Varlets and Vermin: Low-Level Monstrous Challenges

Abstract

Varlets and Vermin (Roger S. G. Sorolla, 2010) is a 52-monster supplement for Swords & Wizardry and compatible OSR systems. It addresses the sameness of low-level encounter rosters by grouping monsters into themed ecological zones. The book ends with two appendices: seven humanoid warrior cultures (archetypes with behavioral and tactical guidance), and ten encounter frameworks for making iconic high-level monsters survivable at low levels.

Stats are in S&W format. Ascending AC is given in brackets. The book uses a small set of house mechanics noted below.

System Notes

Attached/entangling creatures: Damage beyond what is needed to kill an attached creature, or any attack that misses by exactly 1, strikes the creature's victim instead.

Surprise notation: "Surprise on 1-3" = opponents only surprise this creature on a 6. "Surprise on 1-4 or higher" = cannot be surprised.

DEX/luck AC modifier: Some creatures have a bonus to AC and saves based on dexterity/luck. This bonus does not count as armor and is nullified if the creature cannot move, is unconscious, or is unaware of attackers.

Zone 1: At the Entrance

Outdoor and threshold monsters — things that hit you before you descend, or wait for you to return.

Monster	HD	AC [AAC]	Attack	Special
Doom Vultures	2	7 [12]	Beak 1d4	Always attack the most-wounded target in a group
Mithridatium Bush	3	8 [11]	None	Sleep pollen cloud (5ft radius, save vs poison or comatose 1hr); immune to blunt/piercing/missiles; fire consequences left to referee
Strangle Vines	2	7 [12]	3 whips 1d3	Hit on exact multiple of 4 = throat strangle 1d3/round; other hits = entangle (−2 to hit, +2 to be hit per entangle); immune to blunt/piercing/missiles
Razor Thorns	2	7 [12]	2 whips 1d3	+2 to hit unarmored; thorns detach and lodge in wounds (block healing of those HP until removed, 1 round/HP); immune to blunt/piercing/missiles
Trickster Beast	1d4 HP	4 [15]*	None	Minor illusions (sound+light, 60ft); can appear as small creature or man-sized pair; deceptive — may be hostile, teaming with ambushers, or genuinely helpful

* Includes +4 DEX/luck bonus.

Zone 2: Rat Variations

Modular — reskin to whatever animal fits your dungeon ecology.

Monster	HD	AC [AAC]	Attack	Special
Panzer Rats	1d4 HP	3 [16]	Bite 1d3	5% disease
Scaler Rats	1d4 HP	7 [12]	Bite 1d3	Surprise 1-4; 5% disease; climb walls/ceilings, drop jaw-first on passers
Miner Rats	1d4 HP	7 [12]	Claws 1d3+1	+2 to hit armored targets; surprise 1-4; move through earth at 3
Rat Swarm	2 (attacks as ½ HD)	9 [10]	Up to 4 attacks per person in area, 1 dmg each	Damage resistant (single weapon strikes = 1 point max); 2 attacks if on swarm border; disease 5% per attack cadence; rallies after route
Zombie Rats	2d4 HP (turned as 1 HD)	8 [11]	Claws 1d3	Undead; disease 15%; harder to notice as undead until close

Rat Swarm mechanics: Anyone inside the swarm's area takes 4 attacks/round; those on the border take 2. Single weapon strikes do maximum 1 damage per hit.

Zone 3: Oh Garbage Dump

Vermin and animated filth thriving on refuse piles.

Monster	HD	AC [AAC]	Attack	Special
Giant Botflies	1	6 [13]	Bite 1d2	20% chance to inject larvae on hit; larvae incubate 1d4+1 days then burst (2d6 immature flies, 1 HP each, 1 dmg per fly); only cure disease removes larvae; fire burns wings (AC 9[10], move 3)
Giant Pillbugs	1-1	4 [15]	Bite 1d3	When at ≥50% HP lost: rolls up (AC and saves +4, cannot attack, moves at 9 rolling to escape)
Chartreuse Crud	No stats	Special	—	Photophobic (flees dim light); random effect by d6: (1) confusion on touch; (2) corrodes any metal; (3) eats leather/wood/hair; (4) harmless but makes hands/feet slippery; (5) enters bloodstream, save/6hr or lose 1 HP; (6) roll twice. Destroyed only by a light spell cast directly on it
Scrap Golem	2 (10 HP)	7 [12]	Strike 1d6−1	Surprise 1-4 (natural disguise as refuse); half damage from piercing and fire; each damage roll 0-5 is a different component (rotten food, bone, splinter, brick, stone, rusty metal — some lodge in wounds blocking healing)
Translucent Worms	1d4 HP	9 [10], −4 in habitat	Bite/burrow 1d4	Translucent (surprise 1-4 in refuse/water habitat); flesh-burrowing on max damage (auto-hit every round until dead); splitting — any physical hit on a 2+ HP worm splits it into two worms; only 1 HP worms can be killed by physical strikes; fire/area effects work normally

