Id Sphere

No. Enc: 1

Alignment: Neutral

Movement: 60' (20')
                    Fly: 180' (60')

Armor Class: 3

Hit Dice: 6

Attack: special

Damage: special

Save: M6

Morale: 12

Hoard Class: None

XP: 1320

An Id Sphere is created when a crystal ball has witnessed mass murder of unprecedented proportions. As the psychic residue of death and agony fill the area, the crystal ball is granted sentience as it absorbs those fractured minds. The crystal ball then swells in size and begins to break apart. An invisible field of mental energy keeps the sphere is place. An Id Sphere is now fully formed with the sole function of being a psychic vampire, constantly seeking to erode and absorb sanity. A Id Sphere is a 3' diameter broken glass orb transmitting images of mental anguish as it hovers through the air.

Combat

• Id Sphere constantly radiate an aura of insanity in a 30' radius. Those who enter the aura must make a save vs spell or be under the effect of the confusion spell. A save is required each round if within the aura. 
• The Id Sphere can suppress mental functions with a pscyhic assault to close portions of the mind. This suppression attack has a range of 60' and requires a save vs spell to resist. Upon failure a portion of the victim brain is shut down. The GM will determine what ability is lost. This could be anything from losing the ability to cast spells, turn undead, movement, attacking, etc. That ability is suppressed for 1 turn.
• Id Sphere can release a brain crush attack which erodes the target sanity. The brain crush attack requires a save vs spell or the target loses 2d4 points of wisdom. A target reduce to 0 wisdom is dead and their consciousness absorb into the Id Sphere. Wisdom damage is recovered at 1 point per day. Those killed by Id Sphere cannot be raised from the dead unless the Id Sphere is destroyed and their consciousness released.
• Id Sphere is immune to mind-affecting abilities. Spells or abilities that target the Id Sphere mind will backlash upon the caster. The backlash will causes 1d4 points of wisdom damage. Wisdom Damage is recovered at 1 point per day.
• Any target reduce to below 3 wisdom and not killed has a 20% chance of gaining a random insanity. 

Adventure Seeds

1.	The Wizards Academy has been the scene of a mass murder. Every student and teacher slain. Now 4 Id Spheres stalk its hallways as the town has quarantined the building. They have reach out to adventurers to investigate and secure the scene.
2.	A Mad Astrologer has hired the group to capture an Id Sphere. He believe the Id Sphere components can be crafted into a lens to fit his massive telescope. His plans to shoot psychic death rays into the stars now nears completion.

For more monsters, check out my New Monster Index

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Artwork by Joanna Ballendorf

10 Graveyard Encounters

A collection of graveyard encounters, adventure seeds, and half-baked thoughts...

1. The group stumbles upon a cemetery with tombstones a quarter of the standard size. Engraved on the tombstones are names like Kitty, Tiger, Max, etc. Half the grave soil has been disturbed as if something dug its way out. A meow can be heard in the distance as dozens of undead cats prowl the perimeter of their resting ground.

2. There are numerous mausoleums spread throughout the graveyard. Each one has four gargoyles leering at each of its roof corners. Anyone who crosses the shadow of any of the perched gargoyles will have the shadow come alive and attack. Once slain that gargoyle will no longer cast a shadow.

3. You encounter an elderly man who is digging up a grave. If questioned he tells you that he recently had a dream where his dead wife was calling for him to rescue her.

4. A young girl scream pierces through the cemetery. She is running frantically and crying for help. She and her partner came to the cemetery to make out when decaying arms rose up from the ground and dragged her lover beneath the surface. All that remains is a broken picnic basket, a shredded blanket, and a used sheepskin.

5. You cross paths with a half dozen gravediggers. Their cart is filled with dozens of bodies. Half of them deceased, the other half clinging to life. They tell you the other half will be dead soon enough and there is no point in waiting for the inevitable.

6. As you pass by a gravestone you hear scratching and clawing coming from the ground. The soil begins to break apart and you faintly hear mumbling asking for assistance. A few moments later a ghoulish man in victorian dress and a top hat pull himself out. He believes he is awfully late for a dinner engagement and ask your were Wilson Pub is.

7. A cemetery with a hundred gravestones and 12' tall memorial plinth in the center. Once a living being enters the cemetery the dead begin to rise from their graves. Wave upon wave of zombies attack. Once a zombie is slain it will reanimate 1 hour later. The plinth in the center of the cemetery has the name of every person buried here. Only by crossing out their names will they stay dead.

