OGL Ancients - list of D20 mythic monsters

[shadowdragon]

With a lot of help from the people at ENWorld I've been able to compile a list of D20 creatures that are based on real world mythological creatures. However, the list is not quite complete and I can't seem to get any more help from ENWorld. So, I was hoping to get some help from the people here.

This list is mainly for creatures from Norse, Celtic (sort of, it's actually more british/scottish/irish mythology since not much is known about "true" celtic mythology), Greek, Eqyptian, Persian, Arabian, and Indian mythology. This list also includes several creatures from real world mythology that don't currently have D20 stats (at least none that I could find). If you know of stats for a creature listed as home-made please let me know which book you found them in.

If you know of any creatures that are missing, are in the wrong place, or shouldn't be in the list at all (I especially need help with humanoid creatures like goblins, orcs, bugbears, etc.) please let me know and I'll make the proper corrections. I would like to limit this list to ancient creatures as much as possible. A few modern creatures can be (and have been) added, especially to fill out mythologies that don't have many ancient creatures. No creatures that are from a time that's mroe modern than the medieval age please.

Most creatures will have all their spell-like abilities removed, except the ones that represent an ability the creature has in it's mythology.

Greek:
Centaur
Chimera
Cockatrice/Basalisk (use Cockatrice stats but with a death gaze attack instead of a petrifying bite)
Crab, Giant (home-made creature)
Cyclops (from Deities and Demigods)
Diomedes Horse (use stats for Heavy Warhorse, but they are carnivorous)
Dire Boar (such as the Erymanthian Boar)
Dire Bull (home-made creature) (such as the Cretan Bull)
Dire Lion (such as the Nemean Lion)
Dryad
Eagle, Giant (an entire species related to the one that eats the liver of Prometheus) (or Giant Vulture with the same stats as a Giant Eagle)
Erinyes/Furies (similar to the ones in the Ravenloft monster manual, but at reduced HD and lacking some powers. The ones from the Ravenloft monster manual can be special NPCs)
Faun (from Dieties and Demigods)
Giant, Hill
Gorgon (a species of Gorgon using the Medusa stats from the 3.5 Monster Manual. The Gorgons from OGL Ancients can be special NPCs)
Griffon
Harpy
Hecatoncheires (from the Epic Level Handbook)
Hippocampus (home-made creature)
Hound of Hecate (from OGL Ancients)
Hydra
Ketos (from OGL Ancients) (sea dragon?)
Lamia (an entire race based on the stats of the Lamia Noble from the original Fiend Folio)
Linnorm (land dragons?)
Lycanthrope, Werewolf (from OGL Ancients)
Minotaur
Nymph (from OGL Ancients)
Pegasus
Satyr
Sea Drake (from the Fiend Folio) (sea dragons?. Maybe I should just have Ketos as sea dragons)
Siren (from OGL Ancients)
Sphinx, Gynosphinx
Stymphalian Birds (home-made creature)
Titan
Triton (from OGL Ancients)
Turtle, Giant (home-made creature)
Wicked Spirit (from OGL Ancients)

Egyptian:
Ammit (home-made creature) (a female demon, part lion, hippopotamus and crocodile)
Beetle, Scarab (from the Ravenloft monster manual. Includes stats for flesh burrowing scarabs and giant scarabs)
Defiled One (Mummy) (from OGL Ancients)
Dire Hyena (use stats for Dire Wolf)
Dragonne
Giant Praying Mantis
Golem, Stone
Griffon (Assyrian)
Lammasu (Assyrian)
Lich
Lycanthrope, Werejackal (from the Ravenloft monster manual)
Lycanthrope, Werewolf (from OGL Ancients. These are actually good creatures, not evil)
Monstrous Scorpion
Scorpion Man (Babylonian?) (Stingers from Monster of Faerun)
Sedja (home-made creature. Leopards with a snake for a head. Includes Serpopard variant which are leopards with snake necks and leopard heads)
Shedu (from the Fiend Folio) (Assyrian)
Skeleton
Sphinx, Androsphinx
Sphinx, Criosphinx
Swarm, Scarab (from the Fiend Folio)
Swarm, Viper (from the Fiend Folio)
Wicked Spirit (from OGL Ancients)
Yuan-ti
Zombie, Desert (from the Ravenloft monster manual)

