Fantasy Chainsaws

 Bit of a weird project, but if you ever want to include some form of chainsaw in your fantasy games, at least one of these should fit the tone. Maybe that's just me! If you're doing full gonzo, go ahead and roll that wonderful d20.

1. Lotus Petal Saw

Softly shining, pink petals spin along an ornamented bar, conjured by a Blades of the Endless Wheel mantra.

Exactly this, by me

2. Thornwheel Blade

A great enchanted rose bush, grown by fairies to have a rotary thorned stem.

3. Jaguar Claw Macuahuitl

Empowered by a jaguar spirit, its many obsidian blades command incredible cutting power even when swung like a normal sword.

4. Necrospinner

A spinning weapon of animated bone, using fangs and teeth along the whirling edge.

5. Meatcutter

So named for cutting meat as well as itself being meat. The blade is comprised of sharp, hardened claws, and it spews its own blood when spinning.

6. Crystal Prismus

Enchanted weapon of polished stone and gems. Each tooth is a different kind of gem, and they can create a glinting rainbow of slicing power.

7. Brimstone Spinblade

Spewing hellfire when it spins, the heat of its flames can burn through steel as well as any warhammer punches through.

8. Starlight Spinner

An elven weapon of silver, hammered as fine as eggshells, with a radiant blade that captures the light of the stars.

9. Slimesaw

Somehow when spinning, the goopy edge of this blade cuts much faster than the slime can normally corrode.

10. Classical Sparksaw

Ancient spinning blade crafted of olive wood and bronze, spits blue sparks as it spins. Made by a brilliant inventor centuries ago.

Ancient Bladesaw, from Zelda

 

11. Trimerian Sawbeetle

The curious horns of this giant beetle can spin to cut through wood or, presumably other Trimerian creatures. They are carefully bound to be used as tools.

12. Winding Sharp-Frost

 Unnaturally hardened frost, spinning and cutting with a fractal edge.

13. Whipsaw

A bladed whip that can be activated to coil in an elongated shape, spinning to cut more effectively, in exchange for shorter reach.

14. Terracotta Blade

A living clay weapon that spins with razor sharp clay shards along a lengthened edge.

15. Runic Stormblade

Constructed of tin and pewter, by wizards. The runes etched into its surface conjure the vortex of a storm into its crackling, whirling edge of deep indigo lightning.

16. Gilded Relic Blade

Built of marble set with gold and finely cut gems, this spinning blade contains a warrior-saint's fighting hand bones, and radiates with divine cutting light.

17. Trimerian Wasps

Angry insects that have been specially bred and trained to fly in a long, rounded formation and devour anything they touch. This was the only formation in which they wouldn't turn back and attack whoever holds their hive.

Lasersaw, by Andrea Sibilla

18. Jade Dragon's Fang

Gifted by a divine being from an unearthly realm, it is surprisingly easy to carry.

19. Spectre's Wrath

 As ghostly mist whirls and spins, the hatred of the dead calls out in a hollow wail.

20. Splitting Organistrum

The powerful tune of this slow instrument projects a small aura of cutting sound near its neck when played properly.

Many of these were inspired with help from Gal Paladin on Discord!

Captured in brass, hidden among sand

Travelers from far off lands, wealthy Veshkin traders sometimes carry vessels that contain only a wise and ancient spirit. These spirits are called Genie, born untold aeons ago and living in forms crafted by flame. Many of them hold long-forgotten secrets and can share this information, and they must grant one wish to a mortal before they may leave whatever body they inhabit. Of course, they can only grant a wish within their power, and if they have found a comfortable vessel they have little need to grant wishes.

Magic Crystal Lamp by Yulia Matveeva

No human knows how new Genie are born, or even if they are. The gollo scholar Myerish claims definitively that there are precisely 888 Genie and that is all that have ever or ever will exist. Others claim that they were created by ancient masters as a precursor to golems, and still others claim that they were an ancient precursor to liches, perhaps even that a lich could become one given the right expertise. A chilling theory, to say the least.

Desire - Ceramics Sculpture by Olja Sofronijevic

The possessed armor Naril has famously guarded Leyler manor for generations. They consider him part of the family, and have even drafted a writ of nobility for him should tragedy befall their house. Travellers in Kajhar sometimes tell of meeting the Smelted Knight, known as Ayan Varim, and sometimes being saved from bandits by the clay warrior. Most veshkin could tell you about Maladesh Shattermouth, the eater, often spoken of in folk tales and nighttime stories to frighten unruly children. Any Genie would caution against such tales, as they know that Maladesh yet remains free.

Guardian Puppet by Raymond Chen

The beasts may challenge our gods

This is part of a GLOG community project to make rules for fighting and playing as kaiju (if you can believe it), proposed by Arkos over at Tome of Dreams. Some parts were quite a challenge, but it's the kind of challenge that you really want to rise up to, and I can only hope that I did a good job.

Skullcrawler by Dope Pope

Titans: gargantuan forms of incredible power. Easily as large as two houses, more powerful than any human but slow in their enormity. Titans have titanic vigor and deal 1d6 titanic damage with their attacks, each of which is six times normal vigor or damage. Normal damage is not counted against a titan unless a single attack deals more than six damage, but both the titan and their human-scale opponent hit automatically. Making equipment or items for titans is impossible outside of a large city or somewhere with similar manufacturing potential, and all items cost 100 times as much money. Titans move along titan tiles, each of which is 30 meters square, but can only act on every third round in combat.

