Monsters

Viglili

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© Daniel S. Wall, October 3, 2026.

***

“Who the Hell keeps taking the buttons off my coat!?!”

– Umpalouie Babalau, Renowned Explorer

***

Viglili appear to be medium-sized monkeys with prehensile tales. Well, that is what their bodies look like anyway. Their round bulbous faces are white colored, leathery, and aside from some slight wrinkles, they are completely devoid of features. It isn’t really noticable in daylight, but this face always has a faint glow to it, When desired a Viglili can light up this face like a great torch.

Although very intelligent, Viglili generally behave much as other monkeys. In rare cases, a Viglili may take an interest in other sentient creatures. If one of these creatures takes a fancy to someone, she can be quite helpful. No Viglili can resist the allure of bright and shiny objects, however, and these creatures are constantly stealing items for no practical reason. Viglili usually stow their prizes in one or more secret locations. When travelling a Viglili may try to stow something away in hopes of returning, or she may try stashing it in the gear of a fellow party member. This has been known to cause problems.

Rules for playing Viglili in Tunnels & Trolls can be found here.

Riaspa

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© Daniel S. Wall, September 27, 2026.

***

“To a dwarf she appears strong; to the elf she appears slender; and to the orc, she seems furious. A Riaspa lives in the eye of the beholder.”

– Palaris, the Pure

***

It is difficult to describe Riaspa, because few can agree on all of their features, or even of the physical description of one particular Riaspa. Whether a given Riaspa could be counted as slender or stocky depends as much on the qualities of the person telling you about her as anything else. Each person who knows a given Riaspa seems to see at least something of themselves in her.

The flexible qualities of a Riaspa are not entirely limited to her physical appearance as their associates always seem to see their own moral qualities and personality characteristics in the behavior of a Riaspa. These creatures are blessed with a number of powers reflecting their ability to mirror and reflect the skills and powers of those around them. For their own part, Riaspa seem to revel in social interaction and take great pleasure in flirting with the values and skills of their companions.

Some might wonder just what a Riaspa is really like, but this question misses the point entirely. These creatures are always a reflection of those around them.

It should be added that most seem to be rather pleased by what they see in a Rhiaspa.

Rules for playing a Riaspa in Tunnels & Trolls can be found here.

Dream Reaver

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© Daniel S. Wall, September 27, 2026.

***

“Do you see the dark circles under his eyes? The pallor of his skin? Do you wonder what happened to the well-fed belly he once carried? The old monarch has not slept in 4 days. He awoke screaming the last time he tried. He does not dream anymore, not without terror. Some powerful being has its eyes on our liege. It will not let go until he withers to nothing.”

– Gorah Tomiwin, Courtier

***

A Dream Reaver is often mistaken for a Lich. Much as a Lich, a Dream Reaver appears to be a rotting corpse, but its life is not prolonged by science. A Dream Reaver is sustained by rage alone. It lives for the sole purpose of terrorizing the living and destroying what peace they might enjoy. It does this by invading their dreams, attacking them as they sleep.

It is thought that great disasters or terrible atrocities give birth to these creatures. When thousands die, the power of their suffering spirits will sometimes come to rest in the corpse of a single victim, prolonging its life and enabling it to seek revenge upon the living.

A Dream Reaver will rarely move about. It sleeps constantly, but in its dreams it will ever out seek new victims.

Gremlin

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© Daniel S. Wall, September 27, 2026.

***

“Gremlins do not exist.” – a well known fact.

Of these creatures, little can be said. If Gremlins did exist, they could be described as highly stealthy creatures that live to cause mischief and disrupt the plans of others. But that is of course a mere superstition.

It is sometimes claimed that Gremlins have been captured or found dead. In all such cases, it seems pretty clear that the creature in question was but a tiny Goblin of unusual ability.

It should also be said that among these fictional creatures that do not actually exist, it is considered very bad form to be seen, heard, or otherwise known to exist. All Gremlins are expected to ensure that they do not exist as far as others are concerned, and to go to great lengths in doing so.

Devil Dog (Tunnels & Trolls)

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A General narrative about Devil Dogs can be found here. What follows are stats for the game of Tunnels and Trolls.

***

Devil Dog: Str: 1, Con: 1, Dex: .75, Lk: 1.5, IQ: 1.25, Wiz: .75, SP: 1, Chr: 1.25.

Height: 1, Weight: 1

Language(s): Devil Dogs speak Canis.

Devil Dogs have the following special qualities:

  • Devil Dogs get +1 add per ally fighting in the same group to a maximum equal to their level.
  • Devil Dogs run at twice the normal rate of movement.
  • Any wounded characters suffer 1 extra point of damage for every point of spite damage inflicted upon them in combat with Devil Dogs.

Standard Monster Rating: 40.

Draugr

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© Daniel S. Wall, September 26, 2026.

***

People tell a lot of stories about Draugr, but nobody really knows how they come into

being. Their goals can be gathered from their actions easily enough, but they are always something of a mystery.

By most accounts, Draugr had some connection to death even in life. In most cases, they are humans who possessed the quality of Death in their actual lives. Still, there have been cases in which no trace of death was noticed in life, and still others in which elves or other kindreds somehow become Draugr. In some rare occasions, all or most of an army rises from the dead to take on this form. In any event, Draugr lose most of their living traits and abilities as they take on their undead form. Each retains a few small characteristics and abilities from their former lives. They can usually speak their native language as living creatures, and they typically retain some value from their former lives along with one natural characteristics and one professional skill. In all other respects, Draugr all take on the same abilities.

