• Immunity (non-magical weapons): Golems take no damage from non-magical weapons.

• Obsidian Fist: Str + d6

Wood Golem

Wood golems are crudely made figures about 3' tall. They move stiffly. 

Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d4, Fighting d6, Notice d6

Pace: 7, Parry: 5, Toughness: 7 (2)

Special Abilities: 

• Armor: Wood golem gains +2 Armor from their wooden construction

• Construct: +2 when attempting to recover from being Shaken, ignore 1 point of Wound penalties, don’t breathe or eat, immune to disease and poison, don’t Bleed Out, and Wounds are removed with Repair instead of Healing with no “Golden Hour.”

• Fearless: Golems are immune to Fear and Intimidation

• Immunity (Cold): Wood golems are immune to cold damage and effects.

• Immunity (ranged attacks): Wood golems are immune to ranged attacks, including bolt. 

• Immunity (non-magical weapons): Golems take no damage from non-magical weapons.

• Size -1: This wood golem is about three feet tall.

• Weakness (Fire): Wood golems take +4 damage from fire. 

• Wooden Fist: Str +d4

Hag

Hags are monsters with an affinity for the undead, marking them as acolytes of Chaos and Entropy. They resemble human women with monstrous features. 

Black Hag *

Black hags have black hair and blue-black, warty skin. They often keep oozes and other mindless lower creatures as pets. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d12, Strength d8, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, Faith d12, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Occult d8, Stealth d6, Taunt d8. 

Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles), Frenzy

Pace: 7, Parry: 7, Toughness: 9 (2)

Special Abilities: 

• Armor: Tough bones and leathery skin, Armor +2

• Claws: Str +d6, AP 2. Victims who are at least Shaken are affected by Poison.

• Immunity: Hags are immune to the special attacks of undead, including Energy Drain, Fear, infection, paralysis, and so forth. 

• Low Light Vision: Hags ignore penalties from Dim and Dark Illumination (but not Pitch Darkness). 

• Miracles: Black hags have 30 Power Points and know the following Powers: beast friend, blast, blind, detect/conceal arcana, dispel, divination, environmental protection, fear, healing, light/darkness, relief, resurrection, speak language, stun, zombie, and possibly more.

• Poison (-2): Lethal.

• Zombie Master: When a hag casts zombie, the Power Point cost is reduced by 1, and the duration is 4 hours instead of 1 hour. 

Sea Hag *

Sea hags have a truly monstrous appearance. They typically live in shallow waters near the coast.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d12, Strength d6, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d10, Notice d8, Occult d8, Stealth d6.

Edges: Frenzy

Pace: 7, Parry: 7, Toughness: 9 (2)

Gear: dagger Str + d4

Special Abilities: 

• Aquatic: Pace 8

• Armor: Tough bones and rubbery skin, Armor +2

• Dependency: A sea hag can spend up to three hours away from saltwater. After that, she takes a level of fatigue (which cannot lead to incapacitation). After that, she suffers the effects of thirst until it returns to the sea for at least an hour. 

• Fear (-3): All who approach the sea hag or see her are affected. 

• Foul Touch: On a successful touch attack, the opponent must make a Vigor roll, or lose a die type of Vigor. If Vigor would be reduced to less than d4, they must make a Vigor roll at the end of their next turn or perish. Additionally, a character who fails any of these Vigor rolls contracts a chronic disease. 

• Immunity (Undead): Hags are immune to the special attacks of undead, including Energy Drain, Fear, infection, paralysis, and so forth. 

• Immunity (Weapons): Sea hags are immune to damage from weapons that are not magical or silver

• Low Light Vision: Hags ignore penalties from Dim and Dark Illumination (but not Pitch Darkness). 

Hsaio (Guardian Owl)

The hsiao (sh-HOW) are a race of peaceful cleric-philosophers who inhabit woodlands and forests. Hsaio look like giant owls with broad feathered wings and golden, intelligent eyes. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d10

Skills: Academics d6, Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d6, Faith d10, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Occult d6, Stealth d6, Survival d4.

Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles)

Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 8

Special Abilities: 

• Bite: Str +d4

• Claw: Str +d6

• Flight: Hsaio fly at a pace of 24

• Low Light Vision

• Miracles:  Hsaio have 15 Power Points and commonly know banish, healing, light/darkness, relief, and stun. 

• Size 1: Hsaio are lightweight, but have wingspans in excess of 20 feet. 

Manscorpion

The manscorpion is an evil combination of man and arachnid. The upper body is that of a human, but its lower body is that of a stinging scorpion. It may be found in nearly any climate, but most frequently in deserts, mountains, and dungeons. Some are clerics to severe deities of war and the sun. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d12 + 1, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth d8

Edges: Frenzy (Imp)

Gear: large halberd (Str + d10, AP 1, Reach 1)

Pace: 8, Parry: 6, Toughness: 14 (4)

Special Abilities: 

• Armor +4: chitinous skin

• Stinger: Str +d6. Lethal Poison -2. 

• Size 3: Manscorpions are nearly the size of a horse. 

Nekrozon

Also known by the archaic name catoblepas, the nekrozon is a long-necked swamp-dwelling creature that resembles a buffalo, with a boar-like head. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Strength d12 + 3, Vigor d12

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d8, Notice d4

Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 11

Special Abilities: 

• Gaze: As a limited action, a nekrozon can gaze at a single creature within 20 yards.  It must meet their eyes. The victim must resist with Vigor; on a failure, they are Stunned and take a Wound (two Wounds on a Critical Failure). If a victim meets its gaze intentionally for whatever reason, it is treated as a raise, and the Vigor difficulty increases to 8. 

• Immunity: Nekrozons automatically resist and take no effect from death gazes, disintegration, and other instant death powers, but not damage (regardless of type). 

• Tail Swipe: The nekrozon can attack with the bony tip of its tail, dealing Str + d4 damage. 

• Size 3: The size of an oversized cattle.

Rhagodessa

A rhagodessa is a spider-like creature that has five pairs of legs, the front pair of which is tipped with powerful suckers. It prefers to grab, then bite, its victims. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d12+1, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d12, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6

Pace: 8, Parry: 6, Toughness: 8 (10)

Hindrances: Can't Swim

Special Abilities: 

• Armor: Chitinous exoskeleton provides +2 Armor. 

• Bite: Str + d4. It can Bite in close combat. 

• Infravision: A rhagodessa halves penalties for bad lighting against foes that radiate heat. 

• Size 2: A rhagodessa is the size of a small horse. 

• Wall Walker: A rhagodessa can climb walls and ceilings.

• Sucker Attack: The rhagodessa can grapple a foe using a sucker. It it gets a raise, it is not Vulnerable while its target is Bound. 

Shadow

Shadows are non-corporeal intelligent beings found in eerie, dark places such as dungeons, deep forests, or ruins. Despite appearances, they are not undead. They look like real shadows, and can alter their form slightly. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d6+2

Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 5

Edges: Brawler

Special Abilities: 

• Ethereal: Shadows can pass through objects and creatures, and are immune to non-magical damage. They can, however, be seen,  as long as there is any light (even a flicker). 

• Fearless: Shadows are immune to Fear and Intimidation

• Low Light Vision: Shadows take no penalties from Dim and Dark Illumination (but not Pitch Darkness). 

• Shadow Climb: When climbing any surface that casts shadows, the shadow gains +2 on Athletics checks to climb. 

• Shadow Spawn: If a shadow kills an intelligent creature of at least Small size with its Strength Drain, the dead creature spawns a new shadow on the next round. 

• Strength Drain: As a limited action, a shadow can make a Touch attack. On a hit, the target must make a Spirit resistance roll. On a failure, the target's Strength is reduced by one die type. If the target's Strength would be reduced to 0, they die. Lost Strength returns at one die type every hour.

• Weakness: A shadow is at -1 on Trait rolls in areas of bright illumination with no shadows at all.