Titan suits: what we might think of as 'mecha,' each needs a human crew piloting it in order to fight effectively. At minimum a pilot is required, but works best along with a gunner and engineer, often with room for secondary pilots, gunners, and engineers as needed. Each pilot can spend their turn either moving or turning, and gunners can only target enemies roughly in front of the suit. When titanic weapons are fired, the gunners must spend a turn reloading them, unless they have a secondary gunner to reload immediately as they fire, and each weapon requires gunners manning it. Engineers can field repair damaged systems, one per round. After the battle, vigor and system damage must be repaired properly for 25 gold each.

quasi medieval wooden mech by Lukasz Dudasz

Kaiju: independent titanic monsters. They must seek out huge quantities of food at a relatively slow rate thanks to their large, slow metabolism. They only need food once a week, but are sated by no less than 100 times what a human would eat in a day (generally 20 gold worth of food, or another giant monster). In melee combat against another kaiju they must use combat stances.

Kaiju

Each level requires 10 times the normal amount of exp
Stat bonus: +1 maximum Megaton

Starting skill: builder, climber, or survivalist

Level 1: a titanic monster!, only one thing can stop it!
Level 2: it's heading towards..., there on its back!
Level 3: its mouth is opening...
Level 4: strangest of all..., it's so... powerful!

A titanic monster!: your huge body has titanic vigor, and your claws, teeth, enormous fists, a casually lifted vehicle, or however else you choose to attack, deals 1d6 titanic damage.

Only one thing can stop it!: the sight of your weakness will halt you in your tracks, allowing only an attack or movement per turn while it is near. If it can damage you, take an extra die of damage.

1. Fire
2. Water
3. Beauty
4. Daylight
5. Blood
6. Wood

There on its back!: choose a set of limbs or protrusions, adding new mobility options. 

1. Expansive wings: they unfurl like the sails of a massive ship, blotting out the sun as they carry you beyond the earthly plane.
2. Myriad legs: pulling aside dirt or sand, allowing you to travel underground through any soft earth.
3. Translucent fins: along with gills, allowing you to travel freely underwater.
4. Loping arms: bending down around your body, able to propel you twice as fast as other titans.
5. Gelatinous bones: compress your body down to fit through any space two horses could fit in. While compressed you cannot fight properly.
6. Shimmering eggsac: consume one Megaton to place eggs where you are. They have 1 titanic vigor, but as long as they aren't destroyed and you don't place new eggs elsewhere, you can evaporate into dust, hatching fully formed from the eggs in an instant.

Squid Kaiju Baby by Roger Gerzner

It's heading towards...: determine what source will power your preternatural might. Each time you find a great enough source, gain one Megaton. You can spend your turn to consume one Megaton and heal 1d6 of your titanic vigor.

1. Magical energy: a legendary artifact or order of lesser mages.
2. Lightning: a lightning bolt, or an alchemical engine like unto a modern power plant.
3. Heat: a few blacksmith forges or a flow of lava.
4. The adoration of children: spend a day catering to a group of children.
5. Blood: a village worth of people, or a herd of large animals.
6. Gold: 60 gold coins, or two kilograms of gold.

Its mouth is opening...: consume one Megaton to use a breath attack on your turn.

1. Incendiary tongue: heat like the fires of hell blast from your maw, spilling out into a cone up to 90 meters away, dealing 2d6 titanic damage.
2. Hyperborean breath: your exhalations frost over all before you, up to 60 meters away, dealing 1d6 titanic damage. Anything that would be killed by this damage is instead magically frozen, protected by ice unless shattered or thawed. 
3. Voice of the storm: a bolt of lightning cracks forth from your throat, darting into one target of any size up to 120 meters away for 2d6 titanic damage.
4. Venomous belch: cough noxious clouds over the puny creatures below, filling a 90 meter square area centered around you with poisonous gas for 1d6 rounds, dealing 1 titanic damage to anything in it each round except yourself.
5. Crystal seed teeth: gnash and spit teeth about, sprouting great crystal trees that impede and fill up to three tiles adjacent to you.
6. Frenzy brood: spit out tiny young, 1d6 monsters with 1 titanic vigor each, which deal 1 titanic damage with their attacks. They are as small as horses, and will die after 6 times 1d6 rounds.

Godzilla vs Kong fan art - Nuclear Breath by Jonathan Opgenhaffen

Strangest of all...: select one final mutation, either from the list below or from either previous list.

1. Immortal conception: a week after being killed, consume all Megatons to give birth to an infant kaiju who is helpless for a month. It can move and eat if food is provided for it, and after the month it will grow back to its previous size, one level lower. Each Megaton absorbed in this state hastens maturation by a week.
2. Axe scales: anything touching your skin takes 1 titanic damage.
3. Living mountain: consume one Megaton to wreathe your body in impenetrable stone, gaining +3 titanic defense for ten rounds. Normal sized attacks will be unable to damage you at all during this time.
4. Lifebringer: consume one Megaton to send out a cloud of healing spores, healing every living thing within 100 meters for 1 titanic vigor.
5. Neural link: take a weapon or limb from a defeated titan and attach it to your body. It will last for 1d6 days or unless destroyed in some other way, and you can use it as freely as the original host could.
6. Explosive growth: consume one Megaton to double in size for 1d6 rounds. While in this state, you occupy an extra tile and deal +2 titanic damage with normal attacks.

It's so... powerful!: consume one Megaton before picking a combat stance. If this attack hits, it will deal 3d6 titanic damage.

