Lodoss War...

[Anime Kidd]

Im wondering what monsters are listed in the orignal Lodoss rpgs? Can't have a Lodoss campaign without the right monsters.

 

[Syunsuke]

monsters, monsters!

There are three RPG systems officially publisehd for Lodoss.
First system is "Recode of Lodoss war Companiom" (3 books).
After several years, much rivised ed. was published(lile AD&D for original D&D).This system is named "Lodoss RPG".
After more several years, "Lodoss Island World Guide" was published. This book is suppliment for "Sword World RPG". Sword World RPG was (is?) a very popular game in Japan, so this book was demanded.

I think "Lodoss RPG" is most usuful and "pure" for data source , so I will use it mostly with some consultant with Lodoss Island World Guide.

Monsters?
I think most of them are familiar, though relative strength of them may be different from D&D.
I'll list them in "Monster Level" order. Monster level is similar to CR; the larger, the stronger.
I'll add some descriptions if I think it have to be. Otherwise, names only.

Let's bigin.

Monster level (ML) 1
Wil-O'-the-Wisp : spirit(elemental?) of light in Lodoss.
wolf
goblin
kobold
giant ant
giant centipede
skelton
steel bee : giant wasp with steel-hard body
snake :assumed poisonous
ginant spider :assumed hunters
zombie
giant rat

ML 2
arial jellyfish :giant levitating jellyfish with paralys atack
ghoul
gremline :as small fiend
goblin shaman :goblin with shaman class
giant slug
giant bat :non blood sucker
giant poisonous toad
giant lizard
shade : spirit of darkness, counter part to Wil-O'-the-Wisp
slime : very weak ooze, not very specific
dryad : spirit of tree
bear
hobgoblin
wererat
leprechaun
vampire thorn(?) : blood sucking plant, not undead

ML 3
(giant) amoeba : another ooze
eagle
undine(spelling?) : water elemental
kobold chief : stronger kobold explained as "naturally stronger kobold"
salamander : fire elemental
giant spider :web sipnner
ginat scorpion
silph(spelling?) : air elemental
demon warrior :low inteligent fiend
gnome : earth elemental, not humanoid
harpy
fairy
werewolf
werebear
vampire bat :small blood sucking bat, not undead

ML 4
centaur
goblin lord : naturaly more stronger goblin
ginat stag beetle
giant mantice
viper
lizardman : lizardfolk

ML 5
wood golem
ogre
gargoyle
gillman(?) :sahuagin, I think
claw beast : ginat feline
hippogriff
pegasus
minotaur
landcrawler :giant worm
lesser vampire :vampire spawn

ML 6
andona (I can't figure) :carrion crawler
energy ball :nyth (M of Faerum) works fine for this one, I think
ghoulcrawler :undead carrion crawler, don't ask me
two-headed snake : one head deliver con poison, another head deliver magical poison that cause confusion
dragon tooth warrior : skelton-lile "instant" construct.
maneater : carnivorous plant that can disguise as neighbou plants
lizard king : king of lizardman
wraith
wight


ML 7
ent : treant
griffon
scylla :from greek myth
hell hound
lesser demon
weretiger

ML 8
cockatrice
sea surpent
troll
flesh golem
mummy
manticore : highly intelligent and cast some spells (supposed to be divine)
lamia : beautiful female human upper body with giant snake lower body. cast arcane spells and shape change to human

ML 9
guard demon :greater demon, cast divine spells
greater demon : cast both aracne and devine spells
giant
doppelgangar :greater doppelganger in D&D term. treated as fiend
mist : mist-like shapeless undead, emit dim yellow light
medusa

ML 10
cyclopse
stone golem
sphinx : seems like gynosphinx
spectre
darkhood :cloak-like undead
wyvern

ML 11
iron golem
chimera
small dragon :without spell casting
basilisik petrifying gaze, poison (con damage, I think)
phantom : ghost
haunt :another ghost

ML 12
ghost : one more ghost
hydra : breath fire
roc
wyrm (wurm?) : wingless dragon, breath fire
arcdemon : arcfiend
efreeti : greater fire elemental
genie : greater air elemental
dragon : most (if not all) dragon in Lodoss breath fire
behemoth : greater earth elemental
fenlile(spelling?) : greater sonw elemental, name taken after northan myth
vampire lord :true vampire



comment:
1.There are no shapeless (D&D like) elemental in Lodoss.
2."Greater elemental" seems to have nearly deity power.
3.I don't know why such many giant vermins are listed.
4.PC (or NPC) humanoids aren't listed as "monsters".

