The Rhedosaurus For Castles & Crusades & Amazing Adventures rpg From The Beast From 20000 Fathoms

  The Rhedosaurus, Awakened Beast of the Atomic Age

This massive, carnivorous diapsid dinosaur was thawed from Arctic ice by an atomic bomb test and now seeks to satiate its primordial hunger and find its way home. It stands approximately 40 feet tall and is 200 feet long, weighing 500 tons. The Rhedosaurus is an engine of destruction, nearly immune to conventional weapons and carrying a deadly, ancient disease in its blood.

AC	HD	Att	Dam	MV	SV	ML	AL	XP
0	25	2	4d8 (bite) / 3d8 (tail)	30' (land), 60' (swim)	P	12	N	Varies

Attributes

• Prime Attributes: Physical (STR, DEX, CON) & Mental (INT, WIS, CHA). The Rhedosaurus is a singular, instinct-driven beast, meaning all its saves use the base 12 target number, plus its Hit Dice (25) and relevant attribute modifiers.
• Intelligence: Low (2-4)
• Alignment: Neutral (N)
• Combat 

The Rhedosaurus typically attacks with its enormous bite and a sweeping tail attack. Its massive size means it can attack two different targets per round if they are within reach.

• Bite: The creature's primary weapon, capable of biting human-sized targets and inflicting massive damage.
• Tail Sweep: The Rhedosaurus can use its long, prehensile tail to sweep targets off their feet or smash structures. Any creature hit by a tail sweep must make a Strength save (CL 25) or be knocked prone and stunned for the next round.
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 Special Abilities

• Primordial Hide (Damage Reduction): The beast's sheer size and tough, scaly hide mean most attacks are ineffective. Normal missiles (non-magical arrows, slings, etc.) only do a maximum of 1 point of damage. The Rhedosaurus also has 3 points of damage absorption (DR 3) per physical attack.
• Enormous Beast (Trample/Crush): Due to its immense bulk, being in melee with the Rhedosaurus is dangerous. Any human-sized or smaller creature in melee combat at the start of the Rhedosaurus's turn suffers one automatic additional attack that inflicts 1d6 damage (no attack roll needed) and requires a successful Constitution save (CL 25) or the target is knocked down.
• Poison Blood: The Rhedosaurus's blood carries a deadly, ancient pathogen (a "deadly germ") that can infect other organisms. Any creature that deals damage to the Rhedosaurus in melee and comes into contact with its blood (including through an open wound or exposed skin) must make a Constitution save (CL 25). Failure results in a rapid, debilitating sickness: the victim becomes severely ill, suffering a cumulative -1 penalty to all stats and rolls per hour until death in 1d12 hours unless a cure disease or similar magic is used.
• Aquatic/Amphibious: The Rhedosaurus is as comfortable in the water as it is on land and can remain submerged for extended periods.
• Immune to Mundane Fire/Artillery: The beast is largely immune to conventional (non-magical) artillery and fire; only specialized or magical weapons can reliably harm it. For game purposes, this means mundane cannons/catapults deal half damage, and normal fire does no damage.

 Encountering the Beast

The Rhedosaurus is typically encountered near coastlines or major waterways after being awakened by unnatural events (like the aforementioned nuclear test). It is drawn towards familiar, deep fog horns, and will cause havoc in urban environments, smashing lighthouses and buildings in its confusion and rage. It is a force of nature and a representation of the fears of the Atomic Age.

The Giant Tarantulas - A Fifties Kaiju Monster Menace For Cepheus Atom & the Barbaric! rpg Adapted From 'The Tarantula' 1951

 Out among American Western wastelands this spider like Kaiju has been growing in numbers for centuries. These things have an incredible appetite for humanoids, farm animals, & anything that crosses their path. The giant  Tarantulas  are also a food item for many other Kaiju as well providing other mutations a much needed food source. But these deadly Kaiju are also excellent hunters of man & mutant kind. 

