TEXT: Monstrous Pages for 
  Shadow of the Demon Lord
  Shadow of the Demon Lord
  ~Credits~
  WRITING, DESIGN, and Art Direction: 
  rOBERT j. sCHWALB
  editing: Tom Cadorette
  Proofreading and Layout: Kara Hamilton
  Graphic Design: Hal Mangold 
  and Kara Hamilton
  ILLUSTRATIONs: Jack Kaiser
  Noisome Beasts is ©2016 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. 
  All rights reserved.
  Shadow of the Demon Lord, Monstrous Pages, Noisome Beasts
  Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos 
  are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  SCHWALB ENTERTAINMENT, LLC
  PO Box #12548, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
  info@schwalbentertainment.com
   www.schwalbentertainment.com
  There are monsters everywhere. From 
  the hideous lash crawlers creeping in the 
  darkest places deep beneath the earth to the 
  rampaging boggarts, driven by insatiable 
  hunger and lust to terrorize the lands 
  around them, there seems to be no end 
  to the variation in form and intent when 
  it comes to monstrous creatures. While 
  most monsters tend to be unique beings, 
  spawned from pools of stagnant magic or 
  demonic inﬂ uence, a few have emerged as 
  true species, able to reproduce despite their 
  unnatural origins. 
   Noisome Beasts explores some of the more 
  famous breeds of monster to infest the 
  world, speciﬁ cally those that are noxious 
  and toxic to creatures around them. In 
  the following pages, you’ll ﬁ nd lore and 
  customization options for the amphisbaena, 
  basilisk, catoblepas, cockatrice, and the 
  dreaded manticore. 
  
  Amphisbaena
  Eyes of gleaming emerald shine out of the darkness, 
  inexorably drawing the gaze of anyone nearby, 
  holding their attention long enough for the monster 
  to strike. These eyes belong to the amphisbaena, 
  a bizarre, serpent-like creature sporting a head at 
  either end of its body, its transﬁ xing gaze keeping 
  its intended victims within reach of both. If there’s a 
  place in which these strange serpents cannot adapt, 
  none have yet found it as amphisbaenas have been 
  encountered everywhere from the blasted lands of the 
  Desolation to the icy ﬁ elds of the frozen wastes. 
   Born from Blood: As with many terrible things 
  stalking the lands of Rûl, the amphisbaenas ﬁ rst 
  appeared in the world during the dark tyranny of Gog, 
  not long after the Witch-King transformed his wives 
  into hideous gorgons to prevent his rivals from using 
  them against him. The Witch-King had many sons, 
  and though many were loyal, their loyalty stemmed 
  from fear of earning their sire’s wrath and suﬀ ering 
  his cruel attentions. One son, Astrophon the Blind, 
  who had had his eyes burned from his head by his 
  father, recoiled at the horrors his father let loose and 
  sought to put an end to his father’s tyranny.
   Astrophon conjured a demon steed and rode the 
  hateful beast north into the shattered lands of the 
  Desolation where the Witch-King had imprisoned 
  his most beautiful bride, the gorgon sorceress 
  Halicale. Within a vast and terrible black palace, 
  the gorgon raged at her captivity, tormenting the 
  blinded sycophants cursed to wait on her. Astrophon 
  descended from the skies, drew his keen blade, which 
  helped him sense his foes, and hunted Halicale, 
  killing her many servants and guardians until the 
  palace halls ran red with blood. When he ﬁ nally 
  found her, the two battled for days, the dark magic 
  of their combat warping the very fabric of the world, 
  releasing innumerable demons and other untold 
  horrors. In the end, Astrophon was victorious, taking 
  oﬀ  her head with a masterful stroke of his blade. 
   The young hero sought to use the gorgon’s head to 
  petrify his father, so he scooped it up, mounted the 
  demon steed, and ﬂ ew south to confront the Witch-
  King. The blood weeping from the severed head fell 
  to the ground, and wherever a droplet landed sprang 
  forth an amphisbaena. Over the many leagues of 
  his ﬂ ight, amphisbaenas were created on the lands 
  below, and each quickly adapted to the diﬀ erent 
  environments in which they landed.
