Bjornwyrd

April 30, 2026August 26, 2026 / danielwalldammit / 1 Comment

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“Yes, you must poke the bear with a stick. Strange as it may seem, your only hope is to enrage him. His claws are not as dangerous as his magic.”

– Kregestir, the Short Lived.

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Bjornwyrd or regular polar bear? Hard to know!

Imagine a polar bear with all the usual might and strength of its kindred. Now add great magical abilities to its list of skills. This is a Bjornwyrd.

Nobody knows why polar bears sometimes develop these powers, but it happens. Not only do they develop great spell-casting powers, they also become especially adept at cold-based spells. The end result is a creature that is dangerous from a distance or up close.

Needless to say, these creatures are greatly feared by any with the sense to know what they are.

Specific rules for playing a Bjornwyrd in Tunnels and Trolls can be found here.

Tierzen

April 30, 2026July 9, 2026 / danielwalldammit / 1 Comment

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“Just a moment before, she had had possessed no weapons at all. Now a shadow in the shape a great sword shimmered in her hands, wisps of black ether drift up from its edge. There was nothing normal about this, but in the hands of that thing, the ghost blade seemed somehow quite fitting.”

– G’shen Fmierelei, Herald of the Elven Wood.

***

Illustration by Michael Syrigos

Tierzen appear as black skinned humanoids, with no body hair of any kind. They are usually wrapped in dark clothing. Their eyes are bright green, though it is said they turn black when using the powers of a Spiritual Combatant.

An amulet exists for every Tierzen; it prevents them from attacking the one who carries it. Any Tierzen who carries his own amulet will find it weakens her, so Tierzen lives are spent seeking a suitable host for their own amulets. Few Tierzen could be trusted with this power, a fact which makes it all the more difficult for Tierzen to find stable and safe trustees for their amulets.

Tierzen are natural Spiritual Combatants, taking to their natural gift with a dedication rarely found among other Kindred. Most Tierzen will always possess the ability ‘Spiritual Weaponry’ thus enabling them to inflict great mental damage on opponents in melee combat. To ensure that such opponents do not escape physical injury, Tierzen work closely with other creatures generating more physical damage. Tierzen are always careful to ensure that they dominate any other creatures they choose to work with.

Illustration by Michael Syrigos

Tierzen possess one other distinctive behavioral characteristic, a profound interest in all things having to do with death. All Tierzen exhibit a marked fascination with death and dying from an early age, and those that take up spell casting invariably dabble in some forms of necromancy.

This mysterious kindred is widely thought to be evil in nature, yet even their greatest detractors will add that random violence is almost unheard of among their kind. Tierzen always seem to act with a purpose and limit their violence to those who genuinely stand in the way of that purpose.

In some cases, Tierzen campaigns appear to have been shaped by the desire to capture important resources. Tierzen have fought to obtain Magical Items and gold, but far more often they have sought information of one sort or another. Few understand the reasons for Tierzen involvement in anything, and individuals of this Kindred do little to enlighten them, a fact which leaves plenty of room for rumors and theories.

Wise men say it is best to step aside when Tierzen make an appearance and let them go about their business. If for whatever reason, one feels compelled to stop them, then it is best to pray before doing so.

Rules for playing Tierzen in Tunnels and Trolls, Delux Edition can be found here.

Sidehill Basher

April 29, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

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“Now the Sidehill Basher is always gonna be facing thuh other way from the Sidehill Grabber, I mean. If’n it faces the same way, thuh Grabber will git the dang thing fer sure, but if’n the Basher faces the Gabber as its comin’, well then it has a chance. …a goodun too! You see a Sidehill Basher will flat knock a Basher raht off thuh side o’ thuh hill. Then it runs a ways forward raht quick, jess to make sure the Grabber can’t come back an’ git it. If’n the Grabber lives through thuh bash and the subsequent fall, that is.

…oh yeah! Fergot ta’ say. You don’t want ta’ git too close to a Basher. It’s liable ta’ mistake ye’ fer a Grabber, er maybe it just don’t care. Dang things are prone ta’ knock most anything off the side o’ thuh mountain. Best ta’ keep away from ’em, my wahf use ta’ say. …sure do wish she’da follered her own advahs.”

– Maddoch Riwarden, Mountain Scout

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A Sidehill Basher appears to be a large and very sturdy mountain goat. Its legs on one side are typically twice the size of those on the other, making it perfectly suited to life on steep mountain slopes, providing, of course, that it always faces the same direction.

A Sidehill Basher spends its life grazing the shrubs and grasses on the side of a mountain top, always moving in the same direction. If Sidehill Grabbers are present, then all the Sidehill Bashers on any given mountain will be facing the same direction (as the Grabbers will have eaten up those facing the other way.

Sidehill bashers are known to be very cranky. They will happily butt heads with any creature they see coming the other way. If it can, this creature will do its best to knock a victim clear off a ledge and down the side of a cliff.

Sidehill Grabber

April 29, 2026April 29, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

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“If you can get just get to his other side yer safe! Dern thing can’t turn around without fallin’ down the side o’ the mountain.”

– Maddoch Riwarden, Mountain Scout

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This creature has the appearance of a large puma, but this particular puma is particularly well-suited to life in the high mountains. One may not notice at first, but both legs on one side of its body are significantly smaller than those on the other. The Side-Hill Grabber is thus perfectly balanced on a steep slope, so long as it is facing one particular direction.

Sidehill Grabbers spend their lives hunting mountain goats and mountain sheep. They are particularly fond of Side-Hill Bashers. And of course, no Sidehill Grabber will hesitate to add a dwarf or a random Ligén to its diet.

