Monsters - Ape-Man, Cactoid and Wasteland Mutant

APE-MAN

• NO. ENCOUNTERED: 2-8, 20-30 in lair
• SIZE: Medium
• HD: 3
• MOVE: 12”, climb 6”
• AC: 7
• ATTACKS: club (1d6), claw (1d4) and bite (1d4)
• SPECIAL: None
• INT: Low
• ALIGNMENT: Neutral (evil)
• TREASURE: 50% standard

These powerful humanoids resemble shaggy, primitive humans with the features of an ape. They are very aggressive omnivores that prefer meat, killing and eating anything they can catch. Ape-men are capable of tracking their prey by scent.

An Ape-man often precedes an attack with a display of aggression before charging its foe and bashing it with its club and mauling it with its claws and fangs.

Ape-men are thought to be the product of union between either cavemen or extremely degenerate tribes of humans and species of carnivorous apes. Some sages hold that ape-men are the result of foul ritual practices of certain ape cults.

The coloration of ape-men depends on the species of ape they are descended from, but most have brown skin, black hair and brown eyes They have a broad, powerful build and are usually five and a half feet tall and will weight around 250 pounds.

Ape-men speak their own language and can communicate with apes and ape-like creatures, although their vocabulary is limited due to their low intelligence.

Ape-men lairs will have either a chief with 8 hit dice or a shaman of 5^th-7^th level (25% chance of both).

CACTOID

• NO. ENCOUNTERED: 3-18
• SIZE: Medium
• AC: 7(6 with shield)
• MOVE: 12”
• HD: 2
• ATTACKS: By weapon
  
• SPECIAL: Spines, +4 to saves versus poison, half damage from piercing attacks.
• INT: Average
• ALIGNMENT: Neutral
• TREASURE: As a 2nd level NPC
  

Cactoids, also known as Cactus Men, are a race of plant humanoid, that appear human aside for their tough, hairless, spiny green skin. These spines will inflict 1 point of damage to creatures that grab or bite them, or 1-2 points of damage/round if grappled, constricted, etc. by a creature with an armor class greater than 6. If the cactoid is being held in the mouth or stomach armor class will not prevent damage. Due to their vegetable body structure cactoids have a +4 on saving throws versus poison, and also take half damage from piercing weapons such as arrows, spears, picks, stingers, etc. Cactoids usually carry javelins or spears and a battle axe or falchion, and half use shields.

Cactoids live as nomads in arid regions. They eat the same foods as humans as well as snacking on sandy soil, they need only small amounts of water but also require sunlight for photosynthesis. They wear leather harnesses to bear their arms and gear. They have their own language.

WASTELAND MUTANT

• NO. ENCOUNTERED: 3-18, 6-36 in smaller lairs, 30-120 in larger settlements
• SIZE: Medium
• AC: 7
• MOVE: 9”
• HD: 1+1
• ATTACKS: By weapon
• SPECIAL: Immune to radiation, +4 on saves vs. poison
• INT: Low-average
• ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
• TREASURE: 2-12 copper, 1-6 silver, 1-8 gold per individual

Wasteland mutants are the descendants of men whose bloodlines have been poisoned and degenerated by the radiations and toxins of the wastelands of Algol. They are malformed and lumpy with scabrous, mottled gray skin, featureless dull black eyes and rudimentary features. Their greasy, lank hair grows in random patches on their oversize, deformed heads.

Bands of wasteland mutants are lead by chieftains with 5+5 hit dice who inflict +1 damage with melee and thrown weapons, and 3-12 elite warriors who have 2+2 hit dice and also the +1 damage with melee and thrown weapons. Their sorcerers are magic-users of up to the 4^th level, and they have assassins of up to the 4^th level.

Most wasteland mutants wear studded leather, those of higher status wear chain or banded. They rarely use shields. Even when unarmored they move at a rate of 9” due to their twisted limbs and paw-like feet. Their usual weapon breakdown is as follows, leader types having the better armaments:

• morningstar and javelins 10%
• morningstar and hand axes 10%
• battle axe and javelins 10%
• battle axe and light crossbow 10%
• spear, dagger 10%
• club, dagger 20%
• falchion, dagger and javelins 10%
• falchion, hand axe and light crossbow 10%
• falchion, hand axe and shortbow 10%