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Potential Monsters in Quests from the Infinite Staircase Adventures
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<blockquote data-quote="Echohawk" data-source="post: 9321684" data-attributes="member: 9849"><p style="text-align: justify"><strong>UK4: When a Star Falls</strong> (June 1984)</p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/emPV07cYQ0sZIlwgoyq9p3307d5c-BfcPFZtxKJoWjt76vVDngKlGZurZ9P_eWGXJe2htUrxBQNaEEaw1L_DFQ91kFUaolo4NBytjZTxs-Ve798UDpBEgPHXb7LGSENV4nFguTo36d-4FH3FEx8gZz0" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 193px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">Of all the adventures appearing in <em>Quests from the Infinite Staircase</em>, there are the fewest new monsters in <em>When a Star Falls</em>. Only two creatures had full monster entries: the maschin-i-bozorg and the memory web. All of the other monsters appearing in <em>When a Star Falls</em> were from the first edition <em>Monster Manual</em>, <em>Fiend Folio</em> or <em>Monster Manual II</em>, but as we’ll see, quite a few of those have not yet been updated to fifth edition.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><u>New monsters</u></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><u><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/BB-P3MLOCzTqd3MRPqMF-kzS_sJhCPVThAp74_1Mvga9TX_Zb4dxg2yvZpUH404GnOPWYid70bE3o6R29TLZkULkNLI3uYkBlt9UwY1RWydKs_QSZdHJ5ZTluIxR0DT63nz4t7QzRINIW9emSVHco7E" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 407px" /></u></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><em>When a Star Falls</em> features a group of machine-obsessed svirfnebli who call themselves the kagu-svirfnebli. One of the machines that they are capable of making is the <strong>maschin-i-bozorg</strong>, which sounds like something transplanted from a <em>Paranoia</em> game. The maschin-i-bozorg is a metal dome that comes in three sizes (small, medium and large) and attacks with stun darts and jets of steam. It moves around on wheels, is capable of rolling over (and crushing) prone creatures, but gets bogged down in soft terrain. <em>When a Star Falls</em> seems to be the only time the maschin-i-bozorg appears in D&D lore, so an update in <em>Quests</em>, which seems quite likely, would be only its second appearance.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/JtFmr5Jkf3-sRZxGypZk-0C-io7LRc93z7-b0UrJabR1soF9CivTBnZwwyaSR3uoIDzDjxrne4codD508eUGveCl6z6oHE-WENMNEPdvblLrvY1v9xSMGo4ntUwamTLPwK-Vpequg8TwdaHsDRLbJFk" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 196px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">The second creature to get a full monster entry in <em>When a Star Falls</em> is the <strong>memory web</strong>, an animated web that can scrunch itself into a ball and then leap on targets to constrict them. It absorbs memories from victims. If it is slain, recently consumed memories burst out and lodge in the minds of nearby creatures. The memory web was reprinted in the second edition <em>Monstrous Compendium Three: Forgotten Realms Appendix</em> (1989) and <em>Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three</em> (1996) and seems like a good candidate for a fifth edition update.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><u>Other monsters</u></p> <p style="text-align: justify">As to be expected, <em>When a Star Falls</em> features many creatures now found in the fifth edition <em>Monster Manual</em>: brown bear, bugbear, giant eagle, giant goat, giant wasp, griffon, imp, jackalwere, lamia, ogre, spectator, wolf, saber-toothed tiger, and troll.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/dBtebhWtNxzzvjeQIPRu8wq2EVNdrW2Ws8AYTcOXidnJlODkRrpuO60v9hk9lEZMQFhFRNp7XzSsIYzqLpa2EFp8lgXoRfSkzW56rTEZDfxLghlC8oQuoC8QD7Pt07csawxhQu6RWtZmFDpw0LCLNAw" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 160px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">The <strong>shadow mastiff</strong>, originally found in the <em>Monster Manual II</em> (1983) has already appeared in <em>Volo’s Guide to Monsters </em>(2016) and <em>Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse</em> (2022), but might be reprinted. A reprint of the <strong>giant subterranean lizard</strong> previously found in <em>Tales from the Yawning Portal</em> (2017) also seems likely, although the huge fifth edition versions may find navigating the cramped maps of the original adventure challenging.