Category Archives: Games

A Dangerous Foe: Shaalath Akis

Wherein your humble scribe presents LL/AEC and (as an added bonus) BoL writeups of naughty sorceress Shaalath Akis, who was introduced recently in The Demons Of Adad Untash: Uszu Anang Kal. He invites you to use this foul temptress to bedevil your players. She’s a very bad girl (and she likes it like that).

One note on the LL/AEC version of Shaalath Akis: I’ve always played the Advanced game with magic-users getting bonus spells for INT as clerics do for WIS, so she’s listed with more spells than a magic-user of her level would normally have by-the-book. To rectify this if you don’t play that way, simply knock her spells per day down to 2/2/1 and assume that they spells listed are the ones she’s more likely to have memorized than anything else she has in her spell books. Or you can write-off the bonus spells as a benefit of her dedication to her demonic master.

Now, without further ado, Shaalath Akis!

Shaalath Akis – LL/AEC Style

Race Human (Female)
Class Magic-User
Level 5
Alignment Chaotic (Evil)
Hit Points 20
Armor Class 5

STR 9
INT 17
WIS 9
DEX 13
CON 13
CHR 16

Spells: 4/4/2
1st Level: Charm Person, Magic Missile, Read Magic, Shield
2nd Level: Darkness Globe, Invisibility, Scare, Stinking Cloud
3rd Level: Hold Person, Summon Monster I

Equipment
Bracers of Armor (AC 6)
Venom Dagger +1
Scroll of Spells:
* Summon Monster III
* Summon Demon

Shaalath Akis, BoL Style

Sorceress & Adept of Jebel Jebellah

Lifeblood 10
Arcane Power 14
Villain Points 6

Attributes
Strength 0
Agility 2
Mind 2
Appeal 1

Combat Abilities
Brawling 0
Melee 2
Ranged 1
Defense 2

Careers
Sorcerer 2
Druid 1
Noble 1
Scholar 1

Boons
Power of the Void
Marked by the Gods

Flaws
Arrogant
Untrustworthy

Equipment
2 Daggers (1d3)
Very Light Armor (1d3-1)

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Uszu Anang Kal

Far beyond the great desert, one will find the troubled land of Umaab. The people of this once proud kingdom are oft beset by demons who serve the dark god Nergal. The characteristics of these demons are described in the holy Tablets of Adad Untash.

Shaalath Akis watched with dark delight as the Umaabi heroes fought to control their bodies’ reactions to the sickening smell that filled their nostrils. The stench of the demons she had summoned to defend her shrine to Jebel Jebelah, the Queen of Lust, was more than their pathetic souls could withstand.

The men-at-arms fell quickly, retching and green-cast, easily knocked about by the lashing tails or else gored upon the yellowed, rotten tusks of her servants. The pitiful sons and daughters of Marduk, gasping for clean air, were unable to call upon their impotent god for his assistance. Even the magicians, who should know enough to swear allegiance to her masters in exchange for greater power – as she herself had done – were rendered mute by the miasma that issued forth from the oily scales of the beasts that had arrived in answer to her black prayers.

Her mad reverie was shattered by the sudden arrival of new blood to the fray. A brave warrior, stout of arm – whose constitution was more than that of the chaff that had fallen to her minions – charged forth swinging an iron-bitted axe. No matter if he turned the tide a little. He would be a fine trifle for the night once she had charmed him with her…

“Shaalath Akis!” a voice called out from behind her. “You take too much pride in your demons and too little care for your own skin,” hissed Giszeah. “You sunk your knife into my father’s back, and now I will repay that debt.”

Uszu Anang Kal (Lower Order Demon)
No. Enc.: 2d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 3 + 3
Attacks: 2 (Tusks) or 1 (Tail-whip)
Damage: 1d6/1d6 or 2d4
Save: F3
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: none (in the wild) or XVIII (guarding an unholy site)
XP: 345

These fell beasts are a hideous combination of wild boar and giant snake, possessing the wickedly tusked heads of the former and the serpentine body of the latter.

Uszu Anang Kal exude the unpleasant odor of vomit from every surface of their body, which causes their opponents to fight with a -1 to hit unless a Saving Throw vs. Posion is made. This save must be attempted at the beginning of each round, and a successful save only applies to the current round. If the Saving Throw fails for three consecutive rounds the unfortunate victim of this stench is overcome and will be reduced to a retching, gasping mass, fighting at -4 to hit and suffering a +2 penalty to Armor Class for the duration of the combat. Magic-Users, Clerics and other spell casters may not use magic during any turn in which they have failed this save.

Uszu Anang Kal charge into combat with wild abandon, seeking to gore their opponents with their vicious tusks. Once engaged in a fight, these creatures lash out with their powerful tails rather than biting. A target struck by this tail lash must make a Saving Throw vs. Petrify (or pass a Dexterity check, if Ability Checks are used) or be knocked back 5d4 feet.