Some more are listed in "Lodoss Island World Guide", but I'm tired now

 

[Anime Kidd]

Bigger list than I thought. I'll go through the MM and try to find equivalents over the next few days.

Also, what do they list as PC/NPC races?

 

[Deedlit]

I can't believe kobolds are only ML 1. I like using gnolls as their equivalent, still, and not kobolds. It seems like most ML 1 monsters are too strong for a first-level campaign. But then again, campaigns should probably start at level 3, to make elves a possibility. I won't do well with the monsters, but I'll do what I can.

 

[Anime Kidd]

As said before, most Lodoss monsters do have equivalents or are already stated.

Just went through the list. Here is what I think, with the suggestions from Syunsuke:

O Will-O-Wisp/Shade — A weakened D&D Will-O-Wisp. As the standard is CR 6.
O Ameoba — Gelantious Cube or some sort of ooze.
O Kobold Chief/Kobold Lord — A D&D gnoll with higher HD. Possibly the Flind from 2e?
O Claw Beast — Some Dire tiger, panther, etc.
O Ghoulcrawler — Just a carrion crawler changed to an undead type.
O Lizard King — A higher HD lizardfolk.
O Undine, Slyph, Gnome, and Salamander — These creatures could be the various Mephits in the MM.
O Wood Golem — Im pretty sure this is stated already, but...
O Dragon Tooth Warrior — A tougher skeleton.
O Scylla — Familiar name, but never heard of it. What is it?
O Sea Serpent — Im pretty sure this is stated already, but...
O Darkhood — Either a new monster or just a tougher wraith?

These would be new monsters: Leprechaun, Steel Bee, Aerial Jellyfish, and the Two-Headed Snake.

The various ghosts could be any of the incorporeal undead. Same goes for the various demons (can be any demon or devil).

Edit ------------

I just found a 'Multi-headed' template at the WotC site here. This could be used for the Two-Headed Snake. Also, the Flesh-Mulcher Tree could be a stronger version of the Maneater creature.

 

[Syunsuke]

I re-read this thread and have to ask one thing.
How much custum rules and will we made?
Least is best? Or don't fear to make a lot of special rule/class/spell/race/monster ?

I think fuzion system conversion is a very good job.
Indeed, monsters (and many other things) listed in that PDF are taken by Japanese Lodoss RPG (I should know this). I find, however, some mistakes and many things that I can't find in Japanese rule books.


About PC/NPC race

Avairable races are;
human
elf
dawref
half elf
dark elf*
grass runner*

* these two races are "for experienced players only"

Gnome isn't humanoid in Lodoss (earth elemental).
I can't find any orc in Lodoss or Sword World RPG.
(Though there is weak construct called "orc". It's a weak wood golem made from orc tree. I think this is joke )

There are race/class restriction in Lodoss RPG and Sword World RPG.
For example, "elves can't be cleric because they don't worship deity".
How do you thing about this? I don't like, but...

Some more thigns about race.
Deedlit is high elf, but I think high elf in Lodoss is grey elf in D&D term.
Most common elf in Lodoss is called wood elf, and they can be wood elf or high elf in D&D.
Dark elf is simply evil elf with black skin. They have a bit different ability modifer and some save bonus for magic. They don't have weakness for daylight.
(But, Lodoss RPG is much more simple rule than D&D, so we can/should fill unwritten things.)

Grass runner isn't native race in Lodoss.
They have natural talent for bard.


Deedlit,
I think starting with 3rd level PCs is good idea, for 1st level PCs in Lodoss RPG seem much stronger than 1st Lv. PCs in D&D.


Anime Kidd,

Scylla: beautifull female human upper body with six serpent heads and 12 octpus-like tentacles.
Dragon Tooth Warrior: construct, not undead. This is clear in rule. There is a spell named "Dragon Tooth Warrior" that create this monster. This spell has M conpornent "one doragon tooth".



what things do you want to know next ?

 

[Deedlit]

I say the Race/Class restrictions should be done away with, they existed in other RPGs of the time as well, but gaming has grown past that phase. As for the difference between High and Wood elves in Lodoss, the fact that this difference is not mentioned on the Lodoss Fuzion site, or any other RoLW site for that matter, I think makes it clear that it should be done away with. Dark elves should remain slightly different from high elves IMO, and they were shown using invisibility frequently.(A spell-like ability which high elves seem to lack.) Personally, I prefer nature spirits from OA representing undine, sylph, salamander, and gnome, though they should be tweaked a bit as the OA nature spirits are based on 5 elements, not the 4 represented by those creatures.