  As the Witch-King’s reign lasted many years after 
  Astrophon’s betrayal, it is clear the young hero’s quest 
  ended in failure. Legend holds that the Witch-King 
  was so impressed by his son’s daring that he rewarded 
  him by sealing him alive inside Halicale’s black 
  palace, where it’s said his screams can still be heard 
  to this day. 
   Great Variety: Extremely adaptable, amphisbaenas 
  thrive in almost any land, even ones normally too cold 
  for serpents to live. Wherever they live, their bodies 
  adapt to their surrounding environments in order to 
  help them hide in the terrain. Thus amphisbaenas 
  living in the frozen wastes have white, gray, and blue 
  scales, while those living among the Burning Vaults of 
  the salamanders have black and orange scales. Despite 
  the variation in appearance, all amphisbaenas share 
  one physical trait: their eyes shine with emerald light.
   Deadly Hunters: Although they have two heads, 
  amphisbaenas are of one mind when it comes 
  to hunting. The heads display a great deal of 
  cooperation, readily ceding control of the body to the 
  other as the situation demands. One head might pin 
  a creature with its gaze while the other darts forward 
  to deliver its deadly bite. Whether springing out from 
  the shadows to take their victim unawares or darting 
  around their prey to close oﬀ  avenues of retreat, 
  amphisbaenas prove the truth in the old adage 
  “two heads are always better than one.”
   Magical Properties: Alchemists claim body parts 
  from amphisbaenas have magical properties and 
  thus fetch high prices on the black market. The most 
  common substance harvested from these creatures 
  is their venom (see Do We Not Die? for details on 
  harvesting poison). Eating amphisbaena ﬂ esh is 
  believed to attract lovers of the opposite sex, while 
  wearing clothing made from amphisbaena skin is 
  said to cure aches in bones.
  AMPHISBAENA 
  DIFFICULTY 25
  Size 2 monster
  Perception 14 (+4); darksight
  Defense 16; Health 20
  Strength 13 (+3), Agility 15 (+5), Intellect 8 (–2), 
  Will 11 (+1)
  Speed 12
  Immune damage from cold; gaining Insanity; dazed, 
  impaired, stunned
  Two Heads An amphisbaena can take both a fast 
  turn and a slow turn and can use two triggered 
  actions each round.
  ATTACK OPTIONS
  Fangs (melee) +5 (Agility) (1d6 + 1 plus Poison)
  Poison The target must get a success on a Strength 
  challenge roll with 1 bane or take 1d6 damage 
  and become poisoned for 1 minute. If the target 
  is already poisoned, it takes 1d6 damage. 
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Pinning Gaze The amphisbaena uses an action, or 
  a triggered action on its turn, to ﬁ x its gaze on 
  one target creature within medium range. The 
  target must get a success on a Will challenge roll 
  or become immobilized until it uses an action to 
  remove the afﬂ iction. A success on the roll renders 
  the target immune to this amphisbaena’s use of 
  Pinning Gaze until the target completes a rest.
  palace, where it’s said his screams can still be heard 
  to this day. 
  2
  
  Customizing Amphisbaenas
  Amphisbaenas tend to dwell in lands steeped in 
  magic, places warped by destructive spells or touched 
  by the Demon Lord’s shadow. These environments 
  often cause weird mutations in their bodies. 
  Maddening Gaze
  Magic powers the amphisbaena’s gaze, giving these 
  monsters the ability to freeze their victims in place. 
  In some monsters, the power runs stronger, causing 
  frozen creatures to experience nightmarish thoughts 
  and visions that induce madness. You can grant this 
  ability to an amphisbaena by removing its Pinning 
  Gaze special attack and applying all of the following 
  changes.
  INCREASE BY 1 DIFFICULTY STEP
  Health +10
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Maddening Gaze The amphisbaena uses an action 
  or a triggered action on its turn to ﬁ x its gaze on 
  one target creature within medium range. The 
  target must get a success on a Will challenge roll 
  or become immobilized until the amphisbaena 
  becomes incapacitated. At the end of each round 
  a creature remains immobilized this way, it must 
  get a success on a Will challenge roll or gain 
  1 Insanity. An affected creature can use an action 
  to make a Will challenge roll with 1 bane. On a 
  success, the creature removes the immobilized 
  afﬂ iction.