Enemy Kaiju

Night of Silk
A circus once used tents inhabited by spirits to make their travel easier. They brought on more of these spirits, easing their way and filling the nights with whimsical shows of floating lanterns, dancing dresses, and nervous but exotic beasts. The spirits started to collect more spirits, more tents and decorations that could dance with them, until they had swallowed up their mortal stewards and drifted into the sky, captivating one audience after another.

Shirintu the Blight
A dragon captured by a wartorn kingdom. She was cursed, mutated, and enchanted to create the ultimate war beast, but inevitably shattered her bonds and destroyed her longtime tormentors. Her breath is cursed green flame flecked with shards of red glass, and her body is speckled with venomous pustules and red needles.

Grulputh
A god of goblins, or godlin. It is a gibbering, spaztic, conniving coward, and it is taller than a windmill. Somehow this sickly green menace always manages to hide its huge body, and sees fit to rob peasants and leave huge traps hidden in the woods.

Other participants

Arkos at Tome of Dreams: https://tomeofdreams.blogspot.com/2020/03/kaiju-challenge-gigantes.html?m=1
The Byzantine at Espharel: https://espharel.blogspot.com/2020/02/osr-kaiju-rules-and-class-kaijui-barely.html
deus ex parabola at Numbers Aren't Real: https://as-they-must.blogspot.com/2020/02/giant-monster-i-hardly-know-ster-glog.html
Lexi at A Blasted, Cratered Land: https://crateredland.blogspot.com/2020/03/giant-robots-deserve-giant-monsters.html

On the nature of things: what they are and why

Stone is the basic form of existence. It is hardy, colorless, and heavy, generally unmoving when left to its own devices. Color is what turns stone into other things, granting it growth, motion, reaction and other things, often at the cost of its immutability. The four colors infused purely into stone cause it to become either natural fire (orange), ice which melts into water (green), lightning (indigo), or oil (yellow). The art of sorcery is generally the manipulation of these colors, not necessarily the elements themselves, and often the more purely distilled the color is the harder it becomes to truly control. Lightning is an exception here, as its indigo power is rarely ever diluted and so there is much knowledge on manipulating it in that purest form.

Material studies by Torsten Gunst

Dread illusionists, the arcane deceivers, manipulate the image without touching the material at its core, controlling the color without the 'stone' as it were. This power is profane and can only lead to ruin.

Where color determines the properties of a substance, spirit is the form of it. Most materials have no spirit, and can thus be reshaped freely without losing their properties (it has been discovered that almost everything does in fact have a spirit, though it is usually quite rudimentary. The spirit of crystal, for instance, may be that it persists only in hexagonal patterns, an extremely simple spiritual form). Plants have slightly more defined spirits, and animals even moreso. Most animal species share a spirit with their kin, including humans, though the soul has a strong tendency to impact the spiritual form.

A soul is simply a more advanced, particular extension of the spirit, which is so developed only in humans and other thinking beings. Because of the unique and advanced ways it can develope, generally no two souls are alike, and this can have an impact upon the prospective spirits, often turning a human spirit into that person's spirit, a subtle but important distinction for those who practice shifting arts. It may be noted that animals cannot be cursed, and this is a simple product of their having no soul; a curse is a wound upon the soul, as much as any cut or bruise upon the flesh. Minor curses can be healed with mild bed rest, as they are shallow cuts and scrapes on the soul. Deeper, more powerful curses require careful, lengthy processes of healing. The holy powers of saints utilize this process, pulling spiritual energy into their soul and tearing away bits of it in order to grant that energy to their allies, and more experienced saints can even learn to utilize these rends in their soul offensively, attacking the souls or even the flesh of enemies.

The summoning sisters by Antoine Collignon

Much study has been done with regards to silver and the functions of undeath. It is clear that the undead are similar to the living afflicted with a curse, as can be seen with vampires, who were long considered undead despite often suffering no death between humanity and monstrousness. It is now consensus that undead are given malformed souls that eat away their spirit, granting something that is almost life but often far more finite. On the other hand, many cases of immortality are reached through undeath, perhaps with souls that are reinforced using parts of the spirit, malforming the body but keeping the mind alive indefinitely? Regardless this is perverse and unnatural, and no further writing should be done upon the subject.

Similar to undead, artificial souls are created when a golem is animated. Imprinting the holy word upon a tool forms a unique embossing of the creator's soul upon the spirit of the tool, which must have originally been crafted with intent. Naturally occurring objects can be used as tools physically, but they have no spirit for it and reject the artificial soul. Because of this, some claim that golemology is a darker, more unnatural art than necromancy, and will one day destroy us all! This is preposterous, golems are quite useful and docile, and have never destroyed anyone when used properly. It is possible that a fusion of necromantic and golemary arts could yield a living golem, capable of creating more of its kind... but this strays too far from the known and established.

Household Golems by Ben Wanat

Of course these findings are irrefutably true and thoroughly proven through rigorous testing. Any wishing to dispute or disprove this work may find their way best to a tavern, where they shall engage in discourse with any drink of their choosing.

Magical Beasts

Most of these are drawn from Greek mythology, though there is inspiration drawn from other locales such as the Qilin, a Chinese creature.

Legendary beasts with mystical traits and abilities, they are often too powerful for regular hunters to capture, but can be butchered by victorious warriors for useful materials. Most have unique spirits so powerful they are almost like unto souls themselves, which makes them confounding for a witch's powers, and causes their corporeal flesh to erupt in blue sparks when struck with bronze.

