The Bogeywoman's Cave

(I couldn't find the source of the image, please let me know if you know its origin) Mantis Man Move:  120 feet/turn/180 feet/turn flying/120 feet/turn swimming Hit Dice:  4 Armor Class:  8 Treasure Class:  nil Alignment:  Neutral Attacks:  2 Damage: 1-6 each The Mantis Man is a strange being that haunts isolated rivers. It is roughly humanoid in shape, with pale brown skin, large eyes, mantis-like arms, and wings which can unfurl from its back. The Mantis Man is a shy creature, and is unlikely to attack unless provoked. It is capable of turning invisible, though it has a 25% chance of its invisibility not working properly, rendering it translucent. Though called the Mantis Man, it is unknown if this creature is actually insectoid in nature, and its origins are similarly shrouded in mystery. 

Matango (also known as Attack of the Mushroom People), is a surprisingly good 1960s toho film that is loosely based on William H. Hodgson's "The Voice in the Night" (which, if you haven't read it, is also extremely good). In the film, a group of luckless vacationers are stranded on an island covered in mushrooms, and soon find that eating the fungus takes over your mind and eventually your body, until you become a horrifying humanoid mass of mushrooms! Placing some Matango fungus in your dungeon is a surefire way to cause fungal shenanigans, especially if the party is running low on food... Stage 1 Infection After consuming a portion of Matango fungus, one must make a saving throw versus poison. If they fail, they have entered Stage 1 of Matango infection. They will now encourage anyone they have contact with to consume the mushrooms as well, claiming that they are delicious and the best thing they've ever eaten. In addition, they are now considered to be ...

Happy Halloween, and a blessed Samhain! In celebration of one of my favorite holidays, I have decided to write up a type of creature that has appeared in the artwork of Halloween cards and picture books for decades; the pumpkin goblin! These little beasties are plant-like relatives of the more common goblinoids, and are rumored to be created by witches sprinkling goblin blood over a pumpkin patch and calling upon the power of the faeries. The end result of this strange ritual is a horde of short-lived pumpkin-headed plant-like humanoids who are loyal to their creator. Pumpkin Goblin Move:  60 feet/turn Hit Dice:  See below Armor Class:  8 Treasure Class: L Alignment:  Lawful Evil Attacks:  1 Damage: 1-6 Pumpkin goblins vary in size dramatically, much like pumpkins. The smallest ones are no larger than a toddler, and possess a mere 1-4 hit points. Most are around half the size of an adult human, and possess 1-6 hit points. Human sized pumpki...

Libris Mortis: The Book of the Undead was a supplement for D&D 3.5 that detailed character options, new spells, and new monsters relating to undead monsters. In my opinion it suffered a lot from the rules and writing bloat typical of the era, but there was still a lot of goodness held within. One of the more interesting of the new monsters that was introduced was the Desiccator, an undead water elemental. It took the form of a sickly, salt-encrusted and child-sized humanoid with no facial features other than a mouth, and whose breath sucked up water. They were essentially anti-water elementals. Now, water elementals do not exist in the Holmes Basic set, but they do appear in the Monster Manual for AD&D, which, as explained in the Zenopus Archives , is most compatible with the Holmes rules, not AD&D. So, without further ado, here is my take on the Anti-Water Elemental. Desiccator Move:  80 feet/turn Hit Dice:  4 Armor Class:  6 Treasure Type:  ...

Morlocks are originally from H.G. Wells's novel The Time Machine , where they are the descendants of working class humanity, living underground and operating ancient machinery more out of instinct than actual intelligence. Meanwhile the descendants of the bourgeoisie and upper class evolved into the Eloi, a species of short, unintelligent and carefree humanoids that are fed upon by the Morlocks. Pathfinder takes a different approach to these creatures, simply having them be the descendants of humans who delved into the Darklands (the Pathfinder setting's equivalent of the Underdark/Underworld), and evolved to suit their environment. In many ways they are similar to the crawlers from the film Descent. (Image taken from the Pathfinder Bestiary) Morlock Move:  160 feet/turn/climb 120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  2 Armor Class:  9 Treasure Type:  Q Alignment:  Chaotic Evil Attacks:  1 club or bite Damage:  1-6 club, 1-4 bite Morlocks can climb on t...

