The Dragon Urn

A couple of years ago I came across an illustration by J.R.R. Tolkien that has been used as an interior illustration for some editions of The Hobbit. “Conversation with Smaug” (1937) depicts an invisible Bilbo Baggins parlaying with the great dragon of Erebor, who lies atop a mound of golden treasure.

I find Tolkien’s drawings extremely charming, but my eyes were really drawn to the great terra cotta jars or cups filled with treasure that seemed to line the dragon’s lair. These are extremely tall, given the ladders needed to reach the top, filled with treasure, and marked with mysterious runes. Just one of these would hold a tremendous hoard. Who built these massive vessels, and to what purpose? Were they perhaps made to carry tribute to Smaug?

The eminent Tolkien scholar and RPG designer John Rateliff has noted that the words on the jar are English using Tolkien’s Tengwar script, which Rateliff translates as “... gold [of] Thror [and] Thrain ... accursed be the thief.” So these great jars seem to have held dwarven allotments of treasure, and carried a traditional curse.

In any case, I knew then I wanted to write an adventure for the Great Dungeon of the North around these containers, which eventually became “The Dragon Urn,” which I ran for some friends this last February. As previously noted, I used a map from Dyson's Delve for a new unexplored area of the Great Dungeon. The setup was simple enough: “Reports of a lost treasure hoard on the Fourth Level create a stir in Delvetown.”

I had several 5e pregens for the boys and they picked six 3rd-level PCs: Malcolm (human cleric), Robb (elf ranger), Jimmie the Nimble (human fighter), Volevert of the Firs (human barbarian), Greybough Longleaf (elf wizard), and Dravynn (dragonborn sorcerer).

Beginning at the Staff of the Magi inn, the adventurers learnt that three years ago the wizard Metriochus the Mysterious had returned to Delvetown claiming to have discovered a new area on the Fourth Level that contained a giant urn guarded by a dragon. While the dragon killed the rest of his party, Metriochus found a way to lower a portcullis, trapping the dragon and its treasure. Most listeners assumed the wizard was a liar, and only weeks later Hrodgoth the Barbarian killed Metriochus and soon his story was largely forgotten.

However, a week earlier some thieves claimed to have rediscovered the lost area on the Fourth Level, and Greybough and his companions believed they recognized where this fabled urn might be found.

My simple key for the dungeon follows:

The Dragon Urn

Room	Contents	Encounter	CR
1	Monster	2 Giant Toads	Easy
2	Empty
3	Monster	Veteran and Bandit	Medium
4	Trap	Gas Vent
5	Monster	Chuul	Medium
6	Special	Room of Geases
7	Trap	Sickening Gas
8	Monster	1 Wererat and 2 Giant Rats	Medium
9	Empty
10	Empty
11	Special	False Fireplace
12	Monster	Black Pudding	Medium
13	Trap	Posion Gas Trap
14	Trap	Nausea Gas
15	Monster	2 Black Dragon Wyrmlings	Hard
16	Monster	Ghost	Medium
17	Empty
18	Special	Ardeth Inkscale (Young Black Dragon)	Deadly

As the party explored the new area the players began improvising their characters’ backstories. It came to pass that Greybough had once been a fairly powerful wizard and patron to the rest of the group, but the long years had ravaged his once brilliant mind and he had steadily regressed in ability until he was no longer any more powerful than his much younger clients. Confined to a home for aged wizards, his loyal clients had sprung “Pops” to take him on one last adventure: to kill a dragon. Greybough was cranky and forgetful, but still remembered enough magic to effectively contribute to the expedition.

The party eventually found their quarry: Ardeth Inkscale, Daughter of Delith, Granddaughter of Old Brokehorn, the terror of Black Lake. Ardeth was a young black dragon trapped behind a magic portcullis and guarding a great urn of treasure. The party raised the portcullis, but Ardeth turned on them and in the ensuing fight killed two of the party before being killed herself.

“Pops” finally got to kill his dragon and the urn held some choice loot: 900 cp, 12,000 sp, 2,200 gp, 100 pp, 11 50-gp gems (carnelian, moonstone, sardonyx, citrine, quartz, moonstone, chalcedony, bloodstone, moonstone, star rose quartz, sardonyx), and a longsword +1.

The game was a blast to run, and I hope to bring this crew back for future adventures.

Winter Hooch XXXII

A couple of weekends ago we held the 32nd installment of our annual winter gaming retreat. We have about a dozen guys—most of us friends for thirty years or more—who come together every winter for a few days to play games, eat and drink, and laugh. The event is always a highlight of my winter and this installment did not disappoint.

I ran a couple of games, including “Song of Myself,” the latest installment of my Into the Interface Traveller campaign. This time the crew of the IMV Starjammer were dispatched into Solomani territory, charged by their Duchess with the destruction of a new A.I. designing the latest dreadnought for the Confederation Navy: a ship so advanced it threatens the balance of power in Magyar sector. The game was heavily influenced by several ideas from Mongoose's awesome Singularity campaign. I′ll post the write-up soonish.

