FREQUENCY: Uncommon

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Dungeon Level I])

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

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

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

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

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

<1>

NO. APPEARING: 12-48 <(giant rat: I, rat: I, osquip: III>
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 15"
HIT DICE: 1-4 HP
% IN LAIR: Special
TREASURE TYPE: Per 10 individuals [O], [Q]; in lair [C], [Q] (x 5), [S], [T]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2 or 1-4 ~ 20n
SPECIAL ATTACKS: [SB]
SPECIAL DEFENSES: [SB]
MAGIC RESISTANCE: [SB]
INTELLIGENCE: Average (with genius level cunning)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil (with slight lawful tendency) <(malicious)>
SIZE: S (1' + tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:
    Normal: I | 7 + 1
    Elder: II | 32 + 1

SAVES: ppdm16 | pp17 | rsw18 | bw20 | s19

Jermlaine, or jinxkins, sometimes known as bane-midges, dwell in
elaborate tunnel && den warrens beneath the ground -- often very
deep beneath the surface. As they mix freely with rats of all sorts,
even the giant variety, they are often (75%) found in company with
such rodents and are 50% likely to be sharing an integrated system of
burrows, tunnels and holes. (If jermlaine are encountered, a percentile
die roll of 01-75 indicates that rats (25%) || giant rats (50%) are
with them. If the jermlaine are in their lair, it is 50% probable that
there will be connecting rat runnels). This cohabitation extends to all
forms of mutual co-operation & defence.

These evil runts are cowardly and will attack only when it seems <morale score modifier of -10%, along with a +/- Talk modifier of 1-20%?>
probable that they can overwhelm victims without serious opposition.
Jinxkins thus waylay weakened && wounded parties or single individuals
who are unwary, asleep etc.
While strong groups or alert adventurers will not be physically attacked,
    <define strong group>
    <for strong group, see the rules in the DMG for firing into a melee>
    <will only attack via surprise?>
    <alertness, WSG>
jermlaine bands will certainly seek to cause them harm and otherwise injure them out of sheer maliciousness.
This injury to the adventurers brings both personal gain to the jermlaine and the possibility of eventual gain of new victims.

Jermlaine are very FAST, moving with a scuttling gait, very quiet, and
are masters of remaining unseen. On occasion, however, if a party or
individual suddenly becomes still & listens carefully, their movement
or twittering, squeaking speech can be detected.

It is 60% probably that bane-midges will be within 60' of their lair at any time they are encountered,
but the tunnels which give access to such places are twisting mazes and passage is impossible for any creature larger than a gnome --
even the latter having to creep & crawl to get through,
and of course this exposes the intruder to attack.

Jermlaine typically arm themselves with needle-sharp darts which they can hurl up to 12' and cause 1-2 HP of damage.
In
+addition+ to a dart, each minimus carries a pike-like weapon -- a 1 1/2'
long wand of supple wood with a sharp metal tip. This instrument is
used as a spear || pike to inflict 1-4 HP of damage.
Their favoured attack method is ambush with a pit or net, however, taking victims alive.

In little-used passages, these nasty creatures will laboriously prepare
pits covered by camouflaged trapdoors, or string overhead nets
entwined with silk from the webs of giant spiders, and lay in WAIT for
passing prey. In more travellled ways, jermlaine will stretch thin but
strong cords (often woven of human hair) to trip the unwary. Victims
not stunned by the trap are pummelled senseless by bane-midges <l: pummel>
wielding leathern clubs filled with sand or lead shot while others
entwine the prone creatures with ropes & cords. Note that beating
with the clubs has a 2% cumulative chance per blow of knockign the
victim unconscious, but those protected by splint, banded or plate mail will
not be so attacked. Well-armoured victims who cannot be
bound FAST are attacked to kill -- possibly with flaming oil missiles or
acid. Some victims will be devoured by the jermlaine (or their rat-friends)
but most humans will be stripped naked, shaved and lef
trussed & helpless in the passageway. The jermlaine will usu.
watch such victims from a safe hide, awating the 'fun'<> of seeing some
passing monster come & devour the bound victims.

