(Re-)Stocking the Megadungeon: Monsters

Monsters.

Meazels, Russ Nicholson, AD&D Fiend Folio, TSR, 1981

Monsters are a large part of what makes D&D exciting.  Granted, veteran gamers are often aware of most of the standard book creatures, but clever usage of classics, alongside published rarities and a sprinkling of custom monsters can keep all but the most jaded players in the dungeon, if only to see what the DM has around the next corner.

From the math done here, I know I'll need 29 monster encounters.  17 with treasure and 12 without.  

Even though the heading is 'monster' it doesn't automatically mean 'things to fight.'  It can and will often turn into this, but not everything must be fought, despite 5e and other rulesets where XP is awarded for critters defeated, but not in my game.  Not having to immediately fight means PCs can make use of their languages known and Charisma bonuses and the DM can make use of Reaction Rolls (B24) and quite possibly end up with roleplay in the dungeon.  

The two main take aways is that the DM is encouraged to ignore the table as necessary and that PCs might find unknown allies among the dungeon denizens.  If your chosen ruleset doesn't have or make use of such rules, consider importing them into your game - it makes sessions far more interesting.

Anyhow, my chosen monsters.  I follow the Goblin Punch guidelines on Dungeon design, and monsters fit neatly under items 2, 3, and 5.  This means some of what the PCs will encounter can kill them dead if they aren't careful.

As the opening picture suggests, there will be meazels on this first level, both laired and on the wandering monsters chart.  Reading the entry for meazels in the original Fiend Folio, it spells out that orcs and kobolds are traditional enemies prey of meazels, so orcs and kobolds are on the first level as well.

Already, a rough plan is taking shape - a colony of meazels dwelling in a series of hidden lairs between the orc and kobold factions, preying upon them.  The orcs and kobolds each believe the others are killing them off, so are actively at war.  Sacks full of orc, kobold, and other bones can house one of the unguarded treasures - gems that meazels think are worthless rocks.  The other main faction is a mixed group of bandits/berserkers near the main entrance; for a fee, they'll let you pass.  Wine and fresh food is a suitable payment to pass through; hard currency is needed to get back out... unless a favor is done for the leader.

Standard vermin are a given: rats (normal and giant), stirges, giant centipedes, giant spiders, fire beetles, and a giant snake.  Most of these are treasureless wanderers, but I can see a webbed corpse or three among the spiders, and dessicated corpses near the stirge lair.  These all feed off each other and stray humanoids.  

Erol Otus, Moldvay Basic, 1980

Some individually tougher monsters can also be found here and there, mostly because I like them.  

Rust monsters, a carrion crawler, a gelatinous cube, and lone bugbears up from the second level (depth?) looking for dinner and treasure.  A pair of mean ogre brothers (named Smash and Grab) operate a lift down to the lower levels; their spokesgoblin cuts deals with anyone wanting a ride down to level three (passing through level two, but only stopping there if special arrangement is made).  Getting the brothers to lower the lift for a return trip to the top can be an expensive challenge - reneging on pay results in the ogres letting the lift run free, for a crashing fall to the third floor; the lift platform tends to survive, but those on it rarely do.  Third level denizens that hear the crash dispose of them.

This leaves undead as the only 'standards' this first level is missing.  Barring a mixed group of cultists and undead, undead are unlikely to be encountered outside of a sublevel off level one.  Skeletons, zombies, ghouls, shadows, and a wight can all be found.  It being BX, the wight or ghouls might account for the whole party.  The Chaos clerics that will inevitably be nearby provide an enemy that won't relentlessly pursue the PCs due to morale.

Ah, morale rules.  Another gem of a rule that can be easily ported to newer editions of the game.  The details can be found on page B27, but the short form is that dice indicate if monsters surrender, run, or fight to the death, checked and modified as needed by rules.  Whether or not your DM counts these as 'defeating the enemy' for XP purposes is another reason why GP for XP is a better system.

I'll round things out on this first level with some monsters that have morphed over time into living traps or dungeon hazards, notably yellow mold and green slime.  My mood will dictate under which category they fall - trap or monster.

So far, the meazels are the only oddballs to a BX game.  I can customize some of the undead in the sublevel (and throughout the dungeon) using Dyson's Uniquely Undead to surprise players.  I'm thinking I'll save custom creatures for lower levels, taking advantage of specials to keep the sense of wonder for players.

All these static lairs are contrasted against wandering monster tables, but that is another post.