8. You stumble upon a gravestone with a square glass in the center of it. Next to the glass are two dials. With the right combination on the dials or a successful disable trap check you are able to speak with the person who's grave this belongs to. Their image will appear in the square glass and will gladly answer questions.

9. You enter into a graveyard and suddenly realize that the exit is no longer there. As far as the eye can see appears to be an endless rows of tombstones. You quickly realize that all gravestones bear the same name. Only by putting that soul to rest can you escape this distorted reality.

10. In a long abandoned cemetery you meet a farmer planting seeds on the burial plots. He claims that the dead are wonderful fertilizer and the crop yield has remnants of their past memories.

For more random tables and non sense check out my Random Encounter Index

Husk Doll

No. Enc: 4d6

Alignment: Chaotic Evil 

Movement: 60'(20')

Armor Class: 7

Hit Dice: 1-1

Attack: 1 

Damage: 1

Save: F1

Morale: 10

Hoard Class: None

XP: 7

Husk Doll are created by witches, witch-doctors, and shaman. They are blessed with sentient life from the evil spirits of forlorn places. Created from the husk of corn cob, these Husk Dolls are created in large batches with the purpose of swarming larger foes with their miniature knives. Husk Doll stand no more then 1' tall and weigh roughly a 1 lb.

Combat

• Husk Dolls attack with their knives which do 1 point of damage. Each successful hit also causes wounds to bleed for an additional 1 point of damage each subsequent round. Bleed damage can be stop by spending a round bandaging wounds or any curative magic. Bleed damage from multiple Husk Dolls are cumulative. 
• Husk Dolls can forgo their individual attacks to gang up on a target. The Husk Dolls will swarm the victim from all sides and the attack, damage, and bleed value will be based on one attack with increased potency. The table below represent the number of Husk Dolls attacking in unison, what HD creature they attack as, damage done, and ongoing bleed damage. 

# Attacking	Attack Hit Die	Damage	Bleed
2 - 6	3	1d8	2
7 - 12	5	1d10	4
12 - 18	6	1d12	6
19 +	8	3d6	8

Adventure Seeds

1.	The village is celebrating summer solstice. A mysterious benefactor has gifted the village with large decorated crate to mark the occasion. During the height of the festivities the crate burst open and dozens of Husk Doll go on a murdering rampage.
2.	You are hired to investigate the attic in an old manor. Recently servants have been found stabbed to death while going about their duty. The attic is home to a collection of dolls from the family deceased aunt.

Artwork by Joanna Ballendorf

For more OSR/LL monsters check out my New Monster Index

Magical Hodgepodge IV

Vial of Stout Blood: This vial contains a mixture of dark green herbs and troll plasma. If the vial is applied to a wound it immediately stops it from bleeding. If ingested it will stop all ongoing bleed damage and prevent bleed damage for 1 turn as your blood becomes thicker. If used as a topical it has five doses, if drank it only has one dose.

Ghost Coins: A pair of black coins with an owl stamped on both sides. If placed on the eyes of a corpse it will psychically reveal the last ten minutes before their death. Upon revealing the details it turns to dust.

Radiant Lantern: This black metal lantern has a crystal housed inside. It has 24 charges. A single charge provides light in a 30' radius for 1 turn. If two charges are spent it increases the lights intensity to 60' and last 1 turn. If three charges are spent it reveal all invisible creatures in a 30' radius for 1 turn. If six charges are spent it creates radiate light that does 2d6 points of damage to all fiends and undead in a 30' radius. The Radiant Lantern will regain spent charges if bathed in natural sunlight for six hours.

12 Random Encounters

1. A woman tired, beaten, and exhausted stumbles upon the group. The sound of a dozen men off in the distance. She has been labeled a witch because they discovered she had a third nipple. She begs you to protect or hide her before the mob arrives.

2. As you're exploring the wilderness your next step breaks the forest floor. A hole has been covered up. Investigating the hole reveal a large cavern underneath the floor. Moments later you hear a scream for help coming from below.

3. A flock of giant vultures circle the sky to the east. A large cry of agony can be heard. An owlbear has just taken down a deer. Blood and gore covering his fur. The giant vultures are opportunistic and will attack the winning party if they are weakened.

4. Tied to a tree is a gnome dressed in a diaper. He begs to be set free. He was convicted of adultery by the local villagers and has been left to die. He proclaims he is innocent and never slept with the mayor wife.

5. A lone barrel sits on the road. It is filled with black powder. Goblins hide in the bushes nearby. Their arrow ready to be set aflame.

