Some villains and monsters:

Augs:
Augs are augmented humanoids, created by some previous civilization, they appear very much like common humanoid lifeforms
only somewhat more bestial. They have snouts, tusks, have no hair and a sickly gray skin hue.
 Aug's modifications make them so they are dangerously violent although shows of strength and force may frighten them off. They are opportunistic scavengers and warriors and will kill with little reasoning.

Population Appearing: 3-18
Morale: 8
Defense: 15  DR: 3 (Spacesuit)
Attacks: 1 by weapon
Strike Chance: +4
HP: 2d6  (
Experience: 10 each


Biomorphs
Biomorphs are alien protoplasmic lifeforms that can assume the shape of any organic creature from the 15cm/5" to 300cm/10' They assume the natural attacks (claws, teeth, acid sprayers) of the shape or creature they assume. However they retain their armor and damage from their natural form.

Population Appearing: 1-2
Morale: 10
Defense: 25 DR: 5
Attacks: 2  (By form, 1d8+1)
Strike Chance: +10
HP: 5d6 (20)
Experience: 200



CyberWolves: Cyberwolves usually appear as normal members of their prospective races, until a signal hidden on some hyperspace channel activates where their biosynthetic flesh tears away and they
become monstrous rampaging beasts who have no mercy or remorse. It is unknown how these creatures are manufactured. It  is believed to have been some black science developed by rogue Ancients, now utilized by the hateful robot armies that wish to spread terror amongst organic life forms.

Cyberwolves are not easy to detect, as their components are biomimetic, and resembled unusual, but organic biology to most sensors. Cyberwolves do not know they are cyberwolves until activated and interviews with dying and psychically controlled wolves reveal their reluctance to do harm, but an uncontrolled urge to kill and slaughter is programmed into them that so far has been found to be unresistable. Despite the holos, cyberwolves
do no resemble actual wolves. They appear more like bionicly augmented ursines.


Population Appearing: 1-4
Morale: 11
Defense: 22  DR: 7
Attacks: 3 (2 Claws 1d8, Bite 1d12)
Strike Chance: +8
Experience: 300
 
Cyberwolves transform when signaled too but the programming is complex, it can send them to cover its crimes and revert to its humanoid form and not remember any of its depredations.  The signal varies for each Cyberwolf but is likely to trigger on some standard time interval. (Always at 2100 standard, Once a week at 0200, and so on.)

Rumors of them spreading their alterations via bite is just that--rumor. Although it stays persistent amongst Archive adventurers


Robots:

Dreadbots
A commonly found robot type, they look very much like a humanoid skeleton made of metal. Though it is hypothesized that  this is to spread fear, the machines are most likely simply mimicking their original creators in order to make use of technology designed for humanoid use. Dreadbots are usually armed with a Beam Rifle that is wired into their power source
and a wired in Beamblade (These devices require a Repair check DC15 to remove.)

Population Appearing: 2-24
Morale: None. Fight until destroyed.
Defense: 12 DR: 5
Attacks: 1
Strike Chance: +3
HP: 2d6 (10)
Experience: 10


Nanowraiths
Nanowraiths are advanced robots that are made up of thousands of microscopic machines that hover in a gas like form. Their exact purpose is unknown, but seems to have been one of maintenance or cleaning. They are usually found aboard Ancients ships, but are sometimes subverted by other artificial life and turned to a dangerous synthetic lifeform

Population Appearing: 1-6
Morale: None. Fight until Destroyed.
Defense: 15  DR: 5
Attacks: 2
Strike Chance: +5
HP: 5d6 (30)
Experience: 280

Nanowraiths attack by engulfing a foe in a tendril of mist like material and tearing them down on a molecular level. This attack  does 1d10 damage and is treated as if it had the Ignite attribute.

Nanowraiths are immune to physical and most energy attacks. They can't be harmed by bullets, beams, missiles or the like. They take half damage from explosions. They simply warp their structure around such attacks. They can be hurt by Flamers and plasma weapons, and of course effected by Ancient weapons of +2 or greater due to undetermined features of such devices.



Warbots:

Warbots come in a variety of shapes and forms each designed to inflict damage on the warbots enemies. They may be found throughout
formerly occupied Ancient sectors and are a terrible hazard for explorers

Population: 1-3
Morale: None fight until destroyed.
Defense: 18 DR: 8
Attacks: 3
Strike Chance: +8
HP: 11d6  (55)
Experience: 800

Special:
Warbots can have modified Defenses, DR, and attacks chosen from innumerable variations. The stats here are for a typical warbot found amongs the ruins. To change this simply raise the Defense, DR, Strike, or HP by 1d6, for each increas add 100 XP to its award, for any similar decrease reduce the XP awarded by 100 (minimum of 200)

Also choose a weapons package:

Assault Warbot
 2 Autofire Beam Guns 1d10+1 damage (Cannot be removed), 1 Medium Missile Launcher: 4d6 damage in 21'/7m radius
 

Containment Warbot
 2 Heavy Flamers, 1 Light Missile Launcher: Tranquilizer Gas Missiles  21'/7m Radius



 Infiltrator Warbot
 3 Beam Rifles, Invisibility  Field: +18 to Hide checks, Sabotage/Control systems as a 4th level Engineer.