Norse:
Asperi (from Monster Manual 2)(flying horses used as mounts by the valkyrie)
Dire Wolf
Disir (home-made)(a type of animalistic guardian spirit)
Dragon (White and Red? Definately one Red to represent Fafnir)
Dwarf
Elf
Elf, Dark
Giant, Fire
Giant, Frost
Giant, Mountain (MM2)(Utgard-Loki was a magic-using mountain giant, many others are mentioned)
Giant, Sea (MM2)(Aegir was one of these)
Giant Animal (normal animals increased 1 size category. These are not Dire animals, just really big versions of normal animals. Some Giant animals, and some normal-sized animals, are highly intelligent and can actually talk. These creatures are treated as if they were under the influence of an Awaken spell (found in the PHB))
Gnome, Svirfneblin (or regular gnomes depending on whether they are supposed to be evil or good. I don't know which they are, or if they're both)
Horse, Winged (use pegasus stats. Flying horses used as mounts by the valkyrie)
Hulda (generic term for pixies, goblins, kobolds, faeries, nixies, etc.)
Kraken
Landvaettr (nature spirits. Animals with the celestial creature template (unless there is a template specifically designed for "special" animals))
Linnorm, Nid-Hogg (from Monster Manual 2)(an entire species of corpse eating serpent-dragons normally found in Hel)
Lycanthrope, Werebear
Lycanthrope, Wereboar
Lycanthrope, Wereseal (no example stats, need to apply the lycanthrope template to the porpoise stats, or home-made stats for a seal)
Lycanthrope, Wereswan (no example stats, need to apply the lycanthrope template to the home-made stats for swans)
Lycanthrope, Werehawk or werefalcon (can use wereraven from the Ravenloft monster manual or apply the lycanthrope template to the hawk stats)
Merfolk
Nightmare (also called Alp or Mara)
Siren (from OGL Ancients)
Sprite, Nixie
Troll (use Ogre stats. Turns to stone if exposed to sunlight)
Undine (water elementals that take the form of a female human)
Wicked Spirit (from OGL Ancients)
Wight (use Wraith stats)
Winter Wolf
Wood-woman (home-made stats)(a type of land-siren, sort of vampiric)
Worg
Zombie

Celtic (including Irish, Scottish, and British):
Athach
Banshee (from Monster Manual 2) (traditionally good aligned. They warn of death, not cause it. For a mythic game they can keep their more popular/modern evil alignment)
Brownie (from Tome of Horror?)
Changlings (from Tome of Horror?)
Dragon (all Chromatic)
Fomorian
Goblins/Bodach
Gwiber (use Wyvern stats]
Hag (all types)
Kelpie (from the Fiend Folio)
Leprechaun (from Tome of Horror?)
Selkie (from the Fiend Folio)
Seelie and Sidhe (Sprite, Sylph (from Monster Manual 2), etc.)
Spriggans (from the Fiend Folio)
Troll/Trow (use Ogre stats, but I think they're aquatic)

Arabian:
Amphiptere (flying snake. Based on 2nd edition stats from a Forgotten Realms monstrous compendium)
Genie
Ghast
Ghoul
Phoenix (from Monster Manual 2) (can be found in Egypt when it is dying and being reborn)
Roc

Persian:
Griffon (I think)
Senmurv (from the Fiend Folio)

Hindu:
Apsaras (Nymph) (from OGL Ancients)
Ashuras (from the Book of Exalted Deeds)
Gandharvas (Avoral)
Garuda (a Tauric 9 HD Giant Eagle/Aasimar. Advancement is 10-12 HD (huge), 13-15 (gargantuan). Has a number of Favoured Enemies based on HD (1 to start with, 2 at 10 HD, and 3 at 15 HD) chosen from: Naga, Dragons, Yuan-Ti)
Hollyphants (from Book of Exalted Deeds)
Inevitable, Marut (non-mechanical)
Juggernaught (from Monster Manual 2) (some have a Stone Golem or stone Animated Object built onto their backs?)
Kinnaras (Lillend)
Naga (I think most were actually good creatures, protective spirits and not destructive monsters)
Rakshasa
Xill

Misc. creatures
Catoblepas (African) (Use the stats for the Gorgon from the Monster Manual but add a death gaze special attack)
Peryton (Roman? Atlantean? Where is this creature from?)
Ogre Mages (Japanese ?)
Dragon Turtles (Chinese)
Clay Golem (Jewish)
Manticore (south-east Asia)

Creatures I know go somewhere but can't place:
Hybsil (from Monster Manual 2)

I would really appreciate any suggestions and comments. Once I get this list finished I'll put it up on my web site, along with the stats I've made for the home-made creatures.

Edit: Big update to the Norse section. There are still a few things I'm uncertain about, so please check out the list (look for anything with ? in the italics parts of the list).

 

[Jack Steel]

I don't own deep knowledgements on these cultures (enough and a little bit more for playing ), but I think your list is very good.

Thank you, I am going to use it as a "source of inspiration" in my upcoming campaign.