Additionally, they possess all of the abilities of a typical Lower Order Demon:

  • Infravision (90’)
  • Half damage from cold-based attacks
  • Half damage from electrical-based attacks
  • Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
  • Half damage from gas-type attacks
  • Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)

Further, these creatures are:

  • Susceptible to damage from “cold iron” weapons – hits from such weapons do an additional 1d3 damage.
  • Vulnerable to Holy Water, taking 1d4 damage per thrown vial that hits or an additional 1d2 damage from weapons doused in such a fluid.
  • Able to be turned (as creatures of 6HD) by Clerics of the gods of Umaab.

Uszu Anang Kal are typically found in ruined temples, especially those near marshes or the sea. They are occasionally summoned by evil clerics to guard unholy sites as well.

The Tablets of Adad Untash name Uszu Anang Kal as the damned souls of drunkards and other addicts who failed to live holy lives because of their self-destructive behavior.

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Anu Bata Kalb

Far beyond the great desert, one will find the troubled land of Umaab. The people of this once proud kingdom are oft beset by demons who serve the dark god Nergal. The characteristics of these demons are described in the holy Tablets of Adad Untash.

Hurin and Ninumat descended the stairs cautiously. The old curate had nodded off after dinner, but not before his drunken tales of the magics to be found in the lower levels of his temple piqued the interest of the robbers.

The first two levels of the substructure had held little more than some rats and a few barrels of trinkets and talismans the clerics would use to pacify the local farmers when their crops failed or the rains didn’t come as prophesied. Disgruntled that their efforts would go unrewarded, the twin thieves had almost missed the hidden trap door that led to a still deeper place.

A faint red glow fell upon their faces as they stepped lightly on the landing, not a single sound issuing from their careful steps and soft leather boots. As they peered into the doorway where the light was strongest, their breaths caught in their throats. There, rummaging through the scroll-filled shelves, were half-a-dozen man-sized beetles, yellow and black, standing on their hind legs, swords at their sides.

Ninumat – or was it Hurin? – reached slowly for his own blade. Suddenly the creatures turned, instantly aware of their unwelcome visitors. Two of them began to read from scrolls they were holding in their lower hands, while two more drew their swords. The last two, though, simply stood their ground as beams of red light, eerily reminiscent of the glow that filled the room, shot forth from their eyes, striking the thieves, causing them to stiffen slightly and then collapse.

Anu Bata Kalb (Lower Order Demon)
No. Enc.: 2d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: 2 (weapons)
Damage: 1d6/1d6
Save: C3
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: VIII
XP: 200

These highly intelligent demons appear in our world as humanoid beetles with mottled yellow and black carapaces. They are the bane of scholars, librarians and magicians throughout Umaab, for they are notorious thieves of scrolls, tablets and other written materials. Anu Bata Kalb glow with a faint red light and, even at rest, emit sounds akin to the rustling of paper.

The multifaceted eyes of Anu Bata Kalb cover a wide visual field, making it virtually impossible to surprise them. They attack with ornately crafted short swords, wielding two at once with their primary arms while their secondary arms remain free to grasp at any written material their opponents may possess. Further, they are able to cast spells (of any kind) directly from any magical scrolls they may possess, and do so with great cunning. Finally, once per day a Anu Bata Kalb may emit a beam of flickering red energy that acts as as Wand of Paralyzation.

Additionally, they possess all of the abilities of a typical Lower Order Demon:

  • Infravision (90’)
  • Half damage from cold-based attacks
  • Half damage from electrical-based attacks
  • Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
  • Half damage from gas-type attacks
  • Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)

Further, these creatures are:

  • Susceptible to damage from “cold iron” weapons – hits from such weapons do an additional 1d3 damage.
  • Vulnerable to Holy Water, taking 1d4 damage per thrown vial that hits or an additional 1d2 damage from weapons doused in such a fluid.
  • Able to be turned (as creatures of 5HD) by Clerics of the gods of Umaab.

Anu Bata Kalb are typically found in the basements of great libraries, as well as in labyrinths where scrolls and other such items are often unearthed.

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Anu Bata Kalb are the souls of the willfully ignorant, damned to an eternal quest for knowledge.

Demons… of Lemuria!

Ok, so your humble scribe missed his self-imposed deadline for the next entry in the Demons of Adad Untash. He blames it on the sneak preview of Hot Tub Time Machine that we went to last night. To make it up to you he’d like to link to some very nice demon creation & summoning rules for Barbarians of Lemuria that terje posted on the Lords of Lemuria forum.

