(April 22, 1954 – March 24, 2014)
DAT comes up here a lot: he wasn’t just the sole illustrator of 1st Edition Gamma World, but one of old-school AD&D’s most prolific and talented artists. And, perhaps obviously, my favorite. Please browse my Trampier tag, or at a minimum enjoy this small handful of the pieces I consider among his best:
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#dave trampier #d&d #tabletop rpgs #gamma world #creature designBest thing to come out of D&D 4th Edition
The 4e version specifically?
Yes. Gamma World 7th Edition leaned into the wackiness of the setting in a fun way. Character generation was super fast and easy, and the random Alpha Mutations were a neat addition. Selling them in booster packs was an obvious cash grab, which sucked, but the game was still super playable without them.
Image by Cory Trego-Erdner, © Wizards of the Coast. Accessed at “Excerpt: Umber Hulk” here
[One of the most classic of classic D&D monsters. I hope I did it justice]
Umber Hulk
This hunched over monstrosity resembles a cross between an ape and a beetle with oversized mandibles and muscular forearms. It has four eyes, two large and two small.
An umber hulk is a feared subterranean predator, as dangerous for its cunning and cooperative hunting as it is for its physical prowess. Unlike many large predators of the lightless depths, umber hulks are social and caring creatures in their own way, forming tight bonds between members of family groups. These family groups hunt in clusters of up to five, but two related clusters will treat each other civilly if they should come across each other. Despite these social graces among their own kind, umber hulks view just about every other creature as food, and take perverse pleasure in hunting other intelligent creatures.
The most notorious ability of an umber hulk is its confusing gaze, created by a magical reaction between its two sets of eyes. A single umber hulk uses its gaze to turn allies into enemies and isolate individual prey. In group hunting, umber hulks are clever strategists with their gaze, attempting to force confused opponents into one-on-one melees rather than coordinate a defense.
Umber hulks are usually nomadic creatures, but settle in one place to lay eggs and raise young when prey is particularly common. When umber hulks encamp, they use their ability to dig through stone to set traps, particularly pits, deadfalls and collapsing tunnels. These traps act as passive defenses of their lair, and the vibrations from their activation attract the attention of the sensitive hulks to finish off wounded intruders. Although they themselves have little value for treasure, they know how useful it is as bait for catching intelligent prey.
“Hell Creek Ornithomimid” © Chris Mansa, accessed at ArtStation here
[Another dinosaur that got a notoriety boost from Jurassic Park, but rather more accurate in that movie than Dilophosaurus was. It just should have been fluffy. The mechanics are based around a simple fact. In D&D/Pathfinder, knighly characters ought to be able to ride a dinosaur from level 1. Because it’s badass.]
Gallimimus
This
graceful creature has long thin legs and arms, and stares forward with wide
eyes. Its body is coated in a layer of long, hair-like feathers that puff up
along its tail and arms.
The dinosaurs known as gallimimus are prized among civilized folk for their incredible speed. Gallimimuses are omnivorous, feeding mainly on plants but supplementing their diet with small animals, large insects and eggs. They often travel in the wake of herds of larger dinosaurs, digging in the disturbed soil for buried tubers or insect larvae. Juvenile gallimimuses are precocious—they can run within hours of hatching. Juveniles spend most of their development in large flocks of other juveniles. Although they can fight with their toothless beaks and claws, gallimimuses are not adept at combat. The large feathers that grow on the arms of a gallimimus resemble flight feathers, but the creature is much too heavy to fly—these are used instead to display for mates and to make themselves look larger and intimidate would-be predators.
In lands where dinosaurs and humanoids co-occur, gallimimuses are often considered valuable mounts. If captured as young, they are trained easily enough to bear a rider and saddle, and their fleet feet and keen eyes make them excellent companions. The mounted charges of a cavalry of lizardfolk riding gallimimuses are not easily forgotten. Long but lean, a gallimimus grows to about 18 feet long (half of which is tail) and stands 6 feet tall at the hip.
Gallimimus as Animal Companions
Starting
Statistics: Size Large; Speed
60 ft..; AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d3), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 15, Con 13,
Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11; Special Qualities
docile, low-light vision.
