RMA: Camels

No, I don't have a cigarette!

I think one of the reasons that camels are rare in my games, and I suspect other peoples is two-fold. One, they are heavily associated with desert climates and most campaigns are not set in the desert (at least not for extended periods). The second reason is that most games don't track resources and travel the way that lets these creatures shine.

Camel (from Cook)

AC: 7
HD: 2
Move: 150' (50')
Att: 1 bite /1 hoof
Damage: 1/1d4
No. App: 0 (2d8)
Save: F1
Morale: 7
Treasure: nil
AL: N

So we can see these stats are not impressive. Camels are not very tough, fast, brave, strong, or impressive in a fight. In the description, it even specifies that riders cannot perform a lance charge from camelback. Horses, on the other hand, can faster, do more damage, have better morale, and/or carrying capacity, depending on what type you choose. So why choose a camel?

Terrain: While it is true that a riding horse can easily outpace a camel (240' vs. 150'), remember that desert terrain drops movement by 2/3. Camels treat this as clear terrain, meaning under those conditions the difference is 160'  vs. 150'. Draft and war horses are even slower. This can make a crucial difference when it comes to overland travel in a harsh environment like a desert.

Climate: It's true that a camel cannot carry as much as some horses, but by moving faster through the desert, you need fewer supplies. Also, you don't need to carry water for the camels (provided you plan on being out for two weeks or less. I know that many campaigns aren't tracking every coin of encumbrance, but water is heavy and in the real world horses be thirsty critters! 5-10 gallons per day is normal for horses (as opposed to 2 quarts for people). For the record, that's 40-80 pounds! So even low-balling it for a horse that's more acclimated to the environment, you'd still need to pack 400cn of water for every day you plan on being out in the sandbox. And that's just for one horse!

Imagine a scenario where a desert caravan with horses has to drag along casks of water in a wagon or some such only to have the containers destroyed by some foe or clever monster. They know the party will never make it out of the desert alive, so they just wait a few days and then pick over the caravan after everyone is dead of dehydration. A cleric with the Create Water spell could thwart this plan, but the odds favor it as a successful tactic. How many 6th+ level clerics are wandering the dunes anyway?

So we can see that using camels in such a situation would mean carrying a couple of gallons of water  per day for a party vs. 20+ gallons. This could be managed with several skins or one small cask. Food is still an issue, but that's true of both horses and camels.

Camels are specialized animals, for specialized environments. While it's true they aren't very impressive in a fight, that shouldn't be the only measure of their worth to a party of adventurers. Especially if they need are traversing the Emirates of Ylaruam or such places. 

RMA: Yeti

This one is more of an AD&D 1e monster, but since it's in the Labyrinth Lord Advanced Edition Companion, I figured what the heck.

I think yetis are unusual encounters because extreme climates tend to be unusual in-game environments. As I have mentioned in other posts, I think this is a shame, because of the fun it can add to the game.

Yeti (Stats from AEC)

No. Enc.: 1d6 (2d4)

Alignment: Neutral

Movement: 150' (50')

Armor Class: 6

Hit Dice: 4+4

Attacks: 2 (claws)

Damage: 1d6/1d6

Save: F4

Morale: 8

At first glance, yetis are basically "polar ogres," with a similar –though not identical– stat block. There are a couple of fun things about these abominable snow critters to remember, though.

1. Hug: If either yeti claw hits with 20, it squeezes the target to its freezing body, causing an extra 2d8 damage from the cold.
2. Stare. Looking into the yeti's eyes forces a save vs. paralysis or the victim is "frozen" in fear for 3 rounds, during which time the yeti can automatically hit with its claws AND hug. That's 2d6 + 2d8 damage, for those keeping track at home. (The 1st edition MM says this only happens if the target is surprised, the AEC says anyone within 30' must make the saving throw.)
3. Camouflage: This beast is very difficult to spot in snowy/icy lands until it's practically on top of you (30% invisibility at 30+ feet). 
4. Cold adaptation: Yetis are immune to cold-based attacks, but suffer 150% damage from heat/fire attacks.

Even though their AC and HD are nothing amazing, encountering a half dozen of these while floundering through the snow would be less than amusing. 

"There's a what behind me? 

Pull the other one! It's got bells on!"