DW Monsters: Axos

Moving on to season 8:

·       Terror of the Autons features one of the key races I covered at the start

·       The Mind of Evil features an alien psychic parasite that’s really more of an effect than a monster

And that brings us to The Claws of Axos. Technically, Axos is a single individual, which could be left out on the same grounds that I’m not attempting to stat up (say) the Master. But it functions as an alien race and it’s at least possible that there are more of its kind out in space somewhere.

Aside from a couple of short stories and comics, Axos only makes a return appearance in a single audio-play, The Feast of Axos, featuring the Sixth Doctor.

Description and Biology

Axos is a space-faring being whose ability to mould its own form extends to creating autonomous lifeforms that it can send out to interact with others. As such, in addition to the primordial matter from which it is constructed, in the course of the story, we see it take on four different forms, all of which are controlled by the same central mind.

Firstly, there are the beings typically referred to as the ‘Axons’ since that’s how they describe themselves when they’re still pretending to be a regular race of aliens. These are golden-skinned humanoids with large pupil-less eyes. Given their need to function in an Earth-like environment and imitate more normal humanoids, they’re likely biologically similar in most respects. Obviously, they don’t need reproductive organs, and it’s also plausible that they obtain sustenance directly from the mothership without the need for regular digestive systems; even if they do eat in a regular manner such systems would be simple, since the food Axos creates for them would already be, in effect, pre-digested. But, otherwise, they may be much as they appear.

Secondly, there are the much larger forms that Axos uses in combat, whether attacking or defending itself. These have a vaguely humanoid shape but are covered with orange tendrils and paired lumpy structures that might be external lungs. They don’t seem to have any eyes or mouth, suggesting that they don’t need to eat and that they interact with their environment using some sense other than vision. They don’t have a name in the TV series, but the audio play refers to them as ‘Axonoids’ so that will do as well as anything else.

The third example is a comparatively amorphous blob of axonite, the cellular material from which Axos is composed. It’s mostly seen taking on other forms and is resistant to damage, probably because it lacks internal organs, which would make it a rather temporary being if we’re using anything like real-world physics (which, admittedly, is debatable, especially considering axonite’s energy absorbing and transforming abilities).

Finally, of course, there’s the space-travelling form that acts as a spaceship from which the other parts are budded as required. This is presumably where Axos’s central brain is located, but it’s sufficiently large that, in game terms, it’s a location rather than a ‘monster’, albeit a mutable organic one that can attack people inside it by growing tentacles from the walls.

Game Attributes

The Axons do not require attributes significantly different from those of humans, since their only function is diplomacy. Having said which, being composed of axonite, an energy-absorbing readily transformable material, probably does make them resistant to damage and likely also gives them a high stamina or resistance to fatigue.

The Axonoids are a different matter, being larger and stronger than regular humans; there would be no point in creating them were they not better at fighting than the humanoid Axons. They are clearly very resistant to damage, at least from purely kinetic attacks, perhaps due to lacking much in the way of vital organs. It seems plausible that they regenerate from damage inflicted on them, although this is probably too slow to affect a regular combat – it’s just that you have to be very sure you’ve destroyed them completely to stop them from regrowing (or trap them in a time loop).

The axonite blob is clearly less effective when it isn’t taking on human form. It’s comparatively slow-moving and probably not very strong, although it would share the same sort of damage resistance that the other forms have.

Axos itself is too large an entity to be described easily in most systems designed for human-level interactions. Even where it can be, the reality is that it primarily functions as a dangerous location, rather than a creature, especially since it can’t move except to fly through space. As such, I won’t be providing its physical stats here.

All these various forms are extensions of the core Axos entity, and thus should have the same mental attributes. In game terms, Axos probably has a high intelligence score, and decent willpower. Its ability to con world leaders in the story implies a good rating in whatever ability or attribute is used to measure that – although it’s helped to a large extent by the greed of the people it’s talking to, so it’s not necessarily extraordinary. The entity must also have the skills necessary to navigate space, and a good understanding of its own biological technology, as well as the ability to observe humans and deduce what will work best on them.

Special Abilities

The axonoids demonstrate the ability to stun people by striking them with their tentacles, but little else beyond their resistance to injury. More generally, the various forms can shapeshift into one another, and can closely imitate humans – and presumably other lifeforms. Other than this, the axonite material itself seems to have a range of powers, transforming and enlarging other creatures it is injected into, and so on, but these are outside the scope of the stats of the regular beings. Similarly, we can assume that Axos is capable of faster-than-light travel and surviving in deep space, but we’re not statting up the core entity.

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5E - Axon

Medium aberration, neutral evil

Armour Class: 12 (natural)

Hit Points: 22 (4d8+4)

Speed: 30 ft.