If you play BoL – or are just looking for some sweet free-form-ish demon creation rules, you simply must check these out. They’re gold. They’re platinum. They’re so gosh-darn dandy that BoL author Simon Washbourne has asked to borrow them for a future supplement. You don’t get much higher praise than that, kids.

As for Adad Untash, expect more demony goodness soon!

Minotaur (Not Quarterly) #7!

My old pal Olivier Legrand, he of the majesty that is Mazes & Minotaurs (and he who gave me my start in recent geek publication) has released Minotaur #7. This monster clocks in at 80 pages and proves once again that just because a game is “small” doesn’t mean it’s unsupported.

Check out #7 (and all the rest, including 1-4, where yours truly contributed some adventures and such) at the Minotaur page.

If by some chance you’ve not had the pleasure of digging into M&M, for the love of Zeus check it out!

The 1987 Revised Rules are probably the easiest jumping on point. But consider a look at the 1972 Original Rules as well.

And if you like what you see, definitely dive into the epic adventure known as The Tomb of the Bull King. It is nothing short of amazing.

Finally, drop by the M&M Yahoo Group. It’s full of friendly and insightful people pushing the boundaries of what M&M can do.

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Tummahu Anang Gar

Far beyond the great desert, one will find the troubled land of Umaab. The people of this once proud kingdom are oft beset by demons who serve the dark god Nergal. The characteristics of these demons are described in the holy Tablets of Adad Untash.

Lugul watched in horror as the last guards fell, lashed by the terrible whips of the hideous horse-headed demons that had overrun the ruins of Ash’ashzab since last he passed this way. His own efforts to drive the monsters off with the words and symbols of Marduk had failed – they were simply too full of darkness and hatred for him to overcome. Now there was little left to do than pray for sanctuary.

The creatures slowly turned their hollow eyes towards him, relishing the thought of tormenting one so self-righteous. Their dark desires focused thus, they were blindsided as up from the cellar of the old armory burst forth a ragged pair, one bearing an ancient iron axe and the other incanting words of sorcerous power.

“Don’t just stand there waiting for death, Priest!” called Dusz. “Fight!”

Tummahu Anang Gar (Lower Order Demon)
No. Enc.: 2d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 2 + 4
Attacks: 1 (whip or sling)
Damage: 1d6+1 (whip) or 1d4+1 (sling)
Save: F3
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: VII
XP: 92

Tummahu Anang Gar are immensely strong horse-headed humanoid demons with coal black eyes. These terrifying fiends stand 7′ tall and their blood-red coats shimmer with an oily iridescence. The air about them smells faintly of oxidized copper. Tummahu Anang Gar are bloodthirsty, fearless and sadistic; they delight in the chaos and suffering of battle.

Tummahu Anang Gar attack relentlessly with viciously barbed whips or slings. Creatures struck by the whip of a Tummahu Anang Gar must save vs. Petrify (or pass a Dexterity check, if Ability Checks are used) or fall to the ground as the demon pulls mightily on its whip. Characters knocked to the ground may be subject to combat penalties as ruled by the DM.

Combat with Tummahu Anang Gar is complicated by their innate ability to cast mirror image twice per day. At least one demon will use this ability in the first round of combat, with additional Tummahu Anang Gar following suit throughout the duration of the fight.

Additionally, they possess all of the abilities of a typical Lower Order Demon:

  • Infravision (90’)
  • Half damage from cold-based attacks
  • Half damage from electrical-based attacks
  • Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
  • Half damage from gas-type attacks
  • Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)

Further, these creatures are:

  • Susceptible to damage from “cold iron” weapons – hits from such weapons do an additional 1d4 damage.
  • Vulnerable to Holy Water, taking 1d6 damage per thrown vial that hits or an additional 1d2 damage from weapons doused in such a fluid.
  • Able to be turned (as creatures of 5HD) by Clerics of the gods of Umaab.

Tummahu Anang Gar are found in the wild, often at oases and abandoned encampments.

The Tablets of Adad Untash name Tummahu Anang Gar as the damned souls of slaves who sold out their fellows to avoid punishment.

Form-Fillable LL/AEC Character Sheet

Somebody has probably already done this, but I figured I’d do one just in case. Or, at least, for my own needs. So here it is – a form-fillable character sheet for Labyrinth Lord’s Advanced Edition Companion: BoL Classic Edition GM Screen (13948 downloads )

It’s the official sheet available from the Goblinoid Games website (here), just done up with fillable fields. Enjoy it in good health!

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Lum Anang Kul

Far beyond the great desert, one will find the troubled land of Umaab. The people of this once proud kingdom are oft beset by demons who serve the dark god Nergal. The characteristics of these demons are described in the holy Tablets of Adad Untash.

