Sunday, 16 April 2017

Tequendria: running Gibbelins

Perhaps the most famous creatures Dunsany created were the flesh-devouring Gibbelins. These squat creatures hoard great treasures as a way to trap naive adventurers, murdering the poor soul before he could retrieve the gold and glory.

In Tequendria Gibbelins are good encounters for low-level characters, with their +1 attack and d6-1 bite damage. Clearly a single Gibbelin isn't going to be much of a problem - but these are not solitary creatures - they live with many others. It's more likely that adventurers will come upon a horde of the blighters, which can offer them advantages. Having three or more ganging up on a character will give them a bonus +1 attack each. This is even better if they get the high ground (make use of wide stairs) as they will get another +1. This means your swarm of Gibbelins could get a +3 attack total, which is not insignificant.

It's unlikely that Gibbelins will be the only occupiers of an abandoned fortress. They may have struck up a deal with other humanoids to help them lure adventurers in exchange for some trinkets. Teaming up with a single Grey Giant would offer them some protection from stronger monsters and potentially help to feed the giant. Some Gibbelins may even begin to revere such a creature. Of course, bringing a Grey Giant into the mix increases the difficulty of an encounter, as their club can pack a wallop.