STR 10 (+0)	DEX 10 (+0)	CON 12 (+1)
INT 18 (+4)	WIS 14 (+2)	CHA 14 (+2)

Saving Throws: Wisdom +4, Charisma +4

Skills: Biotechnology +6, Deception +2

Senses: Passive Perception 12

Shapechanger: The axon can use its action to transform into an axonoid.

5E - Axonoid

Large aberration, neutral evil

Armour Class: 18 (natural)

Hit Points: 76 (8d10+32)

Speed: 20 ft.

STR 18 (+4)	DEX 12 (+1)	CON 18 (+4)
INT 18 (+4)	WIS 14 (+2)	CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws: Constitution +6, Wisdom +2, Charisma +1

Skills: Biotechnology +6, Deception +2

Combat Skills: Melee Attack +6

Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing

Senses: Passive Perception 12

Shapechanger: The axonoid can use its action to transform into an axon.

Stunning Tentacle: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The target must succeed in a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 12. On a failed save, it is stunned, and must make a further save at the beginning of each turn until it recovers.

Disintegrate (Recharge 5-6): Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (3d6) force damage. 

Challenge: 3 (700 XP)

5E - Axonite Blob

Medium aberration, neutral evil

Armour Class: 15 (natural)

Hit Points: 26 (4d8+8)

Speed: 20 ft.

STR 10 (+0)	DEX 8 (-1)	CON 14 (+2)
INT 18 (+4)	WIS 14 (+2)	CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws: Constitution +4, Wisdom +2, Charisma +1

Skills: Biotechnology +6, Deception +2

Combat Skills: Melee Attack +2

Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing

Senses: Passive Perception 12

Shapechanger: The axonite blob can use its action to take on the appearance of any Small or Medium creature it has previously observed.

Engulf: Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and the target must make a DC 12 Strength save or be grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the blob cannot engulf another target.

Challenge: 1 (200 XP)

BRP - Axon

STR 3D6 (10-11)	CON 2D6+6 (13)	SIZ 2D6+6 (13)
INT 18	POW 15
DEX 3D6 (10-11)	CHA 2D6+6 (13)
Hit Points: 13	Move: 10
Base SR: 5	Damage Bonus: 0

Armour: 1-point resistant flesh

Skills: Biology 80%, Biotechnology 90%, Chemistry 80%, Craft Axonite 80%, Navigate 70%, Persuade 60%, Physics 80%

Combat Skills: Brawl 25%

Shapechanger: The axon can take one round to transform into an axonoid.

BRP - Axonoid

STR 2D6+12 (19)	CON 3D6+6 (16-17)	SIZ 3D6+12 (22-23)
INT 18	POW 15
DEX 2D6+6 (13)	CHA 2D6 (7)
Hit Points: 20	Move: 10
Base SR: 2	Damage Bonus: +2D6

Armour: 8-point resistant flesh

Skills: Biology 80%, Biotechnology 90%, Chemistry 80%, Craft Axonite 80%, Navigate 70%, Persuade 60%, Physics 80%

Combat Skills: Brawl 50%

Shapechanger: The axonoid can take one round to transform into an axon.

Stunning Tentacle: The axonoid can choose to make a Knockout Attack instead of a normal attack, and does so at the Normal success chance, instead of making a Difficult roll.

Disintegrate: If an axonoid reduces an opponent to 0 hit points or less as the result of a Special or Critical success on its Brawling roll, the target is instantly disintegrated.

BRP - Axonite Blob

STR 3D6 (10-11)	CON 2D6+6 (13)	SIZ 2D6+6 (13)
INT 18	POW 15
DEX 2D6 (7)	CHA 3D6 (10-11)
Hit Points: 13	Move: 8
Base SR: 6	Damage Bonus: 0

Armour: 5-point amorphous substance

Skills: Biology 80%, Biotechnology 90%, Chemistry 80%, Craft Axonite 80%, Navigate 70%, Persuade 60%, Physics 80%

Combat Skills: Brawl 50%, Grapple 50%

Shapechanger: The axonite blob can use its action to take on the appearance of any creature it has previously observed that has a SIZ between 5 and 18.

GURPS - Axon

ST 10	DX 10	IQ 18	HT 12
Thrust: 1d-2		Swing: 1d
Speed: 5.5		Move: 5

Advantages: Alternate Form (axonoid), Attractive, Doesn’t Sleep, Mindlink-3, Reduced Consumption-1

Skills: Acting-17, Bioengineering (tissue engineering)/TL10-16, Biology/TL10-17, Chemistry/TL10-17, Intelligence Analysis/TL10-16, Navigation (space)/TL10-18, Physics/TL10-17

GURPS - Axonoid

ST 18	DX 10	IQ 18	HT 15
Thrust: 1d+2		Swing: 3d
Speed: 6.25		Move: 4

SM: +1

Advantages: Alternate Form (axon), Damage Resistance 8, Disintegrate (as the spell; only on the body of a victim already killed), Doesn’t Sleep, Innate Attack-2 (Fatigue, Melee Attack, Reach-1), Mindlink-3, Reduced Consumption-1, Striker