4th-Level
Advancement: Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2; Special Qualities fearsome display,
war-trained
A gallimimus is suitable as a mount for a cavalier and can be summoned using a paladin’s divine bond class feature.
This would be a cool mount! And I like the intimidate ability.
Thanks! I’m trying to give all of my dinosaurs a unique mechanical ability and/or niche. Animals in tabletop RPGs have been too boring for too long.
Image by Raven Mimura, © Wizards of the Coast
[Here’s the corner case I mentioned. Although the gravorg never appeared in another D&D product, it did show up in the Gamma World expansion Legion of Gold. Which is as good a place as any for an anti-gravity lemur. The gravorg is probably the most different, mechanically and flavorfully, from the original of this suite of conversions. Although it’s one trick is a good one, I gave it more gravity themed abilities. I also boosted its Intelligence score. In a game with roughly 50,000 magical ambush predators, why not have one more you can chat with?]
Gravorg
CR 8 CN Aberration
This faintly comical
creature resembles an enormous black and white striped lemur. Its yellow eyes
are wide and owlish, and its tail long and prehensile.
Gravorgs are curious subterranean carnivores that hunt by manipulating gravity into a weapon. Despite their seemingly flamboyant coloration, they can shift their fur’s stripes into a mottled grey suitable for camouflage among rocks and cave walls. When they come across a suitable prey item, they repeatedly use their reverse gravity ability to batter it to death, bouncing it repeatedly from ceiling to floor. Creatures that manage to get close to a gravorg must deal with its claws and teeth, and flying creatures that escape its gravity traps are instead blasted by pinpoint bursts of intense gravity.
Despite their bestial appearances, gravorgs are intelligent and can speak, but they rarely have anything to say to creatures they consider being food. Most gravorgs will feign a lack of intelligence to trick opponents into underestimating them. When interacting with creatures that recognize their intelligence, gravorgs will often weave half-truths and riddles into a befuddling tapestry that convinces many that talking to a gravorg just isn’t worth it.
Gravorgs move ponderously on the ground, but are capable of manipulating their personal gravity to allow short periods of incredibly precise flight. Although a gravorg will use this in combat, they typically save a few rounds of this ability to facilitate escape—gravorgs are cowardly creatures that dislike fighting opponents that can fight back. A gravorg grows to twelve feet long, but half of this length is made up of its long prehensile tail. Although gravorgs rarely use weapons or tools, this tail is almost as dexterous as a human hand.
Image by Raven Mimura, © Wizards of the Coast
[Here’s the corner case I mentioned. Although the gravorg never appeared in another D&D product, it did show up in the Gamma World expansion Legion of Gold. Which is as good a place as any for an anti-gravity lemur. The gravorg is probably the most different, mechanically and flavorfully, from the original of this suite of conversions. Although it’s one trick is a good one, I gave it more gravity themed abilities. I also boosted its Intelligence score. In a game with roughly 50,000 magical ambush predators, why not have one more you can chat with?]
Gravorg
CR 8 CN Aberration
This faintly comical
creature resembles an enormous black and white striped lemur. Its yellow eyes
are wide and owlish, and its tail long and prehensile.
Gravorgs are curious subterranean carnivores that hunt by manipulating gravity into a weapon. Despite their seemingly flamboyant coloration, they can shift their fur’s stripes into a mottled grey suitable for camouflage among rocks and cave walls. When they come across a suitable prey item, they repeatedly use their reverse gravity ability to batter it to death, bouncing it repeatedly from ceiling to floor. Creatures that manage to get close to a gravorg must deal with its claws and teeth, and flying creatures that escape its gravity traps are instead blasted by pinpoint bursts of intense gravity.
Despite their bestial appearances, gravorgs are intelligent and can speak, but they rarely have anything to say to creatures they consider being food. Most gravorgs will feign a lack of intelligence to trick opponents into underestimating them. When interacting with creatures that recognize their intelligence, gravorgs will often weave half-truths and riddles into a befuddling tapestry that convinces many that talking to a gravorg just isn’t worth it.