The second game was “The Dragon Urn,” a romp on the Fourth Level of the Great Dungeon of the North. I used an awesome map from Dyson's Delve, translated into a Dwarven Forge setup (shown above). It had been a while since I had a chance to break out the terrain, and I was glad for the opportunity. The climax was a showdown with Ardeth, the black dragon daughter of Delith, spawn of Old Brokehorn himself. I′ll also post the dungeon key for this delve at some point.

I got a chance to play some D&D, which is always a hoot. We did a session of my friend Rob′s Erlach campaign, investigating the mysteries of Gray′s Cove. Another friend, Eli, ran a rip-roaring session of Keys from the Golden Vault that involved a heist from the devil-themed (and staffed!) casino called The Underworld.

There was a booster draft of Magic the Gathering, some sessions of Power Grid, our annual Amoeba Wars tournament, poker, and more. We even did a belated Friendsgiving, which gave us an opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are to be part of such a band of brothers.

Griffon and Wyvern

Griffons and wyverns, classic heraldic monsters, have been staples of Dungeons & Dragons from the very beginning, being first mentioned together in Chainmail (1971), where they are treated like Rocs. Both of these Reaper Bones miniatures, sculpted by Julie Guthrie, were part of the core set of the Bones 4 Kickstarter. Even though I didn’t have a pressing need for either miniature, they looked so darned good they both steadily rose to the top of my priority pile.

In OD&D (1974), griffons are described as 

the most prized of steeds, for they are swift, loyal, and fierce. However, they are fond of horse flesh above all other foods, so the two creatures cannot be mixed …. In their wild state Griffons will attack anyone nearby with little provocation, particularly if their lair is nearby.

(I had forgotten that bit about griffons and horses.) The AD&D 1e Monster Manual (1977) repeats the same information, and includes additional details on capturing and training young griffons. “Fledglings sell for 5,000 gold pieces, eggs for 2,000, on the open market.” The MM also mentions that grey elves use griffons as guards and mounts, while storm giants “dwelling on cloud islands or mountain peaks” may have 1-4 griffons.

The 1e Dungeon Master’s Guide has an entire section on “Flying Mounts” which largely seems written to throw cold water on the whole idea of PCs getting their own griffon mounts, emphasizing their “nasty and bad-tempered” natures: “Imagine the confusing tumult of giant wings, the rush of air, the sudden changes in altitude, and you will realize why an inexperienced rider absolutely cannot handle a flying mount.” That actually sounds like a really fun session to me!

The Julie Guthrie griffon is a fantastically dynamic figure that looks like it could spring off its base and soar into the air. It reminds me very strongly of an old John D. Batten illustration of “Jack With His Invisible Coat,” from English Fairy Tales (1902). The illustration shows two fierce griffons guarding the winding road to a giant’s castle.

To prepare for this miniature I looked at lots of references for golden eagles. I skipped priming and went straight to the airbrush for a zenithal undercoat of Reaper Pure Black and Pure White.

I continue to experiment with using the Army Painter Quickshade line, particularly with figures that have lots of fine detail, such as eagle feathers.  It took multiple rounds of Quickshade layers followed by dry brushing to get this griffon where I wanted it.

Wyverns are described in OD&D as

relatives of Dragons, but they are smaller and have but two legs. A Wyvern hasn’t the fearsome breath of a true Dragon, but they are equipped with a poisonous sting in their tail and poison enough to use it repeatedly.

Similar information is contained in the 1e MM. I had it in my head that wyvern poison was one of the more potent in the game, but I don’t see in the 1e MM where wyvern poison is any more virulent than medusa, giant spider, or purple worm poison. Wyvern poison is certainly one of the worst in 3e, doing 2d6 Con intial damage and 2d6 Con secondary damage.

The Guthrie wyvern, like the griffon, has a very dynamic pose, its head cocked at the end of its sinuous, snaky neck. I primarily relied on the illustration in the 5e Monster Manual (2014) for a reference, which has a wyvern with a muted, pale red coloration. After putting down a zenithal undercoat I then put a base coat of Reaper Yellowed Bone. I then used several layers of Army Painter Quickshade to add a red tone to the figure. Overall, I was happy that I was able to approximate the colors in the illustration from the 5e MM without slipping into a hot pink.

Wyverns and Griffons in the Great Dungeon

Both of these monsters are not uncommon in the wild interior of the North. Wyverns and griffons both nest in the Majestic Mountains, and can be found in the cloud islands that periodically drift over the region. Wyverns are also found in the deepest, trackless forests of the North.

Undead Gnolls

There is a great resemblance between gnolls and hyenas. Gnolls have greenish gray skins, darker near the muzzle, with reddish gray to dull yellow mane. Eyes are dull black and nails are amber colored. Their armor is of horn, metal plates, and leather; like their fur capes and vests, it is shabby, and the latter are moth-eaten and dingy, being brown, black or grayish pelts.—1e Monster Manual (1977).

Gnolls are arguably the most distinctive of the evil humanoids from early Dungeons and Dragons. While kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, and bugbears all seem to spring from common Northern European/Tolkien roots, hyena-headed, demon-worshiping gnolls seem to originate from someplace altogether different. 