Scout Warbot
2 Beam Rifles, 1 Needler (Tranquilizer Darts) Save vs DC 12 , Invisability Field: +8 to hide checks.


Support Warbot
3 Beam pistols, Repair other units (1d6 HP per round)

Androids

Rare and terrible, androids can pass for organic lifeforms without an advanced scan of their brain and central nervous system. They are created
to have synthetic but organic seeming organs. So well designed they even bleed, feel pain, and can fake emotion. Androids however, serve the sinister purposes of the robots, and answer only to their own desires and perhaps to distant AI Masters. Often Androids will manipulate organic life to aid them in their insidious plans.

Population: 1
Morale: 18
Defense: 15 DR: 5
Attacks: 3
Strike Chance: +6
HP: 10d6 (50)



I'm slowly building more and trying to balance them with playtests. Such as the Cavern Hunters (Bat-Bears), and the "Evolved" Anciencts.

How are defenses against non-physical attacks done in DD?

I would like more info about Augs - like do they mutate into more powerful leader versions or psychic empowered types or more bestial, almost shapechanging type?    

How intelligent are biomorphs?  Can they only shapechange into creatures?  How well do they mimic other creatures?  

Cyberwolves ROCK!!!   Fuck yeah!  I gotta say I love the detail of their description.  Makes my plot brain go vroom!

Hmm...Dreadbots.   Feels like Necrons or Rifts Skelebots and that makes sense as they are the sci-fi version of skeletons.   How about some twists and variants?

Oooh, Nanowraiths look wicked!  

BTW, if you have not done so, check out how Mazes & Minotaurs does their monsters.   They really nailed down a cool system for how to customize and easily create new foes.

Quote from: Spinachcat;292376How are defenses against non-physical attacks done in DD?

Typically a Save (Will) to defend. Most effects are physical, a few aren't. Considering this is an "old school" game, I'm not sure how much to worry about it. I'm thinking that I might simply make Mental Defense the same as Defense but replace Will for Dex, and Charisma for Damage Resistance.

QuoteI would like more info about Augs - like do they mutate into more powerful leader versions or psychic empowered types or more bestial, almost shapechanging type?    

At the moment they're pretty much the ORCS of the setting--degenerate and barbaric. I may have variants (I'm pretty sure of Protoaugs--Ogres..)

QuoteHow intelligent are biomorphs?  Can they only shapechange into creatures?  How well do they mimic other creatures?  

They do so physically perfectly. They can only act as they think the mimicked creature would act from observation, they've no ability to read minds, but that doesn't mean they can't act.

QuoteCyberwolves ROCK!!!   Fuck yeah!  I gotta say I love the detail of their description.  Makes my plot brain go vroom!

Very cool. I may have later improved models that CAN infect people with a bite (they have a nanite venom that rebuilds the person slowly...)

QuoteHmm...Dreadbots.   Feels like Necrons or Rifts Skelebots and that makes sense as they are the sci-fi version of skeletons.   How about some twists and variants?
Oooh, Nanowraiths look wicked!  

I probably will offer Dreadbot variants, I really like the idea of these fairly basic models that turn up in a lot of places, but of course there maybe Master Dreadbots (leaders), Giant Dreadbots, and the like. (Maybe Animal Dreadbots too.)

QuoteBTW, if you have not done so, check out how Mazes & Minotaurs does their monsters.   They really nailed down a cool system for how to customize and easily create new foes.

I've read M&M for inspiration, but I should look at its customization stuff again.
I will be adding a Sentience rating to the stats since intelligence is a factor I didn't consider. Thanks!

Quote from: Silverlion;292443Considering this is an "old school" game, I'm not sure how much to worry about it.

My gut says S&W or Microlite style ambiguity is good for free products, but I think M&M, MF or LL style rulesets are the minimum for a commercial product.   I see no problem with an "ambigious" core ruleset and then an Advanced / Optional Rule Chapter in the back of the book that gives people options to add more "crunch" to the game.   Then GMs can set their own rules depth based on their sense of "Old School" gaming.

Quote from: Silverlion;292443I will be adding a Sentience rating to the stats since intelligence is a factor I didn't consider. Thanks!

I liked the Intelligence rating of the AD&D MM where you got a sense of not just a number, but kind of IQ - Non, animal, low, etc.   In DD, your sentience scale should give the DM a sense of what level of tech the creatures could use.   AKA, can Augs fly space fighters?  Can they repair them or does their IQ limit them to only using tech?  Can some repair, but not build tech?  And with non-IQ creatures, do they react by instinct or predator cunning?