Disadvantages: Cannot Speak, No Fine Manipulators

Skills: Bioengineering (tissue engineering)/TL10-16, Biology/TL10-17, Brawling-13, Chemistry/TL10-17, Intelligence Analysis/TL10-16, Navigation (space)/TL10-18, Physics/TL10-17

GURPS - Axonite Blob

ST 10	DX 8	IQ 18	HT 12
Thrust: 1d-2		Swing: 1d
Speed: 5		Move: 4

Advantages: Damage Resistance 3, Doesn’t Sleep, Mindlink-3, Morph (cosmetic, mass conservation), Reduced Consumption-1

Skills: Bioengineering (tissue engineering)/TL10-16, Biology/TL10-17, Brawling-13, Chemistry/TL10-17, Intelligence Analysis/TL10-16, Navigation (space)/TL10-18, Physics/TL10-17

Savage Worlds - Axon

Agility: d6	Smarts: d4	Spirit: d6
Strength: d12	Vigour: d10

Skills: Persuasion d8, Repair d10, Science d10

Edges: Attractive

Shapeshifting: As an action, an axon can transform into an axonoid.

Pace: 6                  Parry: 2                 Toughness: 6                      Size: 0

Savage Worlds - Axonoid

Agility: d8	Smarts: d12	Spirit: d10
Strength: d12	Vigour: d12

Skills: Fighting d8, Repair d10, Science d10

Edges: Hard to Kill

Hindrances: Mute

Powers: Stun

Shapeshifting: As an action, an axonoid can transform into an axon.

Disintegrate: If the axonoid incapacitates an opponent using its Fighting skill, they are disintegrated if they fail their Vigour roll to resist injury.

Pace: 4                  Parry: 6                Toughness: 11 (3)            Size: 2

Savage Worlds - Axonite Blob

Agility: d4	Smarts: d12	Spirit: d10
Strength: d6	Vigour: d10

Skills: Fighting d8, Persuasion d6, Repair d10, Science d10

Edges: Hard to Kill

Shapeshifting: As an action, an axonite blob can take on the appearance of any creature with a Size  of ‑1, 0, or +1 that it has previously observed.

Pace: 4                  Parry: 6                Toughness: 8 (1)               Size: 0

STA - Axon

Control: 9	Fitness: 8	Presence: 10
Daring: 9	Insight: 9	Reason: 12
Command: 2	Security: 0	Science: 3
Conn: 3	Engineering: 3	Medicine: 1
Stress: 8	Resistance: 0

Traits: Shapeshift to Axonoid

STA - Axonoid

Control: 9	Fitness: 12	Presence: 8
Daring: 9	Insight: 9	Reason: 12
Command: 1	Security: 3	Science: 3
Conn: 3	Engineering: 3	Medicine: 1
Stress: 15	Resistance: 2

Traits: Shapeshift to Axon

Attacks: Stun (Melee, 2^), Disintegrate (3^, Vicious 1)

STA - Axonite Blob

Control: 9	Fitness: 9	Presence: 8
Daring: 9	Insight: 9	Reason: 12
Command: 1	Security: 1	Science: 3
Conn: 3	Engineering: 3	Medicine: 1
Stress: 10	Resistance: 1

Traits: Shapeshift to any similarly sized form it has previous observed

D&D Monsters: Salamanders

Salamanders are, of course, real creatures - long-tailed amphibians with a vaguely lizard-like appearance. The Ancient Greeks and Romans attributed a number of magical abilities to them, some of them related to fire, but it's clear that they were describing the real animal when they did so. In the Middle Ages, however, there's more of a split between the amphibian and the fantastic creature, with the latter taking on more exotic forms and powers. This culminates in the 16th century with Paracelsus adopting the name for what he termed "fire elementals" and it's this that's most likely the inspiration for the D&D monster.

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1E

The salamander in 1E is roughly humanoid from the waist up, with the legs replaced by a single tail that keeps the creature in broadly human proportions. A series of narrow frills extends along the back, and also down each of the arms; these are partially erect, but whether they are buoyed aloft by hot air or are self-animated tendrils isn't something we can determine from the picture. The head has a flattened cranium and a triangular jaw with sharp carnivorous teeth. The ears are significantly elongated, with further frills on them and a pair of branching tendrils project out from either side of the nose, which we might suppose to be sensory. The creature has a partly striped and partly mottled pattern, with the background colouration shading from yellow to red along the length of the body.

The salamander is very difficult to injure without the use of magic, being invulnerable to regular weapons (unless wielded by someone with 'great strength', which isn't clarified). Assuming that an attacker can get past this admittedly significant obstacle, the tail of the salamander has the equivalent of plate armour on it, presumably in the form of resilient scales, and even the rest of the body is as tough as mail. 