Gorgon

HD: 4
Found: solitary in an abandoned island temple

Appearance: as a woman with scaled skin and venomous serpents where should be hair. None have seen her face and lived to describe it.
Voice: soft, lamenting
Wants: beauty and isolation
Tactics: careful, defensive

Attack: +2
Defense: +3
Speed: +1

Abilities

1. Cursed visage: any who look upon her face must make a magic save or be frozen in stone, as well as mirrors which reflect her image.
2. Snake bites: light damage plus poison.
3. Claws: light damage, instantly destroys stone.

The gorgon's head can be wielded once slain, to petrify enemies with a magic check.

Medusa by Amir Briki

Cockatrice

HD: 3
Found: 1d6 in swamps near roads

Appearance: as a small beaked dragon with a feathered neck and birdlike legs. The beak glints with a dull shine of magic, and its eyes are deep with malice.
Voice: cawing but with a hint of gargle, trailing into a hiss.
Wants: to protect toads and kill basilisks
Tactics: aggressive and repetitive

Attack: +1
Defense: +2
Speed:+3

Abilities

1. Petrifying peck: normal damage, gradual petrification. Magic save negates, on three failed saves target turns to stone.
2. Claws: light damage.

Cockatrice beaks are highly valuable to alchemists, and could perhaps be fashioned into a spearhead by a very careful weaponsmith.

Basilisk

HD: 5
Found: solitary in a petrified village, coiled around a heap of eggs

Appearance: six-legged lizard crowned with a web of horns and glaring hatefully.
Voice: low hissing, imperious and threatening
Wants: to rule all reptiles
Tactics: careful

Attack: +2
Defense: +3
Speed: +1

Abilities

1. Deathly gaze: once per round the basilisk can look at a target and wound them if they fail a magic save.
2. Bite: medium damage.

Basilisk eyes are highly treasured but caustic items, and the horns make excellent decoration for their resemblance to a crown.

Legends Beast: The Basilisk by Sean Bricknell

Catoblepas

HD: 2
Found: solitary on plains, near poisonous plants

Appearance: an unhealthy but not starving bovine, with a large downward pointed head and long thin neck, its swollen purple tongue briefly visible as it grazes.
Voice: rasping moo
Wants: poisonous plants to eat, soft places to rest
Tactics: slightly passive

Attack: +1
Defense: +1
Speed: -5

Abilities

1. Petrifying breath: once per day, hits everyone in a melee the catoblepas isn't in, or one target it's fighting. Paralyzes all targets for 1d6 rounds, strength save negates.
2. Head slam: heavy damage to prone targets.

Somber creatures, they are not overly violent but will defend themselves as any beast would. They are immune to any poison ingested, and in fact delight in such activities. Catoblepas skulls can be valuable as a novelty for their distinctive size and weight, but their saliva is a potent paralyzing agent, and the stomachs and tongues are of great use to alchemists.

Harpy

HD: 1
Found: 2d6 along forest roads near cities

Appearance: small feminine torso and head with birdlike wings and legs.
Voice: shrill and demanding, unintelligent
Wants: to steal food and sparkling valuables
Tactics: cowardly

Attack: +1
Defense: +3
Speed: +4

Abilities

1. Claw swipe: either to steal food or attack for light damage. Mostly to steal food.
2. Regurgitate: any poison or dangerous objects they have eaten can be spat back as a breath weapon. Generally light damage, agility save for half.

Harpy stomachs can be useful to alchemists, and the feathers are large and beautiful.

Hydra

HD: 6
Found: solitary in an enchanted garden

Appearance: many (1d6) serpentine heads sprouting from a corpulent reptile body.
Voice: hissing
Wants:
Tactics: protective but aggressive

Attack: +2
Defense: +2
Speed: -3

Abilities

1. Bite: medium damage plus poison.
2. Regeneration: each head has 6 vigor. When severed, it will regrow two more heads, taking half as much vigor from the body. If the body is killed by regrowing heads, they crawl away as giant serpents, hoping to regrow as new hydras.

Hydra by Markus Neidel

Nemean lion

HD: 5
Found: solitary in a cave with two entrances

Appearance: an unusually large lion with shimmering golden fur and gleaming claws.
Voice: ringing roar
Wants: to eat humans, destroy steel works
Tactics: highly aggressive

Attack: +2
Defense: +1
Speed: +3

Abilities

1. Claws: medium damage, armor piercing 3.
2. Bite: heavy damage.
3. Invulnerable pelt: completely prevents damage from cuts, reduces damage from stabs to 1, and reduces damage from strikes by 1.

Qilin

HD: 6
Found: 1d6 near ancient castles

Appearance: quadrupedal scaled creature with a broad, benevolent face, hooved feat, and softly glowing antlers, with sparks of flame flickering around it.
Voice: soft and gentle but impossible to ignore.
Wants: justice and peace
Tactics: well considered

Attack: +4
Defense: +2
Speed: +6

Abilities

1. Antlers: light damage plus fire damage if it has judged the target as wicked.
2. Bite: medium damage.
3. Flame of justice: tongues of flame whip around its body, dealing heavy fire damage. Will save negates.

Divine creatures which are light as a feather, and filled with a soft divine light. They can create and control flames near their body, and can surround themselves with this heat to rise in the air. Whenever struck with a melee weapon, they are flung out of combat as if they had successfully retreated. Their antlers and scales are very valuable on the black market if you can collect them, and their lungs can be used to make bellows that create flame, or a sack full of fire.

