Beware Space Hippies!

Monster of the Week: Tome of Mysteries Review

The Tome of Mysteries Monster of the Week Expansion is now for sale on Amazon! And Drive-thru RPG!

Gnoles and Gebbelins

These monster conversions were inspired by DCC Module Gnole House (in the DCC Quickstart Rules) which could act as as a neat prequel to my own Gibbelin Job Starter... 

(https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/194173/20-Dungeon-Starters)

Lesser Gnole
Group, Organized, Hoarder
Brutal Weapon (d8 damage) 6 HP 0 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Cannibal, Evil Merchants
Gnoles go through two distinct life phases and lesser gnoles are the first stage. Lesser gnoles are man-sized, hulking creatures with a physique reminiscent of an ape. They have rubbery flesh covered with coarse, dark hair, and beady, piggish eyes of bright red. Lesser gnoles don’t typically wear clothing, but enjoy accessories such as hats, scarves, sashes, and oversized boots when they can find them. Their tongues are long and ribbon-like, and they can understand but not speak the Common tongue, communicating with one another in a complex language of purrs, whines, whistles, trills, and grunts. All gnoles live in family groups that mimic human society to the point of parody. They fight with clubs, axes, spears, and other brutal but simple weapons.
Instinct: Devour Humans!

Collects items
Summon other gnoles with whistle
Inspired by the DCC Module Gnole House

Greater Gnole
Solitary, Large
Tentacles (d10 damage) 16 HP 1 armor
Special Qualities: Gem Eyes, Tribal Gnole Leader
If a gnole is lucky enough to survive a century or more, it undergoes a metamorphosis, transforming into a greater gnole. Greater gnoles typically stand 7’ tall, but can grow up to twice that size. Their bodies are oval in shape, with nodules of rubbery flesh protruding from their torsos and abdomens. Greater gnoles lose their coarse fur, revealing its naked, slate gray skin. Their arms become tentacles and their ears are grown over with folds of flesh, rendering them largely deaf. Even stranger, the eyes of a greater gnole transform into faceted gemstones and can be removed from their sockets. These gemstones are often magical and a Greater Gnole will regrow new eyes if his old eyes are lost and will often keep spare sets of "eyes". If these are stolen the Greater Gnole will hunt down the thief with his or her tribe to capture and devour all of the thief and all of his or her comrades.
Instinct: Protect gem eyes

Devour Humans
Produce and protect gemstone eyes
Lead a lesser gnole tribe
Inspired by the DCC Module Gnole House

Gibbelin
Group, Small, Intelligent, Hoarder
Weapon (d6 damage) 3 HP 0 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Cannibal, Wealthly in gems, Collecter
Short, ochre-colored humanoids with broad noses, catlike ears, and four-fingered hands. Gibbelins are a race of short humanoids said to be related to evil gnomes. Gibbelins dwell in the darkest of forests andin shallow caves under hills. They are intrigued by all manner of tools, weapons, and fancy clothing. The gnoles accumulate all these items from their victims and trade regularly with the gibbelins to acquire the green crystals they admire.
Instinct: Devours humans

Mines gems
Collects human items
Trades with gnoles
Inspired by the DCC Module Gnole House

"Jeweler That Dealt In Stardust" Conversion Notes

The classic Harley Stroh DCC Module "Jeweler That Dealt In Stardust" Conversion Notes for the Dungeon World RPG by Logan Howard and myself. We were inspired by Wayne Peacock's fine DCC conversion work. Feedback Welcome!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zBH_-2Auuy_LujvUltcxlQyUzbdzo30z

Stranger Things

New Dungeon World Monster

Arcane Ooze Solitary, Large, Amorphous
Acid Grab (d10 damage) 16 HP 0 Armor
Special Qualities: Arcane spells heal

Arcane Oozes resemble giant pale purple amoebas.Any arcane spell cast that causes damage is automatically absorbed to heal 1 point for every point of damage otherwise done. Cleric, bard and other"non arcane" spells affect the ooze normally. Arcane oozes are immune to poison, sleep effects and paralysis.

Instinct: Consume the arcane

Pursue
Devour
Ambush

New Monster of the Week Mystery: Escape from Carcosa

https://drive.google.com/open?id=18LKroCrHC6qTXA9FLlCnp2Q10FUztBOL

Why not make the Dream Eater a Monster of the Week?

http://blog.trilemma.com/search/label/adventure

While this is an excellent site I usually use for Dungeon World adventures a few of these adventure locations would work very well for Monster-of-the-Week with a little work. "Can't Sleep—Clowns Will Eat Me" is an excellent example! All you need to do is write up the Dream Eater (must be killed by magic or enchanted weapons) as the Monster, Doppelgangers as minions (I would drop the mimic and magic item) and you have your own "Something Wicked this Way Comes" evil carnival that Ray Bradbury would envy! Maybe sprinkle in a few custom mirror maze moves to taste and you have a nice Halloween treat for your hunters!

