KILLER BIRDS

KILLER BIRDS

AC: 7
HD: 1/4 (1 hit point)
Move: 12' (4') Flying: 150' (50')
Attacks: 1 beak (bite or peck)
Damage: 1-2
Save as: Normal Man
Morale: 12
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic
No. Appearing: 1-100 (1-100)

Though rumored to randomly light on waterfront locales, Killer Birds have been seen in dungeons, in depths that have access to sky (e.g. chimneys, mining tunnels, random giant worm holes, etc). Attracted to the scent of alcohol, as well as fire, Killer Birds find carousing campers opportune targets.

HOLMENTZER MONSTERS: E - K

E - Elf

F - Giant Ferret

G - Gargoyle, Gelatinous Cube, Ghoul, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Gray Ooze, Green Slime, Griffon

H - Halfling, Harpy, Hell Hound, Hippogriff, Hobgoblin, Horse, Human, Hydra

K - Kobold

 

Elf is in H & M. The main stat diff between the two is Hit Dice. Holmes Elves are 1 + 1 HD, whereas Mentzer Elves are 1 HD. Moldvay, like Holmes, has 1 + 1, so this is a Mentzer change. As for alignment, we see Holmes' "chaotic good (some neutral)" translated into "neutral" only. Holmes' description is super brief, relying on the character section of his manual to fill in the gaps. That said, he does mention that elves are generally "of two sorts, wood elves and high elves". Mentzer on the other hand, which is via Moldvay, has no mention of these different sorts of elves. Likewise, in Mentzer, there only need be 15 elves in a group to have a leader, vs. 50ish in Holmes. I have posted about elves before, & probably need to revisit the topic in more depth regarding Holmentzer, but for now, I'm thinking I'll use Mentzer for high elves (less HP, less elves per leader) & Holmes for wood elves (more HP, more elves per leader).

Giant Ferret is Mentzer, via Moldvay.

Gargoyle is in H & M. Holmes' Gargoyle remains fairly intact through the editions, the only real diff being that Mentzer, via Moldvay, varies a Gargoyle's claw & bite damage (1-3/1-6, respectively), whereas Holmes has 1d4 damage down the line. "As depicted in medieval architecture, gargoyles are reptilian, horned, taloned, fanged, winged beasts of hideous aspect. They will attack nearly anything that approaches them and are at least semi-intelligent and cunning," says Holmes; "As pictured in medieval architecture, they are horned, clawed, fanged, winged, hideous-looking beasts... very cunning and at least semi-intelligent. They will attack nearly anything that approaches them," says Mentzer. Mentzer, via Moldvay, adds that Gargolyes cannot be affected by sleep or charm spells & also suggests that a DM not use them unless a party is equipped w/ a magical weapon.

Gelatinous Cube is in H & M. Again we have a Holmes monster remaining statistically & descriptively intact @ the core: "They move through rooms and corridors... sweeping them clean of all living and dead material. In the process they may pick up indigestable items like gold and gems and carry them within their body," says Holmes; "moves through the rooms and corridors of a dungeon, sweeping the halls clean of all living and dead material. In the process, it may pick up items it cannot dissolve (such as weapons, coins, and gems)," says Mentzer. Though H & M, via Moldvay, both discuss Saving vs. Paralysis when one is hit by a GC, it is interesting to pay close attention to Dr. Holmes' descriptor here: "Flesh that comes into contact with the cube is anesthetized unless a saving throw against paralysis is made." While the later editions translate this to mean that GCs cause paralysis, is that what Holmes is truly saying? Mentzer, via Moldvay, also adds that GCs surprise on 1-4 on 1d6 b/c they are "hard to see". Lastly, Mentzer diverges from Moldvay in allowing the chance of encountering 1d4 GCs in a lair, vs. one.

