HYPERBOREA / Them!

**Posted by Spider of Leng** 11/02/2019 8:56 am

So I'm doing lots of writing lately putting together my Dark Treasury campaign. Inspired by Halloween, I put together a possible side encounter where the party walks into a remote village as the peasants are drawing lots to determine whose child goes in the Wickerman to be sacrificed to Malakai, "He Who Walks Behind the Stalks." They discover that a local shamaness, Archnae Darkleaf (Necromancer/Druid) is behind the sacrifices. She lives in a hut on the outskirts of town, surrounded by a cornfield guarded by animated scarecrows and jack-o-lanterns. When picking spells for her, I stumbled across "Them", which I had forgotten about. Another great stroke of inspiration from Jeff and yet another reason why this game is so cool. It's these little things sprinkled throughout.

**Posted by mabon5127** 11/02/2019 1:15 pm

It sounds like a great encounter! I too think the spell is lots of fun and the movie was one of my favorites as a kid (and probably now as well....)

**Posted by rhialto** 11/03/2019 7:07 am

Ha, very cool nod to a classic, didn't see that.

I'd allow it to work on more than just ants, though would keep the effects the same: same HD, attacks, ST, etc. as the Giant Radioactive Ants, though appearing different. In this case, maybe Headless Scarecrows, or Flying Jack-o-Lanterns.

**Posted by gizmomathboy** 11/03/2019 9:33 am

Wow. That is indeed a fun spell...now to think of a reason for an NPC to use it...

**Posted by francisca** 11/03/2019 11:27 am

gizmomathboy wrote:
Wow. That is indeed a fun spell...now to think of a reason for an NPC to use it...

**Posted by gizmomathboy** 11/03/2019 11:51 am

francisca wrote:
gizmomathboy wrote:
Wow. That is indeed a fun spell...now to think of a reason for an NPC to use it...

Note sure if either campaign has room in it for a 7th level cleric.

Although, if there is a 5th level cleric that has a 7th or greater level master with some scrolls to hand out...

**Posted by Spider of Leng** 11/03/2019 8:26 pm

Incidentally, the jack-o-lanterns & scarecrow are statted up in the Swords & Wizardry version of Tome of Horrors. Scarecrows are also in 1st edition Fiend Folio. Malakai is from "Children of the Corn," and is made a god in Greg Gillespie's Barrowmaze & Archaia, which also have Zuul from "Ghostbusters" in their pantheon.

**Posted by Ghul** 11/04/2019 12:58 pm

Glad you guys enjoy the spell. You need a good flamethrower to deal with those ants, of course. ;)

**Posted by Spider of Leng** 11/05/2019 9:13 pm

We also employ Wands of Bug Spray, which I think were in the companion set back in the day. Essentially it's Raid, and it works on all manner of giant insects and arachnids (8d6 dmg; save for half).

**Posted by Q-sub** 11/06/2019 4:42 am

Spider of Leng wrote:
Incidentally, the jack-o-lanterns & scarecrow are statted up in the Swords & Wizardry version of Tome of Horrors. Scarecrows are also in 1st edition Fiend Folio.

To my knowledge, the first appearance of a jack-o'-lantern in our beloved hobby is this illustration by Greg Bell, in the 1975 Dungeons & Dragons Supplement I, Greyhawk:

And speaking of bugs... this is the 'original' Bugbear! It's the look I prefer, and find entirely suitable for insertion into Hyperborea, for which one can use any of the available OS stats (and for a nice kicker, make them a minor Sub-lunary Dæmon).
Though Jimm's shambling boar-thing certainly deserves a mention as well

~ sub

Last edited by Q-sub (11/07/2019 3:23 am)

**Posted by Spider of Leng** 11/06/2019 9:59 am

Outstanding! So many inspiring pics & ideas on this forum.