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Pathfinder. I really enjoy parts of the campaign setting, and the bestiaries are fantastic, but everything is just so fiddly on a rules level, so I never would feel confident running a campaign using the system. But, as I said before, the bestiaries really are fantastic, and here is one of the monsters from Bestiary 4 , converted to the blue book's rules. Gholdako Move:  120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  10 Armor Class:  2 Treasure Type:  E + 5000 G.P. Alignment:  Lawful Evil Attacks:  1 bite and 2 claws Damage:  2-16 bite, 3-24 claws Gholdakos are the undead mummies of an ancient race of one eyed giants, that are thought to be extinct in the modern world. They are covered with rags of linen, upon which runic symbols are written. Though the Gholdakos are intelligent and capable of speech, they know no language other than the guttural tongue of giants. Gholdakos can exhale a cloud of dust once every 1-4 rou...

(Sketch of Mothman by Roger Scarberry) Mothman Move:  120 feet/turn/fly 240 feet/turn Hit Dice:  8 Armor Class:  7 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  neutral Attacks:  1 Damage:  1-6 The Mothman is an ancient harbinger of death and chaos, though it is unknown if it actually causes this destruction or is merely an observer. The Mothman resembles a faceless, armless humanoid with glowing red eyes and large leathery wings. Its feet end in claws, which are its only method of attack. Things go wrong in the Mothman's presence. Thief skills are only half as likely to succeed, and attack rolls take a -2 penalty. When casting a spell, roll 1d6. On a 5-6, it goes wrong somehow, either harming the caster, affecting a friend, or simply causing an explosion. The exact specifics are left up to the DM. In addition, anyone the Mothman looks at must make a saving throw against turn to stone or feel horribly sick, taking a +2 penalty to Armor Class and...

Note: The following creature is a mixture of the Pope Lick Monster and the Maryland Goatman, combining elements from both legends. (If anyone knows the source of this image I would be very grateful, as I was unable to discover the artist) Goatman Move:  120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  4 Armor Class:  7 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Chaotic evil Attacks:  1 axe Damage:  1-6+3 The Goatman is a bipedal humanoid with goat-like features, including hooved feet, horns, and pointed ears. It is unknown if it is one of a kind, or a member of a whole species of goat-like humanoids. The Goatman possesses a talent for voice mimicry, and can repeat any phrases or words that it hears. It uses this ability to lure victims closer, often imitating the voice of a child crying for help. When a victim gets close enough, the beast strikes, attacking them with a bloodstained axe, swung with supernatural strength. There are many tales and theories surround...

Sometimes, when foul wizards animate the bones of the long dead, there are a few bits and bobs left over. A finger bone here, a vertebra there, until the sorcerer accumulates a vast store of osseous leftovers. Most necromancers simply throw away the excess material, but a few crafty ones have figured out a way to get rid of their extra supplies and  gain a new servant in the process! (Photo from Crazy Bonez) By using wires, black magic, and spare parts, wizards can create small, arachnid-like forms, called Bone Bugs. These creatures, while smaller than the typical undead, are agile, small, and dangerous. Bone Bug Move:  120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  1/2 Armor Class:  6 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Neutral Attacks:  1  Damage:  1-4 (plus poison) Anyone bitten by a Bone Bug must make a saving throw against poison or die, for the fangs of Bone Bugs are coated in deadly venom. In addition, Bone Bugs have a special ability, ...

"Shuffling toward him in the darkness was the gigantic, blasphemous form of a black thing not wholly ape and not wholly insect. Its hide hung loosely upon its frame, and its rugose, dead-eyed rudiment of a head swayed drunkenly from side to side. Its fore paws were extended, with talons spread wide, and its whole body was taut with murderous malignity despite its utter lack of facial expression." -The Horror in the Museum, by HP Lovecraft (Patty, the bigfoot allegedly taped in the Patterson-Gimlin film) Bigfoot Move:  120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  5 Armor Class:  6 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Neutral Attacks:  2 claws + 1 bite Damage:  1-6 claw, 1-8 bite These ape-like creatures are known by many names, such as skunk ape, sasquatch, or (possibly most famously of all) bigfoot. Their most common nickname refers to the tracks that they leave, large humanoid foot-prints around a foot and a half long. Oftentimes these footprints can be foll...