Although Draugr fall readily into the role of soldiers, other aspects of their behavior varies from one to the next. Traces of their former lives can be seen in the behavior of Draugr. They will often exhibit the moral values and professional skills of their former selves, albeit always carried out in the absence of any real joy. Their afterlives are always a mere shadow of the ones they once led. Only in battle, do they show any real investment in what they are doing.

The one constant in the behavior of Draugr is their penchant for protecting the dead and the domain of the dead. Graveyards of any kind are sacred to Draugr, as are the bodies of any who have been buried in any form. They are particularly interested in punishing those who steal from the dead. They don’t seem to mind when warriors loot the bodies of slain enemies, but should anyone steal from a grave, they will incur the wrath pf the Draugr. In rare cases, a kinder than usual Draugr has been content to return stolen items to the grave when the thief was smart enough to surrender them. In most cases, anyone foolish enough to steal from the dead had best prey that these warriors never learn about it.

Rules for playing Draugr in Tunnels & Trolls can be found here.

Volozule (Tunnels & Trolls)

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A General narrative about Volozule can be found here. What follows are stats for the game of Tunnels and Trolls.

***

Str: .75, Con: .75, Dex: .75, Lk: 1, IQ: 1.5, Wiz: 1.5, SP: 1 Chr: 1

Height: 1, Weight: 1

Language(s): Volozule speak The Ur Tongue (or its closest equivalent).

Special Qualities: All Volozule possess the following special abilities:

1) Terrain Morale (Built Environments): Once per game session, a Volozule may choose to add 2 points to a die roll for an action taken within a city, and once more per game session, they can add 2 points to a die roll made in a built environment (e.g. building, a ship, or a dungeon carved and shaped by sentient creatures). Yes, these bonuses can be taken on the same roll.
2) A Volozule counts as if their Dexterity was 3 points higher for purposes of spell casting.
3) Volozule automatically begin with the talents, Architect and Engineer.
4) A Volozule can use a magic effect to temporarily alter the architecture of a building. They must spend an entire turn doing so and spend a variable number of points of Wiz.
– They can alter the size of any non-magical window or door, shrinking it to as little as half its normal size or expanding it to twice its normal size, provided this still fits the building in question. This does not open, close, lock, or unlock the door or window in question. It remains as it was before except for the size. The effect lasts 1 turn per level of the Volozule. This costs 1 point of Wiz +1 per inch of range necessary to include the full effect.
– They can move a non-magical window or door up to 1” per level, providing this does not change the room on either side of the porthole in question. If they attempt to move a porthole too far, it moves only as far as it can without leaving the room in question. This does not open, close, lock, or unlock the door or window in question. It remains as it was before, except for its size. The effect lasts 1 turn per level of the Volozule. This costs 2 points of Wiz +1 per inch of range necessary to include the full effect +1 per inch of movement.
– They can build a staircase or an fixed ladder to any window, doorway, or rooftop on a built structure. The maximum height, width, and length of this new feature is equal to 1” per level of the Volozule. It will be made of the same material as the building itself, or at least one that would fit within the overall structure. The effect lasts 1 turn per level of the Volozule. This costs 3 points of Wiz +1 per inch of range necessary to include the full effect +1 inch of width +1 per inch of height +1 more per inch of length on the ground.
Note that all of these changes happen slowly and harmlessly. Living creatures may easily escape any hazards cause by the changes themselves. How they effect tactical combat is another matter.

Standard Monster Rating: 35.

Mucky Loon (Tunnels & Trolls)

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A General narrative about Mucky Loons can be found here. What follows are stats for the game of Tunnels and Trolls.

***

Mucky Loon: Str: .25, Con: .5, Dex: 2, Lk: 1.5, IQ: .75, Wiz: .75, SP: 2, Chr: 1.5.

Height: .2, Weight : .2.

Language(s): Mucky Loons speak Avian. They can understand but not speak, Sylvan.

Mucky Loons have the following special qualities.

  • A Mucky Loon has a natural missile attack in the form of an acidic spit. Each time a Mucky Loon does this, a Mucky Loon spends 1 point of her Wizardry, just as if it had cast a spell. It’s range is equal to 1” per point of the creature’s Constitution. The spit does 1d6 in initial damage +1 per level of the Mucky Loon (subject to the normal effects of armor). Note that Mucky Loons of 2nd level or higher can choose to spend extra Wiz points up to their level to increase the number of 6 sided dice they roll for this damage). So, a 4th level Mucky Loon could theoretically spend 5 Wiz points to generate 4d6+4 in initial damage. As this is acidic damage, it continues to burn for 1 round afterwards per point of the Mucky Loon’s Strength, doing 1 point of damage on each of these rounds. Any one trying to stamp out the acid must make a Luck Save at a target equal to the initial attack roll. Doing so without a rag or water, or something else to help remove the acid inflicts a penalty of -3 on the roll.
  • A Mucky Loon can travel at three times the normal rate of speed.
  • A Mucky Loon can make a special Luck Save to avoid damage versus 1 missile or the damage from general combat. To do so it makes a Luck Save against the total damage it would take from the source of damage. Success reduces the damage taken by the Mucky Loon by 2 points + 1 more for every time its total roll can be divided by the damage in question.

Standard Monster Rating: 20.