6. An invisible Leprechaun shouts insults and curses as you approach. He is angry because his pot of gold has been stolen. A band of Satyrs snatched his most prized possession. He knows their location and promises the group 10% of the value if reacquired.

7. A stone statue of a jester covered in moss and ivy. A dirty emerald as a right eye. Anyone touching the statue swaps places with the jester and is petrified. The jester is now flesh and blood, he introduces himself as Jack Point and thanks the group for getting him of this predicament.

8. Sitting on a tree stump is a farmer with three wolves. He is sobbing and complains that his farm has been foreclosed. He can't afford to take care of his domesticated companions and fears they won't last long in the wild. He offer them to the group. The wolves are actually werewolves who waits for the party to camp before feasting on the unsuspecting.

9. You meet a merchant and his henchmen on the road. He has recently acquired a magic item and is looking to peddle it off. He is not seeking coinage, but would rather barter for something the adventurers might possess.

10. You stumble upon a treehouse. Young Conrad has run away from home and built his new abode in the woods. He has recently been hearing strange noises at night and ask the group if they will spend a night in his home.

11. A decrepit guardhouse sits by the road. You hear sounds coming from inside. A group of bandits took refuge here during a recent thunderstorm. A virulent patch of memory moss covers the interior and has drained their minds. The bandits are now emaciated, insane, and unstable.

12. In the forest clearing are half dozen cuddly little pups playing. A pair of Dire Wolves lurking nearby.

For more random tables, check out my Random Encounter Index

Sentry Plaque

No. Enc: 1d4

Alignment: Neutral 

Movement: Special

Armor Class: 2

Hit Dice: 3

Attack: 1 

Damage: 1d6, special

Save: M3

Morale: 12

Hoard Class: None

XP: 110

Sentry Plaques are guardians of ancient lore and text. Created by powerful wizards or clerics to protect their vast libraries of arcane lore or scriptures of their sacred patron. A Sentry Plaque appear as ornamental tablets made of wood, metal, or porcelain with an elaborate frame. The center of the plaque has a flesh like texture where a central eye observes. Sentry Plaques are able to follow simple commands and seamlessly blend in their environment.

Combat

• Translocate: The Sentry Plaque doesn't have a standard movement action, it can teleport to any surface it has line of sight. This movement action doesn't provoke any attacks.
• Acidic Tears: Sentry Plaque can generate an acidic tear that can be used as a ranged attack within 90'. Damage is 1d6 acid and continues to burn for one additional round for 1d6.
• Disguise: When the Sentry Plaque closes it eye it can appear as an ordinary plaque. While disguised the Sentry Plaque cannot translocate or attack. A disguised Sentry Plaque surprises on 1-4 on a d6 roll. 
• Vision: Sentry Plaques can see in darknesss and see invisible creatures. 

Adventure Seeds

1.	The group stumbles upon a room of a thousand plaques. This vast chamber is filled with plaques of all shapes and sizes. With their guard down they are assaulted by acidic tears. A quick glance reveals nothing but tablets of commemoration.
2.	Variant Sentry Plaques are not unheard of. A wizard has task you with the quest to retrieve the eye stalks of a floating spherical aberration rumored to have a vast assortment of powers.

For an assortment of new monster and variants, check out my New Monster Index

Artwork by Joanna Ballendorf

6 Zombie Adventure Seeds

1. A Death Cult has moved to town. The graveyard has been plundered. The morgue ransacked. Now residents are beginning to disappear. All trails lead to an abandoned prison where a cabal of necromancers are animating zombies with unusual results. Now zombies with strange powers are stalking the countryside.

2. An ancient artifact has awakened beneath the mountains. A signal from the artifact echoes for hundreds of miles. All dead begin to rise. The signal is only transmitted during a full moon and the dead only move during that period. If they don't reach the mountain they go dormant and wait till the next full moon.

3. Mysterious packages have appeared throughout the city. They seem to be sent at random. Anyone opening the box releases a cloud of inhaled poison in a 10' radius. Those who failed are killed and reanimate as a zombie 1 round later. Outbreaks throughout the city are on the rise and raising public awareness is a priority.

4. Penumbra Flies from the Negative Material Plane have spread throughout the region. They are spreading a virus that causes the living to slowly transform into the walking dead. Finding and closing this planar breach is of utmost importance before the entire world becomes mindless zombies.

