Monsters

Vox Hound

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(Original Contribution – Tim Murray)

© Daniel S. Wall, April 20, 2026.

“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

***

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.

Hell Hounds

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 18, 2026.

***

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

***

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.

Arachnid Centaurs

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 18, 2026.

***

“Coming through the game trail, we suddenly happened upon a small meadow adjacent to a pond. The trees on all sides of the meadow had been clothed in a shimmering silver cloth, or so it seemed. The finely spun cloth seemed to encroach upon the center of the meadow from the top of the trees such that a clearing some 100′ in diameter at its base opened up to the sky for only about 30′ at its top. The cloth cast no shadow upon the scene, seeming instead to illuminate the entire place with a bright silvery light. Vines had woven themselves throughout the silver cloth, and different colored flowers emerged at intervals from the vines. A few small strands of the vines stretched from the canopy down toward the center of the pond wherein a small cluster of lily pads floated peacefully. Koi played about in the crystal clear waters, and dragon flies buzzed to and fro.

Across the meadow, we heard a voice; “We will have your names, please…”

Taragen Saliéss, Explorer

***

Appearing as a hybrid of a giant spider with a torso much like that of a human or an elf, Arachnid Centaurs appear to be a tremendous paradox. To many, their spider bodies are inherently discusting even frightening, and yet their humanoid bodies are consistently beautiful. In any event, these strange creatures are always surrounding themselves with objects of great beauty, much of which they create for themselves. From their clothing to their dwelling places, everything resting long in the company of one of these creatures seems to become that much more pleasant to behold.

Seldom does one of these creatures get far in life without taking up certain artistic skills. Arachnid Centaurs are also known for their devotion to nature, and few endeavor to create anything which would long outlast themselves. The ideal of beauty for one of these creatures is closely tied to nature. Given a choice, an Arachnid Centaur will almost always use natural materials to create anything of interest to her.

Arachnid Centaurs are not particularly friendly to intruders. They will typically use a variety of stratagems from traps to hidden trails to keep outsiders away from their places of dwelling. If that fails, an Arachnid Centaur may or may not take the time to assess the intent of an uninvited guest. Those sharing interests with an Arachnid Centaur may well find themselves at home with these creatures for a time, sharing skills and learning from one another, but an Arachnid Centaur will in time make it clear that it is time for guests to move on. Those with little interest in art of nature will survive the encounter only if the Arachnid Centaurs trust them to leave peacefully (usually with the understanding that they are never to return).

***

Riparian Variation: Some Arachnid Centaurs are native to riparian settings. These creatures typically reside in swamps or at the edges of remote lakes and slow moving rivers. They are otherwise much the same as their land-loving cousins.

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

Carapacians

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 18, 2026.

***

“What in the Hell is a Ninja?”

– Bori Mugafed, Turtle Shaman.

***

Carapacians are usually gentle creatures content to keep to themselves. Give them a warm place to sleep and a nice plate of raw veggies and they are living the good life as well as any shell-bearing creature could be.

Though Carapacians usually live relatively solitary lives, they are not without a sense of community service. So long as the neighbors aren’t too bothersome or intrusive, any self-respecting Carapacian is usually happy to play a positive (if limited role) in the community. Under normal circumstances, this will not involve any kind of violence. Often Carapacians will act as traders, connecting remote locations to goods and services from larger cities and distant lands. This sometimes entails more social interactions than a Carapacian would prefer, but it also provides them with a positive role in the lives of neighboring peoples, one that often serves as a second protection shell so to speak. A successful Carapacian is one worth more dead than alive to most anyone around them, and that is a good thing. Your average Carapacian lives a long and relatively uneventful life.

Carapacians come in two varieties, tortoise people and turtle people. The former prefer to live in warm desert environments whereas the later can be found in forests and swamps. They much prefer the swamps.

Scaped Goat

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 17, 2026.

***

“Sometimes the scaped goat returns.”

– Ankmerde Sholiguest, High Priest

***

When a Scaped Goat returns, it returns twisted and transformed by the weight of all the sins it has been forced to carry, sins which twist it into a ghostly creature, its flesh and coat rotting slowly from its body, and its eyes glowing faintly green.

What the Scaped Goat wants (and desperately so), is to unload its burden; to return its awful guilt to mankind. When it attacks, the goal of a Scaped Goat is seldom to kill or destroy an entire party; it seeks merely to give back at least one sin to each of the party members. Accomplishing this, a Scaped Goat will often proceed to look for others more deserving than itself of the terrible burden which it carries.

Uzassa

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 15, 2026.

***

“Beware, lest your companion trade the charms of her evening visage for a less pleasing appearance.”

– Mincenti, the Pure

***

Uzassa are among the more mysterious creatures of the world. Details vary, of course, but these humanoids could never be confused with any other specific kindred. The appearance of an Uzassa changes over the course of a day, as do their abilities. If nothing else about them appears to follow any consistent patterns, their changing nature is inevitable.

Uzassa appear as terrible and crude, even beastlike, in the daylight, but they are alwayss beautiful and compelling in the evening. It isn’t simply their physical demeanor that changes with the condition of light, however, as their powers change considerably along with their appearance. In daylight, Uzassa can be quite terrible warriors. In the evening, they are persuasive and mysterious spell casters.

Uipisi (Meadow Gump)

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 17, 2026.

***

“You got to get to the mage, yes, but to do that you got to go through her!”

– Glissiwok Keshelraen

“Nevermind”

– Pavo the Disappointed.

***

If a dwarf had grown from the stump of an oak tree, it would look much like an Uipisi. With arms of branches, and leaves about its head and shoulders, an Uipisi can be physically intimidating. They don’t move fast themselves, but few would close with one of these creatures of their own accord.

Uipisi prefer to live on the edge of remote woodlands and meadows. They like the company of sprites, but generally shy away from humans and others prone to cutting down trees and building large cities. Uipisi will often serve as guards for those who respect the forest. They don’t need for much themselves, but Uipisi are naturally protective, at least with those who share their own love of nature.

Mucky Loons

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 17, 2026.

***

“These bizarre little creatures have defied the narrative skills of far more eloquent people than yours truly, but I shall try my best to explain. If you can imagine a duck… now take away its wings and its feathers, lengthen it’s feat just a little bit, and replace its beak with a small elastic mouth capable of forming into a shape not unlike that of a tiny bugle. Now make the creature brightly colored. It can be any hue, but it will always be bright and, well, colorful… If you’re still with us on this, now just imagine about a dozen of them frolicking about a meadow, running around at high speed and causing all kinds of mischief. Imagine all that, and you have the general idea, sort of.

“Mucky Loons do not speak, though they use a range of toots and honks to communicate basic emotions with one another. The overall effect of their appearance and behavior is usually one of such homeliness that it somehow passes over into cuteness.”

– Arglemis Schmee, Gnome Story-teller.

***

Mucky Loons generally keep to themselves, and avoid sentient beings as much as possible. They spend their lives eating plants and small bugs and playing in the meadows and forests. When threatened, a flock of these creatures can become quite dangerous, however, swarming about a foe and bombarding it with acid spittle until even the bravest and toughest of creatures beats a hasty retreat. For most of these little creatures, that is enough, but the occasionally mean-spirited loons have been known to chase down and slay retreating foes. Most survivors will lick their wounds (carefully) and eventually go on about their lives. Should an opponent reveal himself to be a serious danger Mucky Loons will generally scatter and run away at great speed.