The Alphyn is one of those classic, heraldic-inspired monsters that fits perfectly into the old-school aesthetic of Castles & Crusades. While it looks like a relative of the Griffin or the Manticore, it has its own unique, bizarre flair. This blog post picks right up from here on the blog.
Here is a breakdown of how the Alphyn typically functions within the C&C framework.
The Creature: Alphyn
The Alphyn is often described as a "dragon-wolf." It possesses the body of a lean, powerful wolf, the scaled forelegs of a dragon (complete with eagle-like talons), and a long, tufted tail that often ends in a fleur-de-lis or a stinger-like point.
| Attribute | Typical Stat Range |
| Hit Dice | 5d8 (Large) |
| Armor Class | 16–18 |
| Movement | 50 ft. |
| Attacks | 2 Claws (1d6), 1 Bite (1d10) |
| Special | Pounce, Terrifying Howl, Scent |
| Saves | Physical |
| Alignment | Usually Neutral (often used as guardians) |
Key Combat Abilities
In a Castles & Crusades encounter, the Alphyn is a high-speed skirmisher. It doesn't just stand and trade blows; it uses its agility to isolate targets.
Pounce: If the Alphyn moves at least 20 feet toward a target and hits with a claw attack, it can immediately attempt a bite attack as a free action or try to knock the opponent prone (Strength save for the player).
Dragon-Claws: Its forelegs are exceptionally strong. In some variations, these claws ignore 1–2 points of mundane armor (leather or padded) due to their draconic sharpness.
Terrifying Howl: Once per encounter, the Alphyn can let out a bone-chilling bay. Players must succeed on a Charisma (CL 5) save or be shaken, suffering a -2 penalty to hit for 1d4 rounds.
Lore & Ecology
The Eternal Guardian: Alphyns are rarely "wild" animals. In heraldry and myth, they are symbols of loyalty. In your campaign, they are often found guarding ancient tombs, wizard towers, or the gates of noble estates.
Senses: They have an incredible sense of smell. They can track prey with a +4 bonus to any checks related to scent.
Diet: Despite their draconic features, they are primarily carnivorous, preferring large game or intruders who fail to give the proper password.
Running the Encounter
If you are the Castle Keeper (CK), play the Alphyn as highly intelligent. It isn't a mindless beast; it understands tactics. It will often target the character with the least armor first, using its high movement speed to "dart in and out" of the party's reach.
CK Tip: Because the Alphyn is a heraldic beast, consider giving it a "Knightly Code." Perhaps it refuses to attack an unarmed opponent or will stop fighting if the players offer a formal gesture of surrender.
In Wretched Darkness, a game known for its grittier, modern-to-horror atmosphere and "old-school" DNA, the Alphyn shifts from a noble heraldic guardian into a chimeric nightmare—a biological or supernatural anomaly that shouldn't exist.
Because Wretched Darkness (by The Red Room) uses a modified OSR engine where player characters are more vulnerable and hit points are lower, the Alphyn is a lethal "Apex Stalker" encounter.
The Wretched Alphyn
“It looked like a wolf from a distance, but the way it moved—the clicking of those talons on the concrete and the low, draconic hiss—told us this wasn't nature. This was a mistake.”
| Attribute | Value |
| HD | 5 (avg 25 HP) |
| AC | 16 (Tough Hide/Scales) |
| Move | Fast (60 ft. / 20 ft. in combat) |
| Attacks | 2 Claws (1d6), 1 Bite (1d10) |
| Saves | Physical (as Level 5) |
| Morale | 10 |
Unique Traits for Wretched Darkness
Pounce & Rend: If the Alphyn hits with both claw attacks in a single round, it automatically deals an additional 1d6 rending damage as it tears into the target’s vital organs.
Shadow Camouflage: In low light or magical darkness, the Alphyn gains Advantage on Stealth checks. It is often used as a "Clean-up Crew" by occult organizations because it leaves no tracks other than the carnage it creates.