  Venom-Spitter
  Some amphisbaenas develop the ability to spit 
  venom to strike distant enemies. When used in 
  this way, the venom burns the ﬂ esh and can cause 
  temporary blindness. 
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Spit Venom The amphisbaena spits venom at one 
  creature within short range. The amphisbaena 
  makes an Agility attack roll against the target’s 
  Agility. On a success, the venom hits, causing the 
  target to take 1d6 damage and become poisoned 
  for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target 
  is also blinded. Once the amphisbaena uses this 
  attack, it must wait 1 minute before it can use 
  it again. While it waits, any creature making a 
  Strength challenge roll to resist its poison makes 
  the roll with 1 boon.
  Human-Headed
  In the most remote corners of the Desolation there 
  dwells a rare strain of amphisbaena, one that has 
  human heads instead of those of a serpent. Legend 
  holds these abominations descend from the ﬁ rst 
  amphisbaenas created by Astrophon. The faces are 
  always female and contorted with madness, but they 
  are far more intelligent than other amphisbaenas and 
  are capable of using magic.
  INCREASE BY 1 DIFFICULTY STEP
  Gain horrifying trait
  Intellect +3
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Fangs (melee) +5 (Agility) (1d3)
  MAGIC 
  Power 3
  Telepathy† share thoughts (4), mental static (2), 
  mind stab (2), repulsion (1), erase presence (1)
  †See Demon Lord’s Companion
  Void-Touched
  Amphisbaenas living in lands touched by the Void 
  tend to be wilder and less predictable, almost as if 
  possessed by demons.
   
  INCREASE BY 1 DIFFICULTY STEP
  Gains horrifying trait
  Gain truesight
  Speed +2
  Demonic Shadows Lit areas out to 3 yards from the 
  amphisbaena become shadows.
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Corrupting Poison The target must get a success 
  on a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane or take 
  1d6 damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. If 
  the total of the target’s roll is 0 or less, the target 
  also gains 1 Corruption. If the target is already 
  poisoned, it takes 1d6 damage. 
  END OF THE ROUND 
  Erratic Roll a d6. On a 1, the amphisbaena attacks 
  itself if it can use actions. On a 2–5, nothing 
  happens. On a 6, the amphisbaena can use an 
  additional action during the next round.
  Crushing Coils
  Larger breeds of amphisbaenas can coil their bodies 
  around their victims, tightening until they crush the 
  life out of them. 
  INCREASE BY 2 DIFFICULTY STEPS
  Size +1 and gains frightening trait
  Health +20
  Strength +2
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Fangs (melee) +5 (Agility) (2d6 + 1 plus Poison)
  Poison The target must get a success on a Strength 
  challenge roll with 1 bane or take 2d6 damage 
  and become poisoned for 1 minute. If the target is 
  already poisoned, it takes 1d6 damage. 
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Crushing Grab The amphisbaena makes a Strength 
  attack roll against the Agility of one creature 
  within its reach that is of a Size smaller than itself. 
  On a success, the target takes 1d6 damage and 
  is grabbed until the end of the next round. If the 
  target was already grabbed by the amphisbaena, 
  the amphisbaena gets an automatic success 
  and the target takes 2d6 extra damage. Targets 
  grabbed by the amphisbaena make attack rolls 
  to escape with 2 banes.
  are capable of using magic.
  3
  
  Basilisk
  Among the most feared and reviled of monsters, 
  basilisks are the embodiment of all things venomous. 
  Able to kill with a glance, potent venom sluicing from 
  their fangs, their mere presence enough to stain the 
  lands in which they live, basilisks are true monsters. 
  Most basilisks dwell in deep caves, hunting other 
  denizens of the depths, but a few ﬁ nd a place in the 
  service of dark wizards, charged with protecting their 
  fabulous treasures, which they do in exchange for a 
  steady supply of sacriﬁ ces.
   Legendary Origins: Folklore claims basilisks 
  originated from the eggs of serpents or toads hatched 
  by cockerels in the darkness of a new moon. Others 
  believe them to have been created by the race of 
  serpent people from which lizardmen descend, 
  terrible guardians of forbidden lore. Others still 
  claim they were spawned in Hell and released into 
  the world to spread fear and misery. Whatever their 
  origins, no one can recall a time when the basilisks 
  did not haunt the wild places. They have always been 
  there, hunting and killing, polluting the lands with 
  their foul presence.