The Tarantulas unlike their normal counterparts these mutates are prolific breeders & expand their wasteland terrorities outward every dry season. They also have the characteristics of Crustaceans  as well as  Arachnida. These mutants have an instinctive almost obessive hatred of power armor or mecha. They go out of their way to attack these whenever they can. There is also a cunning & diabolical mind behind the weird eyes of this creature. These Kaiju display a type of evil & twisted cunning. They will lead adventurers into box canyons, use their webbing to create traps, & take out the strongest member of a party if they can.The Tarantulas  also have a strong affinity towards killing anything that they can take advantage of. 
They also sneak around when & where they can never quite resist the urge to sneak upon their prey. They then use a quick coating of webbing to subdue their prey. The Kaiju uses a mixture of implied menace & traps to back prey into a corner. A circumstance  where its quick acting poison can dispatch the victim. The beast will feed at its leisure. 

The monster is an aggressive hunter with a bad attitude towards anything that crosses its path. The Tarantula Kaiju is a hunter first & a menace second. The thing knows that its very presence unnerves both victims & prey animals. So its avantage where & when it can with fast strikes & lightning raids on prey. 
The Giant Tarantulas
9/18, Move 10m, Armor 6, 2 Fangs (melee 1D damage each) or 1 Bite  (melee; target must throw Physical 6+ or die from poison within 1 turn). Combat-2, Physical-2, Survival-1. Gigantism, Web 

The Zaarg - A Seventies Kaiju Monster Menace For Cepheus Atom & the Barbaric! rpg Adapted From War Lords of Atlantis 1978

 The zaargs are an invasive interstellar parasite Kaiju that came to Earth with the renagade Martian colonists who settled in the Bermuda Triangle. The Zaargs are armored creatures capable of adapting to a wide variety of atmospeheres & planetary conditions. These monsters are instinctively drawn to the works of Atlantis because of the psionic background noise of the power source. These things are heavily armoured & attack without mercy. .

Zarrg's have a highly destructive nature. And they  can easily survive attacks that would fell lesser beings easily. Zaargs attack with two wickely sharp claws. Zaargs lash out with wicked clawed flippers that will smash anything that they can. The Zaargs are well armored taking in & creating an armored back & plate shell along both the upper & lower bodies. The Zaargs are considered the armored pest or transgalactic  parasites  among many of the oldest ancient interstellar races. The reason is that the Zaarg eats literally anything while siphoning off any energy sources that it can including occult energies. Zaarg are known for being extremely temperamental lashing out at any all targets that disturb them durig thier brief seventy two hour life cycle.
 The Zaarg however can literally appear anywhere across space time where the Atlantians have trod. The Zaarg can develop from instellar spores borne by the star winds or by eggs left behind by mating pairs of Zaarg. Zarg have both male & female reproductive parts leading many scientists & men in authority to speculate if they are an ancient artificially created bio weapon species. 


The Zaarg -
Weird Reptilian Armored Kaiju Parasites 

24/50, Move 10m , Armor 13, Bite (melee 5D damage) and 2 claws (melee 2D each)
Regeneration -  will regenerate as a Troll see Sword of Cepheus for rules.
Combat-3, Physical-2, Survival-1.

Special Mutations 

Regeneration -  will regenerate as a Troll see Sword of Cepheus for rules.

 Enviromental Adaptability - The  Kuiju are able to adapt to a wide array of enviroments due to their incredible monster biology that would kill any ordinary monsters. 

Energy Drain - The Zaarg have a unique ability to siphon off occult or a wide variety of energies draining power packs, spells, etc once per day. This is a line of sight ability with the Zaarg making a physical roll to sense the energies with its strange Kaiju adapted senses & then a combat roll to do the drain. The Zaarg can make no other action during this process. 

The Zaarg's breed prolifically with a clutch of 2d6 eggs being produced every eight or so months. The Zaarg's grow to adulthood in 2 months after the first hatching. Zaarg's are always found where Martian Atlantian colonies are. They are  drawn to the occult tech energy sources of such colonies. 

The Boar Thing Kaiju From 1976's 'At The Earth's Core' film For Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

 The boar thing Kaiju are ancient semi demonic war machines & seige engines created by the Hyperborean biomancers. They ran wild when the Hyperboreans were almost wiped out due  to the Green Death. They can be found in many places where Hyperborean armies were deployed across the planes & upon the bowl shaped world itself. They are deadly & very violent drawn to any violence or loud noises. They are ravagers who prey upon any protein or matter they can find to supplement the weird occult radiations coursing through their veins! 

The boar thins are deadly combatants prone to trampling anyone or anything that gets in their path. These things have been known to trample & destroy entire villages when they get annoyed or bothered by some perceived slight. These Kaiju sometimes fight their own kind simply for the sake of boredom & malice. These creatures are highly unpredictable & best avoided by adventurers. 


