Some quick OSR filler

 I'm not keeping to my scheduleso I will have another post tomorrow and another two in the next fortnight and I will be back on my posting schedule.

This post is about some quick OSR monsters I whipped up for the OSR Discord becuase someone bemoaned the fact their players have fought all that there was.
I took these from the Runequest Gateway Beastiery, a collection of monster by Sandy Petersen for RQ 2E. Since I assumed these were for OD&D I kept them super simple and succient in mechanics. Fortunetly Sandy did the imagining for me.

FACHANS

"Fachans have one eye in their forehead, one arm coming out of their chest, one leg supporting their body, and a coating of feathers. Fachans love magical weaponry, and often possess magical weapons. They often possess blade venom, and are not uncommonly found with an iron weapon of some sort. They love to fight and slay, and are of incredible strength. They have a prodigious leaping ability.

Occasionally cults have beguiled fachans to serve them, usually by offering such treasures as Seal Wound matrices and the like.

Beginning fachans are of course less skilled in fighting, but beginning fachans are rarely encountered."

HD 3 AC 5

Armed with flail or bare fist, doing double damage due to strength 1d6+3

If treasure roll indicates a magic weapon they are wielding it, rolled magic swords carry a poison on the blade.

Move: Can leap 10 times their HD in yards outdoors or in feet in a dungeon. 3 times vertically, otherwise 90 feet a turn.

This ended up following a bit of a set conversion formula, which stuck most RQ monsters in the HD 2-3 band.

Whole HD is 6, so 19/6 = 3.2 = HD 3

The highest AP is from their skin which is 4, so the AC is 9-AC=4, so AC is 5

Damage and HD in OD&D is just in d6s, but if Supplement 1: Greyhawk is being used the damage is 1d6 (Flail) + 1 per d6 or fraction. So 1d6+3

Since most monsters in RQ use weapons with a higher number of dice than in D&D, I decided to deduct a dice from damages and hope the static bonus from SIZ + STR makes up for it.

Morale is usually 7 because everyone forgets about it

WATER-LEAPERS

"This monster inhabits small ponds and lakes. It preys on fishermen, stray animals, and occasional travelers. It resembles an immense limbless toad. In place of legs it possesses great batlike wings and it has a long, mobile tail."

HD 2 AC 6

Attacks 2: Can simultaneously Bite and Strike with the Tail

If it bites, it will try to drag the victim into the pond to drown him. Save vs Paralysis to resist. If the water leaper fails to drag it will let go and try again. 1d10+1

If it hits with tail, the tail continues to do damage each round until released or killed. OR 1d6 and contriction

Move: Flight 135 feet per turn

It surprises on a roll of 1-5 of a d6.

NIGHTGAUNTS

"These creatures usually serve a god of darkness. They are somewhat humanoid, with bat-like wings and a barbed tail. Instead of a face, there is a blank expanse of skin. Nightgaunts are absolutely silent, but can understand certain tongues. Two nightgaunts are capable of carrying a being of SIZ 21 or less. Each extra nightgaunt enables a being of 6 more SIZ points to be carried.

The usual mode for a nightgaunt attack is for a group of them to ambush and disarm their foe, then lift him up and deposit him in the most dismal, dangerous spot possible. Nightgaunts rarely kill a victim on their own. If a victim is particularly obnoxious, the nightgaunts may drop him from a height. Nightgaunts are typically used as guardians over temples and mountains. They will not come out in the daylight."

HD 2 AC 7

Attack 1: If it hits the target is seized, and the Nightgaunt begins to tickle if the victim continues to struggle.

The victim must pass a save vs paralysis (use that a lot for CON, STR or FOR stuff) or be immobilized for 1d6 rounds.

Can carry up to 1 human with gear on it's own, and 2 more needed per additional human's worth of weight

Move: 90 feet per turn, flight 180 feet per turn

Surprises on a 1-5 on a d6.

BANDERSNATCHES

"This well-known animal is also from Lewis Carroll, and is mentioned in the book Through the Looking Glass. Unfortunately, very little information is given about it, except to say that it is ‘frumious’ and is the source of the expression ‘as quick as a bandersnatch.’ I have taken some liberties with the creature."

HD 3 AC 7

Attacks 2: Can simultaneously attack with claws 1d6 + 2

Move: 180 feet per turn

Ignores Morale rolls if wounded

Every round of melee after the first, the Bandersnatch emits clouds of vapor that improve AC by 1 per round with no maximum. This cloud extends 15 feet

Surprises on a 1-3 on a d6.

