Swamp Monster
Semi-intelligent humanoid creature covered in moss and vines, with natural camouflage
Basic Fantasy Field Guide Omnibus
| Armor Class | 16 |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 5* |
| Number Appearing | Wild 1d8, Lair 4d8 |
| Attacks | 2 strikes (1d6 each) |
| Damage | 1d6 strike |
| Movement | 40' |
| Save As | Fighter: 3 |
| Morale | 8 |
| XP | 405 |
| Treasure Type | L |
A Swamp Monster is a semi-intelligent humanoid creature standing around 7 feet tall. Over its dull blue-colored body small vegetation like moss and vines slowly grow, dyeing it with green hues as time goes by. These vegetation and coloration gave it a natural camouflage, making the swamp monster able to hide very effectively with a 50-1d6x10% chance (minimum 10%) of being detected, and to surprise others on a 1-4 on 1d6 roll. While swamp monsters may venture beyond their community none will dare to leave their habitat.
Encountering a swamp monster is such a shocking situation that any living creature who does so must save vs. Spells or flee for 1d4 rounds. Those surprised by the monster must save at -5 and will start running the next round if the save is failed. Anyone who successfully makes this save may only be affected by a swamp monster if surprised but won’t suffer the -5 save penalty.
A swamp monster’s lair contains small mud huts built by them that normally houses up to four swamp monsters. The lair overflows with mud and vegetation, making moving on them harder than on normal swamps, with its terrain movement adjustment being ¼. Moving inside the huts is incredibly difficult such that characters must save vs. Paralysis or be stuck in place; a swamp monster is never affected by any negative terrain modifiers.
Finding treasure on their lair takes double the normal time while inside the huts is quadrupled.