  BASILISK 
  DIFFICULTY 250
  Size 3 monster
  Perception 12 (+2); darksight
  Defense 18; Health 150
  Strength 17 (+7), Agility 11 (+1), 
  Intellect 8 (–2), Will 11 (+1)
  Speed 12
  Captivating Appearance When a creature 
  must make a Will challenge roll with 
  3 banes. On a failure, the creature gains 
  1 Insanity and cannot avert its eyes from 
  the basilisk for 1 round. Whether it gets a 
  success or failure on the roll, the creature 
  becomes immune to that basilisk’s 
  Captivating Appearance until the creature 
  completes a rest.
  ATTACK OPTIONS
  Fangs (melee) +7 (Strength) with 3 boons 
  (4d6 plus Poison)
  Poison The target creature must make a 
  Strength challenge roll with 3 banes. A 
  target takes 4d6 damage and becomes 
  poisoned for 1 minute on a failure, or just 
  takes half the damage on a success. If the 
  target is already poisoned, it takes 2d6 
  damage and becomes dazed for 1 round.
  END OF THE ROUND
  Killing Gaze Each creature within medium 
  range of the basilisk that can see it must 
  either use a triggered action to avert its 
  eyes from the basilisk’s gaze or make a 
  Strength challenge roll with 2 banes.
  For 1 round, a creature that averted its 
  eyes makes attack rolls with 2 banes and 
  other creature make attack rolls against it 
  with 2 boons.
  A creature that makes the challenge roll 
  and gets a failure takes 3d6 damage. If the 
  damage would incapacitate the creature, 
  it dies.
  Magniﬁ cent Monstrosity: Basilisks resemble 
  serpents, measure up to 30 feet long, and weigh 
  several hundred pounds. They have glossy black 
  scales over their bodies, from the snouts of their ﬂ at, 
  wide heads to the tips of their tapering tails. Basilisks 
  have four fangs in their mouths, each dripping potent 
  venom that burns whatever it touches. About one 
  in twelve have a crown-like crest or a patch of white 
  scales on the tops of their heads. 
   Deadly Venom: Considered the kings of serpents 
  for their toxic nature, basilisks can kill with a glance, 
  and the venom dripping from their four fangs can 
  stop a creature’s heart almost at once. The acidic 
  venom dribbles and drips, spilling onto the ground 
  and destroying just about anything it touches. For 
  this reason, the area around a basilisk’s lair tends to 
  be barren, the plants withered and blackened, the 
  ground littered with the bones of dead animals. 
   Fear of Weasels: Basilisks despise weasels and 
  recoil in fear in their presence despite their small 
  size. The basilisk is, of course, more than a match 
  for an ordinary weasel, so once the monster ﬁ nds 
  its courage, the weasel is almost certainly doomed. 
  DIFFICULTY 250
  damage would incapacitate the creature, 
  it dies.
  4
  
  Basilisk hunters ﬁ nd keeping a weasel or two on hand 
  can buy them the time they need to attack the beast 
  and bring it down. 
   When a basilisk sees a weasel, it must get a success 
  on a Will challenge roll or become frightened for 1 
  round. While frightened in this way, it cannot use its 
  Killing Gaze. 
   Alchemical Ingredients: Basilisk body parts 
  command a high price in black markets all across 
  the civilized world, which explains why individuals 
  dare to hunt these terrifying beasts. A vial of venom, 
  a dram of basilisk blood, or an intact eye can bring a 
  fortune, up to 20 gc from an interested buyer.
    Basilisk venom can be harvested using the rules 
  described in Do We Not Die? A basilisk eye can be 
  safely removed from the carcass by spending 1 minute 
  of work with a tool kit and getting a success on an 
  Intellect challenge roll. The basilisk eye retains 
  potency for 1d6 days, after which time it rots away. A 
  creature can make the eye its implement, which grants 
  the creature 1 boon on attack rolls made using Death 
  spells and imposes 1 bane on challenge rolls made to 
  resist Death spells the creature casts.