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/c6f3IVEuOIHk5OHY0I7880ocTsTTefll_w9H-AGfsdmTHkx88PQTkYR1aS6oxWMlWV9PFRvJR6be0XRJq8tZ1jET5hYCkyNJCVRxJgrPBFeS84hMRkRiFFpFnAWSbMheirdwOLt-4v8z2qK8a4vBDww" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 189px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><em>When a Star Falls</em> has <strong>derro warriors</strong>, a <strong>derro leader</strong>, and <strong>derro students</strong>. There are already fifth edition derro (and derro savants) in <em>Out of the Abyss</em> (2015) and <em>Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse</em> (2022), but a reprint of the derro monster entry seems likely, perhaps with a spell-casting savant replacing the leader.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><em>When a Star Falls</em> also has gnomes (including guards and captains) and a wide variety of humans (including children, hunters, a leader, monks, sages, scribes, scullion, slaves, wardens, and with typical first edition sexism, women). Of these, only the sage already has a fifth edition monster block (in 2021’s <em>Candlekeep Mysteries</em>). Gnomes and humans are in the <em>Player’s Handbook</em>, and fifth edition doesn’t feel obliged to have monster stat blocks for playable races, so the humanoids in <em>When a Star Falls</em> are likely to get NPC stat blocks where needed.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/rK_sxk1vNPfpwGmKrD8QbgwtaOjEgLLh0-RTHpMz2oCztjYs05mditcMkGkjC39y9Mo_dbjxViVXr1yfoIDmh2PWJ9JrubGKgB0B8EprbPM6uePDLaxSVnjJxdzMtpfj51APjj4YWS2lcnU1KjNIfj4" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 163px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">The machine-obsessed kagu-svirfnebli mentioned earlier are a significant part of the plot of <em>When a Star Falls</em>, so even though the svirfnebli appear in the fifth edition <em>Monster Manual</em> (under “Gnome, Deep”) it wouldn’t be surprising to get one or two new NPC stat blocks in <em>Quests from the Infinite Staircase</em> to represent the <strong>burrow warden</strong> and <strong>assistant</strong> kagu-svirfnebli from this adventure. The kagu-svirfnebli are friends with a pair of red dragons named <strong>Grlsdelfawr</strong> and <strong>Pyrofenlx</strong>. They are specifically medium-sized, sub-adult dragons in <em>When a Star Falls</em>. Medium-sized would suggest using the fifth edition’s dragon wyrmling stats, but a young red dragon seems a better match as a challenge than a wyrmling.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify">There are a few ordinary animals in <em>When a Star Falls</em> that don’t have fifth edition <em>Monster Manual</em> versions, specifically the <strong>gorilla</strong>, the <strong>war dog</strong> and the <strong>mountain lion</strong> (although the <em>Monster Manual</em> does have a lion). Also missing are small (<strong>horse minimal</strong>), giant (<strong>giant beaver</strong>, <strong>giant otter</strong>, <strong>giant sheep</strong> and <strong>giant stag</strong>) and huge (<strong>huge raven</strong>) versions of some animals. It is possible that some of these will get updates or abbreviated updates in <em>Quests from the Infinite Staircase</em>, particularly the huge raven, since it is a featured companion of one of the villains. The adventure’s <strong>huge spider</strong>s are likely to be replaced with fifth edition’s slightly smaller giant spiders.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/cf356xGYBy1iuZNapsckn0nU8PcKePFwY5BmuBiPrm8JpfU0J5OXDXtefh_REJm2-iRzm1PxRrOhobHWVfpfSE2_dByJDdM9ydGQ6Yl4MVNn1MN_5EYOMqm2gR9VwbfBAPpU9_X-g3qHcOYyv9Ta8o8" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 183px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">Both the first edition <em>Fiend Folio</em> and <em>When A Star Falls</em> were produced by TSR UK. That might explain the number of creatures from the former appearing in the latter. In the <em>Fiend Folio</em> (1981), the <strong>caterwaul</strong> is described as feline and bipedal, but a quadrupedal giant cat is depicted. The second edition version in the <em>Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix</em> looks slightly more inclined to walk on two legs, but the word bipedal is edited out from that description. This monster’s only gimmick is a harmful shriek. It appears only in one random encounter, so it would be easy to replace; an updated version isn’t likely.