The Mad Gasser Move:  120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  3 Armor Class:  7 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Chaotic evil Attacks:  1 Damage:  1-6 The Mad Gasser, also known as the Phantom Anesthetist, is a strange being that occasionally appears in large cities, starts a reign of terror lasting for a few years, and then vanishes without a trace. The being resembles a human in general form, with a tall, thin body, and a face so inhuman that most interpret it to be some kind of mask. The Mad Gasser is named for its ability to produce copious amounts of anesthetic gas, sometimes through the use of an odd gun, sometimes just from its body. Instead of attacking, the being may instead spray gas at a target within 200 feet, requiring them to make a saving throw against poison or be paralyzed for 1-8 turns. The Phantom Anesthetist usually does not kill its victims, usually simply paralyzing them to cause fear; it is hypothesized that the creature feeds on...

Hopkinsville Goblins Move:  hover 120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  1 Armor Class:  3 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Chaotic evil Attacks:  1 Damage:  1-6 These goblin-like creatures arrive on earth in saucer-like spacecraft, usually in groups of 12-15. They do not speak, though they may giggle in an unearthly, slightly artificial sounding voice. The beings do not possess any weapons, beyond their claws and any objects they can get their hands on. Indeed, they seem decidedly primitive in comparison to humans, with little to no tactical ability nor advanced technology beyond the strange ships they arrive in. The "goblins" have glowing, saucer-like eyes, a line where their mouth should be, and pointed ears. They are gray in color, and do not have feet, instead hovering above the ground. Their skin is metallic, as evidenced by a clanging sound whenever they are attacked. Whatever passes for their blood glows in the dark in the rare event of them bei...

The Flatwoods Monster Move:  fly 180 feet/turn Hit Dice:  5 Armor Class:  4 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Neutral Attacks:  2 Damage:  1-6 This strange semi-mechanical monster occasionally comes down to Earth from whatever star it originates from. The creature is around 3 meters tall, with eyes that emit greenish-orange light. It is unclear where the quasi-humanoid creature's body begins and where its mechanical enhancements end. The creature emits a foul smelling mist from its skirt. This, combined with the oddly hypnotic eyes, cause anyone within 100' of the being to take a -2 penalty to attack rolls.  The monster communicates through hissing and flashing lights. It leaves behind gummy residue and burnt skid marks when it lands, and it appears as a meteor when it comes down from the sky.

(The Jersey Devil as depicted in the Philadelphia Post in 1909) Jersey/Leeds Devil Move:  180 feet/turn/fly 180 feet/turn Hit Dice:  5 Armor Class:  7 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Chaotic Evil Attacks: 2 Damage:  1-8 The Leeds Devil is a hideous monster that haunts forgotten backwoods, coming out at night to kill children and livestock. Legend has is that there was once a woman named Jane Leeds, who had 12 children. When she became pregnant with a 13th, she swore that the child would grow to be a devil. When the child was born, it originally seemed normal, but before the onlookers' very eyes it transformed into a hideous beast, with a kangaroo-like frame, wings, and a tail. The newborn creature killed the midwife and flew away out of the chimney, with Jane Leeds dying out of shock. Some say that Jane Leeds was seduced by a devil, and that her child was not conceived by any man on Earth. Others claim that her own belief that the child was...

(The original sketch of the alleged creature, drawn by Madelyne Tolentino) Chupacabra Move: 120 feet/turn/leap 180 feet/turn Hit Dice: 4 Armor Class: 6 Treasure Type: nil Alignment: neutral Attacks: 2 claws + 1 bite = 3 Damage: 1-4 claw. 1-6 bite The chupacabra is a mysterious, 4 foot tall, reptilian humanoid, with faintly glowing spines on its back. Its name means “goat sucker”, due to its vampiric feeding habits and a tendency to kill livestock. The chupacabra is known for killing chickens, goats, and even cows, leaving them completely drained of blood, with fang marks on their necks. Despite the creature’s size, it is exceptionally deadly. Anyone bitten by the chupacabra must make a saving throw versus turned to stone. If they fail, this means that the chupacabra has latched on to their neck and begins to drain their blood. Each round the chupacabra is latched to its victim, they take 1-4 damage, though every round they may make a saving...