Qilin by Katie Langford

Simorgh

HD: 8
Found: unique at the top of a mountain

Appearance: a wolf-headed dragon with claws like a lion.
Voice: loud and intimidating, but caring
Wants: to protect the abandoned, eat elephants
Tactics: well considered

Attack: +3
Defense: +4
Speed: +3

Abilities

1. Bite: medium damage. If the target fails a strength save, they are gripped in its jaws and take 2d6 damage each round until they escape.
2. Claws: heavy damage.
3. Plumage signal: the simorgh knows whenever one of its feathers are burned, and flies there immediately to assist anyone it has gifted a feather to.

Zal and the simurgh by Clara TESSIER

Animal Companions

In Skies Below, no classes get animal companions, even though many people love pets. This is because I want animal companions to be separate from class, something the player can focus on or neglect as they wish! Players can buy or befriend animals, or try to tame one for themselves. As the animal levels up, they'll gain a better connection to the owner, and more ability to act with the party.

There are six general 'classes' of animal companions. Each companion can only have one class, but maybe they can take a level from two if it could logically work. It's only possible to command one animal in a given combat encounter, or else it becomes too confusing to command them properly.

Attack beasts deal light damage unless equipped with a specialized weapon, and hunting birds deal damage as unarmed. Mounts and beasts of burden have ten inventory slots, pets and attack beasts have 5, and hunting or messenger birds have 1. They have 1 vigor at level 0, plus 1d6 for each level. It costs 100 exp to reach level 1, and 200 to reach level 2. I use Skerples price list for buying tame animals (found here: https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/2017/09/osr-medieval-price-list.html ). Currently I don't have any system for taming a wild animal, preferring to run that through roleplay.

These should be used as a baseline rather than absolute RAW. For example, if a player buys a warhorse rather than a normal riding horse, it could have higher vigor or the ability to attack. On the other hand if they buy a noble horse of fine breed, it could have more speed. Something else to consider is Awakening, as that would pretty fundamentally alter how people can interact with the animal.

Mount

Examples: rouncey horse, Eland antelope, deep gecko, Gombian ostrich, , pebbled rhino
Stat bonus: +1 speed
Level 1: passenger, signal
Level 2: steady on, unposted

• Passenger: able to carry one adult or two children, in addition to the rider.
• Signal: whistle, call out, or make another distinct, loud noise to call upon the mount from anywhere, as long as it can hear.
• Steady on: when the mount is startled, the rider can make a will save to calm it down quickly.
• Unposted: the rider can command the mount to wait for them, and it will stay where it is until it either hears the signal, the rider commands it again, or immediate danger appears.

Substrata Mounts by Darren Bartley - fightPUNCH

Attack beast

Examples: mastiff, ivory tiger, komodo drake, sawbeak goose, sheepspider, pond hippo
Stat bonus: +1 attack
Level 1: battle training, fetch
Level 2: vicious training

• Battle training: able to enter a feint stance.
• Fetch: able to grab and return with small items when directed properly.
• Vicious training: deals medium damage, and can fight effectively while wearing custom armor.

Pet

Examples: shepherd dog, Abyssinian cat, rosy boa, Maran hen, puffbeetle, iron rat
Stat bonus: +1 vigor
Level 1: fetch, an understanding
Level 2: tracker, copycat

• Fetch: able to grab and return with small items when directed properly.
• An understanding: the pet and master have a unique understanding, and can communicate clearly at a rate of about one word per round.
• Tracker: a well trained pet can track a scent for nearly any distance, anywhere (except through water or an extremely pungent area), and can sniff out magic or invisible creatures.
• Copycat: once per day, the pet can borrow a skill from the master, including skill stars.

Tavias kid by Alexander Nanitchkov

Beast of burden

Examples: mule, ox, mountain toad, oak owl, trench slug, wagon crab
Stat bonus: +2 vigor
Level 1: saddlebags
Level 2: stubborn strength, unmoved

• Saddlebags: able to carry +10 inventory worth of items as long as it doesn't have to move quickly.
• Stubborn strength: able to make strength checks with 16 strength outside of combat.
• Unmoved: for one round per day, the beast of burden can be given a command which it always ignores, becoming immovable for one round.

Hunting bird

Examples: falcon, killer bat, minidactyl, salt glider, ripper cricket, blood hornet
Stat bonus: +1 armor piercing
Level 1: fetch, bird of prey
Level 2: distraction

• Fetch: able to grab and return with small items when directed properly.
• Bird of prey: once per day while travelling the wilderness, a hunting bird may be sent out to catch small game and return with it, providing a ration.
• Distraction: grants +1 armor piercing to the master's attack when they target the same foe.

Nomad Hawk Master by Kaz Foxsen

Messenger bird

Examples: dove, spotted raven, cloud serpent, courier flea, moon squirrel, leaf bat
Stat bonus: +1 destination
Level 1: fetch,
Level 2: signal, carrier

• Fetch: able to grab and return with small items when directed properly.
• Signal: when the master whistles, calls out, or makes some other loud predetermined signal, the messenger bird can hear and return no matter where it is.
• Carrier: +1 inventory slot.

Monster generators

Some monster generating buttons, simple but fun random monsters. The elemental one indicates a broad sense of how powerful it is, but you should feel free to modify any and all details to suit your needs.

Chimera, or just a very general animal hybrid monster generator

The Roam - Semargl, Pilgrim's Companion by Timur Kvasov

Elemental

Token - Elemental by Svetlin Velinov

Aberration, alien, outsider, or any other bizarre creatures when you really want something freaky. In my game system these are conjured by the Summoner.

