RMA: Water Termites

I honestly don't think I've ever seen this monster used, in any of its three varieties. It's such a strange creature compared to things like orcs or dragons. Like the Cave Locust or the Robber Fly, it's got the whole "giant bug" thing going on. At 1' to 5' long, they certainly qualify. What's interesting is –as far as I can tell– their main use in a game is as an indirect threat to the PCs.

The stats: (from Cook)

Termites, Giant

Swamp/Fresh Water/Salt Water 

No. App:  0 (1-4)/0 (1-3)/ 0 (2-7)

AL: N

AC: 4/6/5

HD: 1+1/2+1/4

Move: 90' (30')/120' (40')/180' (60')

Attacks: special

Damage: 1-3/1-4/1-6

Save: F1/F2/F3

Morale: 10/8/11

The special attacks consists of a toxic spray if above water, which can stun a foe (possibly causing him to sink?), and an ink cloud underwater (like an octopus). They only bite if cornered, which makes me wonder at their relatively high morale. 

The fun from these guys comes from them latching onto a vessel underwater and dealing structural damage to the hull. If they chew it enough, it starts to sink! This could be a fun way to get the PCs into the water (and off the nice, safe boat) to deal with the threat. They'd have to move fairly quickly too (before the damage is done). Of course, looking at the damage they do and the Hull Point ratings, it's unlikely the termites would sink a larger vessel. Although a few leaks might make people nervous. Perhaps a swarm of salt water termites follow a ship like dolphins, feeding each night? The non-marine versions are quite scary in their own way, too. Imagine your canoe getting trashed when you're miles into a festering swamp. Personally, I'm a fan of anything that underscores the differences between an encounter on the water vs. one on land.

RMA: Robber Fly

The Robber Fly is an interesting critter. It's got a great "Gygaxian Naturalist" feel to it. It's got a camouflage adaptation. It's an effective predator. All good stuff.

Basically, it looks like a Giant Killer Bee. Which it hunts for food! While it's not super-tough individually, it has a few tidbits that can make it a fun low level encounter. But first, the stats:

Robber Fly (From Moldvay)

No. App: 1-6 (2-12)
HD: 2
AC: 6
Move: 90' (30')
   -Fly 180' (60')
AL: N
Att: 1 bite
Dmg: 1-8
Save: F1
Morale: 8



So it's a 3' long carnivorous fly imitating a 3' long bee. Like the Cave Locust, it's another nice "Mysterious Island" vibe monster. Up to a dozen appearing is pretty respectable, though at 2 HD each they are vulnerable to Sleep spells. It's fast, and can jump 30' for a nice surprise attack. Speaking of which, they are patient, stealthy and surprise on a 1-4! They are also immune to the killer bees' stings, but that's unlikely to impact the characters situation. The fact that they can be easily confused with the GKBs (Giant Killer Bees) might make for a fun time, too.

RMA: Cave Locust

I gotta admit. These are one of my favorites. I even included them in a module I wrote. Nevertheless, they are not a typical encounter. I think these huge grasshoppers give off a great Jules Verne-type feel and can add to the strangeness of a place without upping the lethality of an adventure too much. Even without a high body count, Cave Locusts are not to be dismissed lightly.

Cave Locusts: (from Moldvay)

No. Appearing: 2-20 (1-10)

AC: 4

AL: N

HD: 2

Move: 60' (20'), fly 180' (60')

Attacks: 1 (bite or bump or spit)

Damage: 1-2,1-4, or special

Save As: F2

Morale: 5

They look fairly wimpy individually, and they are. Their low damage and morale means they aren't going to be tearing through a party. Where the locust really shines as an encounter is in its desire not to fight.

First off it will frequently try to flee, but they are extremely clumsy jumpers/fliers. Half the time they collide with a PC, dealing 1d4 damage. If you get a swarm of a dozen or so cave locusts "retreating" at once, odds are good that someone is going to get pummeled.

Another interesting thing that the locust does is spit. A sticky, horrible gob splatters the poor victim. Since the attack is basically "touch" it's versus AC 9, usually hitting. Then the poor recipient must save vs, poison or spend 10 minutes (!) vomiting and being generally awful to be around. 

Finally, when the locusts get scared, they whine. This noise can bring down wandering monsters like nobody's business with a 20% chance per round of something showing up to check out the ruckus. 

Top this off with NO treasure, and you DMs have a marvelous object lesson for players about why sometimes it's better to leave the monsters alone.

PS - An amusing tidbit: Cave Locusts are immune to most poisons! It comes from eating yellow mold!