Monsters of Fighting Fantasy: The Forest of Doom

I have always enjoyed the Fighting Fantasy books, started by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone with the seminal Warlock of Firetop Mountain. This has overlapped with my love of D&D and it is only natural that there is some cross-pollination. I'm sure hundreds of other gamers have done similar conversions but I am still going to present my attempts at bringing FF monsters into B/X D&D. This collection is from the 3rd in the series, The Forest of Doom by Ian Livingstone. All the black & white illustrations are by Malcolm Barter.

Stingworm

Name	Stingworm
Armor Class	7
Hit Dice (Avg hp)	3* (14hp)
Movement	90’/30’ burrow
No Attacks	1 sting
THAC0	17
Damage	1d6+poison
No Enc	1d8
Save as	F2
Morale	8
Alignment	Unaligned
Treasure	None
Size/Type	Medium Vermin
Intelligence	1 (non)
XP value	50

Stingworms are invertebrate carnivores and scavengers found in natural caverns and dungeons, preferably with a soil or dirt floor rather than solid stone. They are large worms about 12’ long and as heavy as a man, with soft grey skin. They can burrow through soil and mud with ease and can use this to ambush creatures walking over their territory. 

They have 12” long sting at the end of their tails that can pierce for 1d6 damage, and the target must save vs poison or take 4d6 poison damage.

In the Known World, stingworms are found in subterranean realms including megadungeons and the underrealms, particularly where the local ecosystem such as a fungal forest has created a soft floor that the stingworm can dig into. Their soft flesh is a delicacy among dungeon-dwellers (particularly troglodytes) and as such hunting them is a dangerous but worthwhile pursuit..

Fishfolk

Name	Fishfolk
Armor Class	5
Hit Dice (Avg hp)	2+2 (11hp)
Movement	90’/90' swim
No Attacks	1 weapon
THAC0	17
Damage	by weapon (1d6)
No Enc	1d4 (patrol) or 3d8 (lair)
Save as	F2
Morale	8
Alignment	Neutral or Chaotic
Treasure	None (C in lair)
Size/Type	Medium Humanoid
Intelligence	9-10 (average)
XP value	25

Fishfolk (whose own name for themselves is unpronounceable by humans) are omnivorous humanoids derived from freshwater fish in a similar way that rakastas are derived from cats and lizardfolk are derived from lizards. They are amphibious (their gills can cope with breathing air) but need to return to the water every hour or so before their gills dry out (after which the fishman will take 1hp damage per turn). They live in freshwater, both on the surface and underground, and prefer large bodies of water (big rivers and lakes) where they have sufficient room to hide from enemies and find food. If a tribe stays in a location for long enough their scale colouration will change so subterranean fishfolk are often white, surface river-dwelling fishfolk are often light blue or light cyan, and lake-dwelling fishfolk are often muddy brown.
In combat there is no distinction between the genders - females fight as well as males. If encountered in their lair there will be a leader of unusual size with 4+4HD and +1 to damage rolls.

In Mystara fishfolk find themselves competing with nixies above ground and troglodytes below ground. Orcs and goblins will kill fishfolk for food when they can - apparently they taste like sushi. They have their own language that few other creatures have learned, and it is difficult for humans to pronounce some of the sounds. They sometimes speak of lost tribes of fishfolk. It is said that one tribe went so deep into the underrealms they went insane and started calling themselves Kuo-Toa. Another went downstream and adapted to the ocean life and became the Locathah, but there was a civil war among the locathah, and half of them became evil and hateful and called themselves Sahuagin. Such stories are too wild to be true...

Fire Demon

Name	Fire Demon
Armor Class	1
Hit Dice (Avg hp)	14** (63hp)
Movement	120’/180’ fly
No Attacks	1 whip/1 sword
THAC0	9
Damage	2d4 + entangling/2d8+1d6
No Enc	1
Save as	F14
Morale	10
Alignment	Chaotic
Treasure	H
Size/Type	Large Outsider
Intelligence	15 (exceptional)
XP value	3250

Fire demons are big (12' tall) powerful chaotic creatures of shadow and flame from the Planes of Chaos that tend to dominate lesser creatures, especially when they are here on the material plane. 

Fire demons are perpetually wreathed in flames, and anyone in melee (within 10') with one suffers 1d6 fire damage per round merely by proximity. Fire demons are enchanted beings and are immune to normal and silver weapons - opponents need magical weapons of +1 or better to hurt a fire demon. Fire demons are, of course, immune to all fire damage as well as diseases and poisons. A fire demon usually attacks with a flaming sword which does 2d8 cutting damage as well as 1d6 fire damage, while their whips cause 2d4 fire damage and also entangle their opponents (use rules for whips from Companion set or Rules Compendium if possible). Once per hour a fire demon can cast Wall of Fire or Fireball (both as if 14th level caster).

In Mystara fire demons are among the more powerful of planar entities known as lesser demons. It is possible for powerful spellcasters to summon forth a fire demon and try to compel it to do their bidding, though at great risk should the caster lose control. Twisted summoners have had more success, but there are still a few fire demons roaming the world free. They often subjugate tribes of orcs or goblins and use them as troops in the endless war of Law versus Chaos.

Shape Changer

(illustration by Iain McCraig)

Name	Shape Changer
Armor Class	6
Hit Dice (Avg hp)	6+3
Movement	120’
No Attacks	2 claws/1 bite
THAC0	13
Damage	1d4/1d4/1d6
No Enc	1
Save as	F6
Morale	10
Alignment	Chaotic
Treasure	C
Size/Type	Medium Humanoid
Intelligence	7-9 (Low)
XP value	350

This devious reptilian creature has similar powers to a doppelganger in that it can change its outward appearance to that of any medium humanoid. It will appear as some harmless person, perhaps a damsel in distress or a lone traveller vulnerable to bandits, and can imitate voices as well. However, unlike doppelgangers, shape changers are not very patient or clever, and often reveal their true natures as soon as potential prey comes close. Shape changers do not have the same level of skill at imitating behaviours and attitudes, and sometimes struggle to speak as their disguise would be expected to. Their natural form is of a hideous green reptilian humanoid with bony spikes on its head and back, and a long forked tongue. They are not particularly skilled with artificial weapons and prefer to stick with their claws and teeth. 

In Mystara they are found in the borderlands where few humans and demihumans are encountered, but just enough for the shape changer's abilities to come in use in ambushing prey. Being reptilian they prefer warm climates but can cope with the temperate climes of Karameikos, Darokin and nearby realms. It is rumoured that some have been captured by the clerics of Hule who are deciding how best to use them. 

Apeman

Name	Apeman
Armor Class	7
Hit Dice (Avg hp)	3+3 (17hp)
Movement	120’/60’ climb
No Attacks	1 club/1 bite
THAC0	17
Damage	2d4/ 1d4
No Enc	1d8
Save as	F3
Morale	8
Alignment	Neutral
Treasure	U
Size/Type	Medium humanoid
Intelligence	7-9 (low)
XP value	50

Apemen are the bestial, degenerate cousins of Neanderthals. Although strong and agile, they are not as intelligent as normal humans or even neanderthals who at least have some culture in the form of cave art and spoken language. Apemen have not coped well with the current age and have been pushed aside and driven away by more intelligent and organised creatures, including humans, dwarves, orcs and goblins. Now they are found in the most rugged and inhospitable places such as dense jungle and tropical rugged hills, and they are wary and frequently hostile to any intruders. Apemen can climb trees and cliffs almost as well as monkeys and true apes. They do not have a true language and have difficulty with speaking common and putting together proper sentences, and their communication tends to be about immediate events and needs rather than planning for the future or describing the past.