Ancient by Ryan Barry

These generators were made using Spwack's 'Automatic List to HTML Translator - Version 2' on Meandering Banter. Check it out and make your own magic buttons right here: https://meanderingbanter.blogspot.com/2018/10/automatic-list-to-html-translator-v2.html

Special elementals

Jittering sulfur

HD: 1
Found: 1d6 near hot springs

Appearance: a rough, flaking ball of yellow powdery stone, with spindly limbs jutting and bending in all directions.
Wants: to run around enclosed spaces
Tactics: chaotic

Attack: 0
Defense: +1
Speed: +4

Abilities

1. Ram: light damage
2. Scattered essence: each round the it spends in melee with someone holding a source of flame, there is a 2 in 6 chance the sulfur in the air will ignite and burn into heavy black droplets. The flame will spread to all areas it has passed through, dealing 1d6 damage each round to anyone actively fighting in it, or 1 damage if they are focused on avoiding it. The elemental takes 1 damage per round while on fire, and will run around in a panic.

(I drew this one a while ago, but it's way too faded to look any good)

Ash angel

HD: 1
Found: 1d6 underground, in large buildings, or places where the air is particularly still.

Appearance: a winged, crumbling figure. Penitent and cautious in its posture and movements.
Voice: weak and rasping
Wants: stillness and quiet, stronger elementals to follow.
Tactics: careful but ill-considered

Attack: 0
Defense: +1
Speed: +2

Abilities

1. Smog: 1 damage, ignoring defense.
2. Burst: when killed, each will explode into a cloud of choking, obscuring ash that hangs in the air, sticking in the eyes and throat. For each Ash Angel killed in the same room, combatants of flesh fight with -1 attack and defense.

Hovering spirits thought to be closely related to wraiths, they likewise prefer the still and silent. They are quite vulnerable to strong winds or water (a bucket or more), which can dissipate them without letting them burst.

Reforming by Aaron Salter

Forking fiend

HD: 5
Found: solitary at places where the future could go many ways.

Appearance: countless little spindly limbs meet at a joint, which reaches up to do the same again, creating a sort of pyramidal centipede without head or segmented body.
Voice: crackling and uncertain
Wants: possibility. It likes forks in the road at least, but will seek greater possibilities
Tactics: random

Attack: +3
Defense: 3
Speed: +3

Abilities

1. Dagger feet: light damage
2. Splitting: when it takes one third of its damage, a HD 1 forking fiend splits off and fights alongside it, with 1 attack, defense, and speed bonus. Likewise its stats decrease by one each. Happens again at two thirds damage.

Hungry forge

HD: 4
Found: where many dwarves have died

Appearance: ponderous blocky limbs heaving a tall, rounded body. A chimney spews smoke from above and a mouth glows from red hot coals within.
Voice:
Wants: to eat metal
Tactics: cautious

Attack: +1
Defense: +2
Speed: -1

Abilities

1. Mulch: it will take metal into its furnace and smelt it down, stopping for a round to smelt a random tool (1. shovel 2. plates & cups, 3. hammer & nails 4. chain 5. light struts 6. small chair). If it hasn't forged anything recently, it will aggressively try to take weapons and/or armor for this purpose, but is not picky if offered metal.
2. Hammerblow: medium damage.
3. Spew: 1d6 fire damage, agility save for half. Cannot act next round as it stokes the flames.

Gold-Forge Garrison by Svetlin Velinov

Annihilatrum

HD: 2
Found: solitary at sites of great magical destruction or natural disasters

Appearance: a roiling, heavy smoke with embers glowing from within and electrical energy crackling about its long limbs.
Voice: booming and sudden
Wants: to discuss the nature of destruction and preservation, and kill immortal beings.
Tactics: aggressive

Attack: +4
Defense: -1
Speed: +3

Abilities

1. Flaming thunder: red hot talons of crackling energy form, dealing heavy damage.
2. Destructive existence: when moving slowly, it can pass through unattended solids, completely destroying them.

Photo by Francisco Negroni

Luminbeast

HD: 2
Found: solitary at the depths of the Temple of Hidden Light

Appearance: broad shouldered shining form, fading into shadows from the waist down. Without light nearby it looks wan and frail, but as it absorbs lights it fills out, appearing more muscular and sturdy.
Voice: slightly echoing
Wants: to collect candles and kindling
Tactics: aggressive

Attack: +1
Defense: 0
Speed: +1

Abilities

1. Luminous form: for each light source roughly as bright as a torch or three candles, the Luminbeast gains +1 HD, attack, defense, and speed. One round after such a light source is extinguished, these bonuses are lost.
2. Raking light: shimmering claws that deal light damage.
3. Great flare: a blinding burst of light shines from its body, blinding anyone nearby. 2 in 6 chance this drains a light source, extinguishing it.

Lush soul

HD: 1

Found: 

Appearance: crudely humanoid shape, plump and welcoming, formed of alcohol as if held by totally unseen glass.

Voice: bubbly and muffled

Wants: strong alcoholic drinks, to join diverse groups

Tactics: careful

Attack: +1

Defense: +2

Speed: +0

Abilities

1. Slam: light damage. Coats target in flammable alcohol on a successful hit.
2. On tap: regrows about 5 liters of alcohol a day, up to its normal size at 50 liters. It will fight if half of it is consumed.

Beer Dragon by Nicolás Morales
Not the same idea, but a good beer elemental

Dashhoop

HD: 1

Found: 1d6 in flat expanses of firm ground, as large as possible

Appearance: translucent wheel of lightning, peeling wildly and without rest.

Voice: screeching

Wants: to race

Tactics: distracted

Attack: +1

Defense: -1

Speed: +8

Abilities

1. Ram: medium damage.

Able to attack while moving, but cannot but move every round. If someone races to a target, it will be unable to resist competing against them.

