Dragons in a BX World

The game is called Dungeons and DRAGONS, after all.

Fantasy games and fiction have sort of placed the dragon as the quintessential boss monster. It’s the big fight with the big payoff. Examples abound with Smaug’s hoard, Fafnir in Norse Mythology, countless adventure modules, multiple video games, and so forth.

Dragons also have a reputation for puissance. They are strong, they are tough, they breath death upon their enemies, and they can fly. Some are even spell-casters. Scary stuff, yeah?

So why aren’t dragons tougher in BX?

The biggest, baddest, actual dragon* is the Gold. They have the most HD, best AC, do the most damage, and can always speak and cast spells. They are also the only Lawful dragon, and therefore less likely to be hostile (though it’s certainly still possible one might attack a party).

The truth is, dragons are not the scariest thing out there in a BX setting. If I were a PC, I’d rather face a dragon than several standard monsters that are scarier IMO. Monsters such as: Salamanders (frost and fire), Bronze Golems, some Hydras, Purple Worms, and most of the things that can petrify you or drain levels. So the question becomes why do these creatures have such a reputation? Sure they are formidable, but they are actually not as lethal as most people seem to think.

I think that it boils down to a few things. First is the popular perception developed literally over centuries of stories and legends. Dragons occupy a particular, almost Jungian, place in our cultural psyche. For people who are likely to read this blog, this is even more so, because we are more likely to have read or seen more fantasy fiction and games that reinforce the trope.

The second is a little more to do with the way the game itself is designed. By the book in BX, you can encounter a dragon randomly in most wilderness hexes, albeit not a high chance. Even though they are included in the Basic rules, that has more to do with them being a possible “dungeon encounter,” as that is Moldvay’s focus (as opposed to wilderness in Cook). This means it’s not that unusual for characters to encounter a dragon at relatively low levels (at least when rolling randomly), and for most inexperienced PCs, if it comes to a fight, it won’t likely go well for them. Thus dragons gain an in-world reputation for lethality. They certainly can burninate the peasants’ thatched roof cottages with little trouble.

 

Which brings me to the breath weapon. Doing your current HP in damage where a Save only halves it? That’s a brutal opening move. Even if the damage goes down as they get hurt, they have that option 3x day, so even a smaller dragon, say an average 6HD white, might dole out 50-60 points of damage to multiple foes over a few rounds. That will wipe out most name level PCs, unless they make their saves (plural) and/or have magical protection (Resist Cold).

Third is intelligence. Dragons are played as smart, cunning predators that can live for centuries. Like intelligent undead (i.e. vampires), they have the time to plan their defenses well. Dragons are rarely without a plan or some sort of defenses in their lair. They will use smart tactics, or even magic, against their foes. This can make them far scarier than a dumb beast with similar stats.

Loot is a big factor in their reputations as well. While it does not directly affect their lethality, dragons’ Treasure Type H is a sweet haul, as it should be. There are other, tougher, creatures out there that have worse loot, so I think the dragon hits the “sweet spot” of maximum reward for a lot, but not impossible amount, of effort. As such, characters are motivated to seek the creatures out and many of them fail.

So what does all this mean for the dragon’s role in a BX setting? Well, this can vary a lot depending on the kind of world you are running, but I see them as sort of like a dying race. They are ancient, but few in number. They are solitary, predatory, and territorial. They crave wealth but rarely spend it. Their thinking is not like a human beings. Their perspective is one of centuries, not years. They are savage in the sense that they are not part of a “civilization.” But they are intelligent and can plan. They can (often) speak and so will sometimes choose to converse instead of fight. While there are things out there bigger and badder than dragons, there is almost no person or creature out there that would face a dragon lightly.

Dragons are generally smart enough to steer clear of heavy populations. It knows it will eventually attract attention. Either because the easiest hunting in populated areas is the livestock, or rumors of its treasure will spread, Any people who do live near a dragon are probably fairly isolated as well. They may see it somewhere between a predator, like a lion or shark, and a local nature spirit, like a river god. It may have been there forever, but rarely involved itself with people. There have been enough encounters to have given it a dangerous reputation, though.