Don't get me wrong, I love the trope of the magically reanimated dead mindlessly serving wizards and demons, but I also like the concept of a zombie virus causing those who are bitten to become the living dead. So, I was inspired to write up these beasties for the Holmes set. Note that the cinematic zombies these are most closely based on are those from Night of the Living Dead (which is public domain due to some legal screwups and can be watched here ), though there may be some influence from other zombie films, video games, and television shows. Zombie, Living Dead Move:  60 feet/turn Hit Dice:  1 Armor Class:  7 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  neutral Attacks:  1 Damage: 1d4+special The living dead are corpses that have come to life, animated by a magical disease, sometimes known as the zombie plague. This disease is spread by the bites of the infected, causing those bitten to die and be reanimated as the living dead. Anyone...

Alien came out 2 years after the Holmes set, with the perfect organism invading theaters in 1979. The film had a touch of cosmic horror in the background, with the crew exploring a crashed alien vessel seeming very familiar to the antarctic expedition in Lovecraft's "At the Mountain of Madness". In fact, my family often jokes that the only reason Guillermo Del Toro's adaptation of the novella was cancelled is because Prometheus came out. In any event, while the outer space setting of Alien may not fit with the Holmesian underworld, the themes of ancient, alien ruins filled with monsters is, and I'm sure Zenopus's tower has enough room for another species. Please note that this post will not contain the alien queen, the runner alien, predaliens, or anything else after the original film, they may be written about later, but not now. The xenomorph life cycle has 4 main stages; The ovomorph, facehugger, chestburster, and adult. In its first stage, the xeno...

The kruthik is a relatively obscure monster that first appeared in the miniatures handbook for 3rd edition, being a loosely veiled xenomorph stand in. Later, in 4th edition, they were added to the monster manual, being given a vague background and a less insect-like appearance. Here is my take on this lesser known beast, converted from 4th edition for use with holmes basic: Kruthiks are an ancient species of eusocial predators that dwell in the underworld, methodically exterminating anything in their way. Taking on the characteristics of reptiles, and insects, they are 4 legged creatures with small, vestigial limbs growing from their torsos, and mouth parts similar to ants. While they only have 4 legs like reptiles, their chitinous exo-skeleton and the way they grow seems more insectoid. Kruthiks hatch from eggs, laid in a central chamber of the hive, which hatch into the small, swarming, hatchlings. Given time, the hatchlings pupate, wrapping themselves in cocoons and emerging as...

Later editions of D&D added a couple more aberrations (discount Lovecraft monsters), and the Balhanoth, while somewhat generic, makes for a good old school monster in my opinion. I think it would work well patrolling the depths of the Tower of Zenopus. Note that while the Balhanoth first appeared in the 3.5 edition, the version I'm converting came from 4e. Balhanoth Move: 80 feet/turn/ climb 80 feet/turn/ teleport 200 feet/turn Hit Dice: 6 Armor Class:  3 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  chaotic evil Attacks:  5 Damage:  1d6 each The Balhanoth is a terrifying and alien creature from the deepest depths of the underworld. While at first glance it may appear to be nothing more than a brutish abomination, it possesses a cunning and evil intelligence that gives it an unholy ability to trick and toy with its prey. Balhanoths can be found in the service of the fish-like dagonites, communicating with them in the same alien tongue. Balhanoths have the ...

One of 4th editions little quirks was that most monsters had a few variant types, so fighting a group of them was never as simple as facing off against a horde of 10 orcs with 1 hit die each. In some cases, these were interesting, with goblin spell casters, winged zombies, and giant mummies, but in most cases it was simply changes in armor class, damage, and hit points. One of my favorite kinds of monsters to be given the variant treatment are skeletons. When most people think of animated skeletons, they picture something similar to the monsters that appear in Jason and the Argonauts, but there is so much room for innovation. Here are 2 interesting skeleton variants that I have plucked from 4th edition to be used with Holmes basic. Blazing Skeleton Move: 60 feet/turn Hit Dice: 1 Armor Class: 8 Treasure Type: nil Alignment: neutral Attacks: 1 Damage: 1-8 Blazing skeletons may shoot fireballs from their hands. These attacks deal 1d8 damage initially, and anyone s...