rredmond wrote:Absolutely! Please do post it. And let me know (by PM if it’s more comfortable) what the author credit should be.
Thanks! They’re only just editing the next issue, so they may be able to still get some in. But there’s an idea too, to reference a static page on our website of hordlings and maybe a hordling WM table of sorts. Should be fun,
—Ron—
Here's what I had: this is a more detailed version of a creature type that I simply made up on the spot and threw at my players one day, since I felt like giving them something a bit more flavourful than a mere ghoul. They have since become an iconic staple of our B/X campaign setting.
STAR GHOULS
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 2-20
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVE: 6”
HIT DICE: 6HD
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralysation, see below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 90%
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: CN
SIZE: L
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Star ghouls are ancient beings both infernal and alien, existing in a stuporous limbo between the Lower, Negative and Astral Planes. These otherworldly beings are vaguely human in appearance, but very thin and grotesquely tall (appearing between 7’ and 12’ at will), as though their bones had been stretched well beyond normal proportions on a torturing rack. They can see through solid matter and may use mass suggestion on 1-6 creatures per turn, both to a range of 6”. Being sloth-like in movement, star ghouls always lose initiative; however, being utterly silent and with bodies that almost entirely absorb rather than reflect light, they are excellent stalkers and surprise on a 1-5. Their light-absorbent bodies will suck heat from the room they are in, making the air deathly chill, but their incomprehensible nature precludes this evidence from allowing the party to avoid being surprised, even if they can guess that star ghouls are present.
Their bodies are made of matter that sits somewhere between material flesh, shadow, and astral space, allowing them to treat all damage dice as though they rolled 1’s, unless the damage source is explicitly holy in nature. They can be turned by clerics as other undead, but always require a roll of 16 or better regardless of the cleric’s level.
Star ghouls attack by reaching out with their spindly arms, which can stretch or bend geometric laws to reach enemies up to 6” away, dealing 1-6 damage per touch and forcing a save vs paralysation. The greatest weapon of the star ghouls, however, is their gaze. The only distinguishing feature of their expressionless faces are their eyes, two sunken holes of blackness that shine with pinpoints of starlight; victims who fail a save vs spells when looking into their eyes will become entranced by the starlight, seeing within them the entirety of the cosmos. Characters so entranced will proceed toward the star ghoul mindlessly and allow the star ghoul to embrace them, draining one level of energy every round until they are dead.
They are immune to sleep, charm, and fear effects.
Even though star ghouls are always partially present in their home planes, they may appear in other planes with reduced power. When appearing on other planes, they lose 2HD, have only 70% immunity to magic, and all damage from non-holy attacks will do half damage. On the Prime Material Plane they lose an additional 2HD, have but 40% immunity, take half-damage from all non-holy attacks, move at 3” and have an AC of 3.
The origins of star ghouls are shrouded entirely in mystery, though when encountered on the Prime Material Plane they tend to inhabit the most ancient underground tombs and catacombs.
- though I think Slovenly Tr(o)ll would be a funny hordling.