I believe, and this really is just my opinion, that the fact that dragons aren’t actually so much “on paper” speaks to the massive opportunities they present in a campaign. They occupy such an interesting, almost unique, niche in the world that DMs can find a lot of interesting fodder for their games there. Most of the fun happens outside the combat rounds anyway. Even if the PCs just fight and kill the creature, that hoard might lead to a scramble to claim the wealth. Maybe five armies won’t show up for a normal sized hoard, but local bandits, a corrupt Bürgermeister? Who knows? 

In other editions of the game, dragons can be far, FAR more dangerous, even godlike in their powers. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think it's sort of fun that the dragons here are more integrated into the world. They're rare, but known. I like to imagine that it's sort of like certain wildlife in the real world. To someone that lives near the Florida Everglades, seeing a large gator is hardly unheard of, but it's still noteworthy. And if someone from Ohio comes to visit, they'll probably be more amazed when that gator crawls across the grass than the locals, but it's not like they didn't know alligators existed!

 *I’ve written before about “dragon-kin” like sea dragons and dragon turtles. For this post’s purposes, I’m sticking to the ones on page B26: White, Black, Green, Blue, Red, and Gold.

 

PS: While this isn’t directly related to this rant, I should mention that dragons in BX (and some other editions) can be subdued. This is where the dragon is reduced to zero hit points “non-lethally” and surrenders. I think this deserves its own post, as it is a really wild rule, but the fact that you can theoretically capture a dragon is an interesting facet of their role in BX worlds.

Moldvay Musings VII: Retainers, Mercenaries, and Specialists

A recurring idea in classic D&D that seems to be often overlooked by players is the option of hiring retainers and the like. When one looks at things like older modules, it's obvious that it was expected for the group to bolster their ranks a bit. It's a shame that too often today's players ignore the option. Whether it's a fear of book-keeping, or desire to keep the most treasure and XP for themselves, it often shortchanges the party's odds of survival and let them really get the most out of an expedition. I won't say I've never seen a group use hirelings of some sort or another, but it's far from the norm. 

As I am in the process of trying to start a new BX campaign (or at least run a few adventures), I've been thinking about ways to make features like this easier to introduce and handle at the table.

Retainers:

Retainers are first brought up in Basic (B21), so we'll start here. The idea behind a retainer is that they are an NPC (with a character class) of equal or lower level than the hiring PC. They ostensibly work for an individual PC, or at least that's who hires them. This is where those Charisma modifiers start coming into play. Most people think of sellswords/meatshields as your typical retainer, which is perfectly fair. But think of a spare magic user. Especially if people are low enough level that even one more spell is a significant boost. In a game where starting spells are determined randomly, imagine the demand for that apprentice who lucked out with Sleep. Of course, if one uses house rules like I recently described, unseemly types might see to it that such retainers have a lot of "accidents" and acquire new spells from their grimoires. But that's the sort of thing that would get the party a bad reputation re: hireling survival rates and the well may soon run dry. 

Another possibility with retainers in the party is the idea of instant replacement PCs. If the "main" PC is killed, the player can take over a retainer and still finish the adventure. Once "back in town," they can decide whether to keep playing the retainer or make a new PC. Of course the retainer will have earned some XP already, as opposed to totally new character. 

To make this easier for the players, I plan on A) having a ready stack of NPC characters pregenerated. There is a great BX character generator online one can use. B) I have incorporated locales in the "starter town" with reputations for being good places to find such people for hire. My hope is that once the players have been gently led to the well, they can find their way back as play progresses.

Mercenaries:

Mercenaries come up in the Expert rules (X22) with the focus being mainly on larger, more military roles. ie "Mercenaries are usually hired to guard a stronghold or castle."

While I see no reason that such "troops" couldn't be hired in small numbers for dungeon crawling, their inclusion in the rules seems to be more about the "endgame" where name level characters are manning keeps and fighting battles.

Side Note: 0 level noncombatants (torchbearers, porters, etc.) aren't really discussed in BX, but Barrowmaze's MEATSHIELDS is a nice NPC generator for their basic stats, etc. (LL-based, but quite compatible)

Specialists:

Honestly. What other image did you expect here?