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/RjOfsRvNZC1oCFFAO3P9yu7PDWnglKVT6hGp37yO7gC1YxOweujYw8px0dtmEO7UGNX7Gn9gvgizznH9W7AcSKY2-ey2SbOBhLgiJS4YcvH0huC0sOstoKvf8aaJHsa5l75SIkTUPddYeb39BGyQ3xk" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 163px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">The <em>Fiend Folio</em> (1981) describes the <strong>coffer corpse</strong> as resembling a zombie, and notes that they are usually found in stranded funeral barges or other situations where a corpse has been unable to return to its maker. Normal weapons appear to harm a coffer corpse, but it is only pretending and gets up again, triggering a <em>fear</em> response. When not pretending to be hurt by weapons, a coffer corpse attempts to strangle enemies. The coffer corpse appeared in second edition in the <em>Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix</em> (1992) and the <em>Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three</em> (1996) and briefly in fourth edition in <em>Dungeon #215 </em>(2013). The coffer corpses are part of a specific encounter in <em>When a Star Falls</em>, and not just on the random encounter charts, increasing the odds of a fifth edition update.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/mXPNiO1oD0Ur4zlz40M6XSZUvZ7tJpIWpG6PJGCBln_NePgTifhDQgFBZtc7pl05JYyOK88dRWmhZ0sMBnJZ-eDpHWogYuwWIeQ3EnZHfC69QbELBs2aRaZgcvz3i4wunCI2lTSlTXZ4pbLjHHBowio" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 170px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">The <strong>doombat</strong> is essentially a very large (25-foot wingspan) bat that can bite and lash with its tail, and has a shriek attack that prevents concentration. It first appeared in <em>White Dwarf #13</em> (1979) before being included in the <em>Fiend Folio</em> (1981) but it wasn’t reprinted again after that. Since it only appears in random encounter tables in <em>When a Star Falls</em>, the chances of a fifth edition update are low.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/D9fbpZ01Fmqf0AwqTW3oOGKKz6hjDevS6AldM8_JQtHKz_qev1iCXG_eCOpoe5tk66Vogk1-oEtjnNPsb_wNANB6JCyeZwwvfNLhDVSvMwUhcd-1_I39QXY77gXHZYLrZEY088cpgklLjJQ_lbwajeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 159px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">The <strong>gambado</strong> is a human-sized cylinder of muscle with clawed arms and a skull for a head (usually animal, but occasionally humanoid). Its modus operandi is to hide in a pit, pretending to be just a skull and then spring out to bite and claw targets. The gambado first appeared in the <em>Fiend Folio</em> (1981) but was updated to second edition in the <em>Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix</em> (1992). This is another creature appearing in <em>When a Star Falls </em>only as a random encounter, so the odds of an update are low.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/72X8onkTauLc398NMqchQqBv8Zdthi3-9kia4FGgPY1rLWt5tiVADZngeMUQtpQ2IhiCefHpW-feprccVNzSbq7Qqy5PhsmGijbIfiCE5Jjs8bdUVYjWcWdXTh4f93biN0Aie6-RAIfOj9378iq7xDY" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 199px" /><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/2-lFGwp830vckD2g0oub8gv7OcrCWRHlcqbRbdrfjluaJZSr2W-ByDTn0PvwWKYpHq1bs2xYO2IYJ5RrM81LLQSGFw5EyykpUPs8HoxdL9Pxbo00fCdhOQVF-V3jGaT4KQq5wq6si7LD21IcE1fE6GE" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 182px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">Originating in the <em>Fiend Folio</em> (1981), <strong>gibberlings</strong> are humanoids who attack in numbers while making ghastly howling and chattering noises. They’ve appeared in every edition to date, getting a second edition update in <em>Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix</em> (1992), and a third edition version in <em>Monsters of Faerûn </em>(2001). They appeared in fourth edition as a gibberling bunch in the <em>Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide </em>(2008) and as a gibberling mob in <em>Dungeon #215</em> (2013). The <em>Gates of Firestorm Peak</em> (1996) introduced a brood version, which was reprinted in the <em>Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four</em> (1998). <em>Dragon #265</em> (1999) provided a playable second edition gibberling race. The gibberlings in <em>When a Star Falls </em>have their own village. That and their extensive D&D history makes them a likely candidate for a fifth edition update.