   Other body parts are said to have alchemical 
  properties, though none are proven. Alchemists, 
  however, use basilisk blood in the casting of the copper 
  to gold spell.
  COPPER TO GOLD 
  ALCHEMY UTILITY 6
  Requirements You must have an alchemist’s kit, powdered 
  basilisk’s blood, powdered human blood, and vinegar 
  distilled from rare wine (at least 10 gc)
  Target Up to 100 cp you can reach
  Duration Permanent
  Upon casting this spell, you must use your alchemist’s 
  kit and other ingredient to work for 1 hour, during which 
  time you must concentrate. If you work the full hour, you 
  transform the target to gold. The coins have a weird reddish 
  color but have the same value as regular gold crowns.
   Then, make a Strength challenge roll. On a failure, you 
  permanently reduce your Health by 1d6 from working with 
  the basilisk’s blood.
  Customizing Basilisks
  Some basilisks have capabilities beyond those of the 
  normal members of their kind.
  Poisonous Blood
  The venom of any basilisk is quite dangerous, but 
  in certain breeds, everything about the creature is 
  extremely toxic. Spilling the blood of such a creature 
  causes the blood to run up the weapon that broke its 
  hide and attack the wielder directly.
  INCREASE BY 1 DIFFICULTY STEP
  Health +25
  Immune damage from poison; poisoned
  Poisonous Blood When a creature deals damage 
  to this basilisk with a melee weapon, blood ﬂ ows 
  across the weapon to touch the weapon’s wielder 
  making it subject to the basilisk’s Poison.
  Eroding Breath
  Basilisks have foul breath to be sure, but those with 
  eroding breath issue exhalations of such vileness that 
  they kill plants and shatter stones. Basilisks with this 
  trait tend to be found in the Desolation.
  INCREASE BY 1 DIFFICULTY STEP
  Health +25
  Immune damage from poison; poisoned
  END OF THE ROUND 
  Eroding Breath The ground within 2 yards of the 
  basilisk becomes difﬁ cult terrain. Each object 
  made from earth or stone within this area also 
  takes damage equal to its Health. Finally, each 
  living and breathing creature in the area must 
  get a success on a Strength challenge roll or 
  take 2d6 damage and become poisoned for 
  1 minute. A creature already poisoned takes 
  2d6 extra damage.
  Toxic Scales
  The glistening scales covering basilisks’ bodies are 
  quite striking, as bright as polished obsidian. Some 
  basilisks, though, have dull, matte scales, made so 
  by the creature’s foul excretions. Physical contact 
  with the monster’s body exposes the creature to the 
  poisonous substance, which causes pain so intense 
  it can stop the heart.
   
  INCREASE BY 1 DIFFICULTY STEP
  Health +25
  Immune damage from poison; poisoned
  Toxic Scales Plants touching this basilisk take 
  damage equal to their Health. Any living creature 
  that touches the basilisk takes 1d6 damage and 
  must get a success on a Strength challenge roll 
  with 4 banes or take 4d6 damage and become 
  poisoned for 1 minute. A creature already poisoned 
  takes 4d6 extra damage.
  Catoblepas
  Not all monsters are inimical to people. Some 
  even avoid other creatures. Such is the case of the 
  catoblepas, a queer mid-sized beast found roaming 
  the dunes and badlands of the Desolation. The 
  catoblepas roots through the rubble for the scant, 
  tough foliage growing there and the infrequent 
  pools of water yet to be stolen by the high heat of the 
  landscape. An inoﬀ ensive brute, the catoblepas keeps 
  its distance from other creatures, but if one draws 
  too close, it readily employs its potent breath to keep 
  predators at bay.
  5
  
   Cattle of the Wastes: A catoblepas has 
  the body shape of a bison, and thick, black 
  armored plates cover its back in the manner 
  of an armadillo. It has an overlarge, shaggy 
  head from which sprout a pair of twisting 
  horns. Its thick legs end in hoofs divided into 
  three toes. Although shaggy and armored, the 
  catoblepas has no trouble with extreme heat or 
  deprivation.
