Alp (AD&D Monster)


Another creature from Germanic folklore, we have the Alp! For the purposes of D&D, we're shedding some of the demonic trappings of the mythology in favor of the Fey.

Alp
Frequency: Very Rare
NA: 1
HD: 4+3
Movement: 12"
AC: 4
No. Attacks: 1 (1d3+1)
Special Attacks: Smothering Feast
Special Defense: Silver/+1 only
Magic Resistance: 50%
Intelligence: Average
Size: S (4')
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
In Lair: 80% (day) / 0% (night)
Treasure Type: J, K, M (Indv) D (Lair)
XP: 205+ 5/HP
Grapples as if 400lbs while wearing hat.
Surprises on 9-in-10 when not sleeping due to camouflage.

The Alp will be referred to as "he," the target will be referred to as "she" for limited confusion.

Special Attack: The Alp delights in the suffering it causes others, particularly humans and preferably women. He sneaks into the resting quarters of his prey and sits upon her chest as the victim sleeps. She first must make a Save vs Petrification, or she will be unable to move or speak for 1d4 turns. If she fails, she must make a System Shock roll to determine if his consumption is potentially fatal or not.

Fatal consumption by the Alp means that he does 1d4 points of damage a round for 1d6+6 rounds. Non-fatal consumption means that 75% of that damage is subdual damage. If (in either scenario) enough actual damage is done to bring her to 0 HP, they must make a Save vs Poison. On a success, the Alp stops feasting. On a failure, she dies. Regardless, encountering him guarantees that any kind of restful sleep has been disturbed and cannot resume until the following night.

Special Defense: The Alp is only vulnerable to Silvered or Magical weapons and Spells. He is immune to Sleep and Charm. Iron weapons cause 100% subdual damage to him.

Description: The Alp is a 3.5-4' tall hairy Fey creature that feasts primarily on blood (sucked through the nipples) and milk, favoring breastmilk in particular.  He's nocturnal, often sleeping hidden in the wilderness by day and causing mischief by night. He wears a filthy cap upon his head that gives him abilities akin to the Cloak of Elvenkind (camouflage), and the padded balls on his feet mean that his steps are undetectable by noise.

The Alp will only fight if trapped and will otherwise flee. He has nothing to gain from engaging in a melee, particularly with more than one assailant. He fights primarily through grappling, counting as a 400lb (while wearing its hat, 60lb otherwise), 4' tall, AC 2 creature with 16 STR and 18 DEX for the purposes of grappling/pummeling/overbearing checks.

Looking an Alp in the eye (2-in-6 chance unless averting one's gaze and taking a -4 penalty to attacks and AC) gives a base 72% chance of contracting a disease (see DMG p13) instantly from him.

Aside from feasting, the Alp partakes of other sorts of mischief as well. He is known to ride people's horses to exhaustion, empty cow udders of milk, tangle horse tails together, crush smaller farm animals to death, soil people's milk, re-diaper babies, and tie people's hair into "alp-knots." Most importantly, he steals valuables and hoards them in his lair.

Sages aware of Legends & Folklore can identify many facts about Alps. Shoving a lemon in the Alp's mouth will immobilize him. He cannot stand the sight of LG Holy Symbols (can be turned as Ghouls). He can be asked to return in the morning if promised a gift, and if the person delivers, he can be persuaded to leave that person alone. He can easily be trapped, as he can only leave a building the same way it was entered. He can change shape, appearing as a unibrowed short human when not using his powers (the hat is concealed). The hat is the source of his powers, and is a cursed object often created by Green Hags. Wearing the hat will confer the powers of an Alp (assuming you still have your left eye), but will twist the mind and body of the wearer into an Alp, changing alignment to CE in the process. If an Alp's evil eye is plucked out, the Alp is rid of his curse and the hat is forcefully shot off of his head in a random direction.

Habitat: Alps lair in large burrows, caves, huts, or abandoned homes. He sleeps from mid-morning to sundown. He is never in lair at night, and is in lair 80% of the time by day.

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