No. Encountered: 1 (2d6)

Alignment: Neutral with Choatic Tendencies 
Size: Colossial 
Movement: 20 (swim 30)
Dexterity: 13
Armour Class: 7
Hit Dice: 10
Attack Rate: claw/claw/bite 
Damage: 1d8/ 1d8 or 1d6 

Saving Throw: 15
Morale: 9
Experience Points: 100 
Treasure Class: P
Boar Thing Kaiju collect treasure to attract mates and these hoards often consist of many different shiny & valuable objects by sheer coincidence. 

Boar Thing Kaiju are magical beasts & have the following specials: 

• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Low-light vision.
• Proficient with its natural weapons only.
• Proficient with no armor.
• Magical beasts do not need to  breathe, eat, and sleep. But do supplement their diets with fresh meat & protein. 
  
  

Boar Thing Kaiju come under the following  rules for Kaiju; " All kaiju are Colossal, and have a space and reach of no less than 50 feet each. A bipedal kaiju typically stands between 100 and 200 feet in height; quadrupedal kaiju are half as tall. A kaiju’s size makes a battle against one challenging to run. At the scale needed to track tactical movement for Medium creatures, a kaiju takes up a massive amount of space."

It! The Terror from Beyond Space 1958 film adapted for The Cepheus Engine's Hostile Rpg Setting

 The Martian Reptilian is a horror from some unknown star system that crash landed on Mars or perhas a mutated survivor of some lost Martian civilization. The xeno reptilian as it has become known is a strange abomination like exotic hybrid of the Reticulan Xenomorphic & some unknown alien life form. The creature shares many of the xenomorphic biological & ecological traits. This includes an insane instinct  towards violance  & reproduction. 



 The xeno reptilian was first encountered by the  Carruthers expediation after exploration missions to Mars for the reopening of the colonies,bases, & exploration of resources after the Fall of Man. The   Carruthers expediation was murdered by the xeno reptilian after encountering the alien. The bodies of the crewman only left , Colonel Edward Carruthers alive. The bodies of  the colonial's crewmates were saved by the alien for food for the growing reptilian larva. The xeno reptilian larva would burst from within the crew's chest & then feed upon the body to grow into the next stage. Colonel Edward Carruthers  was accused by the Earth authorities of murderingg his crew man. And this so insensed his fellow countrymen that they mounted another expediation to find out what happened to the first. Colonel Edward Carruthers was spared to provide a host for the next generation xeno reptilian.
The xeno reptilian is an incredibly powerful built semi xenomorphic humanoid whose alien organs & circulitory system makes it immune to small arms fire, most melee weapons, and even some energy weapons. The powerfully built alien is capable of ripping small metal apart with its bare claws. The claws themselves have powerful alkoloid posion glands built into them capable of paralysting a grown man or woman. 

Prey is often takn alive to allow the monster later on to consume it at the beast's leaisure  after being paralysied by the monster. The monster is capable of webbing into place a victim which  same will  slowly morph into a xeno reptilian egg. The monster is deadly beyond compare flying into a violent rage at the drop of a hat. Its claws capable of rending light metals apart easily. 

A  xeno reptilian is capable of using its brain as well as the beast's natural weaponry. But the alien life form has the over riding psychology of  breeding to continue the species. 
120 Kg Str 18 (+4) Dex 15(+3) End 9 (0) Int 3 (-2) Inst 12 (+2) No. Appearing: varies Speed: x3 (18m/rd) Armor: 9 Weapons: Teeth (2D6+2); Claws (2d6+2), Stinger+2 (2D6 or V/Difficult End roll to avoid Paralysis) Attack: 6+ Flee: 3-

The xeno reptilian has been found on other worlds as well where its colouration, camoflauge, & even looks are slighly different. But its tactics, life cycle, as well as the passion for violent behavior remains. 

The xeno reptilian life form is hardy, highly adaptable, and capable of taking on many larger groups of PC's. Since It! The Terror from Beyond Space is a spirtual precursor to the Alien franchise I decided to modify it to work with the Cepheus Engine inspired Hostile Rpg setting from Zozer Games. 