   Morose Beasts: The catoblepas takes its 
  name from a High Archaic word that means 
  “to look down,” because these beasts keep their 
  heads pointed at the ground, almost as if they 
  were too heavy to lift. Add to this posture their 
  red-rimmed eyes and mournful lowing, and 
  one can understand their reputations for being 
  melancholy creatures. 
   Uncertain Origins: The best theory about 
  the origin of these creatures is that they were 
  herd animals in the wastes altered by the 
  destructive magic used by the trolls and their 
  faeries in their ancient wars. Their natural 
  hardiness allowed them to adapt to their 
  ruined environment. However, they still need 
  to eat and food is scarce in their territory, thus 
  they are few in number, rarely encountered in 
  groups larger than three. 
  CATOBLEPAS 
  DIFFICULTY 100
  Size 2 monster
  Perception 11 (+1)
  Defense 18; Health 80
  Strength 15 (+5), Agility 10 (+0), Intellect 6 (–4), 
  Will 9 (–1)
  Speed 8
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Horns (melee) +5 (Strength) with 1 boon (2d6)
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Poisonous Cloud The catoblepas exhales a toxic 
  cloud to spread across a 6-yard cone originating 
  from a point it can reach. The cloud partially 
  obscures its area and remains for 1 round or until 
  dispersed by wind. 
  The poisonous cloud deals 6d6 damage to each 
  living creature in the area that is not a catoblepas. 
  A creature that gets a success on a Strength 
  challenge roll with 1 bane takes half the damage. 
  Any creature incapacitated by this damage turns 
  into a stone statue and dies.
  A catoblepas must wait 1 round before it can use 
  Poisonous Cloud again.
   Rancid Odor: The catoblepas gives oﬀ  the foul odor 
  of spoiled milk, a stench wafting out of their mouths. 
  The reason for this unwholesome smell is that it has 
  a special organ in its gullet, used to help break down 
  rocks and other inorganic materials it eats. When 
  threatened, the catoblepas belches up gasses from this 
  organ that billow out from its mouth in a toxic cloud 
  of lethal potency.
  Customizing the 
  Catoblepas
  The catoblepas has a great deal of variety in its form. 
  Some specimens have the heads of hogs, while others 
  have long, ﬂ exible necks. Some have thick black 
  bristles sprouting out from between their armored 
  plates, and some have thick manes. Nearly all share 
  the same capabilities, however, with a few that are the 
  exception to the rule.
  Lethal Stare
  That the catoblepas is said to have a gaze that can kill 
  is most likely apocryphal, but some travelers swear 
  the beasts can kill with a glance. 
   
  INCREASE BY 1 DIFFICULTY STEP
  Health +10
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Lethal Stare The catoblepas raises its head to peer 
  at one creature within short range. If the creature 
  can see, it must get a success on a Strength 
  challenge roll with 1 boon or take damage equal 
  to its Health. A creature with Health 50 or more 
  makes the challenge roll 
  with 3 boons.
  Customizing the 
  organ that billow out from its mouth in a toxic cloud 
  of lethal potency.
  6
  
  Cockatrice
  Many monsters are hybrids, possessing the features 
  and traits of other creatures. The cockatrice is a 
  classic example, combining the forms of a dragon and 
  rooster. This would normally be strange enough, but 
  the cockatrice has another power that makes it one of 
  the most dangerous monsters: with a touch of its beak, 
  it can turn ﬂ esh to stone.
   Man-Sized Monster: A cockatrice has the body of 
  a scaled reptile with a bulging belly and bat-like wings 
  in place of forelimbs. It has the feathered head and 
  legs of a rooster, and its eyes glow with a reddish light. 
  Most cockatrices stand about 6 feet tall and weigh 
  200 pounds.
   Common Origins: Myths about the cockatrice 
  originate from the same stories about basilisks, 
  legend holding that cockatrices hatch from chicken 
  eggs incubated by toads or serpents. The similarities 
  to the basilisk’s origins hints that these creatures 
  appeared at the same time or, possibly, spawned 
  from the same source. Just as basilisks are believed 
  to have been created by a race of primeval serpent 
  people, so too is it believed cockatrices were 
  products of the same experimentations and have 
  since reproduced in numbers enough to become a 
  full species.