While many of the classic humanoid monsters are first described in Chainmail (1972), gnolls debut in Dungeons and Dragons Book II: Monsters and Treasures (1974): 

A cross between Gnomes and Trolls (… perhaps, Lord Sunsany [sic] did not really make it all that clear) with +2 morale. Otherwise they are similar to Hobgoblins, although the Gnoll king and his bodyguard of from 1–4 will fight as Trolls but lack regenerative power.

Note that none of the distinctive features of the gnolls as described in the 1e Monster Manual can be found here. A Greg Bell illustration of a “Gnoll,” on page 10 just looks like a generic, pointed-eared humanoid.

Lord Dunsany, the Anglo-Irish writer, is listed as “Inspirational and Educational Material” in Appendix N of the 1e Dungeon Master’s Guide (1979). “Gnoles” are mentioned in his enigmatic short story “How Nuth Would Have Practiced his Art upon the Gnoles” from The Book of Wonder (1912): 

No track led up to the sinister gloom of the trees, either of men or cattle; not even a poacher had been there snaring elves for over a hundred years. You did not trespass in the dells of the gnoles.

Though [spoiler alert] gnoles are never actually seen in Dunsany’s story, they appear to be some manner of forest-dwelling bogeymen. Although I’ve never been sure how influential Dunsany really was on him, Gygax seemed to have had a special fondness for gnolls. They appear in the “Example of the Referee Moderating a Dungeon Expedition” from OD&D Book III, The Underworld and Wilderness Adventures. The party encounters a room with “a half-dozen gnolls,” but although Gygax describes the physical dimensions of the room and its contents in great detail, he doesn’t actually describe what a gnoll looks like. 

Gygax also developed a new gnoll card to the Dungeon! Boardgame. He mentions gnolls in his short story “The Search for the Gnome Cache,” from The Dragon 3 (October 1976). Writing under the pseudonym “Garrison Ernst,” Gygax portrays them much like the bogeymen of Dunsany:

Yer ain’t heard ‘bout that terribul country? Why, airs most slimey great beastswhatlives in the waters o’Nyrn, an’ the hills above the lake are cursed too! Ain’t no folks lives there—only bad things like gnolls.

Enter Yeenoghu

So where did the familiar hyena-headed gnolls of the 1e Monster Manual come from? I can’t find a direct source, but here’s a promising but extremely obscure lead: Strategic Preview Sub-titled TSR Jobbies #5 (Summer 1976), a TSR in-house newsletter produced in vanishingly small numbers. As detailed by Frank Mentzer over at Dragonsfoot, this newsletter featured the very first appearance of Yeenoghu, and most of the information closely mirrors the description from the 1e Monster Manual:

Yeenoghu resembles a human in general form, except that his head is a hyena’s, his chest canine in form, his hands paw-like, and his feet are pawed.

The Strategic Preview entry differs mainly on one point, but it’s a doozy: Yeenoghu is described as “The Demon Lord of Orcs.”

So at some point between Strategic Preview 5 and the publication of the Monster Manual one year later, someone decided to connect Yeenoghu with gnolls, and to have gnolls resemble their hyena-headed demonic patron.

So who did it? Gygax is the presumptive answer, but as Mentzer pointed out in a followup post, “Throughout the 4 Strategic Previews, there is no mention of authors, artists, or copyrights. [Determining an author for] the writing is trickier, and this entry is not written in HighGax.”

I have sometimes wondered if Yeenoghu might actually be the creation of Rob Kuntz. I don’t have anything to support that idea beyond “feel.” The name Yeenoghu, the exoticism of his appearance, the connection to ghouls all feel inspired by the pulp writer Clark Ashton Smith. And while Gygax supposedly hadn’t read him, Kuntz is a well known fan of CAS.

Earlier this year James Maliszewski posted a nice Grognardia entry on Clark Ashton Smith’s short story "The Tomb-Spawn," which describes monsters that might be a direct inspiration for the hyena-headed gnoll: the Ghorii.

The story is part of CAS’s Zothique cycle of weird fiction. While it’s not entirely clear whether the Ghorii are a tribe of bestial humans or inhuman monsters, they certainly sound gnollish in nature:

Into this waste, which was seemingly unpeopled and void of life, the caravan went warily. Urging their camels to a swift trot in the narrow, deep-walled ravines, the merchants made ready their spears and claymores and scanned the barren ridges with anxious eyes. For here, in hidden caves, there lurked a wild and half-bestial people, known as the Ghorii. Akin to the ghouls and jackals, they were eaters of carrion; and also they were anthropophagi, subsisting by preference on the bodies of travelers, and drinking their blood in lieu of water or wine. They were dreaded by all who had occasion to journey between Yoros and Tasuun.

* * * * *

[The] gully swarmed and seethed with the hideous earth-brown bodies of the Ghorii, who appeared instantaneously on all sides, leaping wolfishly from the rocky slopes or flinging themselves like panthers from the high ledges.

These ghoulish apparitions were unspeakably ferocious and agile. Uttering no sound, other than a sort of hoarse coughing and spitting, and armed only with their double rows of pointed teeth and their sickle-like talons, they poured over the caravan in a climbing wave.

Whether created by Gygax or Kuntz, the 1e Monster Manual firmly established the look of gnolls, their connection to ghouls and their demonic patron, Yeenoghu.