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wS_l_ycQwHjwsJ7HhAYhR3fl7MQMXxu_VtxrQdJH9FW1BTjzc6TpKhNiowA9up9Na4fQnsaY_dNKvmosquPKBeAio1c3cXYYN-gqaaTtapJjCpdBiXb2j3IxFB2mdvQ9ONhRPKj2ICQur2Yjaa-CUcU" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 148px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">A <strong>vortex</strong> is a grapefruit-sized sphere that bobs around inside a humanoid-sized whirlwind. If it captures a target inside the whirlwind, it will spin them to death unless slain by someone who isn’t trapped. The vortex was reprinted in the second edition<em> Planescape Campaign Setting</em> (1994), but is only a random encounter monster in When a Star Falls so an update seems unlikely.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/PrYTzEJ5qrsChaAC5TryOLII9c46kiBT5zwL8sCQJkkCOEvH_n0r4m3BxQYPyOIc3gJaRVx4RTjVChUB4bycVDO0mKh5cyerNlqALaWMc21VM7wN5mhBB053vBCozWv7_Qe-UDs40wdVWpghmvRSwwQ" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 228px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">Moving away from the<em> Fiend Folio</em>, the last two monsters are from the first edition <em>Monster Manual II</em> (1983). A <strong>shade</strong> is a humanoid who has used magic to transmute themselves into shadowstuff. This transmutation grants a number of powers associated with shadows; most shades dwell in the Plane of Shadow. The shade has a considerable D&D history, with an ecology article in <em>Dragon #126</em> (1987) and a second edition update in <em>Dragon #213</em> (1995) and again in the <em>Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four</em> (1998). The shade appeared in the third edition <em>Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting</em> (2001) and as a playable race in <em>Dragon #307</em> (2003). The fourth edition <em>Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide</em> (2008) also had a shade template. Despite this rich history, the odds of an updated shade in <em>Quests from the Infinite Staircase </em>are low, simply because the only shade in <em>When a Star Falls</em> is <strong>Sion</strong>, a monk serving the villain Piyarz. Sion’s monk background and special companions (a huge raven and a shadow mastiff) make it very likely that he will get his own NPC or monster write up, without an accompanying generic shade update.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/lJcUIKj86qID-O7G7RtgsmaAhfZQk1DCfpsOQqvuGibbMoXjgBVV6m1jO9pvOIpiJw_6jvfgidZ0IJXrFaVUcG29GYsrzzdL-N3CxcY_gSbFekIAvOKI66QP4LWIkxd0fdjHuy2M5CemEnA_gLHzkD8" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 190px" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify">The <strong>stone guardian</strong> is also a creature found in the <em>Monster Manual II</em> (1983), but it debuted two years earlier in <em>The Secret of Bone Hill </em>(1981). It is a golem variant with the option of creating a ring protecting against a particular guardian at the time that guardian is created. It did get a second edition update in <em>Greyhawk Ruins</em> (1990), and it does have a specific role as a door guard in <em>When a Star Falls</em>, but the stone guardian is too easy to replace with a stone golem or something similar. An update seems unlikely.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify">So what’s the verdict for <em>When a Star Falls</em>?</p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><p style="text-align: justify">Very likely to get a full update: maschin-i-bozorg, memory web, Sion (a shade).</p> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><p style="text-align: justify">Quite likely to get a full update: coffer corpse, gibberlings.