   Turn to Stone: What makes cockatrices such 
  worrisome monsters is their ability to turn ﬂ esh 
  to stone with a touch of their beaks. This magical 
  ability is key to how the monster both hunts prey 
  and protects itself from other predators. Cockatrices 
  are neither strong nor fast, which makes them easy 
  pickings for bigger, hungrier creatures. But the 
  ability to petrify living creatures gives the cockatrice 
  a decisive advantage. Those touched by its beak feel 
  their bodies grow heavy and leaden, as if weighted 
  down. Repeated pecks cause the ﬂ esh to calcify until it 
  turns to stone, killing the victim instantly.
   Cockatrices can eat just about anything. They eat 
  small stones to help digest food. Their beaks are quite 
  strong and can break apart petriﬁ ed bodies so they 
  can get to the threads of soft tissue trapped in the 
  rock. Since cockatrices are not voracious eaters, one 
  can usually ﬁ nd an assortment of petriﬁ ed creatures 
  around the caves in they make their lairs.
  COCKATRICE 
  DIFFICULTY 25
  Size 1 monster
  Perception 11 (+1)
  Defense 14; Health 20
  Strength 12 (+2), Agility 12 (+2), Intellect 6 (–4), 
  Will 10 (+0)
  Speed 6; ﬂ ier
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Beak (melee) +2 (Strength) with 1 boon (4d6 plus 
  Petrify on a 20+ against a living target)
  Petrify The target becomes slowed for 1 minute 
  as its body grows heavy. If the target is already 
  slowed this way, it instead takes 4d6 extra 
  damage. A target incapacitated by this damage 
  turns into a stone statue and dies.
  Customizing Cockatrices
  Variations among cockatrices tend to be cosmetic, 
  but there is at least one signiﬁ cant exception. 
  Two-Headed
  The two-headed cockatrices is quite rare and 
  greatly feared. A vicious and aggressive monster, 
  its two heads constantly snap at each other 
  whenever the beast is not on the hunt. As a result, 
  each head sports stony patches from being nicked 
  by the other’s beak.
   
  INCREASE BY 2 DIFFICULTY STEPS
  Defense +2; Health +20
  Two Heads A cockatrice can take both a fast 
  turn and a slow turn and can use two triggered 
  actions each round.
  from the same source. Just as basilisks are believed 
  to have been created by a race of primeval serpent 
  can usually ﬁ nd an assortment of petriﬁ ed creatures 
  around the caves in they make their lairs.
  COCKATRICE 
  Size 1 monster
  Perception
  Defense
  Strength 
  Will 
  Speed
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Beak
  Petrify on a 20+ against a living target)
  Petrify
  as its body grows heavy. If the target is already 
  slowed this way, it instead takes 4d6 extra 
  damage. A target incapacitated by this damage 
  turns into a stone statue and dies.
  Customizing Cockatrices
  Variations among cockatrices tend to be cosmetic, 
  but there is at least one signiﬁ cant exception. 
  Two-Headed
  The two-headed cockatrices is quite rare and 
  greatly feared. A vicious and aggressive monster, 
  its two heads constantly snap at each other 
  whenever the beast is not on the hunt. As a result, 
  each head sports stony patches from being nicked 
  by the other’s beak.
   
  INCREASE BY 2 DIFFICULTY STEPS
  7
  
  Manticore
  Manticores terrorize the lands they inhabit. These 
  man-eaters appear in local legends all across Rûl and 
  are known by many diﬀ erent names. The centaurs of 
  the Endless Steppe know them as “lampagos,” while 
  the people of Tear refer to them as “man-tigers.” 
  Throughout the Nine Cities, where manticores 
  cause endless trouble for merchant caravans, they 
  are known as “satyrals.” Regardless of what they 
  are called, people all over fear manticores for their 
  viciousness and cruelty, for they are relentless killers 
  that seem to delight in the suﬀ ering of their victims.
   Hybrid Forms: Manticores combine the forms of 
  a few diﬀ erent creatures. They have the bodies of 
  lions or tigers, the fur covering their forelimbs giving 
  way to scaly ﬂ esh and sharp talons. From their backs 
  sprout enormous black bat wings, with  tails like those 
  of enormous scorpions, black chitinous protrusions 
  ending in barbed spikes dripping with venom. The 
  most horriﬁ c aspect to their appearance, though, is 
  their human visages. Rather than lion heads, they 
  have the snarling, bestial faces of people, warped 
  almost beyond recognition. 