If alert creatures should happen to pause near a hidden group of <cf. alertness, WSG>
jermlaine, the spiteful things will steal forth and cut belts & straps,
packs & seams -- typically one such vandalistic act per jinxkin, for
they act with haste in order to escape unnoticed & unharmed. Their
vandalism will usu. be noticed only 1-12 turns later, when a
weakened strap parts, a seam opens fully, etc. Worse still, if packs & other goods
are placed out where jinxkins can reach them,
    these monstrous atomites will pollute the water,
    desecrate holy water,
    steal small items (gems, coins, garlic buds, herbs etc.),
    wedge daggers || swords so that they are difficult to draw out quickly,
    cut bow strings,
    blunt arrows,
    puncture oil flasks &
    so on.

If more than 35 of these creatures are encountered, there will be one
very old & exceptionally evil one who has a very wicked power; this
individual bane-midge will be able to drain all magic properties from
any magical item (except an artifact || relic) which he can handle for
1-4 rounds.

The grey-brown warty hide of jermlaine blends with earth & stone, <note: there is a bit of a problem with the DSG image, unless some mage has cast a color cantrip on the jermlaine>
and they always dress in scraps & rags of the same colouration so
that they can remain concealed from VIEW. Coupled with their ability
to move quietly, the jinxkins are likely to surprise opponents on a roll
of 1-5 (d6) and they are 75% undetectable if looked for or listened
for, unless the action is done suddenly so as to catch them off their guard.

Jermlaine are treated as 4 HD creatures with respect to the effects of magical attacks and saves.
<use T saving throw table?>

Because of their size & quickness, jinxkins which save versus magical attacks which would normally inflict half damage will escape unscathed.

Although they have weak eyes and their infravision extends only 30'
jermlaine have keen hearing & smell, so even invisible creatures are
50% likely to be detected by them under normal dungeon conditions.

Jermlaine speak their own tongue and their alignment language, and <added to DMG>
can converse will rats of all sorts. 1 in 10 can speak the common
tongue, and the same probability exists with respect to the languages
of dwarves, gnomes, goblins and orcs.

Description: Jinxkins look as if they are diminutive humans wearing
baggy clothing & ill-fiting leather helmets. Closer inspection will
show that the baggy 'garments' are actually the creatures' lumpy & many-folded skins,
while the 'helmets' are in reality the pointed & evilly-visaged heads --
all leathery & smooth. The limbs of these
creatures are knotty & bowed, with hands & feet tipped with
thick nails which are always filthy but nimble.
 

    by Gary Gygax
 

<f1: what's up with this? jerms are listed as sub. maybe there should be a note about cave entrances (eg. Vietnam, Mehico). sorry, this is getting kinda deep!>

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tav_Behemoth
O venerated Col.,

Howdy Tav
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tav_Behemoth
I was dipping into the AD&D Fiend Folio recently and noted three tiny races of your creation -- the jermlaine I'd long been a fan of (Descent into the Depths of the Earth having been one of the first books I bought with my own hoarded allowance), but the booka and the killmoulis were new to me and, I feel, unjustly overlooked.

For those who do not know, I made up the jermlaine based on the gremlin, an older version of it if you will.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tav_Behemoth
It seemed to me that these pint-sized monsters -- minimuses or midges, as per your jermlaine nicknames -- might have been developed for a campaign arc in which tiny opponents played a large role, perhaps even the heroes-shrunk-to-rat-size adventures that reading Leiber's Swords of Lankhmar inspire so vividly.

Can you share any insights about the origins of these monsters or moments in which you remember them being used in a game?

The booka and kilmoulis are "fairie folk" from books of folklore from which I devised the creatures of the same nemes for the AD&D game.

I had a side adventure area akin to the Isle of the Ape, Dungeonland, and The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror set up for my campaign.
I titled it A Midsummer's Night's Nightmare.
It was populated with all of the British-based monsters such as the booka and the kilmoulis, as well as many sorts of "little people" as commanded by Oberon and Titania (don't mess with them!)...and Puck too was a most dangerous encounter.

Sadly, all of that has been lost, and after 20 years I have forgotten the details <paranoid>

Cheers,
Gary