Salamanders are more intelligent than humans, although there's not much indication of any society. This could well be explained by their chaotic alignments, although it's notable that, in this edition, they are never encountered alone, always travelling as at least a pair. Sociable then, but not hierarchical or inclined to follow any social rules. On the other hand, it's also possible that their inhospitable native environment has prevented anyone from finding out much about how they live their lives.

And inhospitable it certainly is. Salamanders become uncomfortable below 150°C (300°F) although it does take a few hours for temperatures too low for the inside of an oven to actually kill them. Even this level of heat isn't their preference, however, because what they really like is a steady 260°C (500°F). That's hot enough to melt tin, although admittedly it's well short of, say, making iron glow red. But it's impressive for something that at least superficially appears to be organic.

The 2E version has semi-rigid spines instead of the mobile frills and has a pair of large antlers sprouting from its scalp. The tendrils on the face are more bushy than branched and may be more hair-like than anything else, since this salamander also has a beard. The ventral surface of the tail and abdomen have especially heavy scales, not apparent in the earlier version, but suitable for crawling along rough ground like a snake. We're told the creature is seven feet long (215 cm) which, since the tail now makes up about three-quarters of that length, would make the upper body closer in size to a halfling than a human...

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3E

The tail is even longer in proportion to the body 3E, despite the fact that the overall creature doesn't seem to have become any larger. The frills are now jagged claw-like projections, sticking out of the lower body more or less at random with far fewer on the arms than before. There is some form of head ornamentation, although it is more palmate than before and doesn't seem to be paired. There's an actual burst of flame where the beard was previously, but otherwise, the salamander is duller in colour, tending more towards brown than orange, and with a black, rather than coppery, face.

There is more information given on salamander society in this edition and it turns out to be fairly sophisticated. That may partly be because they're no longer automatically "chaotic", although they are always cruel to other lifeforms. Having said which, they aren't normally encountered in large groups, and power seems to be based on physical strength and the ability to work magic. The magic they use is, of course, all flame-based, which, when you think about it, must be almost totally useless on their home plane... if probably easy to learn.

The exact temperature range that salamanders prefer is no longer given in this edition. However, it does imply that the salamander's own body heat is sufficient to make their spears glow red, which would put it at at least 460°C (900°F) and implies that their natural habitat is at least somewhere in that ballpark.

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5E

The 5E salamander is closer to the original 1E version in some respects, although the colour is comparatively uniform, and the tail is about 90% of the body length. Salamanders are now larger than humans, however, so this doesn't have quite the same implications for how large the humanoid part of the body is. They now have just four fingers on each hand, but it's their head that has changed the most. This is now more reptilian than humanoid, lacking the prominent nose of earlier editions, and with a pair of long, mobile and unbranching tendrils projecting backwards from it. There are no antlers, just a profusion of fleshy frills rising from the top of the head. The text describes these, and the other projections on the body as "spines", which would fit with 2E and 3E, but the illustration shows something much closer to the flexible wafting flaps of skin apparent in 1E.

Salamander intelligence has dropped significantly in this edition, putting them on a par with the average human, although they are physically much stronger (which is fair enough, given that they're also larger). The hide over the whole body is equivalent to mail now, rather than some of it being closer to plate steel. Perhaps to fit in better with the way creatures are described in this edition, we're back to a single alignment for salamanders, which is less chaotic than it was in 1E, although they're still hardly what you'd call companionable.

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There is every indication that, unlike efreet, salamanders are physical beings composed of much the same sort of matter as those native to the material plane - for instance, they don't simply vanish in a puff of fire when they die. In this context, it's interesting to note that the Elemental Plane of Fire is usually depicted rather differently than its three regular counterparts. Those consist of an essentially infinite expanse of whatever their element may be, with the odd other thing floating or embedded in it. But the Plane of Fire is typically shown as a blasted landscape, with plains, mountains, and all the other features we'd expect... only burning. 

That is, the Plane of Fire seems to have substantially more earth and air than the other planes have of the equivalent elements there. Which makes it easier to see how salamanders could be composed of something at least analogous to regular matter even though fire itself is more energy than it is a physical substance. Having said which, "analogous" is about as far as we're going to get since it's clear that the basic laws of physics and chemistry can't work in the same way on the Elemental Plane of Fire as they do in the material world.

Nothing organic is going to survive temperatures that will melt tin, let alone those that will make iron red hot. Furthermore, one thing the Plane of Fire does seem to lack is water (except, conceivably, as steam) so salamander biochemistry is not a thing as we'd understand it, or uses some entirely different substrate as a solvent - liquid sulphur is a possibility here. And, at least in 3E, being outsiders, salamanders don't need to eat, perhaps getting their energy directly from the environment (where, to be fair, there's plenty of it).