Specialists, as per the Expert rules (X21) are generally hired for tasks, rather than to go on an adventure. Alchemists, Sages, Engineers, and Spies will often have missions or assignments that they complete for a fee. 

The thing I like most about specialists is the idea that there are non-adventurers in the world with sought after skills. It somehow fleshes the world out a little more to know that there are people who can command high fees for their services but may have never fought an orc or robbed a tomb. It sort of defines the adventurers as part of a larger setting. Even specialists like sailors (Seamen) and armorers have distinct skills that sets them apart from a common laborer as well as the sword-wielding warrior.

Specialists also fulfill a purpose for the game in giving the party (and the DM) ways to advance the character's knowledge when they can't answer a question or complete a task on their own. Getting a sage to look over an ancient map or an alchemist to analyze a poison might help further the plot if the players are drawing a blank. It's also a means by which to drain some funds from the party coffers!

In my starter town, I've placed a few specialists including an alchemist and a sage, I plan to make them known to the party very early on. Even if they have no need (or funds) to hire them, they'll at least know they're about. 

All of this is a very roundabout way of saying that these rules are well worth the time to integrate into one's BX game. They can add a lot of depth with not a lot of heavy lifting on the DMs part and continue to demonstrate the reasons I find this system so engaging. 

RMA: Giant Toad

Ribbit!

While not exactly rare, giant toads aren't particularly common either (at least in my games). It only shows up randomly on the wilderness tables and there only at rivers. I think this is because it is a relatively low level monster that doesn't make its appearance until the Expert rules. The river table appearance is somewhat limiting when one considers that real-life toads are often found well away from large bodies of water. Nevertheless, Mr. Toad is here and we shall investigate him before he drives off.

Toad, Giant (from Cook)

AC: 7

HD: 2+2

MV: 90' (30')

ATT: 1

DMG: 1d4+1

# APP: 1d4 (1d4)

SAVE: F1

MORALE: 6

TT: Nil

AL: N

GTs are described as 150-250 pounds ("the size of a very large dog") and capable of changing the skin color. This chameleon effect increases their surprise chance slightly (1-3). Their hit dice and AC are no great shakes and they are hardly the bravest creatures when it comes to morale. Not to mention no real loot to speak of.

The two things that make the giant toad interesting are its ranged tongue attack (15') and the chance of swallowing a target whole. Only "small" (the text implies dwarf-sized or smaller) targets can be swallowed, and only then on a natural 20 attack roll. A swallowed target takes 1d6 damage per round while in the amphibian's gullet.

I think the reason this didn't get included in Moldvay was A) space limitations and/or B) the creature's wilderness aspect. It is after all just a big animal. The Expert rules opened up the wider (and wilder) world beyond the dungeon to the players & DM, so it seems -aheh- natural that some less powerful yet monstrous wildlife was introduced. 

As far as running an adventure with these creatures, I would happily place a few near a river or swamp and have them squat silently like a stone as the party travel through. Then THWIP! A sudden lashing out of a tongue at the halfling or dwarf PC to drag them in for a bite and if lucky, GULP! The emphasis (for me) would be to underscore the fantastic elements of a BX world rather than as a major encounter or challenge.

RMA: Harpies

Despite their mythological pedigree, harpies are not a common occurence in games I've played or run. Which is odd, because their fit the bill for so many things I find compelling in an old-school monster encounter:

1) They're stats allow for use in low level games, but their abilities make them interesting even for more powerful characters.

2) Their magical abilities are scary, but not insta-TPK.

3) The fact they can fly adds a fun tactical twist to encounters.

4) They are intelligent enough (INT 7, according to the Rules Cyclopedia) that communication and varying response are possible.

So, let's take a look at these feathered fiends.

Harpy (from Moldvay)
AC: 7
HD: 3*
Move: 60' (20')
Fly: 150' (50')
Att: 2 claws/1 weapon + special
Damage: 1d4/1d4/1d6 + special
# App.: 1d6 (1d8)
Save: F3 (+2)
Morale: 7
AL: C
TT: C

First off, it may (or may not) be worth pointing out that Gygax & co. sort of mashed together two mythological critters into the D&D harpy. Harpies were bird women that stole and killed. Sirens were bird women that sang and charmed victims. Easy enough to confuse or conflate, but I just thought I'd mention that the harpies of myth were not typically portrayed as hypnotic singers.