5. Beneath a prominent city lies an ancient necropolis. Recently archaeologists found this ancient burial ground beneath the cities sewer system. The unwanted disturbance has caused the dead to rise and flood the sewers with mindless undead. They harass the city day and night. You are hired to venture underground and close the access tunnels leading to the necropolis.

6. The group recently arrived in town. After settling in for the night they are awakened by banging on their door. Opening the door reveals the innkeeper and his wife shambling towards them, apparently reanimated as zombies. The group quickly discovers the entire town has turn into zombies and now must find safe passage out before they join the horde.

To add spice to your zombie encounter, some links to variant zombies below.

3 Variant Zombies
20 Variant Zombies
Zombie, Radiatiion

6 Black Market Magic Items

6 Black Market Magic Items

1. Zombie Brain: The still pulsating encephalon of a zombie whose body has been destroyed, but his ever lasting hungry still remains. A Zombie Brain can be implanted in a corpse and in 1d4 rounds it will reanimate as a zombie. It is advised to have someone who can control the newly revived undead.

2. Pouch of Dryad Leaves: This pouch contains the leaves from a Dryad Tree. The leaves have been ground down and can be used in a smoking pipe. Anyone who spends a round smoking the Dryad Leaves becomes immune to mind-affecting abilities for 1 turn.

3. Angel Perfume: This bottle contains the tears of an angel. If sprayed on the user it will register their alignment as being of a good nature for 24 hours. A bottle contains 3 applications.

4. Leprechaun Candle: This candle is made from the fat of a leprechaun. When lit it creates a rainbow that originate from the candle and ends where the most valuable accumulation of wealth is located. The candle can extend out to 5 miles and last for 3 hours before burning out.

5. Cockatrice Duster: This feather duster is made from the most decorative plumes from dozens of cockatrice. The duster can be used to reverse the effects of petrification. Once used the exotic feathers become dull gray and loses its reversal properties.

6. Devil Ink: This vial of ink is made from the fiendish blood of devils. When used to sign a contract it create irrevocable clause that binds the party to live up to their agreement. Deviations from the contract causes the breaker to bleed from his eyes. The damage is applied daily and equals twice the signers level or HD. Those killed by Devils Ink cannot be resurrected as their soul is forfeit to the Nine Hells.

Magical Hodgepodge III

Martyr Blade: This long sword has a rose quartz as a pommel and the grip has a rose design. The sword function as a +1 magic weapon, +2 vs chaotic creatures. The user can sacrifice his own hit points to deal additional damage to an enemy with a successful attack. The maximum additional damage cannot exceed user level/HD for each attack. Hit points sacrificed cannot bring the wielder below zero.

Ricochet Sling: This +1 Sling is made of braided fox hair and has the ability to ricochet a stone upon a successful hit. If the attack is successful, the stone will ricochet to the nearest enemy who is within 40'. The secondary attack will use the original attack roll to determine if it hits. If no secondary enemy is present then the stone simply falls to the ground.

Pixie Bullet: This sling ammunition is made out of a pixie skull with residual dust clinging to it. When the bullet is shot from a sling it lets out a childish laughter. With a hit it deals normal damage and also causes the victim to disappear from existence for one round. A save vs spell is allowed to avoid disappearing.

3 Variant Zombies

1. Infected: This zombie replaces its slam attack with a bite attack. Each time it successfully bites the victim he must save vs poison or slowly become a zombie if not slain outright. A cure disease is needed to break the transformation, otherwise in 5 days you become one of the mindless dead. Chart below is guidelines for the change.

Day 1	Flesh becomes pale and cold
Day 2	You feel sluggish. You go last in initiative. Your intelligence drops by ⅓.
Day 3	You gain immunity to spell that work on the mind. Your intelligence drops by another ⅓.
Day 4	You can be turned or controlled by a cleric. Holy water damages you.
Day 5	Mind is lost and body is dead. A Zombie you are.

2. Infested: This Zombie is infested with lice. Every successful attack requires their victim to save vs poison or become infested with lice. The lice quickly spread throughout your gear and find a home in your hair. This minor inconvenience causes itching and scratching while infested. There is a 5% chance each round you lose your attack while dealing with a nasty itch. You can rid yourself of the lice by shaving your hair and cleaning your gear. Also any cure spell will rid you of this nuisance.

3. Slag: This Zombie is merged with a fire elemental. The elemental controls the host body and veins of slag flow through its body. Each attack by the Zombie causes armor to degrade by 1. When armor is reduced to AC 9 it is destroyed. Anyone attacking with a non-magical weapon has their weapon degrade. Their weapon drops one die type for each attack. A 1d10 weapon drops to 1d8. If a weapon drops below 1d3 it is destroyed.