Amongst the ranks of demon princes, Yeenoghu is one of the most powerful and most feared. There will normally be 66 gnolls of the strongest sort … in attendance upon Yeenoghu, and if he is alone he can summon from 6–66 in one turn. As this demon prince also receives homage from the King of Ghouls, he can similarly summon from 6–16 ghouls if he so desires.

Fourth Edition introduced the witherling in the Monster Manual 2 (2009), a form of undead gnoll. The concept makes a lot of sense, but I find the design and artwork a bit underwhelming. Fifth edition brought the witherlings back in Volo’s Guide to Monsters (2016), and the artwork really sold this monster to me. When WizKids introduced witherling miniatures as part of Wave 15 of their Nolzur’s Marvelous Miniatures line, I knew I had to get these.

These were really fun miniatures to paint. I sprayed a zentihal undercoat of black which helped establish shading; in retrospect I should have done a second coat of white on top of this. 

I then used several washes of different Army Painter Quickshade tones, which helped create a pallid, desiccated look that reasonably matched the artwork in Volo’s. Using washes also helped preserve the fine details of the skeletal areas, which sometimes get lost with chalky white paints.

I was fairly happy with how these miniatures came out and look forward to using these in an upcoming game.

Undead Gnolls in the Great Dungeon

The gnolls of the Great Dungeon venerate the foul demon lord Yughooragh, who also “commands the service of hyenas, ghouls, ghasts, and trolls.” As a sign of his power, he grants many gnoll shaman the ability to create and command undead gnolls, which assume a variety of horrid forms. Slain shamans or chieftains especially favored by Yughooragh are sometimes called back from the Abyss as ghoul-kissed gnolls.

For 5e games, I would simply use Witherlings as described in Volo’s. But in a 3e game I would make use of the many undead templates available. Green Ronin’s Advanced Bestiary provides a handy Dread Ghoul template which suits our purposes quite well. The following text is Open Game Content.

Undead Gnolls

Ghoul-Kissed Gnoll CR 2

CE Medium undead (augmented humanoid, gnoll)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +4, Spot +5

Languages Gnoll

Defense

AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13

hp 13 (2 HD)

Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +2

Special Defenses turn resistance +2

Offense

Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Melee bite +4 (1d6+3 plus paralysis), 2 claws +2 (1d3+1 plus paralysis)

Special Attacks command ghouls, create spawn

Statistics

Str 17, Dex 14, Con –, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 10

Base Atk +1; Grp +5

Feats Multiattack, Track ^B

Skills Climb +11, Survival +10

Special Abilities

Command Ghouls (Su) A ghoul-kissed gnoll can automatically command all normal ghouls within 30 feet as a free action. Normal ghouls never attack a ghoul-kissed gnoll unless compelled.

Create Spawn (Su) In most cases, ghoul-kissed gnolls feast on the bodies of the fallen. However, any creature killed by a ghoul-kissed gnoll that lies undisturbed until the next midnight rises as a dread ghoul at that time. The new dread ghoul is not under the control of its creator. A protection from evil or gentle repose spell cast on the corpse prevents this.

Paralysis (Ex) A creature damaged by a ghoul-kissed gnoll’s natural attack must succeed on a DC 11 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds.

Scent (Ex) A ghoul-kissed gnoll can detect approaching enemies and sniff out hidden foes by sense of smell alone.

Skills A ghoul-kissed gnoll can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

Undead Traits Immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage to its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage.

Skeletal Gnoll CR 1

CE Medium undead

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +0

Defense

AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17

hp 13 (2 HD)

Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3

Immune cold; DR 5/bludgeoning

Offense

Spd 30 ft.

Melee morningstar +3 (1d8+2)

Statistics

Str 15, Dex 12, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 1

Base Atk +1; Grp +3

Gear leather armor, heavy wooden shield, morningstar

Special Abilities

Undead Traits Immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage to its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage.

Zombified Gnoll CR 1

CE Medium undead

Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +0

Defense

AC 16, touch 9, flat-footed 16

hp 29 (4 HD); DR 5/slashing

Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +4

Defensive Abilities undead traits

Offense

Spd 30 ft.

Melee morningstar +5 (1d8+3)

Statistics

Str 17, Dex 8, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 1

Base Atk +2; Grp +5

Gear leather armor, heavy wooden shield, morningstar

SQ single actions only

Special Abilities

Single Actions Only (Ex) Zombified gnolls have poor reflexes and can perform only a single move action or attack action each round. A zombified gnoll can move up to its speed and attack in the same round, but only if it attempts a charge.

Undead Traits Immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage to its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage.

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Father Dagon

“With only a slight churning to mark its rise to the surface, the thing slid into view above the dark waters. Vast, Polyphemus-like, and loathsome, it darted like a stupendous monster of nightmares to the monolith, about which it flung its gigantic scaly arms, the while it bowed its hideous head and gave vent to certain measured sounds. I think I went mad then.” —H.P. Lovecraft, “Dagon.”