Keen Scent (Supernatural): The Alphyn can smell "fear" or supernatural energy. It tracks any character with a Corruption or Sanity score lower than 10 with ease, gaining +4 to all tracking rolls.
Fearful Baying (Sanity Check): When the Alphyn howls, all who hear it must make a Sanity Check (TN 12).
Failure: The character is Panicked for 1 round and Shaken (-2 to all rolls) for the rest of the encounter.
Tactics & Horror Integration
In the Wretched setting, the Alphyn is likely a bio-engineered weapon created by a clandestine agency or a summoned horror from a lightless dimension.
The Ambush: It uses its high speed to leap from rooftops or shadows. It doesn't bark; it hisses like a reptile.
The Kill: It focuses on the weakest member of the group, dragging them into the darkness to consume them while the others are still recovering from its howl.
The Weakness: As a creature of darkness and shadows, it is often sensitive to intense light. A flare or powerful flashlight may force it to make a Morale check or suffer a -2 penalty to hit.
Potential Plot Hooks
The Lab Leak: An Alphyn has escaped a high-security research facility and is now stalking a suburban park. The PCs are hired to "retrieve the asset" before the police find it.
The Noble’s Curse: A modern-day aristocrat has an ancient curse; every time they feel slighted, an Alphyn manifests from the family’s coat of arms to hunt the offender.
Urban Legend: People are disappearing in the subway tunnels. The only clue is a strange "clicking" sound and a smell of sulfur and wet dog.
In Wretched Darkness, Dread Powers elevate a monster from a simple predatory animal to a true supernatural nightmare. For an Alphyn, these powers should emphasize its chimeric nature—part biological anomaly, part occult terror.
Choose 1 or 2 of these to give your Alphyn a unique, terrifying edge:
1. Shadow Meld (Passive)
The Alphyn’s fur and scales don't just mimic darkness; they absorb it.
Effect: While in dim light or darkness, the Alphyn is effectively invisible while stationary. If it moves, it appears only as a blurring, oily smudge in the air. Attacks against it while in this state suffer a -4 penalty unless the attacker has a specialized light source or thermal optics.
2. Corrosive Saliva (Offensive)
The draconic side of its lineage manifests as a caustic, black ichor dripping from its maw.
Effect: On a successful bite attack, the target takes an additional 1d4 Acid damage at the start of their next turn. Furthermore, if the target is wearing armor, they must make a Physical Save; failure means the armor’s AC bonus is permanently reduced by 1 as the scales and straps melt away.
3. Echoes of the Void (Supernatural)
The Alphyn’s howl doesn't just cause fear—it ripples the veil between worlds.
Effect: When the Alphyn howls, electronic devices (phones, flashlights, radios) within 50 feet flicker and die for 1d6 rounds. Additionally, players who fail their Sanity Check don't just feel fear; they see ghostly, translucent versions of the Alphyn circling them, making it impossible to tell which one is the "real" physical threat.
4. Preternatural Reflexes (Reactive)
The creature moves with a speed that defies the laws of physics.
Effect: Once per round, the Alphyn can completely negate one physical attack (melee or ranged) by performing a supernatural dodge. It essentially "blinks" a few feet to the left or right. It can also use this power to disengage from combat without drawing an attack of opportunity.
5. Blood-Scent Frenzy (Combat)
Once the Alphyn tastes blood, its tactical mind gives way to a draconic bloodlust.
Effect: As soon as any PC is reduced to below half their maximum Hit Points, the Alphyn gains an additional Claw attack per round and its Morale becomes "Fearless" (it will fight to the death).
How to Deploy These
The "Science Experiment": Give it Corrosive Saliva and Preternatural Reflexes. It feels like a high-tech bio-weapon that is too fast to hit and too toxic to touch.
The "Ancient Curse": Give it Shadow Meld and Echoes of the Void. This version feels like a mythic demon that has stepped out of a dusty tapestry to hunt the party in a modern setting.
In The New Flesh, the Alphyn isn't a mythical guardian or a lab experiment—it is a Biopunk Abomination. In a world of forced evolution, surgical "sculpting," and runaway genetic synthesis, the Alphyn is a high-end, designer predator likely owned by a corporate executive or a black-market organ-harvester.
