Underground Menaces


"Be quiet!", whispered Stahn, while the party followed the cursed trail. The eyes of the Dwarven priest who guided the group were bound to Stahn, who appeared more frightened than he ever was. All the party continued the walk in silence, until the time a scream ripped the veil of silence - Danalyn laid in the rocky floor, and 3 creatures, as terrible as Juner's worst nightmares, stood by the party.


This article features 4 different creatures that can be found in underground environments, at the Narrator's discretion. All of them were created using the rules for new monsters found in A Saga Companion, and may be added to any Dragonlance campaign.

Skull Mole:
Attributes: Coordination 4, Physique 24, Intellect 2, Essence 3 - Damage +8, Defense -5
Special Abilities: Trample

A Skull mole has almost the size of a bear. Its name comes from the bone armor that covers all the Skull mole's body, especially its head, forming horns and spikes. It has really sharp claws positioned on its heavy paws, almost the size of a short sword.

Skull moles are very rare creatures, found just in small underground portions. They can stand in just two paws, reaching up to 6 feet while standing this way. They are usually found in pack of 4 or 5 creatures, being one female and all other members male moles. They are active during all day, because sunlight cycles don't matter in the undergrounds. They are able to eat both vegetables and meat, being mushrooms their basic diet, but they are very fond of all sorts of meat.

They can walk or dig in the same velocity, but they are very slow, moving at 1/2 human movement. Their sight is deficient, and they can be easily tricked with illusions or disguises, but their smell sense is somehow powerful, enabling them to smell blood or human smell miles away. Strong smells can incapacitate their senses, and it was the way the party escaped in Thorbardin.

Fire Worm:
Attributes: Coordination 3, Physique 30, Intellect 1, Essence 4 - Damage +6, Defense -6
Special Abilities: Swallow whole

Fire Worms are considered as Chaos creatures, created possibly by the Chaos God during the Chaos War, but this information is not confirmed. They can be creations of a powerful wizard or maybe one of the modified creatures from the Desolation. They are huge creatures made of pure solidified lava, looking very similar to a Fire Dragon, reaching up to 50 feet in width, and 5 feet in height.

Fire Worms are rare and solitaire creatures that need no sleep or food. However, they are very aggressive and territorial creatures, able to attack anything that enters on their tunnels. They are able to dig or walk in astonishing speed for its giant body, almost as fast as a human. They attack using their sharp teeth, and trying to swallow their victims. No reproduction means are known for these creatures.

Stone Guardian:
Attributes: Coordination 4, Physique 12, Intellect 4, Essence 3 - Damage +6, Defense -6
Special Abilities: None

During the Wars among humans and dwarves, some dwarven clerics of Reorx developed a spell to create Stone Guardians, creatures made of rock or metal used to keep small fortresses or to protect treasures. They look as human knights or dwarven warriors, but they are made of rock, clay and metal, and animated through magic.

Stone guardians may be found in small groups of 4 to 9, but often in packs no bigger then 6 members. They don't need to sleep or eat, and their only necessity is to fulfill the task given by their creators. They move themselves in average human walking speed. They have no senses but sight and hearing, and this deficiency can be used against them.

In the Fifth Age, the spell used to create Stone Guardians is used only by those who master both Enchantment and Geomancy, and therefore no dwarves can create them. The mage summons a spirit in the Gray and places it on a stone body previously sculpted. The following spell is used to create Stone Guardians who will work for one month:

Create Stone Guardian:
Invocation: 30 minutes (1)
Range: The Gray (11)
Duration: Instant (1)
Area: Personal (1)
Effect: 35 points (7)
Total: 21 spell points (+10 spell points to reach the desired duration)

Stone Wyvern:
Attributes: Coordination 8, Physique 30, Intellect 4, Essence 5 - Damage +12, Defense -6
Special Abilities: Poison

Stone Wyverns are created as Stone Guardians, but they are deadlier and harder to be summoned. Stone Wyverns look as common wyverns, but a closer inspection will reveal that their body is made of pure carved stone. Stone Wyverns have no wings, and therefore can't fly, but their tail is bigger and stronger, and still able to inject poison, as ordinary wyverns.

Stone Wyverns don't need any sleep, food or drink, but they follow the orders given to them by their creators loyally. They use all means to destroy strangers or invaders, including their poison spikes in their tails. They can reach up to the same size of a common wyvern.

Stone Wyverns my be created using the following spell. It may be used only by those who mastered both Geomancy and Summoning schools. The procedure is very similar to the Stone Guardian creation - a spirit from the Gray is placed on a Stone Wyvern carved rock body. The following spell will create a Stone Wyvern who will last for one month:

Create Stone Wyvern:
Invocation: 30 minutes (1)
Range: The Gray (11)
Duration: Instant (1)
Area: Personal (1)
Effect: 65 points (10 points)
Total: 36 spell points (+10 spell points to reach the desired duration)


Monsters, Dragons and Villains


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