Anatomically, salamanders appear to have both reptilian and amphibian features, although they're weird enough that their internal organs must at least function differently, even if they aren't in different locations. For instance, the frills of 1E and 5E are reminiscent of the crests of newts - which are, technically speaking, a specific kind of real-world salamander - but the underside of the body in the 5E illustration appears to be scaled like a snake. 

The mix of reptilian and amphibian features is especially clear when it comes to reproduction. The different editions are contradictory as to how this works. 2E states that females exist, and have some humanoid feminine features, although not necessarily to the extent of having a mammalian chest. 3E, however, states that salamanders are sexless and parthenogenetic. 5E is silent on the matter, although the look of the salamander in that edition implies that it might be hard for humans to tell.

Crucially, however, salamanders are said to lay eggs with shells made of volcanic glass. The presence of the shell is reminiscent of reptile eggs (and, for that matter, birds and monotremes) and real-world amphibians are, in part, defined by its absence. It does raise the question of what, besides the embryo, is inside the egg, taking the place of yolk and albumen. Is it liquid sulphur? Some kind of plasma? Or perhaps an organic material that doesn't quite follow the physics and chemistry of our world?

While the egg may appear reptilian, the salamander that hatches out of it is notable for having a snake-like body and lacking any limbs. It is, in effect, a tadpole, although the nature of the Elemental Plane of Fire means that it isn't aquatic or anything equivalent to that. They grow up remarkably quickly, developing their arms and reaching full size in just a year although, to be fair, we don't know how long the adults live. These larval "fire snakes" are unable to speak, which is true enough for humans at that age, too, although they're apparently able to understand the language of their parents without difficulty, which is perhaps less so.

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At this point, there are just seven more entries to go in this blog series. So it's as good a time as any to explain what didn't make it in. I used two basic criteria in deciding what to include. Firstly, a creature had to appear in the core Monster Manual books for 1E, 3E, and 5E. This cuts out a lot, keeping the total down. So no Gith, perytons, or tarrasque, among many others.

But there also has to be something to say once the descriptive parts of the post are out of the way. A creature could fail to meet this standard for a couple of reasons. It could be too similar to something else I had already done, so that I'd just be repeating myself. For instance, having done both gorgons and medusae, there was no reason to include cockatrices or basilisks. Others, however, failed to make the grade because there isn't anything much to say that would fit within the themes of the blog. Ogre mages, for instance, are distinctive largely because they use spells and there isn't much to say about that, so out they went. Night hags suffered a similar fate, along with such things as rakshasas and imps. Nor did I feel there was much to say about vampires that hasn't been said elsewhere.

So, seven still to go, although they'll probably slow down again for the next few months. And then we'll see what happens next.

D&D Monsters: Efreet

Ifrit are a type of demon in Islamic folklore, associated with the jinn, and in some cases having similar powers (such as the ability to grant wishes), although their exact relationship is nebulous. They are associated with the underworld, fire, and smoke, and are generally hostile. This explains many of the attributes of efreet in D&D, which are specifically described as the fiery counterpart to djinn. (The idea that therefore must be watery and earthen versions of the same thing does not appear in the original Monster Manual, although it was introduced later during the 1E era, with the name "marid" being borrowed from another kind of Islamic demon, and "dao" seemingly being original to the game).

DW Monsters: Primords

While the story Inferno is best remembered for the alternate-history sections, it does also include monsters. Never named on-screen, they are referred to as "Primords" in the credits and are bestial transformed humans, rather than aliens. Beyond their one appearance on TV, their only significant story to feature them is the Third Doctor audio play Primord which is a sort of sequel to Inferno and shows a few exceptional individuals in addition to the regular sort I will be concentrating on here.

Description and Biology

Primords are created when a human comes into skin contact with Stahlman’s Ooze, a viscous green fluid extracted from deep beneath the Earth. (Some of the tie-in novels have tried to explain how it got there, but it’s not relevant for our purposes and isn’t mentioned in either of the two main stories to actually feature the race). The transformation can take a few hours, during which time the victim develops green skin and eventually undergoes the more drastic physical changes to reach the final form.

A fully transformed Primord has green skin and long hair across much of the body and face, giving them a ‘werewolf’ look. Also like some interpretations of werewolves, their teeth become heavy and elongated and the nose bulbous. They develop a stooped posture giving them a shambling gait and, of course, there are significant mental changes as well, leaving them with no drives beyond creating more of their kind.

Presumably, in other respects, they are anatomically human. What effect Stahlman’s Ooze would have on other creatures is not explored in the TV story although there’s no obvious reason why it wouldn’t affect at least other warm-blooded animals, and this is actually mentioned in one of the novels. Cold-blooded creatures, and especially those with extra-terrestrial physiology, might be a different matter.