Silvery doppelganger

HD: 3

Found: solitary in heavy concentrated metal veins

Appearance: angular, metallic humanoid covered in flat, shiny surfaces. Whoever is close enough to be reflected will find themselves fighting their own mirror image, reaching through the surface.

Voice: scraping and faintly echoed

Wants: to show reflections

Tactics: whatever it thinks the foe will use

Attack: +1

Defense: +2

Speed: +1

Abilities

1. Reflection: each person fighting it in melee will fight their reflection, with their bonuses added to its own for them alone. If approached peacefully when not in combat, by someone who hasn't attacked it, the reflected selves will only try to assist with grooming, examination, or what have you.

Player character appearance

These should be free to roll if the player wants, but shouldn't be compelled.

Race

1d20

1. Mebirinu
2. Kippil
3. Veshkin
4. Tula
5. Fahd
6. Gollo
7. Yingao
8. Ort
9. Finnin
10. Shimex
11. Nihemi
12. Bolshu
13. Purple Cikrem
14. Blue Cikrem
15. Green Cikrem
16. Yellow Cikrem
17. Orange Cikrem
18. Red Cikrem
19. Black Cikrem
20. Grey Cikrem

Height

1d6

1. Very short
2. Short
3. Average
4. Tall
5. Hunched
6. Stilts

Old Crane UTA by David Aguilera De Casi

Body shape

1d6

1. Slender
2. Fat
3. Average
4. Muscular
5. Bulky
6. Chubby

Hair color

1d20

1. Brown
2. Raven
3. Blonde
4. Ginger
5. Red
6. Dirty blonde
7. Platinum
8. Silver
9. White
10. Salt and pepper
11. Orange
12. Yellow
13. Green
14. Blue
15. Indigo
16. Violet
17. Transparent
18. Mirror
19. As the sky
20. Whatever it touches

dye in your color by Kar Wun Tan

Hair style

1d20

1. Shaved
2. Buzzed
3. Pixie
4. Bob
5. Straight
6. Ponytail
7. Pigtails
8. Bangs
9. Swept back
10. Wavy
11. Curly
12. Braided
13. Frazzled
14. Mohawk
15. Fade
16. Spiked
17. Dreadlocks
18. Bowl
19. Afro
20. Topknot

Age

1d6

1. Barely adult
2. Young adult
3. Adult
4. Mature
5. Aging
6. Elderly

QiKun et Yun by shans Zhu

Eye color

1d6

1. Brown
2. Hazel
3. Blue
4. Green
5. Grey
6. Black

Fae creatures

The fae are strange peoples who live in woods and wilderness. They are innately magical, tricky and wild, and almost always dangerous, though they fear iron and cannot pass by the threshold of a home without invitation.

Pixie

HD: 0 (1 vigor)
Found: 1d6 deep woods

Appearance: a dainty person, shrunken down that they could fit comfortably in a tall glass. Fabulous wings like a jeweled butterfly sprout from their back, leaving twinkling particles drifting in the air. They often hold a ribbon or bit of jewelry.
Voice: a small bell
Wants: to make mischief, take pretty things, and help their friends
Tactics: chaotic and tricky

Attack: -1
Defense: +4
Speed: +3

Abilities

1. Wink: with a burst of twinkling lights, they can force one to teleport a short jaunt away (usually around 20 meters). Because of this, they use this power against dangers but not on friends.

It is said that the pixies can change the fates of the cursed, though these stories are always quick to note that they cannot cure one. Oftentimes they will steal things they see as pretty, but do not keep such things, leaving a trail of finery as they move.

Floral Fairies by Sandra Duchiewicz

Dryad

HD: 2
Found: sole in deep woods, 1d6 in an enchanted grove

Appearance: a curvaceous figure of wooden complexion and hair like leaves, short of stature with sinuous, careful movements.
Voice: rustling leaves, soft but inescapable
Wants: to protect their tree, expel metal
Tactics: cautious, but not well considered

Attack: +1
Defense: +3
Speed: +2

Abilities

1. Woodswalk: passes through trees or any other wood without effort, as a human could pass through water.
2. Implant: can grapple a foe and pull them into a tree, dealing 1d6 damage per round until someone hacks them out of the wood.

Many can extol the magical properties and virtues of dryads, but most would never consider hunting them, as they are elusive and wondrous beings, as well as quite dangerous if truly forced into confrontation. 

Dryad by Leroy van Vliet

Nymph

HD: 2
Found: sole in waterfall ponds

Appearance: a flowing lithe form of water, unearthly beautiful and somewhat coy.
Voice: like a babbling brook, with an annoying laugh
Wants: to be loved
Tactics: passive and cautious

Attack: +1
Defense: +3
Speed: +2

Abilities

1. Stunning: any mortal who sees the nymph must make a Will save or be enthralled by their countenance, falling into infatuation for 1d6 months.
2. Breathless: they can live indefinitely under water, and can drag foes down to a watery grave.

These fairy beings are often surrounded by mortals playing and cavorting in the water. Their homes are often known as they live there for years at a time, entrapping passersby and enjoying the company of their mates.

Fairie by Mack Sztaba

Elf

HD: 3
Found: 1d6 in deep woods

Appearance: a tall, glowing figure with a deeply impassive face.
Voice: silent
Wants: to avoid mortals, protect their secrets
Tactics: carefully considered, unforgiving

Attack: +2
Defense: +2
Speed: +4

Abilities

1. Silver weapons, faintly luminous

The elves were once playful beings that taunted humans, stealing children and cursing nobles with eternal sleep. During the ages of heroes they crafted weapons and artifacts of unstoppable might to aid against the necromancers lords, but in the modern era they have become reclusive as a people.

