Bugbear

FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 6-36 (12 + leader) (24 + chief, subchief)
ARMOR CLASS: 5 <a chain mail shirt will improve this to AC3: T3, area 228>
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 3 + 1
IN LAIR: 25% (8 Bugbears: wooded hills, TPL54:6th, REF4.39)
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals [J], [K], [L], [M]. [B] in lair.
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 16
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 or by weapon <+1 to hit & +1 damage for 17 STR: cf. DMG.15>
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Surprise on 1-3
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
STRENGTH: 17
INTELLIGENCE: Low to Average (low)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: L (7'+ tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III | 135 + 4
DEITY: Hruggek

SAVES: 13.14.15.16.16

<>
Bugbears live in loose bands,
and are typically found in the same areas as are goblins.
Unlike their smaller cousins, however, these {hairy} {giant} goblins operate equally well in bright daylight || great darkness
(as they have infravision to 60'), so they are as likely to choose a habitation above ground as they are to select a subterranean abode.

SURPRISE: Although bugbears are clumsy looking and walk with a shambling gait,
they are actually able to MOVE very quickly and with great stealth,
thus surprising opponents 50% of the {time}.

TALK: Bugbears speak goblin && hobgoblin in addition to their racial and alignment tongues.

Weapons: The arms carried by bugbears range the gamut of avail. weapons --
from swords (short: d6/d8) (long: d8/d12) to wooden clubs with spikes set in them (morning stars: 2-8/2-7).
A fair number of spears (d6/d8) are carried by these monsters, and they tend to USE them,
along with axes (hand or throwing: 1-6/1-4), maces (footman's mace: 2-7/1-6), and hammers (2-5/1-4), as missile weapons.
As bugbears are strong they can throw these weapons up to 4", anything under 2" being treated as M range.

Leader: If 12 or more bugbears are encountered there will be a leader with 22-25 HP (AC 4, <attacks as 4HD : THACO 15>, gets +1 on damage caused).

Chief: If 24 or more are encountered there will be the following additional bugbears: a chief (AC 3, 28-30 HP, <attacks as 4HD : THACO 15>, and doing +2 damage) &

a Sub-Chief: (as per leader-type above).

Lair: If encountered in their lair there will always be a chief && sub-chief,
and there will be females && young equal to 50% each of the number of males.
Neither of the latter types of bugbears will fight unless in a life || death situation.
In the latter case the females fight as hobgoblins and the young (L) will fight as kobolds. <>

Description: The skin of bugbears is light yellow to yellow brown -- typically dull yellow.
Their hair ranges in color from lusterless tannish brown to brick red.
Their eyes are greenish white with red pupils.
The odds and ends of armor they wear, as well as whatever cloth, skins, or hides they drape themselves in, tends to be ill-kept, dirty, and dingy. They live for approximately 75 years.
<there are rules for piecemeal armor in OA, page 48>
<the skins && hides help keep them warm in the cold: see WSG>

Tribal Spell Casters : Shamen (C5 maximum) OR witch doctors (C5 / MU2 maximum). Not recommended for random encounters.

FREQUENCY: Uncommon

FREQUENCY: Common ([Dungeon Level III])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Cold Civilized Mountains], [Cold Civilized Forest], [Cold Civilized Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very Rare ([Cold Civilized Hills], [Cold Civilized Swamp], [Cold Civilized Desert]), ([Cold Wilderness Swamp], [Cold Wilderness Desert])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Cold Wilderness Mountains], [Cold Wilderness Hills], [Cold Wilderness Forest], [Cold Wilderness Plains])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Civilized Mountains], [Temperate Civilized Forest], [Temperate Civilized Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Civilized Swamp], [Temperate Civilized Desert])

    FREQUENCY: Common ([Temperate Wilderness Forest])
    FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Plains])
    FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Hills], [Temperate Wilderness Swamp], [Temperate Wilderness Desert])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Civilized Mountains], [Tropical Civilized Forest], [Tropical Civilized Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Civilized Hills], [Tropical Civilized Swamp], [Tropical Civilized Desert])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Wilderness Mountains], [Tropical Wilderness Hills], [Tropical Wilderness Forest], [Tropical Wilderness Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Wilderness Swamp])

<
AVG. HEIGHT ("): Base: 72/68. Modifier: 2d10.
AVG. WEIGHT (#): Base: 210/180. Modifier: 6d10.
STARTING AGE: 10 + 1d6
MAX. AGE RANGE: 65 + 2d10
AVG. MAX. AGE: 75
MIDDLE AGE: 33
OLD AGE: 44
VENERABLE: 65
(PHBR10.116+)
>

<
Bugbears (6 female): AC 6, MV 9", HD 2,
hp 13, 10, 9, 8, 8, 8, #AT 1, THACO 16, D 2-8 (morning star); XP 70, 64, 62, 60 (x3)
Each female has 1-6 ep and 2-12 sp.

- T3, area 232
>

<
Bugbear leader: AC 3, MV 9", HD 4, hp 30, <there are rules for piecemeal armor in OA, page 48>
#AT 1, THACO 14, D 4-10 (2d4+2) (bastard sword),
SA hurl spear (D 1-6, ranges 1"/2"/3"), surprise on 1-3; <spear>
XP 255

Bugbear lieutenant: AC 4, MV 9", HD 4, hp 25, <there are rules for piecemeal armor in OA, page 48>
#AT 1, THACO 14, D 3-9 (1d8+1) (bardiche), <ash spear>
SA hurl spear, surprise on 1-3;
XP 235

Bugbear females (3): AC 5, MV 9", HD 2 +1, hp 15, 13, 12, <there are rules for piecemeal armor in OA, page 48>
#AT 1, THACO 16, D1-8 (battle axe),
SA surprise on 1-3; XP 125, 119, 115
Each female has 1-6 gp, 1-6 ep, 1-6 sp, and 1-6 cp
- T3, area 233
>

Julian Grimm wrote:
Gary,

After reading the original descriptions for thr gnoll and seeing the original artwork for the bugbear what prompted the changes from their original forms
( Bugbear, a pumpkin headed baddy and the Gnoll a Gnome/Troll mix) to their AD&D versions?

LOL!

The pumpkin-headed bugbear was an artist taking literally my diesription of the monster as having a head like a pumpkin, i.e large, round flat oval.

Akthough the gnole might be such, I thought that a cross between a gnome and a troll was quite unlikely in the developing game system, so I decided to make the gnoll a hyena-like humanoid. I took a dislike to hyenas odor and appearance when I was a wee lad taken to the zoo regularly by my father.

Cheers,
Gary