QuoteRipley: They cut the power.
Hudson: What do you mean, "*They* cut the power"? How could they cut the power, man? They're animals!  

Quote from: Spinachcat;292532My gut says S&W or Microlite style ambiguity is good for free products, but I think M&M, MF or LL style rulesets are the minimum for a commercial product.   I see no problem with an "ambigious" core ruleset and then an Advanced / Optional Rule Chapter in the back of the book that gives people options to add more "crunch" to the game.   Then GMs can set their own rules depth based on their sense of "Old School" gaming.

It is very hard to write a good ambiguous game that works. Without stumbling into it. So I suspect my efforts will be less ambiguous than most.

QuoteCan some repair, but not build tech?  And with non-IQ creatures, do they react by instinct or predator cunning?

Excellent, I'll probably use the same scale I use for PC's but call it sentience (I know its misused, maybe Sapience? Something like that.)

While I guess this is just a small sample of the complete nasties list, one thing did catch my attention, and I guess there's no harm in bringing it up with the intention of constructive criticism:

Most of these have rather high Hit Dice. I mean, even the weakest ones are 2d-something, and several go as high as 10-11 HD. Similarly, I can see a 5HD creature with a defense class of 25 (I guess B/C/AD&D equivalent of AC:-5, for me, that means an arch-devil or a powerful demon, not a 5HD Ogre Mage), and cyberwolves who have no stated HD, but seem to be on a similar level and they have 22 (AC:-2) - plus they all have damage reduction.

Now, the reason I bring this up is because you stated you want it the game to feel oldschool; but these statistics don't seem very traditional to me. What they remind me is the "power bloat" of D&D from 3rd edition onwards (well, unless you're basing this more on GW and MA than D&D): a 1HD AD&D creature becomes 2 or 3HD in WotCD&D and it gets more special abilities, simply because PCs have also become tougher. Then the next splatbook comes out, and PCs are made even tougher, because now they have to stand up against these "improved" new-edition versions of monsters. But then, of course, yet another splatbook comes out, and the monsters get yet another boost to give them a chance against players, etc. etc., and by 4E you have 1st level characters with 30 HP and an armour class lower than 2 million billion points is considered "crappy".

And speaking as a self-professed old-school D&D player, all this just doesn't feel old-school to me at all. If you ask me, a part of old-schoolness is the low levels of play and the consequential fragility which forces players to pllay smart. A 5th level (and consequently 5HD) PC is already considered "powerful", a 9th level one is a legend; and monster HDs reflect that, too. So, I find myself wondering where the 1/2HD space kobolds and goblins will be, and the 1HD space orcs, and the 2 or 3HD space hobgoblins and bugbears who already count as elite enemy troops.

Of course, like I said earlier, we've only seen a selection. It very well might be that the 1-2-3HD monsters are all in there, and that PCs are also power-scaled to reflect the sensibilities of BD&D; but I figured I should bring my concerns and thoughts into the light.

QuoteOf course, like I said earlier, we've only seen a selection. It very well might be that the 1-2-3HD monsters are all in there, and that PCs are also power-scaled to reflect the sensibilities of BD&D; but I figured I should bring my concerns and thoughts into the light.

No worries. I appreciate the feedback and yes these are a bit more powerful than most. Damage Reduction is something that isn't drawn from D&D's method, its pretty much something most characters get (It represents actual armor in the game.) While they may need to be reduced those numbers represent damage reduction for the ROUND from all sources. So two PC's with Beam Guns can do 1d8 each if they hit--and easy overcome a DR of 2.) I may need to make them easier to hit because of this however.

Quote from: Silverlion;307771I may need to make them easier to hit because of this however.

Easier to hit is always good.   Especially if foes have DR.   Nobody likes the whiff factor.   I'd rather the PCs face more enemies and hit more often than fewer foes who took forever to hit and kill.

Maybe you could help this by giving accuracy bonuses to some weapons.  AKA, maybe a Crimson Ray Gun gets +1 / 1D8 vs. a Electro-Blaster gets +2 / 1D4, etc.

BTW, have you seen the new monster book for Swords & Wizardry?   If not, it is worth a look.  Mythmere did a very good job packing adventure hooks into the descriptions.

Quote from: Spinachcat;309576Easier to hit is always good.   Especially if foes have DR.   Nobody likes the whiff factor.   I'd rather the PCs face more enemies and hit more often than fewer foes who took forever to hit and kill.

Maybe you could help this by giving accuracy bonuses to some weapons.  AKA, maybe a Crimson Ray Gun gets +1 / 1D8 vs. a Electro-Blaster gets +2 / 1D4, etc.

BTW, have you seen the new monster book for Swords & Wizardry?   If not, it is worth a look.  Mythmere did a very good job packing adventure hooks into the descriptions.

Cool. Got a link to it?

As to their accuracy, you may be right. However, I'm mostly going to make weapon use tied to level and skill. This is very much a shoot from the hip not so much "point, set sights, aim, fire."