Splitting mechanic: The "rear" half worm spends 1 round re-forming mouth parts then joins combat. Use fire or area effects, not individual weapon strikes.

Zone 4: The Underdim

Deep cave dwellers that have filtered up to shallower levels.

Monster	HD	AC [AAC]	Attack	Special
Saucer Fungi	Saucer 1+1, stalk 1	8 [11]	Saucer edge 1d4	Detaches cap and flings it (triggered at 90ft); saucer returns to stalk if it misses or hits for 1-2 dmg (stalk spends 1 round recharging); stalk destruction drops saucer permanently
Eye Droppers	1+1	8 [11]	Bite 1d6	Surprise 1-5; accumulates victim teeth and eyes as body parts; drops from ceiling (hit AC10 to adhere); once adhered attacks at +4
Meat Slugs	2	9 [10]	Bite 1d4	Sticky slime: max damage hit = weapon stuck (1 round to free); 60ft slime trail reduces movement to half (this round and next) for anyone who steps in it
Degenerates	1	8 [11]	Crude weapon 1d6	Appear human but dog-level intelligence; parrot human speech with no real comprehension; behavior mirrors party's attitude (cautious party → they attack; aggressive party → they cower; cooperative party → they agree while looking for opportunity to cannibalize)
Fire Moths	1	7 [12], −2 to melee	Fire 1d6 ram / 1d3 drip	Immune to fire; ram attack for 1d6 or drip flaming oil on target below for 1d3; attracted to open flames and oil fires

Zone 5: Three Feet of Water

Flooded corridors, underground pools, and murky channels.

Monster	HD	AC [AAC]	Attack	Special
Amphibious Jumping Tiger Shark	2	6 [13]	Bite 1d6+1	Leaps up to 30ft horizontal / 10ft vertical from land; from 10ft depth can make matching underwater launch jump; moves at 18 (swim) / 9 (land)
Greenhair	2+4	Hit automatically	Entangle	Cannot be harmed by any weapon except slashing melee (auto-hit); covers 5ft sq area, floats up to 10ft in deep water; per round in area: save or (1st fail) can't move, (2nd) forced to knees, (3rd) hands and knees, (4th) prone; head underwater = drowning; killing clump releases victim
Ice Nixie	1	6 [13]*	Ice dagger 1d4 melee; ice darts 1d3 (20ft increment)	Freeze water at 60ft range (1 cubic foot/round); uses ice for improvised weapons, structures, obstacles; charm person 1/day (cold version: target becomes indifferent to companions, acts only in self-interest; only nixie death or will releases it)
Spitting Striders	1	6 [13]	Bite 1d6; goo 1d4 (15ft range)	Walk on water (half speed in choppy water, climb to attack if harassed at range)
Torpor Remora	½	8 [11]	Bite (slowing, no damage)	Attacks footwear AC; attaches; victim saves/round vs slow spell (half speed); second different remora = paralysis; 1 save/hour to undo one step; numbing bite means victim may not notice it

* Ice Nixie includes +3 DEX/luck bonus.

Zone 6: Adversarial GM's Bullpen

Purpose-built annoyances and tricks.