The Dagon model was one of the last rewards unlocked as part of the Reaper Bones 3: The Search for Mr. Bones Kickstarter, and one of several very large figures produced as part of that campaign. Like the Shub-Nigurrath, it’s another Kevin Williams sculpt of a Cthulhu monstrosity.

Dagon has a special place in the Great Dungeon of the North, even though Delvemount is many leagues from the Lythian Sea. Rumors claim that one or more gates in the deeper levels lead to an Abyssal layer of dark ocean, filled with sea monsters. I’ve previously written about the Dagonites, his horrid servitors. One of my sample Inhabited Idols is a Gargantuan statue of Dagon. And I’ve provided some details of Dagon as a Demonic Patron.

Like one of the ancient Deep Ones, this Dagon model lay for many a long year in the dark of my basement, dreaming and awaiting its time. I took a good run at this in the early summer, right before I tackled the Shub-Niggurath model. 

I started by assembling the entire model, though I did not attach Dagon to the terrain. There were some significant gaps with the limbs that I filled using Green Stuff. I then primed Dagon with the Army Painter’s Uniform Gray out of a rattlecan, but this model would have definitely benefited from a zenithal undercoat.

I put down a base coat of Reaper MSP Sapphire Blue, then gave it a wash of Army Painter Dark Quickwash. I drybrushed the figure with more Sapphire Blue, then added highlights with Reaper MSP Clear Green, and then another layer of highlights with MSP Clear Yellow. One of the things I liked about using the yellow on the model is it brightened everything up and looked a bit like filtered sunlight playing on underwater surfaces.

I then set the model aside for a few months as I was unsure how to tackle the terrain, which consists of two stone idols in a sandy substrate. I wasn’t quite sure how to paint up a sand texture—many modelers use actual sand or textured material when working on sand terrain, and I didn’t want to go there. I also had partially embraced object source lighting (OSL) with Dagon, and really wasn’t sure how to extend this technique to the terrain section.

After a few months experimenting with other techniques I returned to Dagon’s terrain. I started by putting down a base coat of white, then colored the sand sections with Army Painter Light Tone, and the stone statues with Army Painter Dark Tone. The Quickshades gave both the sand and stone a diffused, mottled appearance which to my mind worked well with the underwater theme. I then highlighted both surfaces with more Clear Yellow, which helped tie the terrain with Dagon. Although it’s not really an OSL technique, I really liked the contrast of the golden sand with the dark blues and green of Dagon.

I then glued Dagon to the terrain. I made a glaze out of 2 parts Pure White to 3 parts Matte Medium and 3 parts water, and used this filter to lighten up Dagon’s teeth, claws, and tentacles. I also lightened up the many spots along the demon’s three tails. 

To create a glowing eye effect I painted the large eyes white, then put down a line of Clear Green around the outermost rim of the eyes. I then made a ring of Clear Yellow just inside the green. I then made a glaze out of pale, pale yellow and began running this around the outside of the eyes, gradually adding more yellow to the eye and the surrounding flesh. A few layers of the glaze helped blur the three colors together and created the appearance of a glow.

To finish I sealed the model with Testor’s Dullcote. I didn’t really have a gaming base big enough to suit this model, so decided to leave Dagon as is.

Williams did a great job sculpting this model: Dagon neatly combines the features of a frog, eel, octopus, and anglerfish into a sleek, sinuous form that looks like it could be swimming through water. I felt very vexed at several points while painting this model, and more than once figured I had wrecked the job beyond recovery. So it was very satisfying to stick with it and end up with a miniature I am pretty happy with. Ad astra per aspera.

As I was writing my previous post about Warhammer, I dug out a couple of old Citadel bugbear miniatures, which had been cast as part of Citadel’s brief but much loved AD&D line. These figures had been stuck in a display case for almost 40 years, and pulling them out I was struck by how well they held up. The sculptor, Jes Goodwin, was able to capture many fine little details, including the minute stitching around the pointed leather cap on one bugbear.

I was also reminded that these bugbears were probably the last miniatures I had worked on during my initial burst of painting—and that they were never quite finished. I vaguely remember that at the time my paints had started to run out or go dry, and my brushes were all trashed, making working on all the small bugbeary details extremely frustrating. I’m pretty sure I got them to a “close enough” stage and then set my painting aside for what ended up being a very long hiatus.

As I looked more closely at these old miniatures, I began to think they could finished off without too much trouble. I also began to wonder what some modern paints and tone washes would be able to do for them. Rather than strip these miniatures down to the metal, I just started painting on top of my old work. Like Rip Van Winkle, these great little miniatures slowly began to come back to life. I can’t explain why it feels so satisfying to complete these long-neglected figures, but it does.

Bugbears of the Great Dungeon

BUGBEARS are giant shaggy goblins hailing from the ancient Boundary Mountains. Unlike their goblin and hobgoblin kin, the bugbears were never subjugated by the elves of old Norumbega. Today they live in small, fiercely independent bands scattered across the North. In the Great Dungeon, one particularly ornery clan forms a notable faction on the middle levels.

I use a standard stat block to describe different factions in the Great Dungeon, like so:

Bugbears of the Boundary Mountains CE

A clan of treacherous bugbears ready to exploit allies and ambush enemies.