Game Attributes

Primords have remarkable physical strength and are sufficiently resilient to shrug off small arms fire. On the other hand, they do not seem especially agile and may even be clumsier than regular humans, as indicated by the stooped posture. All of this may be due to a denser body structure, which perhaps the human skeleton isn’t quite so good at supporting as it might be. While they are difficult to injure with most weapons, they don’t seem particularly hard to kill once you can find something that hurts them, with falls from a height being an obvious means of dispatching them used in the TV story.

It’s very notable that Primords lose essentially all of their human intelligence, although they may retain some animal cunning. They cannot speak and have only a limited grasp of tool use, being driven largely by instinct. Even so, they’re probably just above the level of the typical animal, and systems that normally don’t give intelligence stats to animals may still give very low ones to Primords. Other mental statistics, such as those related to perception, may be at more typical human levels, although their willpower seems relatively weak since they can easily be driven off by anything that might injure them.

Primords are inherently drawn to heat, which also accelerates their transformation, if it isn’t yet complete. As a result, they seem to tolerate intense heat that might injure other beings, although it’s unlikely that they’re entirely resistant to fire. On the other hand, they are very definitely vulnerable to cold so that, for example, a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher can seriously injure them.

Special Abilities

Because they are themselves suffused with Stahlman’s Ooze, Primords transform their victims into new Primords by touching them. How long a contact this has to be isn’t clear, although for game purposes, it’s probably best if there’s some duration involved, and a saving throw or equivalent to throw it off. Having said that, it still works even if the Primord is dead – although not through clothing or other material – and there’s no indication of a cure in the original TV story nor of any chance of recovery once the transformation has started. The audio story Primord does, however, see the Doctor devise a cure that transforms living Primords back into their original selves so such a thing should at least be possible.

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5E - Primord

Medium humanoid, chaotic neutral

Armour Class: 17 (natural)

Hit Points: 26 (4d8+8)

Speed: 30 ft.

STR 18 (+4)	DEX 8 (-1)	CON 15 (+2)
INT 5 (-3)	WIS 10 (+0)	CHA 10 (+0)

Combat Skills: Melee Attack +5

Damage Resistances: Fire, piercing

Damage Vulnerabilities: Cold

Senses: Passive Perception 10

Heat Sense: The Primord has advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks to sense heat or cold.

Brawling: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. one creature. Hit: 5 bludgeoning damage. The Primord can either grapple or brawl in any given combat round, but not both.

Grappling:  Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The creature is grappled. If it is grappled at both the beginning and end of a combat round, unless it is entirely enclosed in protective material, it may be affected by Stahlman’s Ooze (see below). The Primord can either grapple or brawl in any given combat round, but not both.

Stahlman’s Ooze: If a living creature is in skin contact with the Primord (living or dead) for a full round, it must make a DC12 constitution saving throw or be infected with Stahlman’s Ooze and transform into a new Primord over the next three hours. Creatures that are immune to Poison are unaffected.

Challenge: ½ (100 XP)

BRP - Primord

STR 3D6+6 (16-17)	CON 3D6 (10-11)	SIZ 2D6+6 (13)
INT 1D6+3 (6-7)	POW 2D6 (7)
DEX 3D6 (10-11)	CHA 2D6 (7)
Hit Points: 12	Move: 10
Base SR: 5	Damage Bonus: +1D4

Armour: 8-point resilient flesh

Combat Skills: Brawl 60%, Grapple 40%

Vulnerability to Cold: The Primord takes double damage from all cold-based attacks.

Stahlman’s Ooze: If a character or animal is in skin contact with a Primord, living or dead, for a full round or more, for example, as the result of a successful Grapple attack, they may be affected by Stahlman’s Ooze. The Ooze has a Potency of 12, resisted by the victim’s CON; if this roll fails, the victim transforms into a Primord over the following three hours.

GURPS - Primord

ST 18	DX 8	IQ 5	HT 12
Thrust: 1d+2		Swing: 3d
Speed: 5		Move: 5

Advantages: Damage Resistance-10 (limited to physical attacks), Dominance, Fit, Infravision, Temperature Tolerance-8 (60 to 156°)

Disadvantages: Bestial, Cannot Speak, Hunchback, Vulnerability to Cold

Skills: Brawling-14

Savage Worlds - Primord

Agility: d6	Smarts: d4	Spirit: d6
Strength: d12	Vigour: d10

Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6

Edges: Armour +2, Brute, Fearless, Resilient

Hindrances: Environmental Weakness (cold), Mute

Stahlman’s Ooze: If a living creature becomes Bound as the result of a Grappling attack from the Primord, they must make a Vigour roll. On a failure, they transform into a Primord over the following three hours.

Pace: 6                  Parry: 5                Toughness: 9 (2)                   Size: 0

STA - Primord

Control: 7	Fitness: 12	Presence: 8
Daring: 10	Insight: 6	Reason: 6
Command: 0	Security: 2	Science: 0
Conn: 0	Engineering: 0	Medicine: 0
Stress: 14	Resistance: 2

Vulnerable to Cold: Any attack against the Primord that involves freezing temperatures is treated as having one extra Challenge Die and ignores the Primord’s Resistance.