Spirit of the Forest by Torben Weit

Gnome

HD: 1
Found: 1d6 near small villages

Appearance: like a child with white hair and brightly colored clothing
Voice: high pitched, taunting
Wants: pain
Tactics: aggressive

Attack: +3
Defense: +1
Speed: +2

Abilities

1. Tiny daggers: light damage
2. Hiding dance: as long as they dance in place, they can remain invisible.

Gnomes try to pose as lost or hurt children, and ruse humans in to approach before stabbing them to death and bathing themselves in blood. The blood soaks into their clothing and revitalizes its color.

DARK FAIRIES by Piotr Foksowicz

Special undead

Special Halloween post (a day early)! Certain beings beyond death are more dangerous or strange than others, or simply more rare.

Ghost

HD: 2
Found: solitary in abandoned homes, places of strange death, treachery, obsession, or terror

Appearance: withered ghostly light in the warped shape of the person who died, twisted by all-consuming emotion.
Voice: echoing and distant, as if from deep down an unseen hallway
Wants: to fulfill its obsession
Morality: wild, emotional, irrational
Tactics: careful, tricky, but aggressive

Attack: +2
Defense: +1
Speed: +2

Abilities

1. Incorporeal: can remain invisible and intangible at will, unless its emotions are flared.
2. Possession: able to possess the bodies of mortals who are emotionally inflamed.

Created when a mortal dies while engulfed in the extremes of emotion, be it terror, hatred, desire, or others. This emotion drives them far beyond human behavior, to wild acts that may seem impossible to their friends and loved ones in life. They become tied to an area or object, and cannot leave it beyond a certain range unless they possess the body of a mortal. 

Evocation - Stail Woman by Andrea Chiampo

Poltergeist

HD: 1
Found:

Appearance: completely invisible, shaped like a frail, crouching humanoid. Faint but distinct light glows from within when the command word is spoken.
Voice: echoing sounds, like a clattering or ringing with no apparent source
Wants: to serve its purpose, usually as a thief or personal guard for dark wizards, or to secure safety once abandoned.
Morality: flatly logical, cautious but not fearful
Tactics: evasive, avoids combatants while flinging heavy objects at them

Attack: -1
Defense: +1
Speed: +0

Abilities

1. Unseen: cannot be seen naturally, though a small, candle-like blue light glows at its heart and it becomes immobile for 1d6 rounds when its command word is spoken.
2. Telekinesis: with a clumsy force, the poltergeist can levitate a set of somewhat lightweight objects in a certain area, such as a chair and small items on a nearby table. Makes a launcher check with 2 stars.

Created by cutting out part of the soul and binding it to a word in a lengthy and horrific process that cripples the mind of its subject. Usually dark wizards will extract 1d6 poltergeists from a soul, inventing a new command word for each and using them as thieves or disparate guards.

Wraith

HD: 3
Found: 1d6 in the stillest of places

Appearance: somewhat like a dark, tattered robe floating in the air, shedding dust, ash, or whatever gave it form.
Voice: silence
Wants: stillness, silence, and deadness
Morality: inscrutable
Tactics: cautious, well considered, almost passive

Attack: +3
Defense: +1
Speed: +2

Abilities

1. Withering touch: medium damage, deals a wound on 6.
2. Discorporate: fades into particles briefly, becoming intangible for a round.
3. Screams of Quietude: goes still for a round, damping all sounds within a long earshot.

Formed of particulate matter in places of deepest stillness, these strange elemental beings of deadness are formed seemingly on their own, almost always underground. Perhaps these taught the ancient necromancer lords their dark art, in a nearly successful bid to end life in our world. Perhaps the night sky is black with void wraiths, impatiently waiting for the moon and stars to die or abandon us so that they may finally put still this wretched land of flowing blue, swirling white, and creeping green.

They float through the air, and are absorbed by stone. While this weakens the spirit, it also corrupts the material. The result is a brittle rock called Wraithstone, which crumbles into needle-like shapes and is prized by alchemists.

Mummy

HD: 3
Found: solitary in rich tombs, the tops of mountains, buried under ancient temples, or lost in salt mines

Appearance: desiccated corpse from bygone eras, preserved by forces of man or nature and bearing a distinct strength in will and body.
Voice: soft and dry, but commanding and impossible to ignore
Wants: peace in the afterlife, to dispel invaders
Morality: similar to life
Tactics: careful, well considered but not aggressive

Attack: +3
Defense: +2
Speed: -1

Abilities

1. Command: all undead who can hear it will obey its words without hesitation.
2. Slam: heavy damage. Deals 1 damage to the mummy on successful hit.
3. Mummy's Curse: whoever kills a mummy is stricken with a major curse.

Emperor of the Sands: interred deep within stone crypts lined with gold and history, draped in what were once fine silver wrappings and golden regalia. Guarded by twin stone guardians and possessed of divine favor.

Saltmen: lost workers in an ancient salt mine, their industry that ended their lives has now ironically preserved them beyond death.

Eternal Monk: preserved in a ritual of meditation, fasting, and special diet in order to achieve an eternal peace as they were lowered into sealed pits underneath holy places. Those who desecrate their place of burial may face the full might of long-lost martial arts, but the righteous seekers of their wisdom may find secrets which are unattainable by any other means.

Mummylands: tropical lands where the oldest of preserved dead can be found, hundreds if not thousands across the realm. Many of them are decorated with fine clothes, tattoos, and jewelry.