Monster Monday 07/28/14

Welcome back to Dungeon Mastering by Candlelight.  Yesterday we had our biweekly 2nd Edition AD&D game.  I think we all had a great time.  Great food.  Great friends.  Great game.

I think next week I will add great wine for total win.

The image to the right is a pen sketch I did of a beastie from my home campaign called a Grick.
See below for the write-up.  As usual I will be offering this as a 2nd Edition monster but it can be adopted into any edition of the game.

GRICK

Frequency: Rare
Location:  Swamps and Bogs
No. Appearing: 2d4
Armor Class: 5
Move: 12
Hit Dice: 2+2
No. Attacks: 2/1 Claw or Bite
Damage from Attacks: Claw 1d3, Bite 1d4 save vs death or bleed (see description)
Special Attacks: Bite causes bleeding.  Bite can target weapons or shields.
Special Defenses: None
Magic Resistance: None
Intelligence: Semi
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: Small
Morale: 14
Psionic Ability: None
Experience: 95 xp

Grick, also known as Death Pygmies are a species of small, semi rodent looking, snarling, nocturnal humanoids that inhabit isolated regions of swamp or bog.  Their squirrel like teeth are diamond sharp and incredibly resistant to damage.  Lizard men prize Grick teeth for the fashioning of high quality war clubs and other weapons.

A Grick typically attacks with its small claws but on a roll of a 4 on 1d4 it will bite.  A Grick's bite is incredibly savage.  Grick teeth can tear through oak, leather and even gnaw chunks out of iron and steel.  A pack of savage Grick can chew their way through doors or even walls in order to reach those inside.

Grick are stealthy in their home swamps, they are only surprised on a roll of a 1 on 1d6 and they have a natural move silent and hide in shadows ability of 75% when lurking about in marshy terrain.  Grick are only semi intelligent.  They dwell in the hollows of large trees or inside of rotted out logs, pretty much any location that provides extra concealment from the dangerous environment where they dwell.  Grick call to one another in hoots like certain forms of jungle dwelling tree monkey.  They are excellent swimmers with webbed hands and feet and can stay submerged for up to three minutes at a time.

Any character that is the unfortunate victim of a Grick bite must save versus death magic or bleed profusely.  The saliva of a Grick defeats the natural clotting ability of those creatures that they bite.  The bite victim will bleed for 1d3 points of damage until a successful application of a pressure bandage or healing skill is applied to the wound or until a cure light wounds spell is cast upon it.

Grick are Chaotic Evil in alignment.  They are vile, vicious savage little beasts who delight in the torment of most life forms that they encounter.  Lizard men hunt them and attempt to eradicate Grick packs where they encounter them.  Trogolodytes have been known to capture Grick and hold them in cages, training 2d4 to act like the equivalent of a pack of savage hunting dogs.