Allies Dungmarket goblins

Enemies Orcs of the Shattered Bone, The Reapers

Locations Grumlug’s Lair (6th), The Back Landing (4th, outpost), The Whispering Halls (5th, lair), The Bleak Rotunda (5th, outpost)

Names

Names Barggut, Bedrut, Bruztig, Garyag, Hruguyed, Khotgub, Meraog, Rudgul, Rudlub, Rudorb, Sudurb, Sudya

Roster

Leader Chief Grumlug (CE male bugbear rogue 5/fighter 2)

Population 37 bugbears plus 15 noncombatant adults and 18 young

Roster List

9th (7,200 xp)—Chief Grumlug (U)

7th (3,600 xp)—bugbear leader

5th (1,800 xp)—bugbear scout, bugbear shaman

3rd (900 xp)—bugbear sergeant

2nd (600 xp)—bugbear

Below are 3.5e and 5e stat blocks for members of the Bugbears of the Boundary Mountains faction. The following text is Open Game Content.

3.5e

The following table can be used to generate random bugbear encounters:

Bugbear Encounters

d%	Encounter	Average EL
01–33	1d3+1 bugbears	5
34–41	1d2 bugbear leaders	8
42–58	1d3 bugbear scouts	7
59–83	1d3+1 bugbear sergeants	6
84–00	1d2 bugbear shamans	6

Individual statblocks follow. These use an abbreviated format: feats that are already incorporated into the statblock such as Toughness are not enumerated in the Feats line. Likewise skills that appear elsewhere, such as Listen and Spot, are not repeated in the Skill line.

Bugbear CR 2

CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +4, Spot +4

Languages Goblin, Common

Defense

AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16

hp 16 (3 HD)

Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1

Offense

Spd 30 ft.; Climb +3

Melee morningstar +5 (1d8+2)

Ranged javelin +3 (1d6+2)

Statistics

Str 15, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 9

Base Atk +2; Grp +4

Skills Hide +4, Move Silently +6

Gear leather armor, light wooden shield, morningstar, 2 javelins

Bugbear Chief CR 9

Male bugbear fighter 2/rogue 5

CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)

Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +8, Spot +8

Languages Goblin, Common

Defense

AC 24, touch 14, flat-footed 20

hp 85 (10 HD)

Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +4

Defensive Abilities evasion, uncanny dodge, trap sense +1

Offense

Spd 30 ft.; Balance +11, Climb +10, Jump +6, Tumble +9

Melee +1 longsword +13/+8 (1d8+5/19–20)

Ranged +1 throwing axe +12 (1d6+5)

Special Attacks sneak attack +3d6

Statistics

Str 18, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8

Base Atk +7; Grp +11

Feats Combat Reflexes, Deadly Precision*, Dodge, Mobility

Skills Hide +14, Move Silently +23, Search +8, Survival +1 (+3 following tracks)

SQ trapfinding

Combat Gear potion of haste; Gear +1 studded leather armor, +1 light wooden shield, +1 longsword, +1 throwing axe, amulet of natural armor +1, boots of elvenkind, cloak of resistance +1

Abilities

Deadly Precision: With this feat the bugbear chief can reroll any result of 1 on his sneak attack’s extra damage dice. The chief must keep the result of the reroll, even if it is another 1.

Bugbear Leader CR 7

CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)

Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +4, Spot +4

Languages Goblin, Common

Defense

AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 17

hp 76 (8 HD)

Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +4

Offense

Spd 30 ft.; Climb +10

Melee +1 morningstar +13/+8 (1d8+7)

Ranged mwk javelin +8 (1d6+4)

Statistics

Str 18, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10

Base Atk +7; Grp +11

Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Shield Bash

Skills Hide +6, Intimidate +6, Move Silently +8

Combat Gear potions of cure moderate wounds and heroism; Gear leather armor, +1 light wooden shield, +1 morningstar, 2 masterwork javelins

Bugbear Scout CR 5

CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +8, Spot +8

Languages Goblin, Common

Defense

AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 17

hp 45 (6 HD)

Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +3

Defensive Abilities evasion

Offense

Spd 30 ft.; Balance +7, Climb +8, Tumble +7

Melee morningstar +9 (1d8+4)

Ranged javelin +7 (1d6+4)

Special Attacks sneak attack +2d6

Statistics

Str 18, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6

Base Atk +4; Grp +8

Skills Hide +9, Move Silently +11

SQ trapfinding, trap sense +1

Combat Gear javelin of lightning, potion of heroism; Gear +1 leather armor, light shield, morningstar, 2 javelins

Bugbear Sergeant CR 3

CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +3, Spot +3

Languages Goblin, Common

Defense

AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16

hp 32 (5 HD)

Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +0

Offense

Spd 30 ft.; Climb +3

Melee longsword +8 (1d8+3/19–20)

Ranged throwing axe +6 (1d6+3)

Statistics

Str 17, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 6

Base Atk +4; Grp +7

Skills Hide +5, Intimidate +2, Move Silently +7

Gear leather armor, light wooden shield, longsword, 2 throwing axes

Bugbear Shaman CR 5

CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +7, Spot +7

Languages Goblin, Common

Defense

AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 18

hp 58 (8 HD)

Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +8

Offense

Spd 30 ft.; Climb +2

Melee mwk shortspear +6 (1d6+1)

Ranged dart +5 (1d4+1)

Typical Adept Spells Prepared (CL 5th, Concentration +8)

2nd—darkness, web (DC 15)

1st—cause fear (DC 14), cure light wounds, protection from good

0—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), touch of fatigue (+5 melee touch, DC 13)

Statistics

Str 12, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10

Base Atk +4; Grp +5

Skills Hide +8, Move Silently +10, Spellcraft +7, Survival +7

SQ summon familiar

Combat Gear javelin of lightning, wand of burning hands; Gear +1 studded leather armor, light wooden shield, masterwork shortspear, 2 darts

Noncombatant Bugbear CR 2

CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +5, Spot +5

Languages Goblin, Common

Defense

AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13

hp 19 (3 HD)

Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2

Offense

Spd 30 ft.; Climb +3,

Melee dagger +3 (1d4+1/19–20)

Statistics

Str 12, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 7

Base Atk +2; Grp +3

Skills Hide +7, Move Silently +9

Gear dagger

5e

The roster of the bugbear faction:

• Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)—bugbear chief (Unique)
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)—bugbear leader
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)—bugbear scout, bugbear shaman
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)—bugbear sergeant
• Challenge 1 (200 XP)—bugbear

Bugbear encounters can be generated using the following table:

Bugbear Encounters

d%	Encounter	Average Challenge
01–33	1d3+1 bugbears	4
34–41	1d2 bugbear leaders	8
42–58	1d3 bugbear scouts	7
59–83	1d3+1 bugbear sergeants	6
84–00	1d2 bugbear shamans	6

Statblocks for individuals follow.

Bugbear

Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 16 (hide armor, shield)
Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5)
Speed 30 ft.
Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
15 (+2)	14 (+2)	13 (+1)	8 (-1)	11 (+0)	9 (-1)
Skills Stealth +6, Survival +2
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the bugbear hits with it (included in the attack).
Surprise Attack. If the bugbear surprises a creature and hits it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage from the attack.
Actions
Javelin (Melee). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Javelin (Ranged). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage.

Bugbear Chief

Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 18 (+1 studded leather armor)
Hit Points 127 (15d8 + 60)
Speed 30 ft.
Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
18 (+4)	20 (+5)	18 (+4)	8 (-1)	12 (+1)	8 (-1)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Will +4
Skills Acrobatics +8, Perception +4, Stealth +11, Survival +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Goblin, Common
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the bugbear chief hits with it (included in the attack).
Evasion. If the bugbear chief is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the chief instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The bugbear chief deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the chief that isn’t incapacitated and the chief doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Actions
Multiattack. The bugbear chief makes two melee attacks. Alternatively, he can make two ranged attacks with his handaxes.
Handaxe (Melee). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Handaxe (Ranged). Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage .
+1 Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.

Bugbear Leader

Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 17 (breastplate, shield)
Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 48)
Speed 30 ft.
Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
18 (+4)	12 (+1)	18 (+4)	8 (-1)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)
Skills Stealth +7, Survival +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Goblin, Common
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the bugbear leader hits with it (included in the attack).
Surprise Attack. If the bugbear leader surprises a creature and hits it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage from the attack.
Actions
Javelin (Melee). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Javelin (Ranged). Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.

Bugbear Scout

Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 16 (studded leather armor)
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.
Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
18 (+4)	19 (+4)	16 (+3)	8 (-1)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)
Skills Stealth +8, Survival +3
Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +1
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Goblin, Common
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the bugbear scout hits with it (included in the attack).
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The bugbear scout deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the scout that isn’t incapacitated and the scout doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Actions
Javelin (Melee). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Javelin (Ranged). Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.

Bugbear Sergeant

Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 16 (leather armor, shield)
Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft.
Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
17 (+3)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	8 (-1)	9 (-1)	6 (-2)
Skills Stealth +7, Survival +1
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Goblin, Common
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the bugbear sergeant hits with it (included in the attack).
Surprise Attack. If the bugbear sergeant surprises a creature and hits it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage from the attack.
Actions
Handaxe (Melee). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Handaxe (Ranged). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage.

Bugbear Shaman

Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 16 (studded leather)
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.
Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
12 (+1)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)
Saving Throws Con +5, Wis +5
Skills Stealth +8, Survival +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Goblin, Common
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the shaman hits with it (included in the attack).
Surprise Attack. If the shaman surprises a creature and hits it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage from the attack.
Spellcasting. The bugbear shaman is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 11, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The shaman has the following cleric spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will)—guidance, sacred flame, thaumaturgy 1st level (4 slots)—bane, healing word, shield of faith 2nd level (3 slots)—hold person, silence 3rd level (2 slots)—bestow curse, mass healing word
Actions
Javelin (Melee). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1) piercing damage.
Javelin (Ranged). Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

Noncombatant Bugbear

Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8)
Speed 30 ft.
Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
12 (+1)	12 (+2)	15 (+2)	9 (-1)	12 (+1)	12 (+1)
Skills Stealth +6, Survival +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Goblin, Common
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

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    • Open Game License v 1.0a, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
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    • Bugbears of the Great Dungeon, Copyright 2023, R. Dorman.