Monster	HD	AC [AAC]	Attack	Special
Barrel Beast	1-3	9 [10]	1d6 kick	Hides in barrel (natural ambush); rears up and uses barrel as bludgeon on first attack (1d4 + overbear, save or knocked down); every other round squirts acid from knothole (1d6, 10ft range, save negates); all weapon damage except chopping reduced by 2; dies as inert mound at 0 HP
Hoard Serpent	1-3	4 [15]	Bite or tail as weapon	Formed from treasure heap (body = stacked coins, gem eyes); weapons from hoard as its attacks (dagger in jaw or sword-sized in tail); immune to normal fire and missiles; 1HD = copper coins, 2HD = silver, 3HD = gold; collapses into lootable treasure on death
Man of Wounds	= weapons stuck	9 [10]	As fighter = HD	Damage reversal: weapons that hit him stick and add their damage die to his HP and +1 to HD; only way to harm him (non-magic) is to grab and pull out weapons (bare-handed hit vs AC5[14], dealing that weapon's damage die and reducing HD by 1); runs out of weapons = enchantment breaks, falls at 0 HP
Insistent Shale	5-30 HP (by size)	Auto-hit with picks/blunt metal	—	Flat slab of petrifying stone; any bare flesh contact = save or turned to stone; organic material (wood, leather) also petrified by touch; when shattered: fragments attack all within 15ft as 4HD monster (hit = save at +2 or petrified)
Pemblings	½	3 [16]	Bite 1d4	Mindless; look like fist-sized dormant rocks until awakened; attack by leaping 10ft and biting; half damage from edged/pointed weapons; immune to normal fire

Zone 7: Pauper's Cemetery

Non-standard undead and graveyard oddities.

Monster	HD	AC [AAC]	Attack	Special
Skull Creeper	1d4 HP	7 [12]	Bite 1d3; strangle 1d6/round	Spider-like reanimated skull on hand-bones; first attack bites; second round crawls onto body (hits unarmored AC to mount); third round + = strangles for 1d6/round; 2 creepers = 1 skeleton for animate/turning; damage resistant
Dust of Ages	(2 HD undead)	—	Engulf → terror save; 1d6 choking/round if stays	Turned as 2 HD undead; 10×10ft cloud; first round engulf = save or flee 1d6 rounds; second round = save or inhale, 1d6 choke/round; weapons/spells useless unless affecting undead; consecrated water settles it temporarily
Cerement	2	8 [11]	Touch 1d3 WIS drain; envelop 1d6 WIS drain	Haunted grave wrappings; WIS to 2 = catatonic insanity; WIS to 0 = death by fright; WIS restores 1/day rest; immune to all but fire and slashing weapons
Fardarrig	1+1	5 [14]*	Thighbone shillelagh 1d4	Graveyard leprechaun; telekinesis on corpses within 30ft (1 whole body at a time); ventriloquism; animated corpses fight as zombie/skeleton but parts keep attacking after "death"; not undead — cannot be turned or harmed by holy means; can create endless undead stream from sufficient supply of bodies
Ghost Face	1	4 [15]	Noxious breath (5ft; save or lose CON; death at 0 CON; lasts 1 day); casts spells as 3rd-level wizard or evil cleric	Surprise 1-5; passes through stone and walls; only damaged by magic weapons, holy water, or spells; uses fade-into-walls ability to avoid turning/direct attack

* Fardarrig includes +3 DEX/luck bonus.

Zone 8: Poor Wizard's Almanack

Minor elementals and summoning accidents.

Monster	HD	AC [AAC]	Attack	Special
Elemental Nuisance: Air	1d4 HP	7 [12]	Whirling debris 1d2	As zephyr: snuffs torches, scatters scrolls; as tornado: 10ft radius 1d2 debris + knockdown for man-size and smaller; immune to non-magical/non-weapon damage; killed only by spells/magic weapons OR smothering with cloak (1d3) or rug (1d6)
Elemental Nuisance: Earth	1d6 HP	5 [14]	Trap (feet)	Scoops pit and clamps victim's feet (save or immobile); in stone: immune to all but blunt weapons; in earth: immune to all but sharp digging; all physical hits −2 damage unless pick/shovel; no attack, only traps
Elemental Nuisance: Fire	1d4 HP	6 [13]	Ignite 1d2/round	Rushes onto victim and ignites hair/clothing (1d2/round ongoing until smothered/doused); loves spellbooks; water damage (1d3 bottle, 1d6 bucket); cold magic and smothering work; nothing else does
Elemental Nuisance: Water	1d4 HP	7 [12]	Choke 1d6/round	Crawls on body/equipment 1-3 rounds (douses flames, ruins scrolls/spellbooks, rusts non-magic metal armor −1 AC/round); then goes for mouth (save or 1d6 choke/round); only hand-held weapons and impact effects do damage (1 point max per hit); non-magic metal weapons that hit it take permanent −1 damage
Demi-Real Monster	1 (grows)	As base monster	As base monster (max dmg = 2× HD while not fully real)	Created by partial summonings/ill illusions; gains HD by scoring damage (every 4 full points scored = +1 HD); once full HD = permanently real; killed before then = winks out of existence; may negotiate for a different path to full reality if aware of its condition

Appendix A: Humanoid Archetypes

Seven military cultures for any humanoid race — the secret to memorable humanoids is treat them as military cultures, not species. Stats aside, use these behavioral frameworks.