   Troll Creations: In the hateful wars between trolls 
  and faeries, the trolls used dark power to create 
  soldiers to ﬁ ght for them. Manticores were made 
  from captured faeries fused to ordinary beasts so 
  that other faeries would be demoralized by seeing 
  familiar faces attached to the bodies of  abominations. 
  Although these ancient wars have long since ended, 
  manticores survived, passing down their accursed 
  existence to countless oﬀ spring, each generation 
  worse than the last. 
   Cruel Hunters: A deadly predator, the manticore 
  claims large swathes of land, soaring above at night in 
  search of ﬂ esh on which it might feed its prodigious 
  appetite. Manticores typically survive on herd animals 
  but prefer human or faerie ﬂ esh. They never pass up 
  the chance to make a meal on some shepherd or a 
  lost child. The perverse delight the manticore takes in 
  the act of killing makes it viciously cruel, and unless 
  starving, it draws out the hunt, taking its time to 
  slowly circle around the victim, swooping in to slash 
  its ﬂ esh into ribbons and then up into the air again, all 
  the while laughing at their victims’ cries. 
   Vicious Mockery: Manticores have the ability to 
  make sounds akin to speech, but most just echo what 
  they hear without showing any understanding of 
  what they say. They enjoy reproducing their victims’ 
  cries and pleading, parroting the sounds they make 
  as if mocking them. While most manticores lack the 
  ability to comprehend what they say, some do have 
  the capacity for speech and when they do, it is always 
  Dark Speech.
  MANTICORE 
  DIFFICULTY 250
  Size 2 horrifying monster
  Perception 15 (+5); darksight
  Defense 16; Health 150
  Strength 16 (+6), Agility 11 (+1), Intellect 7 (–3), 
  Will 14 (+4)
  Speed 12; ﬂ ier
  Immune gaining Insanity
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Claw (melee) +6 (Strength) with 2 boons (2d6)
  Teeth (melee) +6 (Strength) with 2 boons (2d6 + 1)
  Stinger (melee) +6 (Strength) with 2 boons 
  (1d6 plus Poison)
  Poison A living target must get a success on a 
  Strength challenge roll with 3 banes or take 5d6 
  damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. If the 
  target is already poisoned, it instead takes 3d6 
  extra damage.
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Rend The manticore attacks twice with its claw 
  and once with its teeth.
  Swift Sting At any point during the round, the 
  manticore can use a triggered action to attack 
  with its stinger.
  Customizing Manticores
  Variations among the manticores normally involve 
  facial features with many having the faces of baboons, 
  human women, or monstrous, tusked visages. Color 
  variations are also common, often showing up as 
  stripes or spots, or fur that is black, white, or yellow.
  Magic-Using
  Not all manticores let themselves be ruled by their 
  appetites. Some have greater ambitions. Magic-
  using manticores are cunning creatures, their minds 
  awakened to even greater evil. Such creatures, 
  sometimes called sphinxes, position themselves at the 
  center of large humanoid settlements, making slaves 
  of their prey to use them to advance their agendas. 
   To create a magic-using manticore, increase its 
  Intellect to 14 and give it traditions and spells for its 
  Diﬃ  culty as described in the main rulebook (Shadow, 
  page 263).
  Spiked Tail
  Many manticores have spiked tails from which drip 
  venom, and they can ﬂ ick their tails to hurl a spike at 
  their prey. Such manticores have 1d3 + 3 spikes at the 
  ends of their tails. The manticore regrows missing 
  spikes after 1d6 days.
   Replace the manticore’s stinger with the following 
  attack option.
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Tail Spike (medium range) +1 (Agility) with 2 boons 
  (1d3 plus Poison)
  Poison A living target must get a success on a 
  Strength challenge roll with 3 banes or fall prone 
  and become immobilized. While immobilized, the 
  target is defenseless.
  8
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shadow of the Demon Lord/Monstrous Pages/SotDL - Monstrous Pages - Noisome Beasts.pdf