For 20 plus variant zombies, check out
20 Variant Zombies

12 Roadside Encounters

1. A abnormally large toll booth sits on the side of the road. A well dressed troll mans the booth. Instead of asking for a toll, the troll gives each traveler 5 gold pieces and wishes them a safe journey.

2. Igor's covered and enclosed wagon has broken down. He is hastily repairing the broken wheel as the wagon is shaking and his horses are bucking. The wagon filled with ice blocks and a recently sedated yeti has stirred from his sleep.

3. This stretch of road is filled with leaves and branches. A dozen ankle holes have been dug throughout the trail. Anyone walking on this stretch of road must make a dexterity check to avoid twisting an ankle. A twisted ankle reduces movement by 1/4. A cure spell or 1d3 days of rest will eliminate the penalty.

4. You hear a voice in the bushes. A wife is nursing her husband who broke his leg. They are from a nearby town and are on the run from a gang of tax collectors and their goons. Her husbands debt is so much that his life is forfeit.

5. A Gypsy caravan is parked on the side of the trail. A smattering of tents and wagons fill the rest stop. A group of baccae has been travelling with the Gypsies and reveling in wine and spirits. Anyone who approaches the caravan will have a baccae invite them to party with them. First refusal irritates the baccae, a second refusal sends it into a rage.

6. You stumble upon a boulder with a vaguely humanoid face. The boulder whispers that he knows all. The boulder is actually a trapped elemental spirit who been on this road for a thousand years and extremely lonely. He has vast knowledge of everyone who has traveled this road and is willing to share knowledge in exchange for companionship. It is lonely being a rock.

7. A greased pig is dashing down for the road in a panic. Two farmers are settling a bet on who can capture the pig the quickest. The group is invited to participate. Winner gets the finest swine in the land.

8. Dream Wolves stalk the road. A distant howl has been known to put travelers to sleep. A save is needed or you doze off. You awake in shadowy version of the road and terrain. Your physical and mental stats swap places as Wolves of Ethereal descend upon your location. You can't break the slumber until the wolves are dead or your sleep turns eternal.

9. The roadside inn has a problem. It has been shrunk to 1/20th its size and its patrons are in a panic. A Witch has curse them for stealing fruit from her garden. They beg the group to parley with the Witch and negotiate an end to the curse.

10. On the side of the road is a lemonade stand. Two dopplegangers are disguised as teenage girls. They are selling lemonade to raise coin for the local orphanage. Of course, the lemonade is poisoned.

11. An exhausted knight returning home from a distant war. He believes he is the lone survivor of his unit and paranoid that he is being trailed.

12. A barnacle covered galley frigate boat is overturned in the middle of the road. The boat is landlocked and many miles away from a body of water. The group can hear movement from within the boat.

For more random encounters and tables of inspiration, check out my Random Encounter Index

Magical Hodgepodge II

Treatise of Abyssal Lore: This large book is made from the skin of hundreds of humanoid hide from across the multiverse. The words are penned in sanguine ink that constantly shifts and swirls, making it extremely difficult to comprehend. Anyone with an intelligence of less then 12 can't decipher its cryptic language. Those with a 12 to 17 intelligence can spend a turn consulting the book to gather insight on a specific demon type. Those with 18 plus in intelligence receive a +1 to decipher the contents of the book.
     The user must spend one turn studying the book and then proceeds to roll a 1d6. On a roll of 1-3(18 plus Int succeeds on a 1 - 4) the user is able to recall information on a specific demon type. This information can be special abilities, weaknesses, etc. On a roll of 4 - 6 the user is unable to decipher the cryptic nature of the book. On a roll of a 6, the user must roll d6 again. If another 6 is rolled, then another roll is required. If three 6s have been rolled then the book returns to the Abyss and is replaced by the demon the user was attempting to research.

Nether Spike: This nail is forged of silver and discarded scrap metal from a destroyed magic item. The scrap metal from the item has residual magic that still permeates. Nether Spike is effective vs incorporeal undead. It allows the user to hammer the nail into the same space the incorporeal creature is occupying, forcing the undead to partially materialize and be tethered to the spike. The partial materialization allows for non-magical weapons to harm the incorporeal creature but at 1/2 their damage. It also keeps the incorporeal creature from moving from the Nether Spike unless a save vs death is made to break free.