by E. Gary Gygax ©1984 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved.
How could a demon as huge as a goristro
be missing? How the entire race of the
brutes?! That seemed to be the case, for
MM2 mentioned these
dreaded dwellers on the Abyssal Planes,
but
nowhere within the book could any other
information be found about them.
Time to put on the double-billed detective's cap and find the culprit.
After yours truly summoned Dr. Mentzer to assist, we began a full-scale
investigation.
Nothing on
the computer, nothing amidst the pencil
draft, nothing anywhere. The clever swine
must have used a powerful dweomer to
avoid detection -- but to no avail, good
readers! The typewriter is mightier than
any demon, let alone a clan as stupid
as the
goristroi. Here, then, are the vital statistics
which will enable you to include these foul
fiends in your AD&D® game campaign.
DEMON
Goristro (Major Demon)
FREQUENCY: Very rare
FREQUENCY:
Rare ([Astral Plane])
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 15?
HIT DICE: 20 (+6/die)
% IN LAIR: 20%
TREASURE TYPE: B, C
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 & 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 12-30/12-30 & 5-40
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 60%
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: L (21'-24' tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: X / 16,200 + 35/hp
These huge demons are collectively
known as goristroi. One can be found on
nearly any plane of the Abyss, for they
are
adaptable and much desired by the rulers of
the place to serve as engines of destruction.
Demon lords and princes are able to com-mand the goristroi and have
them serving
as guardians, enforcers, and so on. The
hulking goristroi are too stupid and bestial
to do more than carry out their orders.
The attack mode of these monsters con-sists of two clubbing smashes
with their long
and very powerful arms. Each is equal to a
crushing blow, so material struck must be
saved for. In addition, a stamping attack
can be made against any opponent of 6' or
less height which is within 10' of these
brutes. They hurl boulders as do cloud
giants (1"-24" range for 2-24 points of
damage). Goristroi also have the following
spell-like powers which they can employ one
at a time, one per round, at will: detect
illusion, detect invisibility, fear (as a wand,
by gaze), gloom 60' r. (equals one-half
darkness condition), levitation, spider
climb, and teleport without error (once per
day only).
Even the lowliest of goristroi can be
harmed only by +1 or better magic weapons.
All of them are immune to cold, fire, poison, and poison gas.
They regenerate at the
rate of 1 hit point per turn. They have both
infravision && ultravision.
As noted in the list of statistics given
above, goristroi receive 6 HP per hit
die in addition to whatever is rolled, giving
each hit die a range of from 7-14 instead of
the usual 1-8. Goristroi with 140-160 hit
points are 21' tall and can only be hit by
magic weapons of +1 or better. Those with
161-200 hit points are 22' tall, and also are
hit only by +1 weapons. If hit points fall in
the range of 201-240, the beast is 23' tall
and is hit only by +2 weapons or better. The
largest goristroi have 241-280 hit points, are
24' tall, and are hit only by +3 weapons or
better.
Goristroi can do siege damage to con-structions and large objects in
the same way
that giants && golems can. Damage
figures <hebrew font for the golem link>
given below are per round of attack, with
no other activity allowed to the goristro in
that round.
Points of Damage Against
| Wood | Earth | Soft Stone | Hard Rock | Bronze |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
As can be seen from the foregoing, the
goristroi are major amongst their ilk be-cause of their ability to
absorb damage and
to mete it out. They are stupid and other-wise limited in power, being
unable even to
gate in other demons. The vast majority
(90%) of goristroi encountered will be in
the service of some Abyssal ruler, blindly
carrying out the duties assigned to them
with complete fanaticism. There is never a
question of retreat or morale when dealing
with these brutes. They will always con-tinue to follow their given
commands until
completion || death occurs.
Some symbol of servitude will be worn by
goristroi ruled by a lord or prince, whether
it be a collar, arm or wrist band, implanted
symbol, or whatever. Such devices typically
have the power to convey telepathic com-mands to the wearer as well
as serve as
tracking devices should the masters wish to
know the whereabouts of their servants.
Without direct command or supervision,
goristroi tend to wander off on destructive
rampages of their own direction && desire.
Goristroi are vaguely reminiscent of giant
bears, although their shoulders are broader,
their visages appearing to be a nightmarish
cross between bison and human, and their
hands and feet disproportionately large,
splayed, and humanlike.
<include goristro3.jpg>
No brains needed
-
Dear Editor,
I read the article in "From the Sorceror?s
Scroll" about the goristro (issue #91). It
states
that goristroi are "too stupid and bestial to do
more than carry out their orders." It also states
that they have spell-like powers. If they are so
stupid, how can this be so?
Mark Whitten
Inman, S.C.
(Dragon #98)
Intelligence is not a factor where innate magical
ability is concerned. Type I and Type II
demons have intelligence ratings of low, the same
as the goristroi, and they also have spell-like
powers. The key word is like magical
powers of this sort do not have to be cast the way
a spell must be, but are simply used when desired.
The effects of a spell-like power may be
similar, or perhaps identical, to the effects of a
certain spell but technically, the use of spelllike
powers and the casting of spells are two
different things.
KM
(Dragon #98)