</p> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><p style="text-align: justify">Likely to get new variations: svirfnebli.</p> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><p style="text-align: justify">Likely reprints: derro, giant subterranean lizard, shadow mastiff.</p> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><p style="text-align: justify">Likely to be updated but not get a full write-up: Grlsdelfawr, huge raven, Pyrofenlx.</p> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><p style="text-align: justify">Small possibility of an update: caterwaul, doombat, gambado, giant beaver, giant otter, giant stag, gorilla, horse minimal, mountain lion, shade, stone guardian, vortex, war dog.</p> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><p style="text-align: justify">Unlikely to be updated: huge spider.</p> </li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify">In the next installment, we will be turning our attention to <em>UK1: Beyond the Crystal Cave</em>…</p> <p style="text-align: justify"></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><em>What do you think of the monsters in </em>When a Star Falls<em>?</em></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><em>Do you have any fond memories of encounters with these monsters?</em></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><em>Do you have a favorite creature you’d like to see updated for fifth edition?</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Echohawk, post: 9321684, member: 9849"] [JUSTIFY][B]UK4: When a Star Falls[/B] (June 1984) [IMG width="193px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/emPV07cYQ0sZIlwgoyq9p3307d5c-BfcPFZtxKJoWjt76vVDngKlGZurZ9P_eWGXJe2htUrxBQNaEEaw1L_DFQ91kFUaolo4NBytjZTxs-Ve798UDpBEgPHXb7LGSENV4nFguTo36d-4FH3FEx8gZz0[/IMG] Of all the adventures appearing in [I]Quests from the Infinite Staircase[/I], there are the fewest new monsters in [I]When a Star Falls[/I]. Only two creatures had full monster entries: the maschin-i-bozorg and the memory web. All of the other monsters appearing in [I]When a Star Falls[/I] were from the first edition [I]Monster Manual[/I], [I]Fiend Folio[/I] or [I]Monster Manual II[/I], but as we’ll see, quite a few of those have not yet been updated to fifth edition. [U]New monsters [IMG width="407px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/BB-P3MLOCzTqd3MRPqMF-kzS_sJhCPVThAp74_1Mvga9TX_Zb4dxg2yvZpUH404GnOPWYid70bE3o6R29TLZkULkNLI3uYkBlt9UwY1RWydKs_QSZdHJ5ZTluIxR0DT63nz4t7QzRINIW9emSVHco7E[/IMG][/U] [I]When a Star Falls[/I] features a group of machine-obsessed svirfnebli who call themselves the kagu-svirfnebli. One of the machines that they are capable of making is the [B]maschin-i-bozorg[/B], which sounds like something transplanted from a [I]Paranoia[/I] game. The maschin-i-bozorg is a metal dome that comes in three sizes (small, medium and large) and attacks with stun darts and jets of steam. It moves around on wheels, is capable of rolling over (and crushing) prone creatures, but gets bogged down in soft terrain. [I]When a Star Falls[/I] seems to be the only time the maschin-i-bozorg appears in D&D lore, so an update in [I]Quests[/I], which seems quite likely, would be only its second appearance. [IMG width="196px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/JtFmr5Jkf3-sRZxGypZk-0C-io7LRc93z7-b0UrJabR1soF9CivTBnZwwyaSR3uoIDzDjxrne4codD508eUGveCl6z6oHE-WENMNEPdvblLrvY1v9xSMGo4ntUwamTLPwK-Vpequg8TwdaHsDRLbJFk[/IMG] The second creature to get a full monster entry in [I]When a Star Falls[/I] is the [B]memory web[/B], an animated web that can scrunch itself into a ball and then leap on targets to constrict them. It absorbs memories from victims. If it is slain, recently consumed memories burst out and lodge in the minds of nearby creatures. The memory web was reprinted in the second edition [I]Monstrous Compendium Three: Forgotten Realms Appendix[/I] (1989) and [I]Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three[/I] (1996) and seems like a good candidate for a fifth edition update. [U]Other monsters[/U] As to be expected, [I]When a Star Falls[/I] features many creatures now found in the fifth edition [I]Monster Manual[/I]: brown