 

[Jack Steel]

Oh, another thing. If I remember well, I read somewhere that the Catoblepas is from Central America (from old mexican cultures). But probably I'm wrong.

And the Trolls in, at least, the Nordic cultures (in the Ring of Nibelungs) are like you said, ogres, and can shift his body into beautifuls things like horses, unicorns and wonderful women to atract men and eat them.

You can add Unicorns too

Probably, almost everything taht is in the Lord of the Rings could fit well in the Nordic creatures (even Orcs)

From the old films you can add Skeletons to the mix. I can't remember well if there is a culture which has them.

 

[Stratos]

Great list shadowdragon! This will be very useful and informative if I ever get around to writing that Ancients: Celtic Deities supplement for Kiln Publications.

- Stratos

 

[Jason Durall]

Norse:
Asperi (from Monster Manual 2)
Dire Wolf
Dragon (White and Red? Definately one Red to represent Fafnir)
Dwarf
Elf
Elf, Dark
Giant, Fire
Giant, Frost
Gnome, Svirfneblin (or regular gnomes depending on whether they are supposed to be evil or good. I don't know which they are, or if they're both)
Kraken
Linnorm (from Monster Manual 2)
Lycanthrope, Werebear
Sprite, Nixie
Troll (use Ogre stats. Turns to stone if exposed to sunlight)
Winter Wolf
Worg
Zombie

To this list, you could add:

Nightmare (also called Alp or Mara)
Disir (a type of guardian spirit)
Fylgia (a spirit sent by a magician)
Ghost
Giant animals
Talking animals
Giant talking animals
Hulda (generic terms for pixies, goblins, kobolds, faeries, nixies, etc.)
Giant, Sea (Aegir was one of these)
Giant, Mountain (Utgard-Loki was a magic-using mountain giant, many others are mentioned)
Landvaettr (land-wights - nature spirits)
Merfolk
Nicor (a type of bog troll)
Siren
Lycanthrope, Wereboar
Lycanthrope, Wereseal
Lycanthrope, Wereboar
Lycanthrope, Wereswan
Lycanthrope, Werehawk or werefalcon
Undine
Wight (usually a spirit and not a draugr-zombie)
Horse, Winged
Wood-woman (a type of land-siren, sort of vampiric)

Then you have your apocalyptic, one-of-a-kind monsters like:

Fafnir (man turned into a dragon)
Fenris Wolf (THE giant wolf)
Garm (wolf at the gate of Hel)
Midgard Serpent (Oroboros serpent)
Nid-Hogg (corpse-eating dragon in Hel)
Svadilfari (giant horse, father to Odin's Sleipnir)

 

[shadowdragon]

Disir (a type of guardian spirit)

I need more info. How intelligent? Spirit as in ethereal ghost-like creature, or as in fairy supernatural creature? Can you think of a D20 creature to use as an example?

Fylgia (a spirit sent by a magician)

Would an Invisible Stalker work?

Giant animals
Talking animals
Giant talking animals

Dire animals would work. Maybe make a mini-template that increases an animal's intelligence and allows them to speak.

Landvaettr (land-wights - nature spirits)

Apart from Dryads I can't think of anything else to use for these things. Do you know of any D20 creatures that would work for Landvaettr?

Nicor (a type of bog troll)

Like a Scrag? Could Nicor regenerate?

Undine

What are these?

Wight (usually a spirit and not a draugr-zombie)

Would the stats for a Wraith fit better?

Horse, Winged

Pegasi? I thought the Norse just had flying horses (no wings)? That's why I included Asperi (which are horses that are able to fly without wings).

Wood-woman (a type of land-siren, sort of vampiric)

How vampiric? Would a Siren (from OGL ancients) with the Thirsty One template (also from OGL ancients) who can't fly work?

Shadowdragon

 

[Jason Durall]

Disir - I need more info. How intelligent? Spirit as in ethereal ghost-like creature, or as in fairy supernatural creature? Can you think of a D20 creature to use as an example?

They're more animistic spirits, blessing an area. Not sure what d20 creature would work best for them.

Fylgia (a spirit sent by a magician)

Would an Invisible Stalker work?

Probably. They're usually sent as a type of astral warrior - and wizards often duel in these forms.

Landvaettr (land-wights - nature spirits)

Apart from Dryads I can't think of anything else to use for these things. Do you know of any D20 creatures that would work for Landvaettr?

Nope. Sorry. They're not really threatening - more a mystic version of an existing animal.

Nicor (a type of bog troll)

Like a Scrag? Could Nicor regenerate?

Not sure about Scrags - don't know what they are, but nothing I've read indicates regeneration (which is essentially from Three Hearts and Three Lions, and nowhere else as far as I can tell).