It is a masterpiece of "Cross-Phylum Stitching," blending canine muscularity with reptilian armor and predatory avian reflexes.
The Alphyn (Vat-Grown Stalker)
| Stat | Value |
| Threat Level | 3 (Apex Bio-Weapon) |
| Vitality | 30 |
| Armor Value | 4 (Chitinous Overlay) |
| Senses | Thermal Vision, Pheromone Tracking |
| Instinct | To isolate and dismantle. |
Biological Traits & Augments
Dermal Grafting: Its "scales" are actually hardened keratin plates stitched over a wolf-like frame. This provides a high Armor Value against small arms fire and melee blades.
Taloned Fore-Grafts: Its front paws have been replaced with surgically implanted raptor-like talons.
Effect: Attacks ignore 2 points of Armor.
Adrenaline Overclock: The Alphyn’s nervous system is hardwired to a chemical reservoir.
Ability: It can take two Actions in a single turn, but must "cool down" (no actions) for one turn afterward as its body purges the heat buildup.
Pheromone Trigger: Usually "keyed" to a specific target. If the Alphyn is given a scent sample (clothing, hair, blood), it will ignore all other targets to reach that specific individual.
Dread Manifestations (The Horror of the Flesh)
In The New Flesh, the horror comes from the wrongness of the body. Choose one "Glitch" for your Alphyn:
Vocal Mimicry: The Alphyn has a human larynx graft. It cannot speak, but it can perfectly mimic the screams or distress calls of its previous victims to lure teammates into an ambush.
Exposed Pulsing: Its skin is translucent in patches. You can see the overclocked heart and the black, synthetic bile pumping through its veins. Seeing this mechanical-biological fusion forces a Stability/Stress Check.
Rapid Mutation: When damaged, the Alphyn’s "Heal-Cells" go into overdrive. It doesn't just heal; it grows new, grosser defenses. (e.g., If stabbed, it grows bone-spikes in that area).
The "New Flesh" Encounter: The Trophy Room
Imagine the PCs breaking into a high-rise penthouse. The "Guard Dog" isn't a Doberman; it’s a 400lb Alphyn resting on a velvet rug. Its tail isn't fur—it's a prehensile whip of exposed muscle and bone used to trip intruders.
Combat Behavior:
The Alphyn doesn't just bite. It Harvests. It will attempt to pin a player and use its talons to selectively remove a "valuable" organ or limb to bring back to its master.
In The New Flesh, nothing goes to waste. When the PCs finally drop a bio-engineered nightmare like the Alphyn, the real game begins: the post-mortem harvest.
This table assumes the PCs have basic surgical tools and at least a few minutes before corporate "clean-up crews" arrive.
The Alphyn Harvest: d100 Loot Table
| d100 | Loot Item | Market Value / Utility |
| 01–15 | Ruined Carcass | Valueless. The killing blow triggered a self-destruct sequence or cellular liquefaction. |
| 16–30 | Vat-Grown Pelts | 1,500 Credits. High-end, bullet-resistant fur/scale hybrid. Fashionistas in the Upper Tiers love it. |
| 31–45 | Hyper-Reflex Nerve Bundles | 3,000 Credits. Can be sold to a "Ripperdoc" to create Tier 2 Initiative-boosting implants. |
| 46–55 | Draconic Talon Set | 4,000 Credits. Retractable keratin blades. Can be used as masterwork daggers or grafted as hand-razors. |
| 56–65 | Adrenaline Pump Gland | Single-Use Injectable. When used, the PC gains +2 Actions next turn but suffers 1d6 damage from "The Crash." |
| 66–75 | Thermal Optic Lenses | 5,500 Credits. The Alphyn’s eyes. Can be integrated into a helmet or cybernetic eye-sockets. |
| 76–85 | Black-Box Neuro-Link | Data Payload. Contains the last 24 hours of the creature's sensory data. Might reveal who its master is. |
| 86–92 | "The Golden Bile" | 7,500 Credits. A rare digestive enzyme that can eat through industrial-grade plexiglass. (3 doses). |
| 93–97 | Unstable Heart Core | 10,000 Credits. A miracle of bio-engineering. If kept on life support, it can power a small safehouse indefinitely. |
| 98–99 | Intact Larynx Graft | Rare Find. A specialized vocal module that allows the user to mimic any voice they’ve heard. |
| 100 | The Alpha Embryo | Priceless. A dormant clone-egg found in a pressurized cavity. You now own a baby Alphyn... or a death sentence. |
Harvesting Rules (Optional)
To determine how much they get, have the player make a Medicine or Technology check:
Critical Success: Roll twice on the table and keep both.