Anyway, the harpy is said to be part giant eagle, part hideous woman. As there is no "Eagle, Giant" in BX, let's go with the giant hawk. It's pretty close HD-wise to the harpy and is described as the size of a large dog or small pony. So that sounds like it could be the creature's lower half. A giant hawk can carry away small targets like halflings, so right there you can have some fun. Imagine a charmed hobbit letting himself literally get carried away!

Harpies have lousy morale, so they are likely to flee at any fierce resistance. Harpies aren't smart, but the aren't mindless animals either. The description says a successful save lets a character resist the song for the rest of the encounter. Meaning if the ladybirds show back up later that day, it's time to roll again! They could harry a party striving to lure at least one PC away with their song. Perhaps enticing him to walk off a cliff! Then the PCs would have to find a way to reach the body while the harpies simply fly down and feast. Treasure type C is no great shakes, but lends me to think the harpies might carry shiny trinkets back to their eyrie even if they may leave the picked-over bones behind.

How to fight them? Well, as mentioned, they aren't particularly tough. Their morale is poor, so chasing them off is a possibility. Judicious use of a Silence 15' Radius spell could potentially render the harpies mute for the encounter, depending on how much room they have to fly around and where the cleric centers the spell.

RMA: Efreeti (Lesser)

A little while back, I talked about djinn. Specifically summoning them with a magic ring. Today I want to talk about their fiery counterparts, the Efreet.

Right off the bat, I should mention a small thing that I can't help but speculate over: both the djinn and efreet listed in the BX monsters are labeled as "Lesser" varieties of their respective types. Were Greater versions ever presented in classic D&D? Perhaps in a module? If anyone knows, I'd love to hear! I assume, since they are both elemental types, this is a callback to the differences between "staff" and "conjured" fire/air/earth/water/elementals. Perhaps a topic for another day?

Moving on, specifically about our smoldering subject, let's look at the stats.

Efreet (Lesser) from Cook:

AC: 3
HD: 10
Move: 90' (30')
Fly: 240' (80')
Att: 1
Dmg: 2d8 (+1d8 fire)
No. App: 1 (1)
Save: F15
Morale: 12
Treasure: nil
AL: C

We can see that efreeti are a bit more powerful than their airy nemeses. Better AC & HD. Better saves and damage, too. In addition to their basic stats, they have an assortment of powers.

"Efreet can create objects, create illusions, and turn invisible
like djinn. They are also able to create a wall of fire up to 3 times
per day. An efreeti may transform its body into a pillar of flame that
will set fire to all flammable items within 5 feet. They can retain the
flame shape for 3 rounds maximum. The fire will also do an additional
1-8 points of damage to all creatures struck by the efreet.
They may fly and carry up to 10,000 en weight while flying."

So a bigger, scarier version of a djinn, right? The wall of fire and the pillar of flame thing are impressive in a fight, but not that much more dangerous, To me, the key part of this creature lies in its description's final paragraph:

"Efreet can be summoned by high level magic-users who 
have researched the special spells required. Once summoned, 
Efreet can be forced to serve for 101 days. They are reluctant and difficult 
servants and will obey their instructions exactly, attempting to distort the 
meaning of whatever they have been told to do in order to cause trouble for 
their masters. Efreet hate Djinn and will attack them on sight."
(emphases mine)

Firstly, I really like spell research call-out. It expressly says "Sure this is possible, but it's not your run of the mill magic item or spell slot." Next, the built-in animosity of an efreet servant reminds me of spells like Contact other Plane or Spiritwrack and dealing with "allies" that are not squarely on your side. Following instructions exactly is reminiscent of wishes, too (X59).

What's interesting is that the description says that efreeti "hate" djinn and will attack on sight, but there is no mention in the djinnis' description of how they feel about efreeti. It's worth noting the alignment. Efreet are chaotic, whereas djinn are neutral. One can imagine a great deal of fodder for world-building in that. Perhaps there is some ancient hatred stemming from an interplanar war? Maybe a trip to the City of Brass would yield some answers?