Ghoul is in H & M, & the Mentzer version is again an elab on Holmes' core monster stats/description. The only real difference between editions is in regard to who/what a ghoul can paralyze: Mentzer, via Moldvay, speaks in size ("any creature of ogre-size or smaller"), vs. type in Holmes ("any human/humanoid figure"). Lastly, Mentzer adds that ghouls are immune to sleep and charm spells.

Giant is Holmes.

Gnoll is in H & M. Holmes' entry remains intact, w/ only minimal changes to Damage & Treasure Type. One interesting thing to note, is that Holmes says gnolls are like "hyena-men". Mentzer carries on this idea, but also adds the bit that "Gnolls are rumored to be the result of a magical combination of a gnome and a troll by an evil magic-user." It could be argued, that these are actually two different ways to look @ the gnoll monster from a physical standpoint, though in Mentzer, like Moldvay, they are fused together.

Gnome is in H & M, & while Mentzer is via Moldvay, what you have is Holmes' brief entry @ the core, hacked & littered about a longer description w/ group info, lair, etc.

Goblin is in H & M. The major diff is that Mentzer's Goblin is faster than Holmes' (90 feet turn vs. 60 feet turn). This change is purely Mentzer, as Moldvay reflects Holmes. Other than diff Treasure Types, what you have here is another Holmes @ core entry, w/ one small divergence via Moldvay, pertaining to the number of bodyguards a goblin king has @ their service.

Gray Ooze is in H & M. Holmes' stats remain intact in Mentzer, & some choice bits of his description survive as well (e.g. "this seeping horror"). But while Holmes simply tells us an ooze "can corrode metal in one turn", Mentzer, via Moldvay, goes further by saying the ooze "secretes an acid... will dissolve and destroy normal armor or weapons in only 1 round, and magic items in one turn". Lastly, like the Gelatinous Cube entry, Mentzer diverges from Moldvay to suggest numerous oozes @ once, plus adds that an ooze lair may contain "a special treasure made of stone (DM's choice)".

Green Slime is in H & M. Major diff is that Mentzer's Green Slime, via Moldvay, can move. Holmes' GS is "non-mobile" though it sometimes "drops from high places". Other than that, the description in Mentzer is basically Holmes w/ mechanical info on burning off the slime, etc. Something worth noting, is that while Holmes mentions fire affecting a GS, once it hits flesh, it "must be excised or treated" w/ magic. The later editions cut any mention of excising & focus on burning off the slime. Lastly, Mentzer diverges in a number of ways from Moldvay statistically: lowers Morale from 12 to 7, gives Treasure Types (Holmes & Moldvay have "nil"), & Mentzer's GS is Lawful, instead of Neutral. Holmes' Green Slime has no alignment. Holmes GS for Holmentzer.

Griffon is Holmes.

Halfling is Mentzer, via Moldvay, w/ only a small diff in Treasure Types.

Harpy is in H & M. Mentzer, via Moldvay, is almost identical to Holmes, stat-wise, except Holmes has 1d4 damage for a Harpy's weapon attack vs. 1d6 in Mentz. As for the description, one subtle diff presents itself when combing the verbage of each. Holmes: "By their singing they lure men to them, their touch then charms them and they are killed and devoured. Any creature hearing the harpy song must make its saving throw against spells or be drawn irresistibly to his doom!" Notice that while a saving throw determines whether a harpy's song will lure an adventurer or not, Holmes says it is the harpy's touch that actually charms the victim. Mentzer: "By their singing, harpies lure creatures to them to be killed and devoured. Any creature hearing the harpies' songs must make a Saving Throw vs. Spells or be Charmed." Mentzer says that failing the song throw not only leads the victim to the harpies, but also, b/c of this, the victim is charmed. While I would like to brood on the implications of this difference here, I'm gonna save it for a later post. For now, just note the nuances. Lastly, Mentzer increases Harpy's "Save As" to Fight: 6 from Moldvay's Fighter: 3. Mentzer does this vs. F: 3 Harpy's getting +2 on all Saving Throws. For Holmentzer, I'm going w/ Mentzer's Harpy for now.

Hell Hound is Holmes.