Stahlman’s Ooze: If the Primord inflicts a Grappled Complication against a character and the character does not break free on their next Turn, they must make a Fitness + Security roll against a Difficulty of 3 or transform into a Primord over the following three hours.

D&D Monsters: Djinn

The djinn originate in Middle Eastern mythology; they are typically associated with Islamic beliefs today, but pre-date that religion. They were originally human-like beings with magical powers, perhaps associated with a creation preceding that of humans and, at least by Islamic times, were regarded as neither inherently good nor evil. In modern western culture, they are mainly thought of as granting wishes and being trapped in lamps, ideas that come from an 18th-century edition of One Thousand and One Nights, although the specific legend is presumably older - they are not part of the original concept of djinn.

In D&D, djinn are described as powerful inhabitants of the Elemental Plane of Air, since many  (although by no means all) of the magical powers associated with them in myth are linked with the air. In the game, the alternative Anglicised name for the beings, "genie", instead refers to a broader category of being, of which the djinn are merely one of the most common. While the wish-granting, oil lamp dwelling, sort of djinn are stated to exist in the universe they are, at best, extremely rare and not typical representatives of their kind.

D&D Monsters: Golems

The golem is a creature of Jewish myth; a man formed of clay, as Adam was said to have been, and brought to life by a skilled rabbi. This usually involves a holy word, either written on parchment and placed in the golem's mouth or carved directly into its forehead. The resulting golem works as a servitor, and is incapable of speech. In the most famous version of the tale, it eventually goes berserk when its creator forgets to deactivate it on the Sabbath, and it ends up breaking the holy commandment not to work at such times.

In D&D, however, the word is used for a much larger class of creatures, humanoid forms made of pretty well any material and animated to serve their creator. Some of these, too, have a habit of going berserk, although the trigger for doing so is decidedly more random.

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Clay Golem

The clay golem is, of course, the one that most closely resembles the being in the original myth. In this respect, it's notable that it has to be created by a powerful priest (and, in, 1E, specifically a priest of a benevolent deity), rather than a wizard or necromancer. In 1E, it is shown as a humanoid figure sculpted from clay and apparently wearing a loincloth. For all we can tell from the picture, this might be a part of the moulded clay, just an artistic convention by its creator, but, from 2E onwards, we're told that a leather jockstrap is an essential accoutrement for all clay golems.

One has to question why this might be, and the only reasonable answer seems to be that the earth elemental required to animate the clay body won't do so unless it's, ahem... anatomically accurate. Why the earth elemental might insist on this, however, is a bit of a mystery, and it's compounded by the fact that it's manifestly not true of the clay golems in the 2E and 5E illustrations - which, of course, also are not wearing the garment that the accompanying text says they are. This is because the 2E clay golem has been sculpted as if it's wearing a full set of clothing and armour (which are surely part of its body) and the 5E version is a particularly crude sculpture that lacks nose, ears, or toes, and only has four digits on each hand. And if you can put up with those bits missing, it's hard to see why you'd insist on another body part you'd have no conceivable use for.

The description also implies, incidentally, that nobody creates golems in a female image. (Apparently, at least one such is mentioned in Jewish tales of the beings). 

The 5E version also looks as if it's formed from regular, moist, clay and this is implied to be true for most of the others as well. The exception seems to be that clothed 2E clay golem, which resembles one of the terracotta soldiers in the tomb of the first Chinese emperor in our world and, as such, is implied to be earthenware ceramic - that is, fired clay, not the raw material.

As described in 1E, the clay golem is invulnerable to most weapons, even if they are magic, and can only be affected by a few spells specifically intended to damage earthen material. While it's understandable that stabby weapons, such as spears or rapiers, wouldn't do much to something that lacks any internal organs, it's harder to see why axes and swords can't, say, lop a limb off... one would have thought they'd be more effective on a homogenous non-brittle material than a mace would be, but there you go. 

The 3E version isn't quite so invulnerable, although it's still pretty hard to hurt, and while the original was at least easy to hit, this one has very impressive armour. It's as strong as a hill giant, while being considerably smaller and, for that matter, is also slightly shorter than in 1E. It still moves slowly and clumsily except when it puts on brief bursts of magical speed. For some odd reason, it is healed by strong acids, which one would otherwise expect to chemically alter the composition of the clay, but have little effect on its integrity one way or the other. Much of this remains true in 5E, although the resistances are downplayed and there's no additional resistance to sharp weapons. 