bear, bugbear, giant eagle, giant goat, giant wasp, griffon, imp, jackalwere, lamia, ogre, spectator, wolf, saber-toothed tiger, and troll. [IMG width="160px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/dBtebhWtNxzzvjeQIPRu8wq2EVNdrW2Ws8AYTcOXidnJlODkRrpuO60v9hk9lEZMQFhFRNp7XzSsIYzqLpa2EFp8lgXoRfSkzW56rTEZDfxLghlC8oQuoC8QD7Pt07csawxhQu6RWtZmFDpw0LCLNAw[/IMG] The [B]shadow mastiff[/B], originally found in the [I]Monster Manual II[/I] (1983) has already appeared in [I]Volo’s Guide to Monsters [/I](2016) and [I]Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse[/I] (2022), but might be reprinted. A reprint of the [B]giant subterranean lizard[/B] previously found in [I]Tales from the Yawning Portal[/I] (2017) also seems likely, although the huge fifth edition versions may find navigating the cramped maps of the original adventure challenging. [IMG width="189px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/c6f3IVEuOIHk5OHY0I7880ocTsTTefll_w9H-AGfsdmTHkx88PQTkYR1aS6oxWMlWV9PFRvJR6be0XRJq8tZ1jET5hYCkyNJCVRxJgrPBFeS84hMRkRiFFpFnAWSbMheirdwOLt-4v8z2qK8a4vBDww[/IMG] [I]When a Star Falls[/I] has [B]derro warriors[/B], a [B]derro leader[/B], and [B]derro students[/B]. There are already fifth edition derro (and derro savants) in [I]Out of the Abyss[/I] (2015) and [I]Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse[/I] (2022), but a reprint of the derro monster entry seems likely, perhaps with a spell-casting savant replacing the leader. [I]When a Star Falls[/I] also has gnomes (including guards and captains) and a wide variety of humans (including children, hunters, a leader, monks, sages, scribes, scullion, slaves, wardens, and with typical first edition sexism, women). Of these, only the sage already has a fifth edition monster block (in 2021’s [I]Candlekeep Mysteries[/I]). Gnomes and humans are in the [I]Player’s Handbook[/I], and fifth edition doesn’t feel obliged to have monster stat blocks for playable races, so the humanoids in [I]When a Star Falls[/I] are likely to get NPC stat blocks where needed. [IMG width="163px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/rK_sxk1vNPfpwGmKrD8QbgwtaOjEgLLh0-RTHpMz2oCztjYs05mditcMkGkjC39y9Mo_dbjxViVXr1yfoIDmh2PWJ9JrubGKgB0B8EprbPM6uePDLaxSVnjJxdzMtpfj51APjj4YWS2lcnU1KjNIfj4[/IMG] The machine-obsessed kagu-svirfnebli mentioned earlier are a significant part of the plot of [I]When a Star Falls[/I], so even though the svirfnebli appear in the fifth edition [I]Monster Manual[/I] (under “Gnome, Deep”) it wouldn’t be surprising to get one or two new NPC stat blocks in [I]Quests from the Infinite Staircase[/I] to represent the [B]burrow warden[/B] and [B]assistant[/B] kagu-svirfnebli from this adventure. The kagu-svirfnebli are friends with a pair of red dragons named [B]Grlsdelfawr[/B] and [B]Pyrofenlx[/B]. They are specifically medium-sized, sub-adult dragons in [I]When a Star Falls[/I]. Medium-sized would suggest using the fifth edition’s dragon wyrmling stats, but a young red dragon seems a better match as a challenge than a wyrmling. There are a few ordinary animals in [I]When a Star Falls[/I] that don’t have fifth edition [I]Monster Manual[/I] versions, specifically the [B]gorilla[/B], the [B]war dog[/B] and the [B]mountain lion[/B] (although the [I]Monster Manual[/I] does have a lion). Also missing are small ([B]horse minimal[/B]), giant ([B]giant beaver[/B], [B]giant otter[/B], [B]giant sheep[/B] and [B]giant stag[/B]) and huge ([B]huge raven[/B]) versions of some animals. It is possible that some of these will get updates or abbreviated updates in [I]Quests from the Infinite Staircase[/I], particularly the huge raven, since it is a featured companion of one of the villains. The adventure’s [B]huge spider[/B]s are likely to be replaced with fifth edition’s slightly smaller giant spiders. [IMG width="183px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/cf356xGYBy1iuZNapsckn0nU8PcKePFwY5BmuBiPrm8JpfU0J5OXDXtefh_REJm2-iRzm1PxRrOhobHWVfpfSE2_dByJDdM9ydGQ6Yl4MVNn1MN_5EYOMqm2gR9VwbfBAPpU9_X-g3qHcOYyv9Ta8o8[/IMG] Both the first edition [I]Fiend Folio[/I] and [I]When A Star Falls[/I] were produced by TSR UK. That might explain the number of creatures from the former appearing in the latter. In the [I]Fiend Folio[/I] (1981), the [B]caterwaul[/B] is described as feline and bipedal, but a quadrupedal giant cat is depicted. The second edition version in the [I]Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix[/I] looks slightly more inclined to walk on two legs, but the word bipedal is edited out from that description. This monster’s only gimmick is a harmful shriek. It appears only in one random encounter, so it would be easy to replace; an updated version isn’t likely. [IMG width="163px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/RjOfsRvNZC1oCFFAO3P9yu7PDWnglKVT6hGp37yO7gC1YxOweujYw8px0dtmEO7UGNX7Gn9gvgizznH9W7AcSKY2-ey2SbOBhLgiJS4YcvH0huC0sOstoKvf8aaJHsa5l75SIkTUPddYeb39BGyQ3xk[/IMG] The [I]Fiend Folio[/I] (1981) describes the [B]coffer corpse[/B] as resembling a zombie, and notes that they are usually found in stranded funeral barges or other situations where a corpse has been unable to return to its maker. Normal weapons appear to harm a coffer corpse, but it is only pretending and gets up again, triggering a [I]fear[/I] response. When not pretending to be hurt by weapons, a coffer corpse attempts to strangle enemies. The coffer corpse appeared in second edition in the [I]Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix[/I] (1992) and the [I]Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three[/I] (1996) and briefly in fourth edition in [I]Dungeon #215 [/I](2013). The coffer corpses are part of a specific encounter in [I]When a Star Falls[/I], and not just on the random encounter charts, increasing the odds of a fifth edition update. [IMG width="170px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/mXPNiO1oD0Ur4zlz40M6XSZUvZ7tJpIWpG6PJGCBln_NePgTifhDQgFBZtc7pl05JYyOK88dRWmhZ0sMBnJZ-eDpHWogYuwWIeQ3EnZHfC69QbELBs2aRaZgcvz3i4wunCI2lTSlTXZ4pbLjHHBowio[/IMG] The [B]doombat[/B] is essentially a very large (25-foot wingspan) bat that can bite and lash with its tail, and has a shriek attack that prevents concentration. It first appeared in [I]White Dwarf #13[/I] (1979) before being included in the [I]Fiend Folio[/I] (1981) but it wasn’t reprinted again after that. Since it only appears in random encounter tables in [I]When a Star Falls[/I], the chances of a fifth edition update are low. [IMG width="159px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/D9fbpZ01Fmqf0AwqTW3oOGKKz6hjDevS6AldM8_JQtHKz_qev1iCXG_eCOpoe5tk66Vogk1-oEtjnNPsb_wNANB6JCyeZwwvfNLhDVSvMwUhcd-1_I39QXY77gXHZYLrZEY088cpgklLjJQ_lbwajeg[/IMG] The [B]gambado[/B] is a human-sized cylinder of muscle with clawed arms and a skull for a head (usually animal, but occasionally humanoid). Its modus operandi is to hide in a pit, pretending to be just a skull and then spring out to bite and claw targets. The gambado first appeared in the [I]Fiend Folio[/I] (1981) but was updated to second edition in the [I]Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix[/I] (1992). This is another creature appearing in [I]When a Star Falls [/I]only as a random encounter, so the odds of an update are low. [IMG width="199px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/72X8onkTauLc398NMqchQqBv8Zdthi3-9kia4FGgPY1rLWt5tiVADZngeMUQtpQ2IhiCefHpW-feprccVNzSbq7Qqy5PhsmGijbIfiCE5Jjs8bdUVYjWcWdXTh4f93biN0Aie6-RAIfOj9378iq7xDY[/IMG][IMG width="182px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/2-lFGwp830vckD2g0oub8gv7OcrCWRHlcqbRbdrfjluaJZSr2W-ByDTn0PvwWKYpHq1bs2xYO2IYJ5RrM81LLQSGFw5EyykpUPs8HoxdL9Pxbo00fCdhOQVF-V3jGaT4KQq5wq6si7LD21IcE1fE6GE[/IMG] Originating in the [I]Fiend Folio[/I] (1981), [B]gibberlings[/B] are humanoids who attack in numbers while making ghastly howling and chattering noises. They’ve appeared in every edition to date, getting a second edition update in [I]Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix[/I] (1992), and a third edition version in [I]Monsters of Faerûn [/I](2001). They appeared in fourth edition as a gibberling bunch in the [I]Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide [/I](2008) and as a gibberling mob in [I]Dungeon #215[/I] (2013). The [I]Gates of Firestorm Peak[/I] (1996) introduced a brood version, which was reprinted in the [I]Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four[/I] (1998). [I]Dragon #265[/I] (1999) provided a playable second edition