Hippogriff is Holmes.

Hobgoblin is in H & M. Another Holmes @ core entry, Mentzer, via Moldvay, elabs on specifics regarding a hobgoblin king & his cronies. That said, Mentzer's hobgoblin king is quite powerful compared to Holmes'. Not only does Mentzer's fight as a 5 HD monster (Holmes says as ogre, which is 4 + 1), but also, he gets +2 damage. For Holmentzer, may as well use Mentzer.

Horse is Holmes. The entry includes light horses, medium horses, heavy war horses, draft horses, and mules.

Human is Mentzer. Mentzer deals w/ "occasional random encounters with 1-3 humans". More on this singular entry down the road.

Hydra is Holmes.

Kobold is in H & M. Holmes' Kobolds are "evil dwarf-like creatures" that behave like goblins, "but are less powerful". They are nimble, moving @ 120 feet/turn, & as well, "are highly resistant to magic" gaining +3 on all saving throws, except for dragon breath. Mentzer's kobolds, which are straight from Moldvay, w/ one change regarding movement (Mentzer's 90' sits between Holmes' 120' & Moldvay's 60'), are "small, dog-like men... scaly, rust-brown skin & no hair." This "dog-like men" description seems to have originated w/ Moldvay, though I'm going to guess it has something to do w/ that kobold drawing in the AD&D Monster Manual? That said, Mentzer's kobolds have nothing to do w/ magical resistance, & though the chieftain is equal w/ Holmes', the bodyguards are weaker. For Holmentzer, I'm going w/ Holmes on this one.

A - D
L - O
P - S 
T - Z

PAC-MAN

PAC-MAN

AC: 3
HD: 3 + 1*
Move: 90' (30')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: Normal + undead*
Save as: Fighter: 4
Morale: 8
Treasure: S
Alignment: Lawful

* Pac-man does normal damage when biting normal beings, though undead will be NO LONGER. Likewise, if the Pac is hit by undead, he dies; however, in 1 turn, will rise again in a nearby place, until 3 lives through (DM may grant more lives).

HOLMENTZER MONSTERS: A - D

A - Giant Ant, White Ape

B - Rock Baboon, Bandit, Basilisk, Bat, Bear, Giant Bee, Giant Beetle, Berserker, Black Pudding, Blink Dogs, Boar, Bugbear

C - Carrion Crawler, Great Cat, Giant Centipede, Chimera, Cockatrice

D - Displacer Beast, Djinni, Doppleganger, Dragon, Dwarf

[So I said I wasnt going to list all of the Holmentzer monsters. I lied.]

Giant Ant is listed in both Holmes & Mentzer. Mentzer's Giant Ant is quite hefty, having 4 HD vs. Holmes' 2 HD. Also, Mentzer's Giant Ant does 2d6 damage, vs. Holmes' 1d6. Moldvay becomes indispensible comparing these two as Mentzer's Giant Ant is in fact Moldvay's "Driver Ant". Influenced by Herodotus' The Histories, the Driver Ant is a formidable, gold-hungry miner: "There are legends of giant ants mining gold, and there is a 30% chance that a lair will contain 1-10 thousand gp worth of nuggets," says Mentzer. As for Holmentzer, I think the best way to reconcile these two, is to use the Mentzer Giant Ant for desert, dungeons, caves, mountainous, riverbed, mineral deposit areas, etc., whereas the Holmes Giant Ant would be the encounter in forests, nearby towns, etc.

White Ape is a Mentzer only monster, that, to my knowledge, 1st appeared in D&D w/ Moldvay. The literary basis for the White Ape is Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars & subsequent Barsoom novels. This entry in Mentzer is a good example of Mentzer slightly altering a Moldvay entry: "They are nocturnal, sleeping in the day and looking for fruits and vegetables at night," says Moldvay; "They are nocturnal herbivores, looking for fruits and vegetables at night," says Mentzer. I've seen entries where the only difference between Moldvay & Mentzer is Mentzer's addition of a comma.