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Stone Golem

The stone golem is essentially an animated statue, something that's common enough in myth and fiction, but would not be described as a 'golem' in such a context. We're specifically told that, so long as they're humanoid in form, stone golems can be carved in whatever way the creator wants. Which explains both the stylised forms shown in 1E and 5E and the more realistic statuary of 2E... doubtless many other looks are possible in a range of artistic styles. Presumably, the more powerful earth elementals used to power them are less bothered by anatomical form than are the weaker ones used to animate the lesser golems.

It's also clear from 3E that there's no requirement for a stone golem to be a specific size (as seems to be the case for the clay version), since some exceptionally large ones are stated to exist. The cost of the enchantment probably makes the construction of small ones non-profitable, but otherwise the main limitation may be getting a large enough piece of solid stone and the inconvenience of using something too big to enter castles or whatever.

While flesh and clay golems are inclined to go berserk, following their inspirations in horror movies and mythic legend, stone golems are much more dependable. They remain slow-moving, doubtless because of their ponderous weight - the quoted figure of 2,000 lbs (900 kg) given in 3E is probably about right given the stated height of the golem and the density of granite. The latter is said to be the preferred construction material and explains the impressive armour rating in 3E; the lower rating in 1E is probably due to the fact that you need a decent magical weapon to damage them at all in that edition and hitting them isn't really the problem.

The downside of constructing your golem from stone, on the other hand, is that, compared with clay and iron, it should be much harder to repair if it gets damaged. Indeed, 3E does say that it takes magic to do this, presumably by bonding separated chips of stone back together again. A bonus is that its signature power allows it to slow the movement of other beings around it, possibly by infusing them with earth elemental energy and increasing their density.

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Iron Golem

The original version of the iron golem appears to be a manlike piece of iron statuary, possibly cast in a single block. All later versions, however, are shown as mobile suits of armour although, as with the stone golem, we're specifically told that many different forms are possible. Whether there's anything inside the suit of armour or it's simply hollow isn't apparent from the 2E illustration, and is arguable from the 5E one, which at least looks to have a solid hinge at the elbows. In 3E, however, there are some internal struts and pistons clearly visible in places, suggesting something of a more mechanical nature than is the case for the stone golem.

Such automata do figure in Greek myths, with perhaps the closest resemblance being to Talos, a creation of Hephaestos, the smithing god. He was bronze, however, not iron, something that may have been felt to sound less effective in a post-Bronze Age fantasy world. Or the iron golem may simply be an attempt to have something that's basically a robot in D&D, without all the troubling electronics - although rather more robot-like creatures have been introduced to the game since.

As one might expect, an iron golem is difficult to injure absent spells that specifically target metal. It is hampered by lightning, which might well be expected to have some effect on conductive metal, but intense heat is actually beneficial, apparently allowing the softer red-hot metal to meld back into its original shape as if it were being forged. (Of course, a sufficiently hot blast furnace ought to melt it, but then iron isn't known for its resistance to acid either, and that seemingly does nothing to it).

Like all standard golems, it moves slowly, and is as strong as giant much larger than itself - although exactly how strong does vary between editions. This is probably due to a combination of its iron composition being able to sustain more stress than fleshy muscle and the fact that it likely doesn't feel pain and can't be exhausted. As with other golems made from inanimate matter, it must be using the senses of the elemental that animates it, since it doesn't have any natural eyes - although it is notable that its darkvison is superior to that of a regular elemental, so it may be boosted in some way.

An oddity of the iron golem is its ability to spew poison gas. While some of the automatons in Greek myth (although not Talos) could breathe fire, poison gas is a different matter. It might be inspired by the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts, which features Talos, looking very similar to the 1E illustration. In that film, Talos is animated by poison gas, although he is destroyed once it escapes from his body.

That's clearly very different from the iron golem, which uses poison gas as a deliberate attack that can be rapidly regenerated. While a golem could potentially have some sort of chemical crucible inside it that can mix reagents to create the gas, it doesn't appear to need restocking, and it doesn't eat, so it seems unlikely that the gas is created by any mundane (al)chemical process. Likely, there is some kind of chamber and attached piping, but the gas may be created magically - taking nitrogen and oxygen from the air to make nitrogen dioxide, for example, but without the need for high temperature and a platinum catalyst.

DW Monsters: The Ambassadors

Having completed the seven key humanoid aliens of the show (other than the Time Lords themselves), I’m now going to turn to aliens that appeared less frequently, as well as those that are less humanoid in form. One of the ground rules here is that I will still be looking at races, and not at beings that are said to be unique, or that are unusual or “high level” examples of their kind. I’ll also pass over races that aren’t, in terms of basic game statistics, especially notable, most often because they’re physically indistinguishable from humans.

I’m going to approach this by running through the eras of the various TV incarnations of the Doctor. The first batch consists of “monsters” and other aliens that appear during the Third Doctor’s era, of which there are quite a few.

•        Spearhead from Space is the Third Doctor’s debut story, and features the autons.
•         Doctor Who and the Silurians is the debut for the eponymous reptiles.