A Sidehill Grabber will typically hide just above a given mountain path or game trail and pounce on the first victim to come along. Using its claws to secure a victim and hold it in place, the Sidehill Grabber will take great care to avoid letting its victim escape or fall. A falling victim may easily bounce in the wrong direction, forcing the Sidehill Grabber to walk all the way around the mountain in order to claim its meal.

As it happens all the sidehill grabbers on a given mountain-side will always face the same direction. This is due to the odd rivalries of the kindred. While a Sidehill Grabber will rarely take any violent action against one of its own kind, provided they are both facing the same direction, it will do anything in its power to kill one coming from the other direction.

Bastard Fish

April 28, 2026April 28, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

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“What is that?” – Anonymous, R.I.P.

These foul creatures appear to be giant lion fish. Some say that their eyes give off a faint green glow, but few have survived coming close enough to confirm the rumor. The long fins of a Bastard Fish trail further below a Bastard Fish than one might expect (as far as 6″ on a game table), but fish does not suffer if these are damaged.

They are actually quite intelligent, however, and they possess the capacity to float in the air as if swimming. Endowed with great Spiritual Power, Bastard Fish use it to satisfy their incredible hunger. But these creatures do not merely kill for food; they also do it for pleasure.

Aquamonkeys

April 28, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

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“There is a nasty rumor that Aquamonkeys are just an exotic variety of shrimp, but those who have encountered these cute but annoying critters know the truth. Aquamonkeys are as indeed every bit as real as unicorns. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know a Griffon from a Pegasus!”

– Gable One-Eye, Retired Sailor

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Aquamonkeys are Naturally just what you expected them to be; they are monkeys that live under sea. Their skin is comprised of fine scales, and their tails end in fins. Aquamonkeys have a small degree of webbing on their hands and feet, though not enough to interfere with Movement on land.

These are Naturally harmless creatures, living on sea cucumbers and shellfish. They dwell in warm coastal waters, leading a carefree lifestyle, playing in the water and scurrying about the ocean floor. They are very curious creatures, however, and this is what often brings them into conflict with humans.

Aquamonkeys have been known to climb up the rope connecting a ship to its anchor at night and fiddle about looking for shiny baubles and other fun stuff. Whenever this happens some will inevitably end up playing in the rigging of a ship, but by that time you never know what the others may have taken. Such forays are never done with intent to harm, but many an important item has been known to disappear with these creatures back into the waters below. Aquamonkeys are prone to hold onto anything they have picked up before trouble starts, however, dropping items only when damaged, and even then only on about a 50/50 chance.

If unharmed, Aquamonkeys may stick around to play in the water near a ship. When consulted by those capable of speaking with animals, Aquamonkeys can almost always lead people to some items of treasure lost under the sea. These aquatic pack-rats can usually be relied upon to accumulate a rather large number of shiny items, at least some of which could prove valuable.

It takes a bit of coaxing, but to a Aquamonkey copper pieces are every bit as pretty as gold or platinum, and that should give people a bit of an angle to work with. If a troop of Aquamonkeys are not happy with the trade off, however, they will attack someone trying to take their treasure. If a fight occurs in the water, they can be quite brave. In such cases, a troop will fight until half of its members have been slain, at which time they will scatter and flea the area entirely.

Vox Hound

April 20, 2026September 5, 2026 / danielwalldammit / 1 Comment

(Original Contribution – Tim Murray)

“Bred and twisted through arcane secrets long since lost, the Vox Hound was originally created to be protector and companion to powerful wizards. The hound’s innate ability to resist and absorb magic made them the perfect tool for keeping rivals in check, and that is what they did for many generations. Somewhere along the line something went terribly wrong. The very creatures that were once mage-friend began to hate and hunt anyone known to cast a spell. Abilities for so long considered a boon to wizards everywhere had been turned upon master with devastating results…”

– Except from The Magic of Ilaria – Gregory Trantell, historian

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Very few wizards manage to suppress a shudder at the mention of the Vox Hound. These Hounds possess a thick coat of protective fur and a strong set of jaws, but it is their magical powers that make them truly dangerous. Vox Hounds are blessed with a strong resistance to magic and the ability to turn the power of a wizard’s spells right back at them, these creatures pose a real threat to even the greatest of mages.

Vox Hounds loathe any who wield the magical arts, and will go out of their way to track down and slay any that wield magic. It is said that a Vox Hound may track a wizard by the traces of arcane energy he leaves behind. Assassins and nefarious individuals wishing for a strong guardian often attempt to make use of a Vox Hound’s services.

A common misconception is that Vox Hounds are simply powerful dogs. They are actually extremely intelligent, and each individual hound has its own ambitions and desires.

Rules for a Vox Hound in Tunnels & Trolls can be found here.

Hell Hounds

April 20, 2026May 14, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

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“You got Hell Hounds on your trail boy. Hell Hounds on your trail!”

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Hell Hounds appear as gaunt and evil looking mastiffs, covered with an occasional wisp of flames. Their eyes emit a bright red glow. The claws, mouth, ears, and eye sockets of a Hell Hound appear as blackened charcoal. When a Hell Hound fights, the charcoal hued portions of their body heats up and glow bright red and their bodies emit a wreath of flames.

Hell Hounds are a special demon summoned for the sole purpose of tracking down victims chosen by greater demons or devils. They are often used for the purpose of bringing home to Hell those who have made a Devil’s Bargain home, so to speak. They have a voracious appetite, forcing them to live off the land, killing and eating whatever gets in their way. For this reason, anyone with Hell Hounds on his trail is a danger to others as well as himself. Those who are wise would do well to avoid such company.

The Stone Philosophic

A Fantasy Setting

Monsters