Rock Baboon is Mentzer, via Moldvay.

Bandit is in H & M, and the entries are basically the same, the main difference being that Mentzer has Bandit movement as 90' (30'), whereas Holmes is 120 feet/turn (i.e. 120' (40')). As Moldvay has 120' (40'), my bet is that Mentzer is a misprint.

Basilisk is Holmes.

Bat is Mentzer, via Moldvay. Note that the Mentzer stats for Giant & Normal are actually switched, i.e. another Mentzer misprint.

Bear is Mentzer, via Moldvay, though Mentzer's Grizzly is fiercer.

Giant Bee is Mentzer, via Moldvay's "Killer Bee".

Giant Beetle is in H & M, though in Holmes the entry is solely for the Fire Beetle.

Berserker is in H & M. The entries are basically the same, except for varying Treasure Types.

Black Pudding is Holmes.

Blink Dogs Holmes.

Boar is Mentzer, via Moldvay, though Mentzer's Boar is slower.

Bugbear is in H & M. These entries are basically the same, the main diff being where Holmes has 2-8 damage, Mentzer has "By weapon + 1". Also, in Mentzer, unlike Holmes or Moldvay, the Bugbear gets a +1 "to hit" when using a weapon. I'll probably stick w/ Mentzer for now, but will come back to this later when reconciling damage in general for Holmentzer. Lastly, this entry is a good example of how a Holmes description has remained, though slightly altered, through editions: "These creatures are great hairy goblin giants. Despite their size and shambling gait they move very quietly and attack without warning whenever they can," says Holmes; "Bugbears are giant hairy goblins. Despite their size and awkward walk, they move very quietly and attack without warning whenever they can," says Mentzer.

Carrion Crawler is in H & M, & the entries are basically identical, cept Holmes is super brief in his description (less is more?); & while we again witness Holmes' description passing down through editions for a classic D&D monster, Mentzer adds, like Moldvay before him, that "once paralyzed, a victim will be eaten (unless the carrion crawler is being attacked)." Mentzer also adds that "carrion crawlers are not normally found outside of dungeons."

Great Cat is Mentzer, via Moldvay.

Giant Centipede is in H & M. Mentzer's Giant Centipede, which is via Moldvay, is much slower than Holmes': 60 feet/turn vs. 150 feet/turn. Also, Mentzer's has slightly more HP in that it's 1/2 HD (1-4 HP), vs. Holmes' 1/4 HD, or 1-2 HP. Lastly, while Holmes deals w/ a Giant Centipede's "weaker" poison by granting a bite victim +4 to their Saving Throw, Mentzer works it by nixing the saving throw bonus, & if the bite victim fails the saving throw, they don't die, but grow ill for 10 days & move at 1/2 speed. While I prefer Holmes' faster Giant Centipede, I do like the poison mechanics in Mentzer.

Chimera is Holmes.

Cockatrice is Holmes.

Displacer Beast Holmes.

Djinni H...

Doppleganger is in H & M. Again, a Holmes entry basically survives intact here, w/ Mentzer only disagreeing w/ what Moldvay added in regard to Save As & Morale. Lastly, Mentzer wants you to know that "when killed, a doppleganger turns back into its original form".