So Close, So Far: Warhammer

I was an avid reader of White Dwarf magazine in the early and mid 1980s, and I was painting miniatures when the license to produce AD&D figures moved from Grenadier to TSR to Citadel to Ral Partha over a few short years. So I had a ringside seat as Games Workshop began to transition away from providing third party support to games published by other companies such as Chaosium, Game Designers’ Workshop, and TSR. Instead, White Dwarf increasingly focused on new products from GW and Citadel under the name Warhammer.

Initially billed as the “Mass Combat Fantasy Roleplaying Game,” I really wasn’t sure what to make of Warhammer. I was certainly interested in incorporating gigantic, army-scale battles into my D&D games but I couldn’t figure out if Warhammer fit the bill. Could I use this boxed set as a D&D supplement? The early reviews were mostly positive but Warhammer sounded like a separate thing altogether. The notion of having enough money to purchase an entire army’s worth of figures, as well as having the time to paint them all seemed bonkers. 

At about the same time the art direction of White Dwarf and Citadel miniatures began to embrace a more gonzo, punky style that I wasn’t really sure I liked. Now, I was a huge fan of the artwork from the 1e Fiend Folio, which was quite a bit wilder than the art in other AD&D books. This is partly because the Fiend Folio was produced by TSR UK and as such featured UK artists such as the late, great Russ Nicholson. There was a lot of overlap between TSR UK and Games Workshop staff.

But the new Games Workshop/Citadel style was like Nicholson turned up to 11: more dynamic, bold, and cartoony, often infused with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and a grittier, post-apocalyptic look. Instead of staid, Tolkien-esque dwarven warriors we suddenly got snarling, tattooed dwarves with mohawks wearing Mad Max-style armor and wielding enormous cleavers.

Despite my reservations about the new art style, I bought a lot of the Citadel D&D miniatures in part because they included so many monsters from my beloved Fiend Folio. In general, these figures were better sculpted and better cast than anything that had come before. And the new art direction, with exaggerated elements, really helped make those tiny miniatures pop. The only thing I really disliked about these figures were the plastic “slotta” bases.

My miniature painting phase was relatively short-lived. And in 1984 TSR released an abstract mass combat system in the D&D Companion Set that adequately addressed my interest in army-scale battles. So I really wasn’t paying much attention to what was happening with Warhammer. By the time I got back into gaming in the 1990s, Warhammer was a phenomenon. I was vaguely aware of this development—local game shops suddenly had sand tables and displays of brightly painted figures—but no one in my immediate group ever took the plunge and I really knew very little about the game.

It seems strange, considering how much D&D I played over the ensuing decades, that I remained so ignorant of a hobby that had so much in common with D&D. I was always flabbergasted at Warhammer’s success: how could a game that was clearly so expensive and time-consuming have such a large following?

Flash-forward to a couple of years ago, when one of my friends bought a copy of the Harbinger Starter Set for Warhammer Age of Sigmar. He had painted up the two factions and we played out a scenario. It was a fun, fast-paced skirmish game. I was impressed by the streamlined rules and am a sucker for d6 mechanics—I also liked adding a random component to movement rates.

I’ve been watching many miniature painting videos over the last few years to try and improve my own painting skills and I’ve been frankly blown away by the work done by the Warhammer community. It’s clear that many of the next-level skills I’d like to master—color theory, wet blending, glazes—are old hat for Warhammer painters.

So given all this I picked up a boxed set of Warcry: Flesh-Eater Courts, not quite understanding the difference between Warcry and other Age of Sigmar sets. The Flesh-Eater Courts is a faction of ghouls, and many of the models would work well for the Eaters of the Dead band of ghouls in my Great Dungeon. I’d long been on the hunt for Large-sized ghouls for my Hulking Ghouls, and this Warcry set had three that fit the bill perfectly.

Opening the box, I was surprised that the models were still on the sprues and needed to be assembled. I also didn’t realize that the figures could be so customizable by swapping in a wide variety of different limbs, heads, or weapons that in some cases would produce completely different models. While I knew kitbashing was common in the Warhammer community, I didn’t know that the models were really designed to support this practice.

The models are made out of a very lightweight, fairly rigid plastic material that holds details extremely well and is roughly comparable to Bones Black. Once snipped from the sprues the parts had very little in the way of flashing or mold lines. Another surprise was that the appendages do not connect with pegs and sockets, but instead use a very clever ball and socket system. You have to get these parts aligned just right, but when they are seated properly they form surprisingly tight attachments with relatively little gaps.

I primed these models with Army Painter spray-on primer and used Reaper ghoul flesh acrylics for the base coats. The sculpts have lots of grotesque details—exposed flesh and sinew, eruptions of pus-filled boils and spikes, limbs held together with impaled bones, and so on. I didn’t try to go all-in on the gore, but did try a few different techniques to render diseased and bruised skin.

I was pretty happy with the overall experience of painting these Warhammer models. I’m not nearly ready to begin assembling an army any time soon, but I have been slowly backfilling my understanding of the game and its lore. I certainly expect to pick up a few more sets to round out my Great Dungeon of the North rosters.