Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Hosted Forums
Creature Catalog Forums
General Monster Talk
Converting monsters from Dragon magazine
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 6260894" data-attributes="member: 57383"><p><strong>Great Orm original stats</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Great orm:</strong> In July 1966, an oddly-shaped prehistoric worm was described to the scientific community. <em>Tullimonstreum gregarium</em> was only a few inches long (a school of them, possibly young ones, had been buried in a cloud of sediment and preserved that way), but it looked for all the world like a miniature plesiosaur. It had a small but distinct head (unusual for worms), a slender, swanlike neck, a torpedo-shaped body with a pair of paddle-like flippers up front, and a tail that looks like an ace of spades. In an amazing example of convergent evolution, this worm from the Carboniferous period came to look like a plesiosaur, and undoubtedly lived like one. In his book, <em>The Great Orm of Loch Ness</em>, F. W. Holiday stated his opinion that Nessie and sea serpents in general are giant forms of <em>Tullimonstreum</em>.</p><p></p><p>Holiday gives a number of good reasons for his theory. The loch has been checked by sonar a number of times, sometimes showing creatures, sometimes not. If the creatures in the loch were lying, wormlike, on the bottom, the sonar would not distinguish them as separate objects. Also, an aquatic worm would mainly breathe through gills, so it would not have to surface for air, explaining why more sightings are not made. In his second book on this subject, <em>The Dragon and the Disc</em>, he mentions a case from the past where an “orm” came ashore, got itself wedged in a crevice or something, and died. The awed locals reported that it “melted away” without leaving any traces behind. Since worms are soft-bodied, shell-less invertebrates, they would leave no bones or other remains behind once their flesh had rotted away.</p><p></p><p>Another bit of evidence is the fact that close views of Nessie instill far more revulsion in people than would seem to be warranted by a good look at a plesiosaur, long-necked seal, etc. One witness actually described the body as “wormy; creepy. The entire body had movement all over it all the time.” Echoing these sentiments was a woman who actually took two photographs of a similar beast in a different loch. She said she would not like to see the animal again because she did not like the way it moved when it swam. The two photos showed a head that merged imperceptibly into the neck (no eyes or other features were visible), and a body that changed shape as it swam. Another witness said the “obscene” thing reminded him of a giant stomach with a long, writhing gut attached. Charming! In an early sighting after the Loch Ness fracas began, a Mr. and Mrs. Spicer saw the thing flop across a road and plunge into the loch. They said that more than anything else, it looked like a giant slug. There are many descriptions of these lake monsters leaving trails of slime behind them when they come out on land. Whatever game system you use, don’t be surprised if your NPC hirelings, colleagues, or whatever take to their heels at the first sight of the thing.</p><p></p><p>Use the Elasmosaurus stats from MC3 with the following modifications: ACTIVITY CYCLE Any; HD 20; THAC0 5; DAMAGE/ATTACK 3-30; SPECIAL DEFENSES Poisonous secretions from its warty flesh (save vs. poison at -1 if you touch it with bare flesh, or die); SIZE G (100’); XP Value 14,000.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cleon, post: 6260894, member: 57383"] [b]Great Orm original stats[/b] [B]Great orm:[/B] In July 1966, an oddly-shaped prehistoric worm was described to the scientific community. [I]Tullimonstreum gregarium[/I] was only a few inches long (a school of them, possibly young ones, had been buried in a cloud of sediment and preserved that way), but it looked for all the world like a miniature plesiosaur. It had a small but distinct head (unusual for worms), a slender, swanlike neck, a torpedo-shaped body with a pair of paddle-like flippers up front, and a tail that looks like an ace of spades. In an amazing example of convergent evolution, this worm from the Carboniferous period came to look like a plesiosaur, and undoubtedly lived like one. In his book, [I]The Great Orm of Loch Ness[/I], F. W. Holiday stated his opinion that Nessie and sea serpents in general are giant forms of [I]Tullimonstreum[/I]. Holiday gives a number of good reasons for his theory. The loch has been checked by sonar a number of times, sometimes showing creatures, sometimes not. If the creatures in the loch were lying, wormlike, on the bottom, the sonar would not distinguish them as separate objects. Also, an aquatic worm would mainly breathe through gills, so it would not have to surface for air, explaining why more sightings are not made. In his second book on this subject, [I]The Dragon and the Disc[/I], he mentions a case from the past where an “orm” came ashore, got itself wedged in a crevice or something, and died. The awed locals reported that it “melted away” without leaving any traces behind. Since worms are soft-bodied, shell-less invertebrates, they would leave no bones or other remains behind once their flesh had rotted away. Another bit of evidence is the fact that close views of Nessie instill far more revulsion in people than would seem to be warranted by a good look at a plesiosaur, long-necked seal, etc. One witness actually described the body as “wormy; creepy. The entire body had movement all over it all the time.” Echoing these sentiments was a woman who actually took two photographs of a similar beast in a different loch. She said she would not like to see the animal again because she did not like the way it moved when it swam. The two photos showed a head that merged imperceptibly into the neck (no eyes or other features were visible), and a body that changed shape as it swam. Another witness said the “obscene” thing reminded him of a giant stomach with a long, writhing gut attached. Charming! In an early sighting after the Loch Ness fracas began, a Mr. and Mrs. Spicer saw the thing flop across a road and plunge into the loch. They said that more than anything else, it looked like a giant slug. There are many descriptions of these lake monsters leaving trails of slime behind them when they come out on land. Whatever game system you use, don’t be surprised if your NPC hirelings, colleagues, or whatever take to their heels at the first sight of the thing. Use the Elasmosaurus stats from MC3 with the following modifications: ACTIVITY CYCLE Any; HD 20; THAC0 5; DAMAGE/ATTACK 3-30; SPECIAL DEFENSES Poisonous secretions from its warty flesh (save vs. poison at -1 if you touch it with bare flesh, or die); SIZE G (100’); XP Value 14,000. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Hosted Forums
Creature Catalog Forums
General Monster Talk
Converting monsters from Dragon magazine
Top