Dragon is in H & M, obviously. For starters, Holmes lists four types of dragon: White, Black, Red & Brass; & while Mentzer doesnt have Brass, he has White, Black & Red, plus Green, Blue & Gold. As this is the largest monster entry in either book, let's focus on the key differences: Mentzer (which is via Moldvay) has Holmes' dragons @ the heart, then builds on them, making them more complex, & in some cases, more powerful. For instance, while all Holmes dragons have an AC of 2, a Mentzer Red Dragon has an AC of -1. In the same vein, Holmes dragons do the same amount of damage, whereas Mentzer's all have diff. damage stats. That said, the breath weapon stats are almost identical between editions. Outside of those major stat differences, there are the big differences: Holmes' way of dealing w/ a dragon's age, which also has to do w/ HD & damage for its breath weapon, is by having a handy 1d8 chart to roll on. Mentzer on the other hand, though mentioning how age can effect a dragon's stats, does not have this chart, & doesnt suggest a random way of determining a dragon's age. That said, Mentzer does have another chart, however, & it is this chart which truly separates the Mentzer/Moldvay dragon from Holmes. Mentzer's chart shows the possibilities of a dragon of specific color to talk, to be asleep, & then also, how many spells per level they can cast, as all types have spell casting abilities. Mentzer's dragons are closer to AD&D than Holmes'. Holmes decided not to include any info on talking, or spell casting. This is interesting, & appealing, & though I cant yet say for sure how it'll play out in Holmentzer, for now, I'm leaning toward Holmes, while allowing additional colors from Mentzer. Will revisit this, most likely.

Dwarf is in H & M, & is generally, the same, except Mentzer specifies individual Treasure type, plus adds more mechanical description.

E - K
L - O
P - S
T - Z

HOLMENTZER MONSTERS: INTRO

The 1st things I need to get in order for Holmentzer, for obv reasons, are MONSTERS, & while doing an initial run through & tally of each monster section I found that monster-wise, these books truly compliment one another. Holmes Blue Book, unlike any of the Basic books after it, includes a lot of high HD monsters (e.g. Purple Worm, Giants, Black Pudding, etc.), while Mentzer, like Moldvay, focuses mainly on low HD fantastical creatures, branching into more wildernessy animals/monsters (e.g. Bats, Bears, Snakes, Giant Bees, etc.) not in Holmes, a number not in Moldvay either.  All-in-all, a good fusion of monsters for both dungeon & wilderness.

INITIAL BREAKDOWN: Both Holmes & Mentzer have stats for 65 monsters each. 23 monsters in each are different from the other, therefore, a total of 88 singular monsters are collected from the two: 42 monsters shared, 23 in Holmes only, 23 in Mentzer only.

As for the 42 monsters found in both, I've started comparing them, & for those w/ conflicting stats, thinking how to reconcile'm. My initial on-the-fly self wants to simply say use Holmes stats for dungeon and Mentzer stats for wilderness/town. But that would be too easy, so I plan to go a bit deeper, starting w/ A & ending w/ Z. I dont plan to list, or mention every monster here on the blog, but only those that interest me in some way through the process (this may include compare/contrast between Mentzer & Moldvay as well, esp. for those monsters not in Holmes).

HOLMENTZER BASIC

While DMing the last few years, I've seen myself spiral from simply using Moldvay Basic & Cook Expert (B/X), to falling down the OD&D rabbit hole (thanks OSR!) & having a stack of LBB/Supplement print-outs, Holmes, B/X, sometimes Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry White Box, various modules, AD&D books, OSR supplements, etc., basically whatever I grab before play @ my side, & when/if something comes up, I just choose which to refer to on-the-fly. While I have no probs w/ this approach, obviously, & it can be fun for me, esp. when I'm itching to use something I've recently read, as of late, I've been feeling the need to simplify.

In retrospect, I could never get into using the LBBs, only. While I dig the idea & openness of OD&D, which in many ways carries into Holmes Basic, it can be a pain in the ass when you're looking for anything specific in a timely manner, even just a monster stat (I've made lots of stuff up on the spot b/c of this (not sayin that's a bad thing, just sayin)). As for the retro-clones, though I've been inspired by them & enjoy looking @, & reading them, I find I always end up reaching for actual TSR stuff during play. So I got to thinking: while I'd settled on Holmes being a choice median between OD&D & Moldvay, what other book could I cross reference w/ Holmes that's 1) fairly well-organized, 2) adds a lot of the stuff I dig in Moldvay, & 3) can fit into Expert if I decide to go that route vs. AD&D as Holmes suggests? Recently reading through its "Procedures and rules" section, I found my answer: Mentzer Basic Dungeon Masters Rulebook.

