My new blog

As I haven't posted here for over a year, I thought I ought to tell anyone visiting that my new, current blog is the Tales of Kaelaross, a blog that is about the Basic/Expert D&D game, Labyrinth Lord and a new world that uses those rules - Kaelaross.

Jharat Part 4: Monsters of Jharat

Although many disasters befell humanity during the cataclysm, the biggest and most obvious was the sudden invasion of huge numbers of monsters. Many, perhaps half, emerged through the elemental windows in the hive cities. The monsters that emerged from the elemental windows were connected to the respective element somehow, but were not always elementals. These monsters with affinity to an element formed the elemental factions - broad alliances within each element.

Note that the connection between an element and a monster may be obvious (such as in actual elementals) or else can be quite tenuous (aquatic or cold-using monsters in the water faction, flying or lightning-using monsters in the air faction, burrowing or cave-dwelling monsters in the earth faction and fire-breathing or fire-using monsters in the fire faction). Occasionally (such as with the thoqqua or the remorhaz) a creature has connections with two or more elements in which case a decision is made for one element or another.

The elemental factions are not usually opposed to each other, though rivalries can emerge. Rather it is simply that creatures with the affinity for the same element are more likely to co-operate or at least fight along side each other.

This list is by no means complete, but includes the most notable creatures of each faction. Many of them are twisted and evil versions of normally neutral creatures. 

Air Faction (includes electricity/lightning-using monsters)

Air Elemental (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Blue Dragon (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Cloud Giant (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Belker (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Behir (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Roc (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Arrowhawk (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Demon, Vrock (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Giant Owl (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Harpy (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Griffon (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Invisible Stalker (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Manticore (3^rd Ed Monster Manual)

Air Mephit (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Dust Mephit (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Shocker Lizard (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Hieracosphinx (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Will-O'-Wisp (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Wyvern (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)
Yrthak (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Air Genasi (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment any evil)

Fog Giant (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment NE)

Peryton (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun)

Pterafolk (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun)

Breathdrinker (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Cloud Ray (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Air Weird (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Marrash (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Mooncalf (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Ragewind (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Windghost (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment LE)

Water Faction (includes cold-affinity monsters)

Water Elemental (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

White Dragon (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Frost Giant (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Aboleth (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Sahuagin (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Dragon Turtle (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Kraken (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Tojanida (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Frost Worm (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Lacedon (Ghoul) (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Demon, Hezrou (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Sea Hag (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Cryohydra (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Kuo-Toa (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Locathah (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Water Mephit (3^rd Ed Monster Manual (alignment NE)

Ice Mephit (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Water Naga (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Sea Lion (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Skum (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Winter Wolf (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Water Genasi (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment any evil)

Aballin (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment NE)

Bullywug (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) 

Ice Serpent (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment NE)

Shalarin (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment NE)

Siv (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun)

Water Weird (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Frost Salamander (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) 

Immoth (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Ixitxachitl (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) 

Kopru (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Leviathan (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Megalodon  (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Morkoth (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Mudmaw (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Ocean Strider (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment CE)

Sirine (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment CE)

Earth Faction (includes Acid-affinity monsters)

Earth Elemental (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Black Dragon (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Stone Giant (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Ankheg (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Gorgon (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Xorn (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Rust Monster (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Medusa (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Basilisk (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Bulette (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Cockatrice (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Delver (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Dwarf, Derro (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Dwarf, Duergar (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Gargoyle (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Stone Golem (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Earth Mephit (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Salt Mephit (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Purple Worm (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Troglodyte (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Umber Hulk (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Earth Genasi (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment any evil)

Dragon, Deep (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun)

Groundling (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun)

Phaerlin Giant (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun)

Dune Stalker (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Earth Weird (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Galeb Duhr (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Grave Crawler (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Juggernaut (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Stone Spike (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Fire Faction (includes metal-affinity monsters)

Fire Elemental (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Red Dragon (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Fire Giant (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Rast (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Azer (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment LE)

Hellhound (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Efreeti (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Salamander (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Pyrohydra (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Demon, Balor (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Iron Golem (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Magmin (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment CE)

Pyrohydra (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Fire Mephit (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Magma Mephit (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Nightmare (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1)

Remorhaz (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Shield Guardian (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Thoqqua (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 1) (alignment NE)

Fire Genasi (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment any evil)

Firenewt (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) 

Giant Strider (3^rd Ed Monsters of Faerun) (alignment NE)

Ash Rat (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Automaton (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Bladeling (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Bronze Serpent (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Chain Golem (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Clockwork Horror (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) 

Effigy (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Fire Weird (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Fire Bat (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Brass Golem (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2) (alignment NE)

Hellfire Wyrm (3^rd Ed Monster Manual 2)

Monsters outside the Elemental factions

Most species of monsters do not actually fit into the elemental factions in any clear way. They have appeared in Jharat at the same time as the elemental factions emerged from the elemental windows in each hive city. The non-faction monsters emerged from smaller, less obvious portals.  Goblins, minotaurs, green dragons, displacer beasts and the like have all appeared on Jharat during the Summoning. 

Designer Notes:

The monsters listed in the elemental faction lists are only the start of what I could have put on the lists. My current sources of monsters includes:

From Wizards of the Coast (official 3rd Ed D&D products)

Monster Manual 1, 2, 3 & 4

Monsters of Faerun

Fiend Folio

Epic Level Handbook

Savage Species (mainly templates)

Underdark

Serpent Kingdoms

Unapproachable East

Dragon Magazine while it was printing 3.X Edition stuff

D20/OGL products from other companies:

Liber Bestarius by Eden Studios

Tome of Horrors 1, 2 & 3 by Necromancer Games

Creature Collection 1 & 2 by Swords & Sorcery Studios

various sourcebooks by Alderac Entertainment Group

As with other aspects of Jharat, the aim is to be as inclusive as possible, at least on a global scale. You don't have to include everything (at last count 2500+ monsters) in your campaign, but you can assume that it's out there somewhere in Jharat. 

At one point I was converting ideas of monsters from other game systems to AD&D for Jharat, but there are so many different monsters already in 3rd Ed stats that I let that idea go. Nonetheless, I did do the stats for the monsters from DOOM and a few from Warhammer Fantasy. Ever wanted to pit your PCs against a horde of skaven and rat-ogres? You can in my campaign. However, I understand that Games Workshop are a lot more twitchy about IP than WOTC, so I'm not going to put the stats up here. 

The idea of using the elements was a mixture of both Greyhawk's Temple of Elemental Evil and Dragonlance's 5 Dragon Armies. It also fitted in with the idea of the elemental windows in the hive cities normally providing fresh air, stone, heat and fresh water suddenly becoming the gateways of the invading armies. 

The idea of associating cold with water, lightning with air, metal with fire and acid with earth was a bit of a compromise. I had initially intended to have acid with water and metal with earth, but a combination of black dragons and the efreet living in a city of brass changed my mind. There was also the idea that both lighting and fire are very volatile and destructive forces, and it would be better to split them up.