Fluffy from The Crate Segment of The Movie Creepshow 1982 Adapted For Sword of Cepheus, Cepheus Atom, & Barbaric!

 

The Crypt Ape is one of those beasts that was created by the gene manipulation of the Elder Things. These gorilla like hunters were created to guard the crypts of the Elder Things & much later on served the wizards of Hyperborea. When the ices of the polar wastes over took the lost lands of Hyperborea the crypt apes devotion caused them the to cross the threshold into the state of undeath. These creatures now still serve necromancers & wizards. 



Crypt  Ape
150kg Beast (Hunter), mountain or dungeon  hunter , E8F2A7 #App: 2D Treasure: Incidental Athletics-1, Melee Combat-1, Recon-1, Stealth-2, Survival-1, Tactics-1 If larger than its prey, attacks on 6+; otherwise, attacks on 10+ and flees on 5- Fists (2D), Teeth (2D); armor 3; walking speed 10m/ action, action Choatic ; Morale DM-1 
Undead characteristics 
• Undead: immune to poison, disease, and suffocation.
•  Immune to non-silver, non-magical weapons.
• Immune to mind-affecting magics 

The Crypt Apes are often summoned by summon monster spells or lesser undead beast necromancy. A sorcery rating of 4 will summon one from the depths of the nether regions quite easily. 
 They will blindly guard thier boxes, or lairs with a monsterous devotion but develop a twisted almost psychotic ability to murder using tactics & traps. 

Crypt Apes are immune to most radiations & never have eat making them ideal guardians for dungeons, ruins, or crypts. They often lair in boxes or oversized chests making them perfect guardian monsters for  Cepheus Atom, Sword of Cepheus, & Barbaric! 

Monster That Challenged The World 1957 Converted To Sword of Cepheus & Cepheus Atom

 

There are a wide variety of kaiju off of the California coast of North America. And one of the smaller but prolifically spreading horrors is the prehistoric giant mollusk species  dubbed by the media as 'The Monster That Challenged The World' The first incursion of this invasive species was in Nineteen Fifty Seven. 
Monster That Challenged The World adult 
20000kg Beast (Reducer), subterranean walker, P4P060 #App: 1 Treasure: Incidental Athletics-1, Melee Combat-2, Recon-1, Survival-2 Attacks on 10+; flees on 4- Teeth (4D); armor 6; walk 5m/action Neutral; Morale DM-1 On a successful attack the beast does Teeth (4D) damage as it drains its victim of vital fluids. 

What makes this small sized kuiju so dangerous is that it is a fast breed & very dangerous wasteland species of invasive mollusk. A monster  that is at home in both the water & in areas of dry land or even around ruins. There are rumors that these monsters were used extensively by one of the colonies of ancient Atlantis or Mu as mining beasts of burden. They had developed with advanced genetic knowledge based on the earlier works of the Elder Things. What makes these giant mollusk kauju so dangerous  is the rate at which they make nests & lay eggs. Eggs hatch within 1d6 months allowing the monsters to take over an area exponentally. The monster mollusk's young reach maturity right out of the eggs. There will often be 2d6 young within each nest & lair. The young are able to reproduce within a month so its best to catch & exterminate a nest early if possible. These nests thrive in the weird radiations of other Kaiju making these monsters almost but not quite 'cuckoo like' in their making & nesting habits adding to the monster's complexity. 

These mollusks are often the boon & bane of other Kaiju because they provide a potential food source for other giant mutants & monsters in their ecology. The bane is the fact that these giant mollusks often feed on the young of other Kaiju. This sends other Kaiju into over drive with attacks & resentment. 

Many adventurers seek the eggs of these giant mollusks with the express purpose of raiding the lairs of these monsters. The 'Monsters That Challenged  The World' have an uncanny knack for making thier nests or lairs in ruins with the richest treasures or artifacts. 

What makes these monster mollusks so useful for Cepheus Atom, Sword of Cepheus, & Barbaric! 

Gorgo & his mother "Ogra, the sea spirit" - A Charlton Comics Monster Menace For Cepheus Atom & the Barbaric! rpg

 
Gorgo & his mother "Ogra, the sea spirit" are Kuiju from an inner Earth  volcanic rift  off the coast of Ireland near Nara island.  They are incredibly powerful giant monsters capable of vast amounts of destruction. Despite this flamethrowers and electric shocks are able to corral Gorgo. However the monster is capable of surviving atomic blasts & even alien weaponry. The waters around the British isles are the home to  dangerous Kaiju species & this includes Gorgo & his species. This makes them  a  perfect menace for Barbaric! & Cepheus Atom. 

