Fiend Factory 5E. White Dwarf 44: The Yelg

Issue 44 The Yelg

 

Issue 44 features a woman in the scantest of chainmail bikinis fighting off some kind of wyvern creature. Meanwhile, the Fiend Factory this month is titled Tribes and Tribulations, and features what were referred to as “tribal” monsters – generally humanoid creatures that have some kind of cooperative society. Goblinoids, orcs, gnolls etc. were classed as “tribal” creatures back in the good old days (Side note, Dave Morris also gives us RuneQuest stats for the kirin and the golem in this month’s Rune Rites column).

The Wodennian is a kind of dragon-centaur creature, and I think the illustrator has completely missed the centaur aspect out, making it a sort of ungainly biped. They’ve also made the reference to a “swelling brain case” into something utterly grotesque.

Apart from their appearance, however, there’s nothing that exciting about this particular creation, and so their creator, our old pal Phil Masters, finally gets a week off.

The Blacklings, by Daniel Lukacinsky, are to Halflings what drow are to elves, even down to the range of highly magical weapons and armour (made from “black mithril”). Aside from a slightly uncomfortable racial overtone by today’s standards, these guys seem a bit redundant, although imagine the whole Vault of the Drow campaign with these guys swapped in for the drow.

 

I’m not sure how you’re supposed to pronounce Anthony Bufton’s “Wohk”, but if it’s “woke” it amused me in light of the previous black-face Halflings (the alternative would be like “wok”). These are strange creatures – seeing by means of a light-emitting eye, they are fascinated by non-reflective surfaces that are effectively invisible to them. They have a crude society, and are prone to mutations as well (the one depicted is a mutant with extra arms). Kind of fun, but nothing superbly exciting in terms of mechanics to convert.

 

And so I’m left with Mark Monaghan’s Yelgs, adapted, so we are told, from a book called The Forgotten Kingdom by Norman Power. I’ve never heard of him or it, and it still seems to be quite obscure (not even, as far as I can tell, on e-book) – the story of a boy who becomes king of Firland, an imaginary kingdom somewhere in the North Atlantic.

The yelg are unremarkable orcish type creatures, but they have the interesting twist of having an unholy nature that makes them vulnerable to holy symbols. Actually, they’re largely defined by their weaknesses rather than any particular ability. They also have the interesting addition of the “were-yelg” that can assume human form. In a campaign setting already laden with orcs, goblinoids, kobolds and gnolls, they’d probably be a bit redundant, but would work well in place of at least one of those races. I ignored that 5% of weapon hits will cause double damage, as that’s how critical hits work in 5^th Edition anyway. And there’s that same cold vulnerability as the Loculi and the Spidron, and rather than the penalties for holy symbols, I’ve gone with making them vulnerable to Turn Undead attempts as if they were undead. It’s a more powerful effect, but also one that uses player resources.

Yelg

Medium humanoid (yelg), chaotic evil

Armour Class 12 (natural armour) Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0)

Proficiency Bonus +2 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages Common, Yelg

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Susceptible to Cold. In temperatures lower than 0oC (32oF), the yelg acts as if affected by a slow spell. Unholy Nature. The yelg is susceptible to attempts to Turn Undead, although rather than cause them to flee it will cause the yelg to make attacks and ability checks at disadvantage. The yelg cannot be destroyed by Turn Undead.   ACTIONS

Multiattack: The yelg can make one attack with its bite, and one attack with either its claws or a weapon. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.

 

 

Were-Yelg

Medium humanoid (shapechanger), lawful evil

Armour Class 13 (natural armour) Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) 11 (+0) 8 (-1)

Proficiency Bonus +2 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages Common, Yelg

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Alternate Form. The were-yelg is able to use its bonus action to assume either the form of a yelg (its true form), or a human. In human form it cannot use its Bite or Claw attacks. It reverts to yelg form upon its death. Unholy Nature. The were-yelg is susceptible to attempts to Turn Undead, although rather than cause them to flee it will cause the yelg to make attacks and ability checks at disadvantage. If the were-yelg fails its saving throw it will also revert to its yelg form. The were-yelg cannot be destroyed by Turn Undead. Yelg Telepathy. The were-yelg is able to see through the eyes of any yelg within 100 miles, and can control the actions of the yelg. The yelg gets no saving throw against this effect. The telepathy is broken if the holy symbol of a good deity is within 10 feet of either the were-yelg or the yelg that it is contacting.   ACTIONS

Multiattack: The were-yelg can make one attack with its bite, and one attack with either its claws or a weapon. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.