 

[Syunsuke]

Hello.
I'll post about magic of Lodoss (and Forceria, material plane of this setting) today.
When I say my idea, they aren't "official" setting/rule of Lodoss but my intereption as D&D rule.

Six kinds of magic is avarable in Forceria; arcane, divine, shamaic(or elementalism), common, black, and dragon.
I don't know whither dragon magic is avarable in Lodoss or not.

I'll descrive them.

1.arcane
Almost identical to D&D arcane magic.
Arcane spell casters are called sorcerers in Lodoss RPG/SW(Sword World) RPG.
They are bookish type but cast spells spontaneously.
Both RPG use mana-point(mental point) magic system.
Most armours hinder arcane spell casting.


I think D&D sorcerer is OK.
But if we will build custom class, my ideas are;
They cast spells like sorcerer but depend on Int, not Cha.
Get less spells automatically when they level up(only one/Lv ?) but they can/have to learn new spells from spellbooks or teachers.
They can know more spells than core rule sorcerer.(But there should be limit.)
Their spellbook is a personal refference, training log or research notes.
They need daily practice or review to cast spell properly. This process need similler condition as wizard prepare their spells(quiet place and so on).



2.shamanic
This isn't a kind of devine magic for me. More likely arcane, but I think the best treatment is "they are shamanic, neither arcane or devine".
Lodoss shaman dosen't have many healing spells but I think they should have.
(Officially, elf cannot be cleric. Arcnane magic can't heal, so elves have to depend on shamanic spell when they need healing. And I think Race/Class restrictions should be done away with, too.)

Shamans controll elemental energy but aren't able to create in SW RPG
So, they need elemental energy source when they cast spells.
For example; if you want to cast fire spell, you need some fire near to you. A lit candle is sufficient.
Example of other energy source; naked earth, natural wind, bottlefull of water with cap open, living creature(for spirit of life or mind, can be caster herself) or some shade.
You can't cast earth spell when you are on the ship or wind spell in the buildings, and so on.
(There is a spell that allow you to carry one kind of spirit for energy source.)These rules aren't in Lodoss RPG, but I think this is interseting rule.

Large amount of metal(metalic armour) prevent shaman from casting spell.
Silver is exception for this rule.

my idea;
I think the shugenja spell list is better than the OA shaman spell list for Lodoss shaman, because shugenja's spells are more focused on element and have more similarity to original list.
They need elemental energy source and this is big limitation.
So I think they should cast spontaneously and know much more spells than core rule sorcerer, though I don't have a good idea about game balance.
They don't suffer spell failure by non-metalic armours but suffer much worse by metalic armours.



3.divine

Cleric cast spontaneously, too.
They can wear any armour.
I don't have good idea for gaming.



4.common
I think thin sound strange.
Common Magic is Magic cast in common language .
They are very weak magic, but usable by knight class in Lodoss RPG and everyone in SW RPG, if learnd.



5.black
This is, actually, devine spells of evil deitis.
There aren't good deitis countrer part, so this could be vile spell from BoVD.(But I don't have that book, so I'm not sure)



6.dragon
This is a strage dragon theam magic...but I put this one later.



By the way, is my English understandable?

 

[Deedlit]

While there are certainly spells on the Shujenga spell list that make more sense then ones on the Shaman spell list for Lodoss shamans, there are many shamanic spells(Spirit ally and Commune with Spirit series in particular) that should be available on Lodoss shamans, and I don't think those spells are on the Shujenga list. Also, I think there may be some useful spells from the druid list for Lodoss shamans that they should get.

 

[D.Shaffer]

Whee! First posting! Anyways...

While there are certainly spells on the Shujenga spell list that make more sense then ones on the Shaman spell list for Lodoss shamans, there are many shamanic spells(Spirit ally and Commune with Spirit series in particular) that should be available on Lodoss shamans, and I don't think those spells are on the Shujenga list. Also, I think there may be some useful spells from the druid list for Lodoss shamans that they should get.

Why not just create custom spell lists? It's a bit harder and more time consuming, but the end result would be more 'accurate' to the world then it would be if we just pulled spell lists.

I'm fairly interested in seeing what abilities the original source material gave the various races and classes myself.

PS: And to answer another question, yes Syunsuke, your English is understandable. More so then mine is some nights.