Gorgo Juvenile Kuiju 
24/50, Move 10m , Armor 10, Bite (melee 5D damage) and 2 claws (melee 2D each)Combat-2, Physical-1, Survival-1.

Special Mutations 

Regeneration -  will regenerate as a Troll see Sword of Cepheus for rules.

 Enviromental Adaptability - The Gorgo Kuiju are able to adapt to a wide array of enviroments due to their incredible monster biology that would kill any ordinary monsters. 

Orga The Water Spirit 
24/50, Move 10m , Armor 13, Bite (melee 5D damage) and 2 claws (melee 2D each)
Regeneration -  will regenerate as a Troll see Sword of Cepheus for rules.
Combat-3, Physical-2, Survival-1.

Special Mutations 

Regeneration -  will regenerate as a Troll see Sword of Cepheus for rules.

 Enviromental Adaptability - The Gorgo Kuiju are able to adapt to a wide array of enviroments due to their incredible monster biology that would kill any ordinary monsters. 

The Giant Behemoth - A Monster Menace For Cepheus Atom & the Barbaric! rpg

The waters around the British isles are the home to one of the most dangerous Kaiju species in the post apocalyptic wastelands behemoths! These fifty foot sauropods are some of the most dangerous species of mutated horror that parties of adventurers can come across in the wastes &  post apocalyptic waters. A perfect menace for Barbaric! & Cepheus Atom. 

Behemoths 
24/50, Move 10m , Armor 10, Bite (melee 5D damage) and 2 claws (melee 2D each) or Field (4D Radiation  damage to up to 6 adjacent targets; may Contaminate; throw Survival 6+ to resist). Combat-3, Physical-2, Survival-1.

Special Mutations 
Sensor Invisible Dermis - Invisible to radar & sonar completely. 

Electrical Regeneration - When an attack is made with electicity Voltonodons will regenerate as a Troll see Sword of Cepheus for rules.

Radiation Damage Sensitivity - The Voltondons are at a DM-2 to all attacks with an atomic base to them. Radiation & atomic bomb attacks will cause the beast nasty damage.  

Demonic Skeletal Ghouls From Sinbad & The Eye of the Tiger 1977 For Barbaric! & The Sword of Cepheus rpg

Demonic Skeletal Ghouls summoned from the darkest depths of the Abyss to terrorize your Barbaric! rpg adventurers! 

Demonic Skeletal Ghouls : Insect like skeletal demonic damned  summoned from the Abyss of Ibis  by foul magic. 7/10, Move 10m/round, Armor 2 or by worn armor, Claws (melee 1D damage, slashing) or by weapon. Physical 1, Combat 1. Demonic Undead, takes half damage from non-crushing weapons. 

Often summoned by foul necromancers for those special nuisances from the Abyss of Ibis himself. These foul demonic creatures are relentless horrors that exist only for violence & bloodshed.  Only a foul wizard of the most blackest heart with a Sorcery of 7 could even hope to summon these things from their carrion hives deep within the infinite Hells of the Abyss. 

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms - A Monster Menace For Cepheus Atom & the Barbaric! rpg

The  Rhedosaurus from Beast from 20,000 fathoms 1953 is a Ray Harryhausen classic Kaiju from the golden Atomic age & perfect for Cepheus Atom , Barbaric!  & finally the Hostile rpg setting.  Think that Rhedosaurus shouldn't be in the Hostile setting. A baby beast had a cameo in the MST2000 classic 'Planet Dinosaur'. This isn't your ordinary Kaiju for the Rhedosaurus carries within its blood deadly microbes that will cause a disease in any victim who comes acros its path. 

The  Rhedosaurus species has been a resident of the inner Earth since the early 20th century when atomic testing awakened it from its millions of years sleep. Ancient alien flying saucers returned with samples of the Kaiju species to many biological containment worlds. These worlds are often run across by space explorers much to determent of said explorers. 
                                                                                                                                                

The  Rhedosaurus 
24/50, Move 8 m, Armor 10, Bite (melee 5D damage) and 2 claws (melee 2D each) ; Will  Contaminate with radiation & disease if skin is breeched; throw Survival 6+ to resist). Combat-3, Physical-1, Survival-2.