Gravorgs move ponderously on the ground, but are capable of manipulating their personal gravity to allow short periods of incredibly precise flight. Although a gravorg will use this in combat, they typically save a few rounds of this ability to facilitate escape—gravorgs are cowardly creatures that dislike fighting opponents that can fight back. A gravorg grows to twelve feet long, but half of this length is made up of its long prehensile tail. Although gravorgs rarely use weapons or tools, this tail is almost as dexterous as a human hand.
I really enjoyed 4th edition’s monster diversity, regardless of any other issues. 5th has a lot of catching up to do in that regard!
Agreed. 5e has done a lot with the flavor text of existing monsters, but actual new monsters are decidedly thin on the ground.
How did the gambado never catch on as a more famous dungeons and dragons monster? It has one big springy leg that lets it jump super high or bounce around like a pogo stick and it doesn't have a proper head but it has special muscles that can hold onto and manipulate any kind of skull of the right size, like a hermit crab shell. How is this not a beloved icon.
Hackmaster, which started as a D&D retroclone before going off in its own direction, has made the gambado a prominent monster, albeit with some (legally distinct) tweaks. It has the name pit howler, and I covered it on this blog last year.
Image by Raven Mimura, © Wizards of the Coast
[Here’s the corner case I mentioned. Although the gravorg never appeared in another D&D product, it did show up in the Gamma World expansion Legion of Gold. Which is as good a place as any for an anti-gravity lemur. The gravorg is probably the most different, mechanically and flavorfully, from the original of this suite of conversions. Although it’s one trick is a good one, I gave it more gravity themed abilities. I also boosted its Intelligence score. In a game with roughly 50,000 magical ambush predators, why not have one more you can chat with?]
Gravorg
This faintly comical
creature resembles an enormous black and white striped lemur. Its yellow eyes
are wide and owlish, and its tail long and prehensile.
Gravorgs are curious subterranean carnivores that hunt by manipulating gravity into a weapon. Despite their seemingly flamboyant coloration, they can shift their fur’s stripes into a mottled grey suitable for camouflage among rocks and cave walls. When they come across a suitable prey item, they repeatedly use their reverse gravity ability to batter it to death, bouncing it repeatedly from ceiling to floor. Creatures that manage to get close to a gravorg must deal with its claws and teeth, and flying creatures that escape its gravity traps are instead blasted by pinpoint bursts of intense gravity.
Despite their bestial appearances, gravorgs are intelligent and can speak, but they rarely have anything to say to creatures they consider being food. Most gravorgs will feign a lack of intelligence to trick opponents into underestimating them. When interacting with creatures that recognize their intelligence, gravorgs will often weave half-truths and riddles into a befuddling tapestry that convinces many that talking to a gravorg just isn’t worth it.
Gravorgs move ponderously on the ground, but are capable of manipulating their personal gravity to allow short periods of incredibly precise flight. Although a gravorg will use this in combat, they typically save a few rounds of this ability to facilitate escape—gravorgs are cowardly creatures that dislike fighting opponents that can fight back. A gravorg grows to twelve feet long, but half of this length is made up of its long prehensile tail. Although gravorgs rarely use weapons or tools, this tail is almost as dexterous as a human hand.
I realized immediately after this got posted that the gravorg’s eyes are pointing in different directions, and now I can’t unsee it.
Believe it or not, @mikoyanstan, this is core D&D! The 1e Dungeon Masters Guide by Gary Gygax. And only Gary Gygax, which explains this. It’s basically a peek into one man’s very weird psyche for 240+ pages. Even if you never run a 1e game in your life, I recommend it as an artifact of what the guy who made the game thought it should be like.
Also, as @abominationimperatrix pointed out, since D&D has such a history of splitting (A ghost is different from a wraith is different from a spectre, for instance)… should we assume that each of these entries would have a different stat block and different abilities? Are the adjectives modifiers? So a “saucy” character would get a bonus on Charisma checks made to insult or tease, whereas a “slovenly” one might save at a higher level against disease effects?
And thinking about this is how the Book of Erotic Fantasy was written…
