Thursday, July 4, 2019

Five Unexpected & Deadly Monsters From The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Fiend Folio For Your OSR & Old School Adventures

"A Guidebook of Creatures Malevolent and Benign

This tome contains alphabetical listings of monsters designed for use with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game system. Each creature is describes and most are illustrated for easy identification. Using the new encounter tables contained herein, this work is sure to add new excitement to any AD&D game."


Its the fourth of July I cracked open the Fiend Folio from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition. I was looking at some of my favorite screw over PC monsters. A bit of history on the Fiend Folio from the wiki entry; "
Fiend Folio (1981) was the fifth hardcover book for AD&D, and the first book that wasn't part of Gary Gygax's original plan when he announced the new game in The Dragon #8 (July 1977). When it was released at Games Fair 1981 (July 1981). 

1. The Adherer nothing says screw you like a semi undead  walking sticky pad humanoid. These guys look comical until until you realize that they often appear in groupings of 1-4. Monstrous & very deadly these things might have once been human but all trace of that is gone replaced by this alienness about them. I've used these things as cult guardians for deadly 'Great Old One' cults who convert some of their captives into Adherers. 

2. Coffer corpses  these undead are deadly, deathless, & dire murderers of the most extreme. They are quite nasty & I've faced down a dungeon of these bastards with several other players! The converted royal funeral barge turned tomb held our doom.
We did not survive the experience & this was in a Lamentations of the Flame Princess game to boot. The blog of holding has an excellent skeleton article on the bad ass skeletons of the Fiend Folio here. 



3. The hook horror - You don't hear about the 'Hook Horror' that much any more but back when I was in college we got attacked by these things in a vast underground dungeon on Dark Sun. The horrors ruled the place with an absolute iron claw. There was a vast water source but the family of 'Hook Horrors' impaled anyone who got close. The real treasure is the fact that their endoskeletons can be converted to really nice armor. There's a full write up on them here.  They also work really nicely in Mutant Future.


4. Grimlocks - Nothing really panics the hell outta players if they are suddenly confronted by hordes of dangerous, cannibal underground dwellers that attack en masse! Grimlocks are tool using advanced humanoids that can completely & utterly wipe out a party if they are caught underground on the Grimlock's home turf & their lights go out. These guys will wipe the floor with them & they make perfect additions for the mind flayers or brain lashers!



5. "The vodyanoi (named for a Russian water spirit) are freshwater aquatic versions of the umber hulk. They lack the confusion ability of umber hulks due to only having one pair of eyes, but can summon electric eels once per day. They have slimy green skin that coats a thick, knobby hide and their claws are webbed. Saltwater vodyanoi are twice the size of their freshwater brethren."
Nothing says screw your party of adventurers like a giant water dwelling umber hulk that can summon electric eels to it! I've used these guys as body guards for Lovecraft Deep Ones a couple of times & then had one sicked on my wizard in a recent game. These things are utter horror given the form of an umber hulk and the ocean dwelling version is a nightmare.


All of these are perfect additions for both Mutant Future or your game of Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. The Saltwater vodyanoi is a perfect addition for guarding Atlantian shrines or ruins. Recently I had a vodyanoi inflicted upon our party of Lamentations of the Flame Princess PC's below the streets of Venice. That was a bit of a slaughter & it wasn't until weeks later we were told what it was!

All artwork & stats are property, trademark, copyright of Wizards of the Coast. However all monsters are available in the 
Tome of Horrors Complete - Swords and Wizardry Edition From  Frog God Games

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