'Q' The Winged Serpent - A Monster Menace & Cult For Cepheus Atom & the Barbaric rpg

'Q'  an old Larry Cohen Eighties cultclassic horror film that always was in rotation at the Nineties back alley video rental place in Boston that was long gone these days. 'Q' is a perfect menace to add to Barbaric, Cepheus Atom, or even the Hostile rpg setting. 

" NYPD detectives Shepard and Powell are working on a bizarre case of a ritualistic Aztec murder. Meanwhile, something big is attacking people of New York and only greedy small time crook Jimmy Quinn knows where its lair is."

25kg Beast (Pouncer), mountain flyer, 6C7096 #App: 2D Treasure: None Athle-2, Melee Combat-1, Recon-2, Survival-1 Attacks on 10+; flees on 6- Bite (1D); armor 0; fly 30m/action Neutral; Morale DM-1 unless defending its nest. 


The pseudo Atzec like cult of 'Q'  might actually be from the inner Earth of the ancient past that has spread among the stars. And now their agenda of sacrifice & breeding the species as rapidly as possible. The cult of the 'Q' is a murderous one that often seems more like it operates in cells of six or more induvial with head priest able to cast spells as an evil cleric or black wizard. 

C.H.U.D. Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers For Cepheus Atom

 The iconic Eighties C.H.U.D.  movie monster adapted for Celpheus Atom 

Excellent (but sadly discontinued ) C.H.U.D. t-shirt design from Fright Rags

Retro Old School Campaign Set Up With Ray Harryhausen's Clash of the Titans

There's something to be said for going back to the source material when your looking for ideas. In this case we went back to 1981's Clash of the Titans which stars  Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier. "The film features the final work of stop motion visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen. It was released on June 12, 1981 and grossed $41 million at the North American box office."




Sneaking into the Warner Theater on a Saturday afternoon through the side back entrance enabled me and my crew of miscreants to see this film. It was hugely influential on a generation of film goers in the Eighties. Especially gamers, for a time it seemed that you couldn't throw a rock and not hit ten different old school  campaigns all centered around Greek mythology.
The basic plot centers around Argos the land  that Perseus lands in after Zeus's jealous wife Hera sets him down in but there was far more going on around the plot of the film;
"King Acrisius of Argos imprisons his daughter Danaë, jealous of her attracting suitors. When the god Zeus impregnates her, Acrisius banishes his daughter and his newborn grandson Perseus to sea in a wooden chest. In retribution, Zeus kills Acrisius and orders Poseidon to release the last of the Titans, a gigantic sea monster called the Kraken, to destroy Argos. Meanwhile, Danaë and Perseus safely float to the island of Seriphos where Perseus grows to adulthood.
Calibos was always a favorite villain of mine warped by the curse of Zeus into something far more and far less then a man. Calibos has been and continues to be my primer for playing divine curses on NPC's. Even
in this film there is something of the fickle & the undercurrent of the chaotic nature of the Greek Harryhausen gods.


" Calibos, son of the sea goddess Thetis, is a young man engaged to marry Princess Andromeda, the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia and heir to the rich city of Joppa; but for committing several atrocities against Zeus, including hunting and destroying Zeus's sacred flying horses (excepting only Pegasus), Zeus transforms Calibos into a monstrous deformed creature with one hoof, goat-like horns, and a long tail. This left Calibos an outcast where he lived in the swamp. In revenge, Thetis transports an adult Perseus from Seriphos to an abandoned amphitheatre in Joppa, where he is befriended by an elderly poet named Ammon and learns that Andromeda is under a curse and cannot marry unless her suitor successfully answers a riddle whose failures are burned at the stake. In order to aid his son, Zeus sends Perseus a god-crafted helmet from Athena which makes its wearer invisible, a magical sword from Aphrodite, and a shield from Hera. Perseus, wearing the helmet, captures Pegasus and follows Calibos' giant vulture that is carrying Andromeda to learn the next riddle. Perseus is nearly killed by Calibos but manages to sever one of Calibos' hands, losing his helmet in the process."