gibberling race. The gibberlings in [I]When a Star Falls [/I]have their own village. That and their extensive D&D history makes them a likely candidate for a fifth edition update. [IMG width="148px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wS_l_ycQwHjwsJ7HhAYhR3fl7MQMXxu_VtxrQdJH9FW1BTjzc6TpKhNiowA9up9Na4fQnsaY_dNKvmosquPKBeAio1c3cXYYN-gqaaTtapJjCpdBiXb2j3IxFB2mdvQ9ONhRPKj2ICQur2Yjaa-CUcU[/IMG] A [B]vortex[/B] is a grapefruit-sized sphere that bobs around inside a humanoid-sized whirlwind. If it captures a target inside the whirlwind, it will spin them to death unless slain by someone who isn’t trapped. The vortex was reprinted in the second edition[I] Planescape Campaign Setting[/I] (1994), but is only a random encounter monster in When a Star Falls so an update seems unlikely. [IMG width="228px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/PrYTzEJ5qrsChaAC5TryOLII9c46kiBT5zwL8sCQJkkCOEvH_n0r4m3BxQYPyOIc3gJaRVx4RTjVChUB4bycVDO0mKh5cyerNlqALaWMc21VM7wN5mhBB053vBCozWv7_Qe-UDs40wdVWpghmvRSwwQ[/IMG] Moving away from the[I] Fiend Folio[/I], the last two monsters are from the first edition [I]Monster Manual II[/I] (1983). A [B]shade[/B] is a humanoid who has used magic to transmute themselves into shadowstuff. This transmutation grants a number of powers associated with shadows; most shades dwell in the Plane of Shadow. The shade has a considerable D&D history, with an ecology article in [I]Dragon #126[/I] (1987) and a second edition update in [I]Dragon #213[/I] (1995) and again in the [I]Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four[/I] (1998). The shade appeared in the third edition [I]Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting[/I] (2001) and as a playable race in [I]Dragon #307[/I] (2003). The fourth edition [I]Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide[/I] (2008) also had a shade template. Despite this rich history, the odds of an updated shade in [I]Quests from the Infinite Staircase [/I]are low, simply because the only shade in [I]When a Star Falls[/I] is [B]Sion[/B], a monk serving the villain Piyarz. Sion’s monk background and special companions (a huge raven and a shadow mastiff) make it very likely that he will get his own NPC or monster write up, without an accompanying generic shade update. [IMG width="190px"]https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/lJcUIKj86qID-O7G7RtgsmaAhfZQk1DCfpsOQqvuGibbMoXjgBVV6m1jO9pvOIpiJw_6jvfgidZ0IJXrFaVUcG29GYsrzzdL-N3CxcY_gSbFekIAvOKI66QP4LWIkxd0fdjHuy2M5CemEnA_gLHzkD8[/IMG] The [B]stone guardian[/B] is also a creature found in the [I]Monster Manual II[/I] (1983), but it debuted two years earlier in [I]The Secret of Bone Hill [/I](1981). It is a golem variant with the option of creating a ring protecting against a particular guardian at the time that guardian is created. It did get a second edition update in [I]Greyhawk Ruins[/I] (1990), and it does have a specific role as a door guard in [I]When a Star Falls[/I], but the stone guardian is too easy to replace with a stone golem or something similar. An update seems unlikely. So what’s the verdict for [I]When a Star Falls[/I]?[/JUSTIFY] [LIST] [*][JUSTIFY]Very likely to get a full update: maschin-i-bozorg, memory web, Sion (a shade).[/JUSTIFY] [*][JUSTIFY]Quite likely to get a full update: coffer corpse, gibberlings.[/JUSTIFY] [*][JUSTIFY]Likely to get new variations: svirfnebli.[/JUSTIFY] [*][JUSTIFY]Likely reprints: derro, giant subterranean lizard, shadow mastiff.[/JUSTIFY] [*][JUSTIFY]Likely to be updated but not get a full write-up: Grlsdelfawr, huge raven, Pyrofenlx.[/JUSTIFY] [*][JUSTIFY]Small possibility of an update: caterwaul, doombat, gambado, giant beaver, giant otter, giant stag, gorilla, horse minimal, mountain lion, shade, stone guardian, vortex, war dog.[/JUSTIFY] [*][JUSTIFY]Unlikely to be updated: huge spider.[/JUSTIFY] [/LIST] [JUSTIFY]In the next installment, we will be turning our attention to [I]UK1: Beyond the Crystal Cave[/I]… [I]What do you think of the monsters in [/I]When a Star Falls[I]? Do you have any fond memories of encounters with these monsters? Do you have a favorite creature you’d like to see updated for fifth edition?[/I][/JUSTIFY] [/QUOTE]
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