HEADHANGERS

These resemble a huge pallid spined and clawed insect or reptile. Sprouting from the flaccid body are numerous stalks, often bearing living humanoid head. Headhangers only prey on intelligent creatures, and the heads stay alive for months while the energies of the victims are gradually consumed by the creature.

The heads will aid the headhanger in fighting by shouting, spitting, and otherwise distracting opponents in combat. This gives the headhanger a +05% defense per each head on its body.

If the headhanger can sever a victim’s head, it is stored internally and will grow on a stalk in 24 hours. Victims of a headhanger are not free to have their spirits go to a proper heaven or hell until their heads are completely absorbed. Usually has 1D10 heads.

HD 3 AC 5

Attack 2: Both attacks occur simultaneously 1d8+2

If maximum damage is rolled or the victim killed, the head is considered severed and swallowed by the headhanger

Move: 120 feet per turn.

Each heads gives -1 to attacks against the headhanger.

SHARK-MEN

These beings are strictly oceanic and islandic in nature. They are the sons of a shark god and were-sharks. They are always in Mindspeech with nearby sharks and are capable of commanding them about. In human form, the shark-men always wear a cape or other back covering. This is because they can be recognized by a shark’s gaping maw visible on their backs. Even in human form they are exceptionally strong. Shark-men think of humans as extremely unimportant, and will not usually make deals or treat humans even as slaves. They lose no intelligence in shark form.

HD 2 in human form/ HD 3 in shark form AC 4 even in human form

Attacks 1: A Shark-Man can bite or attack two opponents with a Fin Slash

Bite has double damage in shark form 1d10+1 in human form 1d10+2 in shark form

Fin Slash 1d8

Surprises on a roll of 1-3 on a d6

Move: 120 feet per turn as human, swim 240 feet per turn as a shark

PERIPATI

This immense worm has multiple legs and three rasping mouthsaws. They are only found in forests and jungles and ruins after or during heavy rain. Their eyes are on the tips of long tentacles. A favored trick is to hide the body and leave just the eyes, looking like the stalks of some dead plant, poking out. These animals fear fire and have a 1 in 20 cumulative chance per round of becoming demoralized if fire is used against them. This must be fire in some effective form—a lantern or candle will not frighten the peripatus.

HD 3 AC 8

Attacks 4: Every round the peripatus can Bite and Trample the same or different targets and shoot it's glue from it's fore-tubes twice

Bite 2d4

Trample does double damage 3d6

Glue: The peripatus has two fore tubes through which it can squirt a gluey fluid up to 60 feet distant. If the attack hits, the victim is glued to the ground unless a successful Save vs Paralysis or Bend Bars roll is made.

The victums cannot move or attack but can parry, but cannot do so on the round they are trying to escape.

JUBJUB BIRDS

This is another, and the last, of the monsters from Lewis Carroll’s famed poem Jabberwocky. It somewhat resembles a monstrous crow with a hooked beak. A favorite pastime of the jubjub bird is to swoop suddenly down and carry off a person in each claw while knocking down the rest of the group with the blast of air from its wings. Jubjub birds generally inhabit deserted woods.

HD 3 AC 5

Attacks 5: Claws 1d6+2

Beak 1d8+2

Wing Buffet 1d6

If either claw hits a victim, the victim is grasped and the bird may attempt to carry him off next round. Victim may roll for a successful save vs paralysis or Bend Bars roll to escape the claw.

UPDATE - Let's add the classic RQ monster the Jack O'Bear, whose depiction changes with the level of seriousness Chaosium wants us to take Glorantha as a setting.

JACK O’BEARS

Humanoid in shape, this strange creature has what seems to be a pumpkin for a head and an exotic talent not to be sneered at.

The Jack O’Bear can ensnare another’s mind. These victims whose saves are overcome are frozen in place and helpless unless the Jack O’Bear dies or a form of Dispel Magic is used against the Harmonize. Jack O’Bears are basically Chaotic, and the Harmonize is the Chaotic Feature they have as a result.

HD 3 AC 6

Attacks 2: Simultaneous 1d6+1

Once per round per victim, the Jack O’Bear can hypnotize victims up to a total of twice its HD, who must save vs spells or be frozen in place and helpless.

Move 150 feet per turn

Surprises on a roll of 1-3 on a d6.