There are a couple of things to keep in mind for an old school dungeon master looking at Clash of the Titans:

1. The hero & his party of adventurers & hirelings go on a few side quests before achieving their goals. 
2. Scattered all throughout Clash of the Titans are the remains of the world before the gods. This is something that echoes throughout the film. The feeling that there was 'a world before'. The Kraken itself can be considered a part of this.
3. The prison of Medusa at the edge of the Underworld is pure dungeon crawl & has many classic elements of an old school adventure including a guardian monster in the form of the two headed dog Dioskilos.
4. There are other echoes of earlier Greek mythology films such as Jason and the Argonauts from 1963. 
5. Burgess Meredith as Ammon is a perfect pure bard, sage, and councilor NPC & his performance makes an excellent reference for old school DM's 
6. The interaction between the gods and humans in '81's Clash of the Titans is fickle at best and downright dangerous at worst. This sort of interaction might be typical for human and god interactions. 
7. There is treasure just sitting around several of the picture's adventure locations and this could lead a party of adventurers to follow the trails blazed by Perseus and co.   
8. The Kraken isn't the only monster that the gods have imprisoned. There's a bunch of horrors implied by the film but never seen. 
9. There isn't much back story given to the Stygian Witches but its clear that their very dangerous. Could a relative of  the PC's have been one of their victims? This might make for a good side quest. 
10. The gods make several references to the moves of other humans on their chess board. Could these be the PC's interfering in the plans of the gods? 

"Perseus seeks a way to defeat the Kraken, while Pegasus is captured by Calibos and his men. Zeus commands Athena to give Perseus her owl Bubo; but she orders Hephaestus to build a golden replica of Bubo instead, who leads Perseus to the Stygian Witches. By taking their magic eye Perseus forces them to reveal that the only way to defeat the Kraken is by using the head of Medusa, who lives on an island in the River Styx at the edge of the Underworld. The next day, the group continues on their journey without Andromeda and Ammon, who return to Joppa."

The Kraken comes to claim Andromeda.

"On the Gorgon's island with three soldiers by his side, Perseus fights Medusa's guardian, a two-headed dog named Dioskilos, who kills one of his companions but Perseus intervenes in the nick of time and kills the beast. Perseus leads his two remaining allies into the Gorgon's lair. His two other companions die on encounter with Medusa herself; she shoots one of the soldiers with an arrow and turns the other to stone. Perseus uses the reflective underside of his shield to deceive Medusa, decapitates her, and collects her head; but the shield is dissolved by her caustic blood. As Perseus and his party set to return, Calibos enters their camp, forces Bubo into the water, scares the horses away, and punctures the cloak carrying Medusa's head, causing her blood to spill and produce three giant scorpions called Scorpiochs. The scorpions attack and Thallo is able to kill one of them, but he and his fighting companion are both killed by Calibos himself. Perseus slays the other two scorpions and thereafter kills Calibos and grieves Thallo's death."

The scorpion scene still creeps me out but its indicative of the fact that the mortals are playing with the materials, items, & events of the Greek gods. This is one big entertainment for those same gods something again implied in '63's 'Jason & the Argonauts' film. In fact there's always been deep connections between Clash of the Titans & Jason & The Argonauts.
Is the whole set up with the Kraken simply another entertainment in a long line of such events of the gods? Both pictures imply this very thing.

There's this feeling to both pictures that there's far more going on then we the audience are seeing. There have been other heroes & adventures that we are not even aware of. These films imply a history and deep backstory that one gets from a Harryhausen film. I'm not waxing lyrical here or clouded by nostalgia. These were films with weight to them and mythological backgrounds to them for old school campaigns. An early look into Clash of the Titans can be found in Starlog issue #38 which has a really solid article on the film.

So the Kraken is defeated & all ends well for Joppa. Well not exactly you've still got the gods plotting their next move on the city state & then there are the families of the poor bastards that went with Perseus.  This is where the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition Deities & Demigods book comes in. Almost but not quite everything is stated up in this book except the Kraken.



I know that your thinking that surely you can't plug this into Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea? Can you? Well actually you can. The heroes & some background elements were placed in the constellations by Zeus himself. What if there's shadows of these NPC's in the stellar namesakes. Could there be a quest in the making between the Outer Darkness of the night between the stars? I have a feeling of something along those lines. 

For now keep em rolling!  Clash of the Titans remains an old favorite of mine and millions out there.  A perfect game night film and perhaps set up for your old school campaigns?