Success: Roll once.
Failure: The item is damaged; reduce its Market Value by 50%.
Critical Failure: A defensive organ (like a poison sac or high-voltage nerve) ruptures. The harvester takes 2d6 damage.
The Boreyne is another rare "heraldic beast" that fits perfectly into the Castles & Crusades milieu. Like the Alphyn, it is a composite creature—a chimera of sorts—that traces its roots back to 15th-century British heraldry (specifically the badge of the Borough family).
In Castles & Crusades, the Boreyne is best utilized as a semi-aquatic guardian or a powerful "stump-breaking" brute in wilderness encounters.
The Creature: Boreyne
The Boreyne is a bizarre hybrid: it has the head of a bull (often with ram’s horns), the body of a dog/wolf, the mane of a horse, the forelegs of a lion, and the hind legs and talons of an eagle.
| Attribute | Typical Stat Range |
| Hit Dice | 6d8 (Large) |
| Armor Class | 17 |
| Movement | 40 ft., Swim 30 ft. |
| Attacks | 2 Claws (1d8), 1 Gore/Bite (2d6) |
| Special | Charge, Aquatic Adaptation, Spined Back |
| Saves | Physical (Strength/Constitution) |
| Alignment | Neutral |
Key Combat Abilities
The Boreyne is more of a "tank" compared to the agile Alphyn. It relies on its weight and bizarre physiology to dominate the battlefield.
Powerful Charge: If the Boreyne moves at least 20 feet and hits with its gore/headbutt, it deals double damage (4d6) and the target must make a Strength (CL 6) save or be knocked back 10 feet and stunned for one round.
Spined Back: Anyone attempting to grapple the Boreyne or attacking it from above (such as a rogue dropping from a ceiling) must make a Dexterity (CL 6) save or take 1d6 piercing damage from its dorsal spines.
Amphibious: The Boreyne is an excellent swimmer. It often lurks in moats or muddy rivers, leaving only its dorsal fin visible (looking like a strange fish) before lunging onto the bank to attack.
Lore & Ecology
The "Mud-Lion": In heraldic lore, the Boreyne is often associated with water and marshlands. In C&C, they are frequently used by swamp-dwelling lords or wizards to guard bridge-crossings.
Symbolism: In a campaign, seeing a Boreyne often indicates you are entering the territory of a specific noble house or a high-ranking knight, as these creatures were historically "badges" of rank.
Behavior: Boreynes are notoriously stubborn. Unlike many predators that flee when wounded, a Boreyne often enters a "stand-your-ground" state, gaining a +2 bonus to Morale when below half HP.
Castle Keeper Tips
Encounter Setup: Place a Boreyne in a partially flooded dungeon room. Use its dorsal fin to trick players into thinking it's a giant fish or a shark before the massive bull-headed chimera stands up on its lion-paws.
The Barbed Tongue: Some descriptions give the Boreyne a "spear-headed" or barbed tongue.
You can add a special attack where it attempts a reach grapple (10 ft) with its tongue to pull a player into its gore range. In Castles & Crusades, a Bred War-Boreyne is a creature that has been selectively bred and trained by elite heavy cavalry or mountain-dwelling knightly orders. It is larger, meaner, and armored in heavy barding, making it a "Living Siege Engine."