Rabble

Unruly mob. Size up enemies before engaging. Against stronger foes: fade back hurling missiles. Against weaker: surge into melee. Retreat at 25% casualties; flee/surrender at 50%. Home = large open space (space to spread out and flank with numbers).

Fanatics

Guard a sacred place. Close-order, disciplined. For every 5 fanatics, 50% chance of a level 1-3 cleric. Away from home: attempt one-way communication (convert or fight). At home: death before retreat. Pre-position tactical advantages and deadly traps. Retreat only at 50%+ casualties; defend sacred site to the death.

Warband

Martial honor code. Hierarchical by combat records. Leader: +2 HD; sub-leaders (1 per 5 members): +1 HD. Leaders get best armor but reject shields, missiles, and pole weapons (ignoble). 1-3 lowest-HP members = flunkies (no armor, sticks only, kept in back; may defect to party if band's order is collapsing). Leader challenges strongest-looking party member to single combat (loser serves winner). Any deviation from the code = band attacks without mercy. Never flee; retreat only grudgingly; surrender only if severely wounded, outnumbered, and opponents seem honorable.

Hunters

Capture-oriented. Armed with non-lethal weapons (ignore armor and shields, but not DEX bonuses): - Lasso: Ensnares random body part (1=neck, 2=body, 3-4=right arm, 5-6=left arm); cut with edged weapon on hit vs AC 9[10] - Net: Full ensnare; edged weapon cuts free in 1d4+1 rounds - Glue bomb: 10ft area; save or feet entangled 1d4+1 rounds - Choking smoke bomb: 20ft area; save or unable to attack 1d4+1 rounds

Also carry melee weapons for subduing or extreme circumstances. Set/monitor non-lethal traps near home (nets, tripwires, soft-floor pits). Retreat at 35% casualties; flee/surrender at 60%.

Lurkers

Killing from hiding as default. 50% chance of improvised hiding places away from home (surprise 1-4); 90% effective at home (surprise 1-5). +4 to hit unaware opponents. 90% effective at moving silently between hiding places. Prefer missiles (crossbow, bow, javelin, blowgun); melee only as last resort. Mastered trap-setting and poison application. Count as +1 HD for XP purposes.

Legions

Trained close-order unit. Three-rank formation: - Rank 1: Chain armor, shields, heavy one-handed weapons ± throwing weapons for pre-clash volley - Rank 2: Studded leather/scale, long spears/polearms (can attack together with rank 1) - Rank 3: Missile troops (fire from flanks or through opened ranks then fall back) - Mounted (if any): Far ends of line, outflank and rear-attack

Commander: +1 HD; communicates orders via drummer/trumpeter coded signals. Retreat at 50% casualties (commander death = 5 dead); flee at 75%. Adapts to narrow passages (as few as 2-abreast). Count as +1 HD for XP purposes.

Opportunists

Mixed-race criminal expedition band. Groups of 4-8 with at least 1 spellcaster (levels 1-3). Maximum HP on first HD + 1 to hit. May bring equal number of disposable hirelings and tamed underworld beasts. Strike from dark forest/cave at moonless night. Target treasure-bearing locations (taverns, temples, wealthy houses). Avoid non-magic metal armor (too loud); use poison, incendiaries, mineral-extract gas weapons, tools. Move slowly (constant mapping and trap-checking). Always parley-ready — fighting for wealth, not principle. Count as +1 HD for XP purposes.

Appendix B: Ten Tamed Titans

Frameworks for making high-level iconic monsters survivable at low levels without losing their character.

Standard limiting techniques (summary): juveniles with lower HD; wounded/disabled; intelligent (trick/riddle/negotiate); party gets allies; party gets nemesis weapons; tactical advantages (chains, pit, etc.)