HOLMENTZER BASIC SET

Holmes Blue Book & Mentzer DMR? At least until I change my mind again. I plan to blog about some of the stuff I come up against during reconciliation. Supposed to rev the Furthermoor Adventure Express back up next week, so I might be posting again more regularly. We'll see.

MOOR'S END - 6 & 7

The party comes up on Clone the Berserker, worshipper of Thor, who's sitting around a small flame, apparently he has lost his party & been traveling for weeks through these caves from Kush, trying to find Furthermoor, he asks if there's anyway the party can help him find the eastern exit... He joins the party & they indeed wrap around a bit, find familiar territory, as well as 4 kobolds who are not much of a match for them, 3 killed easily & one fleeing... On the kobold bodies are found 5 gp, 4 sp & a scrap of paper w/ something in kobold written upon it. The party cannot read the paper. Jin, inspecting his map, feels he now can place the exit, & sure enough, around 8 PM, the party is exiting the caves to the west of Moor's End... Clone cannot believe how close he was... Hope swells within him, & he is grateful to the party. He decides to follow them to the Inn of the Forgotten Worm. Mattie takes leave of the party, returning to the Church of the White Widow after one more time reminding the party of what it is she & her church need from them, if they are able (the diamond studded spider relic that may or may not have magical properties, stolen by bandits during one of their ceremonies).

At 8:30 PM the party enters the Inn of the Forgotten Worm to find 12 other folks around the room, some @ the bar, some @ tables, etc. One man in particular, a human wearing a deerstalker cap, a black cape of sorts, smoking a long cigarette, steps from a table where two others sit, two male half-elves. The man introduces himself as Apricot Shandly from Debthaven & within seconds of introduction, is grilling the party about what they know in regard to Gil Kruger the Blacksmith's house going up in flames. Apricot has been hired for a sizable sum to investigate as there was an important item regarding the town's safety that was stored there, & apparently, it is nowhere to be found among the ashes. Gileegan takes center stage in dealing w/ Apricot, & as the conversation gets heated, Renfro slips away & moves through the door into the common sleeping room where he removes Delilah (Gil's two-handed sword) from under his bed & hides it under the mattress of one of the vacant beds across the room. On Renfro's return, Apricot is demanding a search of the party's belongings.

Gileegan refuses & begins working the room to build support for his views on the matter, which brings the party in contact w/ a few other notables. One lady halfing @ the bar, Lo Leland, from Hood's Hollow, who is here on business delivering kegs of Leland Lager to the inn. Then, @ the other large table in the room, sits a cleric of the Great Church named Grego Flunk, he is a haughty individual, older, who doesnt think much of the Church of the White Widow when the topic arises. With Grego, is a paladin of the Great Church, named Guerrand. Gil takes an interest in Guerrand given his youth & strength & a long conversation ensues as the voting commences on whether the detective should be able to search the party's belongings. The entire bar votes & it comes to an equal split. It is then, put on chance, & the party comes out victorious, Apricot Shandly not able to search their things in the other room. This brings Gil joy & he toasts the room. During this celebration, Oogy of the Curiosity Shop, who has been @ the bar, comes over to show the party an item he just acquired. It appears he needs more $ for drinks, therefore offers to sell them the "Shimmering Sand" for 20 gp. They agree to the deal. It apparently will increase the reach of sleep spells.

Lastly, as mentioned, a long conversation takes place between Gileegan & Guerrand, the young paladin. Gil is urging the paladin to join up w/ their cause; however, Guerrand is steadfast in his desire to aid Grego in their current quest for the Great Church. With an eloquent soapbox speech, Gileegan just about convinces the paladin to consider the plight of their party... But one catch: the party must first aid he & Grego in locating a specific book, an evil book which Grego says must be burned. Their belief is that a scholar, here in Moor's End, has this book. Guerrand tells Gileegan that if they can help them destroy this book, he is willing to join their quest to help the local church.

11:00 PM, Friday, 15th day of the month of the Hummingbird, Moor's End, Furthermoor