If we look at the psionics tables in the 1e AD&D DMG to learn about Mind Thrust, we see psionics are a load of hooey and Gygax was totally justified in bullying these psionic nerds
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| This is how I imagine psionics advocates in the 70's must have been like at the D&D table to have provoked enough manbaby gygaxian ire to spawn the Brain Mole |
In short, it is the sort of gygaxian 'stop using your class abilities so much asdfgjkl' monster. It is much like the Ear Seeker, a similar sort of 'harmless unless you do the thing' monster. You'd think he coulda just not used psionics but whatever. I somehow doubt anything interesting ever came of the Brain Mole, but I imagine courts of kings could have these critters as pets to prevent psychic infiltration, and then you could have a plot about stealing Brain Moles from a king and then wearing them in cages to enable Mind Flayer busting.
Sunset Realm Brain Moles
Short Story: There are none
Long Story: There is no difference between a soul and a mind, so 'psionics' aren't really a separate thing, because souls cannot directly interact with each other, and souls imposing their will on matter without a matter proxy is called 'magic.' The nearest that can occur is manipulation of the brain, which can then affect how a soul can interact with its body, but you might as well call alcohol a 'psionic potion' then.
Buffalo-I believe both north american and water buffalo are included here. Anyway, the head has armor class as plate while the rest is leather (or possibly leather+shield), though since D&D does not track hit locations I do wonder why this was mentioned. Maybe they're the anti-mind flayer steed of choice, as one could rule that, as the tentacles are drawing out the brain, they must strike the head and so buffalo have slightly more AC than other steeds against brain-sucking. Unlike cattle, buffalo have no herd stampede rules, just a big charge attack that needs 40' distance to accelerate to ramming speed, which could make for some mildly interesting tactics and counter-tactics if the players own/are battling wartrained buffalo.
Sunset Realm Buffalo- I've nothing to say so here's a hex fill you could put n some plains somewhere. Frankly I halfassed it after the first entry because I need to complain about MotBM asap
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| You can skip reading my the rest of the the post and just try to make things dynamic and dangerous with water-buffalo riders everywhere, charging, failing to turn in time and ending up in the trenches, etc etc. |
"Baron" Von Boltz's Buffalo Bastion of Banditry
Quick Rundown- Von Boltz is a mercenary captain who has fallen on hard times, forged some documents of noble lineage, and claimed an old ruin from which he extorts (taxes) locals and hopes to have proper defenses up by the time any feudal nobles try to oust him. Though a good buffalo wrangler, his capabilities as architect and foremen are lacking, and the ruin (a single tower, two walls, and a fountain) has been surrounded by dirt mounds and trenches of aborted architectural schemes.
He needs more stone to renovate the keep, and would like to disassemble the {local minidungeon} for worked stone as he has neither miners nor masons in his employ, but his two strengths of buffalo cavalry and sniping are useless in the narrow confines of the {local minidungeon}. Alternately, wood could be hauled from a nearby forest with his buffalo workforce and a wooden fort could be constructed, but the woods are haunted by a horrible forest monster that, again, a bunch of buffalo cavalry are poorly suited for charging through.
There are frequent buffalo-rider patrols a few miles from the grassland fortress, and they engage with one member immediately returning to the fortress to raise the alarm, with those remaining attempting to negotiate for the peaceful surrender and escort to the fortress of anyone they meet, quickly escalating to violence if denied and taking captives by force. They use hit and-run tactics using the charges of the buffalo and their small bows that can be fired inaccurately from horseback.
Rider- 1hd, AC 16 (chain+mounted), shortbow and dagger, well disciplined.
Buffalo- 5hd, AC as leather (But as plate on head!), 3d6 charge with 40' running start or 2x1d8 horn attacks. Speed as warhorse. If rider is slain, immediately disengages unless it was already charging that turn. They can walk over the dirt hills around the ruin, but cannot charge over.
Von Boltz is rarely armored these days and will prefer to escape on a buffalo or bribe his way out of trouble that manages to reach him. He wears a crown, necklace, and ring of 3000 coins total value that he claims are ancestral heirlooms, but are grave goods of a extinct noble line he looted.
"Henpecked" A human leather arrow quiver, with a bloodstain of a woman's lips (a harpy's) on the side. Arrows that rest in it will fly to their target heedless of range (though line of sight is still required), and then fly back to the quiver and whisper the name of whoever (or whatever) was struck. Small objects an arrow can penetrate that weight under a pound may be retrieved this way, and Von Boltz uses nasty barbed arrows that inflict an additional point of damage when they pull themselves free of the wound.
The enchantment must be renewed by having a harpy kiss the bloodstain once every year, or the returning arrows will strike the wearer of the quiver. Von Boltz knows of a flock and has sacrificed some of his enemies to them to get their cooperation, and plans to build an aviary for them to keep them conveniently at hand, which will definitely not backfire horribly ever.
2. Captain Tents-Near to Von Boltz's tower, but on the outside of the defenses, these captains have 2hd and lead scouting and extortion squads across the grasslands. They are loyal and have a buffalo each, and their buffalo are loyal beasts as well and will avenge their deaths.
There is a tunnel between two of the trenches here, and a slope down to the west.
3. Collected Stones- A low wall of salvaged rubble from this ruin. A large haystack is piled here for the convenience of the captain's animals. One can see over the stone wall, trench, and dirt mounds into the fountain 'courtyard' from this angle. A stone lying in the trench makes for easy crossing.
4. Troop Tents- The living quarters of the common member of the gang. A good many are just peasants who have decided to throw in their lot with Von Boltz in the hopes of getting a better deal, but some are actually members of Von Boltz's company.
5. Untrained Buffalo Pen- These animals are either wild or in the process of being trained. If spooked and released, they will stampede away.
6.Lookouts- Set to guard the camp from the north, it's never the same people two nights in a row, meaning they're easy to impersonate.
7. Quartermaster's Bridge- goes over the trench that dug into the aquifer that feeds the fountain. Buffalo can't cross without it having a 50% chance of breaking.
8. Magic Fountain- Maybe it has a nymph or a water weird or a buffalo spirit-god inside. The quartermasters tent and supplies are here as well, the quartermaster being one of the two 6th level second in command.
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