Specific Encounter Frameworks

The Troll Cabinet: Dismembered troll in a metal cabinet (head in top, torso/arms in middle, legs/abdomen in lower). Each section is a separate combatant (head 1+1 HD, 30 XP, rolls at rate 3, bites 1d8; torso/arms 3+1 HD, 120 XP, moves at 6 by arms, 1d4 each at -4 to hit blind; legs/abdomen 2+1 HD, 60 XP, moves at 12, kicks 1d4 at -4). Each regenerates 1 HP/round. If sections can reach each other, they combine, pooling everything.

The Sleeping Dragon: Elder dragon asleep 6 hours/morning. Fed via ceiling vent. Every sound has cumulative 5% chance of waking it. Short window to loot the hoard before feeding time.

The Mimicking Golem: Copies every action of nearest person in its forward 90° arc (moving 2 feet per 1 foot target moves, mirroring turns). Puzzle: get it to perform a needed task (break wall, reach lever) by working within its mimicry rules.

The Contra-trice: Reverse cockatrice — bite turns stone to flesh instead of flesh to stone (1d3 damage + reverse-petrify). Prized by dungeon architects for construction and meat creation. 25% chance/day of reverting if not fed its special food.

The Worm Turns: Half-sized juvenile purple worm (7 HD, half damage, 600 XP) digging through a clay tunnel. Attacked from behind (surprise, tail at -4). Worm begins slow 10-round turning arc; once it closes the circle, moves at normal rate 9 and can outpace characters mired in castings. Kill before it can face forward = 50% XP only.

Shadow Cast: Magic turns PCs' own shadows against them. Each shadow only attacks its own caster. Positioned between two light sources = save or 1d6/round to the shadow. Complete darkness = shadows grow unstoppable or withdraw (referee's call).

The Diminished Giant: Giant shrunk by curse retains full HP but attacks as 1 HD and does normal weapon damage. Regains 1 HD per 2 full points of damage taken from iron/steel weapons in combat. Provokes a fight but won't attack first.

Stalker With Restraining Order: Invisible stalker tasked by a long-dead benevolent wizard to inconvenience (not harm) intruders — snuffs torches, wrests belongings, places barriers. Pacifist even if attacked. Pursues its non-lethal mission to the death.

The Hydra's Heads: Individual heads surgically removed and set as wall/statue guardians. Each head: 1 HD, attacks as 1 HD, 1d6 damage, 15 XP. Not vulnerable to missile fire if set correctly.

Thieving Harpies: Harpies armed with short swords and axes targeting gear, not flesh. Use weapons to cut straps and snatch backpacks/treasure sacks, or wrest ranged weapons away. Each flees at half HP.

Special Attack Taxonomy

Quick reference for what makes entries here stand out from generic stat blocks:

Mechanic	Entries
Persistent entangle	Strangle Vines, Razor Thorns, Greenhair, Torpor Remora, Hunters (net/lasso/glue bomb)
Launch/throw body part	Saucer Fungi (cap), Barrel Beast (barrel weapon)
Flesh-burrowing	Translucent Worms
Splitting on hit	Translucent Worms
Sticky slime	Meat Slugs
Damage reversal/absorption	Man of Wounds
Wisdom/sanity drain	Cerement (WIS), Ghost Face (CON)
Larvae injection	Giant Botflies
Form-from-treasure	Hoard Serpent
Petrification	Insistent Shale
Photophobia (creature avoids light)	Chartreuse Crud
Grows in power during fight	Man of Wounds, Demi-Real Monster
Animated corpse puppetry	Fardarrig

Practical Use

Zone stocking: Drop any section directly into an appropriately themed dungeon area. The groupings are already encounter-zone ready.
Re-skinning: The author explicitly notes most rat variants can be any burrowing/climbing animal; most humanoid archetypes need no specific race.
Humanoid faction tool: Appendix A archetypes give distinct behavioral identity without requiring new statblocks. Pair with any existing humanoid entry for instant faction differentiation.
Tamed titans for early campaign: Appendix B frameworks keep iconic monsters (troll, dragon, hydra, invisible stalker, purple worm) present and meaningful without being instant PC-killers.
Setting bias: Minimal. Zone names (Underdim, Poor Wizard's Almanack) suggest a light flavor layer easily transplanted to any dungeon ecology including sci-fi ruins or derelict space hulks.