Undine

What are these?

Lady-like water elementals.

Wight (usually a spirit and not a draugr-zombie)

Would the stats for a Wraith fit better?

Probably.

Horse, Winged

Pegasi? I thought the Norse just had flying horses (no wings)? That's why I included Asperi (which are horses that are able to fly without wings).

Some illustrations depict the Valkyries having winged horses, some without. References vary.

Wood-woman (a type of land-siren, sort of vampiric)

How vampiric? Would a Siren (from OGL ancients) with the Thirsty One template (also from OGL ancients) who can't fly work?

Probably, though they're more plain-looking, and usually use allure rather than a song.

 

[Mongoose_Ade]

From British & Irish folklore:

Jenny Greenteeth
Fachan (found in Slaine adventure The Invulnerable King)
Nuckleavee (also found in same adventure)
Barghest (a sort of demonic dog... I seem to recall that this exists somewhere in d20)
Shellycoat (also in The Invunerable King IIRC)
Pooka
Boggart
Leanan Sidhe (also in Invulnerable King)
Woodwose
Redcap
Peg Powler
Jimmy Squarefoot
Grinnygog
Whitelady

 

[Ordovician]

Bodak (I think the proper spelling was Bodach. Or is that something else entirely?)

The Bodach, AFAIK, was more like a goblin. The MM bodak probably doesn't work.

Others for your Celtic list should be the athach from the MM (Scottish).

Lamia (the Monster Manual ones, not The Lamia from Greek mythology)

The MM version of the lamia is based on the Medieval conception of the monster, and thus might not be really appropriate.

Leucrocuta (from Monsters of Faerun) (Greek? Egyptian?)

Ditto. It's a Medieval conception (also the Arenotelicon or Hyena) and not really ancient.

Wyvern (modern creature? Maybe doesn;t belong on the list)

This, on the other hand, would work as the Gwiber of Welsh myth.

 

[shadowdragon]

Disir - I need more info. How intelligent? Spirit as in ethereal ghost-like creature, or as in fairy supernatural creature? Can you think of a D20 creature to use as an example?

They're more animistic spirits, blessing an area. Not sure what d20 creature would work best for them.

Animal Ghosts? I may need to make some home-made stats for these.

Fylgia (a spirit sent by a magician)

Would an Invisible Stalker work?

Probably. They're usually sent as a type of astral warrior - and wizards often duel in these forms.

This sounds like it should be a spell, not a type of creature.

Landvaettr (land-wights - nature spirits)

Apart from Dryads I can't think of anything else to use for these things. Do you know of any D20 creatures that would work for Landvaettr?

Nope. Sorry. They're not really threatening - more a mystic version of an existing animal.

There should be a template somewhere for "special" animals. If there isn't then maybe the celestial creature template would work.

Nicor (a type of bog troll)

Like a Scrag? Could Nicor regenerate?

Not sure about Scrags - don't know what they are, but nothing I've read indicates regeneration (which is essentially from Three Hearts and Three Lions, and nowhere else as far as I can tell).

Scrags are aquatic trolls that can only regenerate if immersed in water. Are Nicor more like the Norse Trolls already included in the list (basically just ogres that turn to stone if exposed to sunlight) just found in bogs?

Wood-woman (a type of land-siren, sort of vampiric)

How vampiric? Would a Siren (from OGL ancients) with the Thirsty One template (also from OGL ancients) who can't fly work?

Probably, though they're more plain-looking, and usually use allure rather than a song.

Maybe just Thirsty One human Courtesans with a very high Charisma score and maxed Bluff, Presence, and Perform skills. Or maybe they should just be a home-made variation of the Siren.

 

[shadowdragon]

From British & Irish folklore:

Jenny Greenteeth
Fachan (found in Slaine adventure The Invulnerable King)
Nuckleavee (also found in same adventure)
Barghest (a sort of demonic dog... I seem to recall that this exists somewhere in d20)
Shellycoat (also in The Invunerable King IIRC)
Pooka
Boggart
Leanan Sidhe (also in Invulnerable King)
Woodwose
Redcap
Peg Powler
Jimmy Squarefoot
Grinnygog
Whitelady

Do you happen to know if any of these have D20 stats? I think redcaps are in the Ravenloft monster manual but I'm not sure of the rest. Descriptions for each of these creatures would be great, maybe a web site with descriptions, pictures, etc.

Is Slaine D20? I may have to pick up The Invulerable King to check out some of these creatures.

 

[shadowdragon]

OK, this list is becoming very long. I'm in the process of turning the list into web pages, which I'll be putting up on my web site. Once it's complete I think I'll remove the list from here and just provide links to the relevant web pages on my web site.