Ninumat and Hurin crept ahead, flickering torches held aloft and 10’ poles tapping the tiled floor in front of them. Meanwhile, the rest of the party held back, content to let the twin footpads confirm that the path ahead was safe.

As Eszeerz flipped irritatedly through his spellbook and Anam polished the blade of her sword out of boredom, the thieves disappeared around a slight bend in the hallway. Several moments went by in silence, which was broken by a strange jabbering followed by a nightmarish howl that made the flesh of the wizard crawl and the blood of the Paladin curdle.

Suddenly, Ninumat and Hurin came racing back around the corner, eyes wide and staring, torches and poles dropped somewhere behind them as they fled.

“B-b-baboooooons!” they stammered in unison, shoving their way past the party and its retainers, to flee into the daylight outside the tomb.

Lum Anang Kul (Lower Order Demon)
No. Enc.: 2d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d8
Save: F2
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: II
XP: 83

Lum Anang Kul – often simply Lum – are wretched humanoid demons in the form of a human-sized two-headed baboon. Their heads chitter and argue back and forth constantly, even in the midst of battle. They smell strongly of refuse and take perverse delight in flinging garbage, excrement, and offal at opponents whenever possible.

Lum attack with battle axes or heavy flails. Twice per day they can summon up a hellish screech from the pit of their damned souls. This terrifying vocalization acts as a fear spell as cast by a 1st level Cleric.

Additionally, they possess all of the abilities of a typical Lower Order Demon:

  • Infravision (90’)
  • Half damage from cold-based attacks
  • Half damage from electrical-based attacks
  • Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
  • Half damage from gas-type attacks
  • Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)

Further, these creatures are:

  • Susceptible to damage from “cold iron” weapons – hits from such weapons do an additional 1d4 damage.
  • Highly vulnerable to Holy Water, taking 2d6 damage per thrown vial that hits or an additional 1d6 damage from weapons doused in such a fluid.
  • Able to be turned (as creatures of 4HD) by Clerics of the gods of Umaab.

Lum are most often found in ruins and labyrinths, though they are occasionally summoned by evil Clerics or used as foot soldiers in the armies of Demon Lords.

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Lum Anang Kul are the spirits of quarrelsome husbands and wives bound together in eternal torment.

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Bazu Tum Laag

Far beyond the great desert, one will find the troubled land of Umaab. The people of this once proud kingdom are oft beset by demons who serve the dark god Nergal. The characteristics of these demons are described in the holy Tablets of Adad Untash.

“Giszeah! Look out!” Dusz shouted in warning to the hermit’s daughter. The creatures were all about them now, their coal black skin making them nearly impossible to see in the fog-shrouded dusk.

“Don’t worry about me, take care of your own skin,” Giszeah hissed sharply. She then began gesturing and chanting, drawing forth the arcane energies she would use to fight these monstrosities.

The concentration of both wizard and warrior was shaken by the agonized screams of Imuubas, ever unlucky, as one of the beasts sank its fangs deep into his shoulder. The thief fell to his knees as the fiery poison spread through his blood.

As Dusz hacked his way through the spindly legs and croaking heads, the blade of his axe biting deeply into their terrible flesh, a gout of flame shot forth from Gizseah’s hands, burning the demons – but not nearly as much as the conjuror had planned.

“Dusz? I think maybe I need your help after all.”

Bazu Tum Laag (Lower Order Demon)
No. Enc.: 2d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 1 + 3
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 1d6+1, poison
Save: F2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None
XP: 57

With large and unblinking golden eyes set deeply within their slime-coated heads, these ebon-colored demons are a terrible cross between a giant spider and a large, warty toad. Their poisonous bites do not kill on a failed save – at least not immediately. The unlucky victim of a Bazu Tum Laag bite will suffer a terrible burning coursing through their veins resulting in a -2 to all hits and saves for 2d4 days. At the end of that time a second save vs. Poison is required. If successful then the victim will return to normal. If failed he or she will enter a berserk rage, attacking the nearest target in sight with a +2 to all combat rolls, fighting until death.

Additionally, they possess all of the abilities of a typical Lower Order Demon:

  • Infravision (90’)
  • Half damage from cold-based attacks
  • Half damage from electrical-based attacks
  • Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
  • Half damage from gas-type attacks
  • Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)

Further, these creatures are:

  • Susceptible to damage from “cold iron” weapons – hits from such weapons do an additional 1d4 damage.
  • Highly vulnerable to Holy Water, taking 1d8 damage per thrown vial that hits or an additional 1d4 damage from weapons doused in such a fluid.
  • Able to be turned (as creatures of 3HD) by Clerics of the gods of Umaab.

Bazu Tum Laag lurk in the reedy marshes swamps that dot the landscape of Umaab, waiting for careless travelers upon whom to feast.

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Bazu Tum Laag are the souls of those who mistreated their pack animals.