Monster Rules

How to read stat blocks and run creatures at your table.

Stat Block Format 

## Monster Name
**HD X | AC Y | HP Z** | [combat-critical tags]<br>
Atk attacks (damage) | Mv Speed | Ml # | XP ##<br>
Special abilities (DC # STAT or effect).<br>
Flavour text—what it looks like, where it lives, how it behaves.

Line 1: Name as heading (linkable anchor) Line 2: The survival trio—HD, AC, HP—bolded. Combat-critical tags (Darkvision, Immune, Regenerate, Incorporeal) follow. Line 3: What it does to you (attacks), then secondary info (movement, morale, XP). Line 4: Special abilities—the mechanics you need mid-combat. Line 5: Flavour—what it is. Skip this line during combat, but it’s there for prep and player questions.

Derived Stats

Everything flows from Hit Dice (HD):

Stat Derivation
Attack Bonus = HD
HP = HD × 4 (or roll d8s per HD)
Save Bonus = HD ÷ 2 (round up), or HD if excellent, 0 if terrible
XP = HD² × 10 (shown in stat block)
Save DC HD 1-4: Easy (DC 8) / HD 5-8: Normal (DC 12) / HD 9-12: Hard (DC 16) / HD 13+: Extreme (DC 20)

Movement

  • Slow - 15’
  • Normal - 30’
  • Fast - 45’

Additional modes noted after: Fly, Swim, Climb, Burrow

Morale (Ml)

Not everything fights to the death. When the situation turns grim, creatures may flee, surrender, or break.

When to Check

Roll morale when:

  • First blood: The first ally falls
  • Half down: Half the group is out of the fight
  • Leader killed: The boss, champion, or commander drops
  • Overwhelming odds: Reinforcements arrive, or the situation shifts dramatically against them

The Referee may also call for a check when something terrifying happens (dragon breathes fire, magic backfires spectacularly, etc.).

The Roll

Roll 2d6 and compare to the creature’s Morale score (Ml).

Result Outcome
Over Ml They break — flee, surrender, or scatter
Equal or under They hold — fight continues

Creatures with Ml 12 never check morale — they fight until destroyed (golems, demons, the utterly devoted).

Morale Scores

Ml Typical Creatures
2 Cowards, non-combatants forced to fight
5 Poorly motivated, mercenaries with no stake
7 Average — goblins, bandits, hired guards
9 Disciplined — trained soldiers, pack predators
10 Fanatics, apex predators, undead
12 Fearless — never flee (golems, demons, the utterly devoted)

What Happens When They Break?

The Referee decides based on the creature and situation:

  • Flee — run for the nearest exit, drop heavy items
  • Surrender — throw down weapons, beg for mercy
  • Scatter — each creature runs in a different direction
  • Fighting retreat — back away while defending, looking for escape

Intelligent creatures may negotiate. Mindless creatures may simply stop fighting and wander. Animals bolt.

Pursuing Fleeing Enemies

If the party pursues:

  • Faster than the enemy: Catch them automatically
  • Same speed: Contest — DEX check vs DEX, or the Referee rules based on terrain
  • Slower: They escape unless the party has ranged attacks or other advantages

Fleeing creatures may lead pursuers into traps, ambushes, or their lair.

Tags

Tags appear on the stat line only when they affect combat decisions. Flavour tags (Mindless, Cowardly, Undead) are implied by the description or handled in special abilities.

Combat-Critical Tags

Tag Rule
Darkvision Sees in darkness
Blindsight Senses without sight (vibration, echolocation)
Tremorsense Detects movement through ground
Incorporeal Only harmed by silver or magic
Regenerate X Recovers X HP per round
Immune: X Takes no damage from X
Resist: X Half damage from X
Shapechanger Can alter form

Tags Implied by Description

These don’t need a tag line—the description handles them:

  • Undead — Immune to poison, charm, sleep, fear (mentioned in abilities if relevant)
  • Mindless — Can’t be reasoned with (obvious from behaviour)
  • Cowardly/Fearless — Reflected in Morale score
  • Swarm — Half damage from single-target attacks (noted in abilities)

Converting OSR/TSR Monsters

On-the-fly conversion:

  1. HD - Use as-is (round fractional HD)
  2. AC - Use ascending AC if given, or convert (descending AC 9 = ascending AC 10)
  3. HP - HD × 4, or roll d8s
  4. Attacks - Use damage dice as listed
  5. Morale - Use as-is (2d6 scale)
  6. Special abilities - Note in plain English with save type and DC from HD

That’s it. No other conversion needed.

Example Stat Blocks

Goblin

HD 1 | AC 13 | HP 4 | Darkvision
Atk weapon (d6) | Mv Normal | Ml 7 | XP 10
Sunlight Sensitivity: Setback in bright light.
Small green-skinned raiders. Attack in swarms, flee when outmatched.

Ghoul

HD 2 | AC 13 | HP 8 | Darkvision
Atk 2 claws (d3), bite (d4) | Mv Normal | Ml 9 | XP 40
Paralysing touch (DC 8 STR or paralyzed 3d6×10 minutes). Elves immune.
Grave-stench and too-long fingers. Once human, now endlessly hungry.

Basilisk

HD 6 | AC 15 | HP 24 | Darkvision
Atk bite (d10) | Mv Slow | Ml 9 | XP 360
Petrifying gaze (DC 12 CON or turned to stone). Fighting blind = Setback.
Eight-legged reptile with dead white eyes. Lairs in ruins, surrounded by statues of the unfortunate.

Troll

HD 6 | AC 15 | HP 24 | Darkvision | Regenerate 3
Atk 2 claws (d6), bite (d10) | Mv Normal | Ml 10 | XP 360
Fire or acid stops regeneration.
Rubbery green flesh, long arms, black eyes. Remembers everyone who hurt it.

Rust Monster

HD 5 | AC 17 | HP 20 | Darkvision
Atk antennae (special) | Mv Normal | Ml 7 | XP 250
Touch rusts metal instantly. Magic items: DC 12, +2 per +1 bonus, or destroyed.
Lobster-like scavenger. Loves the taste of iron. Harmless if you’re naked.

Dragon

HD 10 | AC 19 | HP 40 | Darkvision | Immune: Fire
Atk 2 claws (d8), bite (3d6) | Mv Normal, Fly Fast | Ml 10 | XP 1000
Breath weapon (DC 16 DEX or 10d6 fire, 90’ cone).
Ancient, cunning, and endlessly greedy. Enjoys flattery almost as much as gold.