Can't Sleep—Clowns Will Eat Me 

http://trilemma.com/blog/adventures/41%20Clowns.pdf

Dungeon World Adventure Location Conversion:Can't Sleep—Clowns Will Eat Me

Can't Sleep—Clowns Will Eat Me 

http://trilemma.com/blog/adventures/41%20Clowns.pdf

Monsters

Doppelganger, Carnival	Solitary, Devious, Intelligent
Dagger (d4 damage)	10 HP	0 Armor
Close
Special Qualities: Shape shifting

Their natural form, if you ever see it, is hideous. Like a creature who stopped growing part-way, before it decided it was elf or man or dwarf. These Doppelgangers wander the world as inhabitants of a carnival or circus, preying on the weak and gullible whenever they go; often in the employ of a stronger monster. They like to keep intelligent mimics as pets and servants.

Instinct: To infiltrate

• Assume distorted forms from a mirror maze
• Use another’s identity to advantage
• Consume the weak

Dream Eater	Solitary, Stealthy
Bite (d10 damage)	16 HP	0 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Incorporeal

A powerful psychic monster lurks among circus performers. In its natural form, it appears as a dense cloud of darkness with glints of tiny metal spikes and the sound of something smacking its teeth. With a manipulative and deceptive nature and resistance to mind-affecting magics, it is a challenging foe and can only be found in a corrupted Circus. It makes its lair in the Circus' mirror maze and drives a town mad by preventing anyone from sleeping. Its sole drive is to sow confusion and to heighten the circus visitor’s fear, paranoia, and madness so it may safely consume a community's restful sleep until everyone is dead. It has three powers: • Mimic: Appear as anyone who has gone through the Mirror Maze • Amplify: Amplify another’s emotional state so others can feel it. • Hallucinate: Cause someone’s hallucinations to manifest as illusions experienced by everyone. It may only be damaged by magic and magic weapons. 

Instinct: Creates Madness

• Consumes Sleep
• Casts Illusions and Emotions
• Based on a monster in an Adventure Location by Stephanie Bryant "CAN’T SLEEP—CLOWNS WILL EAT ME"

Intelligent Mimic	Solitary, Stealthy, Amorphous
Bite (d10 damage)	12 HP	1 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Shapeshifter, Take an enticing form

Mimics are natural predators, born by magical means that will eat just about anything that touches them. As shapeshifters, capable of perfectly replicating the appearance of wood, stone, and metal; Mimics commonly take on the form of stairs, door frames, chest, and many other shapes. These mutant mimics though are not only capable of greater intelligence, but even of tactics and speech. Intelligent mimics care only to feed themselves, but what the food is doesn't matter to them, and smaller specimens will gladly let an adventurer go by unscratched in exchange for a bag of food. Such bribes can also be used to gain information or even guidance though a dungeon. 

(Based on a Dungeon World Tavern monster posted by Patrick Schenk). 

Instinct: Satisfy Hunger

• Bargain information for food
• Take an enticing form
• Ensnare with tongue

Magical Item

Dream Eater’s Crown (Weight: 1)

The wearer can project powerful illusions for a short period of time, but doing so takes a mental toll. Every time the Crown is used the wearer must Roll+INT. On a 10+ the Illusion succeeds, on a 7-9 the illusion succeeds but the wearer must make camp before the item can be use again, on a fail the illusion is obviously an illusion and will only fool the foolish and gullible. (Think of it as very bad CGI).

Dungeon World meets Stranger Things

In celebration of the second season of Stranger Things I summoned these items from my archives:

Joeb Bittman did a wonderful one page a few years back that I converted for my niece's "Stranger Things" adventure arc awhile back: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7cav44145d9eno0NVF0cVB2U1U

Here are my conversion notes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7cav44145d9YjloN1pieDJxWFU/view?usp=sharing

I've based two dungeon starters on her current epic and this provided a nice conclusion: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7cav44145d9NDhaODNvX2VCZ1E/view?usp=sharing and https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7cav44145d9WTNNQmV3Ym9lWnc/view?usp=sharing

I used this for the lizardman army in Joeb's one page: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7cav44145d9em0zb05xTzMyUW8/view?usp=sharing

For those interested the Idol was restored by feeding it the "summoning" gem from the altar starter while the "gate" gem sent the idol to the Vale of Shadows to trap Demogorgon within it there forever...or until the next adventure!