FREQUENCY: Very rare (at best)
FREQUENCY: Very rare <(at best)> ([Cold Civilized Mountains]), ([Cold Wilderness Mountains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare <(at best)> ([Temperate Civilized Mountains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare <(at best)> ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare <(at best)> ([Tropical Civilized Mountains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare <(at best)> ([Tropical Wilderness Mountains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Dungeon Level III])

NO. APPEARING: 4-40
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 6"
HIT DICE: 1-1
% IN LAIR: 40%
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals [K]; in lair [C]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 or by weapon type
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: [SB]
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: S (4' tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III | 53 + 1

SAVES: 16.17.18.20.19

This creature looks exactly like a normal goblin and has all the characteristics of that race (see Goblin) with one important exception --
it suffers from a curious spatio-temporal reversal.
It remains a mystery why only goblins are susceptible to this strange disorder.
Nilbogism (the name given to the disorder) appears to occur when overly heavy use of magic strains the fabric of the space-time continuum,
and leads to some very strange localised events.
The coincidence of conditions which lead to nilbogism is extremely rare and it is only imperfectly understood.
Although the creature itself does not in any sense transmit the disorder to those arount it,
some of the effects are transmitted.

Many and varied accounts have been received about the nature fo the space-time disturbances which take place in the presence of nilbogs.
Only one factor appears to be common -
the adventurers will have no control over their own actions and will generally pursue courses of action contrary to their normal intent;
for example they may feel an overwhelming compulsion to load all their treasure into an empty treasure chest in the nilbog lair and leave empty-handed.
There are no saving throws against these effects,
nor is there any known defence (though a powerful spell such as a [wish], will, if used properly, have a good chance of rendering local immunity against the effects).

Another curious feature of the nilbog power is that the creature gains hit points when it is first struck,
the addition being equal to the intended damage rolled.
It can only lose hit points by such means as casting cure wounds spells on it,
forcibling feeding it healing potions and so on.

For obvious reasons, encounters with these strange creatures are dreaded and,
as a result,
normal goblins tend to be treated with extreme caution lest they turn out to nilbogs.
There appears to be no way of distinguishing between the two apart from the use of such spells as [commune] or by trial and error.

So far as is known, no other creature has been afflicted with nilbogism.
 

    by Roger Musson
    by Nick Best
 

Q: How do spells affect nilbogs? Are
there limits on nilbogism -- such as
range, save, or limits on total hit
dice or levels affected?

A: "Harmful" magic gives nilbogs hit points
on a one-for-one basis. Death magic doubles
a nilbog?s current hit points. Curative
spells harm nilbogs. Spells which cause no
damage work normally on nilbogs. Any
creature that can see or affect a nilbog is
subject to nilbogism?s peculiar effects (if it
tries to do anything to the nilbog). Nilbogism
has no range, level, or hit dice limits,
or saving throw.
(138.13)
 

Roger Musson has had work published frequently
in White Dwarf and PAN, but his most
notorious contribution to RPGs
must be the Nilbog, a monster which appeared
in the FF tome. It is said to be a
goblin affected by spatio-temporal inversion,
which gains HP when it is struck, and can
only be hurt by casting cure light wounds or
somesuch upon it...
(Imagine #2)