Because it has the head of a bull and the hind-talons of an eagle, it is one of the few mounts that can effectively fight both in front and behind itself simultaneously.
The Bred War-Boreyne
Attribute Stats Hit Dice 8d8 (Large) Armor Class 20 (Natural Hide + Plate Barding) Movement 40 ft., Swim 20 ft. Attacks 1 Gore (2d8), 2 Front Claws (1d8), 1 Rear Talon Kick (1d10) Special Trample, Unstoppable Charge, Battle-Hardened Saves Physical (High Strength/Constitution) Morale 11 (Fearless) Special Combat Abilities
Unstoppable Charge: When ridden by a skilled knight into a charge (at least 30 ft), the Gore attack deals 3d8+6 damage. Additionally, any Medium or smaller creatures in the path must succeed on a Strength save (CL 8) or be trampled.
Trample: If a target is knocked prone by the charge, the War-Boreyne can make an immediate extra attack with its lion-like forepaws for 2d6 damage.
Rear Talon Defense: Unlike a horse, which can only kick blindly, the Boreyne’s eagle-like hind legs are dexterous. If a rogue or enemy attempts to flank the creature, it can make a Talon Kick as a reactive strike once per round.
Battle-Hardened: The creature is immune to non-magical fear and receives a +4 bonus on saves against Charm or Sleep spells, representing its iron-willed training.
Equipping the Beast
A War-Boreyne is rarely seen "naked." They are usually outfitted with:
Horn-Caps: Metal spikes fitted over the horns, adding +2 damage to Gore attacks (included in stats above).
The Howdah-Saddle: A specialized heavy saddle that grants the rider a +2 bonus to their own AC against melee attacks, as the creature's broad horse-like mane and spined back provide natural cover.
The Cost of War
Owning one of these is a massive status symbol.
Cost: 8,000–10,000 Gold Pieces (if a noble house will even sell one).
Maintenance: They require a diet of raw meat and grain, costing roughly 5 gp per day.
Temperament: They are fiercely loyal to one rider. Anyone else attempting to mount a War-Boreyne without the "Alpha-Bond" must make a Charisma (CL 10) check or be gored immediately.
Castle Keeper Hook
"The Iron Duke doesn't ride a destrier. He rides a Boreyne clad in blackened steel. When that beast hits your shield wall, it doesn't just break the line—it eats the men holding it."
In Wretched Darkness, the Boreyne is less a "noble guardian" and more a brutalist enforcer. It represents the intersection of ancient folk-horror and modern occult grit. In this setting, the Boreyne is often a "familiar" for a bloodline of corrupt aristocrats or a byproduct of a ritual gone wrong in the rural marshlands.
It is a creature of heavy, wet impact and crushing force.
The Wretched Boreyne
“We thought it was a bull that had escaped the slaughterhouse, but bulls don't have talons, and they definitely don't have a dorsal fin that cuts through the swamp water like a shark’s.”
Attribute Value HD 6 (avg 33 HP) AC 17 (Thick Hide & Bone Plates) Move Medium (40 ft. / Swim 30 ft.) Attacks 1 Gore (2d6), 2 Claws (1d8) Saves Physical (as Level 6) Morale 11 (Stubborn) Unique Traits for Wretched Darkness
Relentless Juggernaut: The Boreyne is an engine of momentum. If it moves at least 20 feet and hits with a Gore attack, the victim must make a Physical Save (TN 14) or be knocked prone and lose their next Move action as the wind is crushed out of them.
Aquatic Ambush: The Boreyne can hold its breath for up to 30 minutes. It often submerges in shallow, muddy water, leaving only its jagged dorsal fin exposed. It gains Advantage on Surprise checks when attacking from water or deep mud.
Thick-Skulled (Mental Resistance): Its brain is encased in a massive, reinforced skull. The Boreyne has Advantage on saves against mind-altering supernatural effects or psionics.
Grisly Mane: Its mane is coarse, matted with the dried blood and hair of previous victims. Seeing the Boreyne emerge from the mist triggers a Sanity Check (TN 10).
Dread Powers (Pick 1 or 2)
Shattering Bellow: Instead of attacking, the Boreyne lets out a low-frequency roar. All glass within 30 feet shatters, and PCs must make a Physical Save or be Deafened and Disoriented (-4 to hit) for 1d4 rounds.
Iron Hide: The creature is magically toughened. It gains Damage Reduction (DR) 3 against all non-magical, non-silvered weapons.
Blood-Tracker: Once the Boreyne draws blood from a target, it can track that specific person anywhere within 5 miles, regardless of terrain or water. It "smells" the spiritual resonance of the wound.
Modern Horror Integration
The Rural Legend: In the backwoods, locals whisper about the "Black Bull of the Fen." It’s treated as a local god that requires a seasonal sacrifice of livestock (or drifters) to keep it from wandering into town.
The Corporate Guard: A pharmaceutical company has "re-engineered" the Boreyne as a heavy-duty asset for guarding remote jungle labs. These versions are often fitted with neural-links and chemical injectors
In The New Flesh, the Boreyne is no longer a creature of legend—it is a Heavy-Industrial Biomorph. Engineered for "Area Denial" and "Front-Line Breaching," the Boreyne is a massive, vat-grown tank. If the Alphyn is a surgical scalpel, the Boreyne is a sledgehammer made of bone and muscle.
It is often used by corporate security forces to clear out slums or by cartel "enforcers" as a mobile barricade.
The Boreyne (Industrial Breacher)
| Stat | Value |
| Threat Level | 4 (Biological Juggernaut) |
| Vitality | 50 |
| Armor Value | 6 (Sub-Dermal Ballistic Plates) |
| Senses | Low-Light Optics, Seismic Sensors (via hooves/paws) |
| Instinct | To crush, trample, and hold ground. |
Biological Traits & Augments
Hydraulic Musculature: Its legs have been reinforced with synthetic muscle-fibers and hydraulic fluid reservoirs.
Effect: On a successful Gore/Charge, the Boreyne can choose to ignore the target's cover (breaking through walls, doors, or vehicles) to reach the victim.
Seismic Stomp: By slamming its massive front paws, it sends a vibration through the floor.
Ability: All targets within 15 feet must make a Balance/Stability Check or be knocked prone.
Dorsal Cooling Fin: That "heraldic" fin is actually a biological radiator. It allows the Boreyne to exert massive force without its internal organs cooking.
Weakness: If the fin is targeted and "disabled" (requires a called shot), the Boreyne gains the Overheated condition, losing 1d6 Vitality every turn it takes an action.
Dread Manifestations (The Horror of the Flesh)
In The New Flesh, these creatures often show the strain of their rapid growth and cybernetic integration:
Leaking Hydraulics: Instead of blood, the creature bleeds a pressurized, steaming hydraulic fluid. Anyone in melee range when it is hit must save or be blinded by the hot, oily spray.
Voice of the Machine: It has been fitted with an external PA system instead of a natural roar. It broadcasts static-filled corporate warnings or "Move Along" commands in a flat, synthesized voice while it attacks.
Grafted Artillery: In some "War" variants, the Boreyne has a shoulder-mounted weapon rig bolted directly into its spine, allowing it to provide suppressive fire while it charges.
The "New Flesh" Encounter: The Breached Safehouse
The players are holed up in a reinforced apartment. They hear the heavy thud-thud of something massive coming up the stairs. The door doesn't just open—it explodes inward as 600lbs of armored bull-head and lion-muscle lunges through. The Boreyne isn't there to kill them quickly; it's there to pin them down until the "Collection Team" arrives.
Harvest Table (Bio-Tech Scrap)
If the PCs kill it, they can scavenge:
Sub-Dermal Armor Plates: Can be repurposed into high-grade personal ballistic vests.
Synthetic Muscle Fibers: Highly valuable to "Ripperdocs" for Strength-enhancing grafts.
Seismic Sensor Array: Can be rigged into a portable motion detector.
