OSE Encounter Activities - Rhagodessa

“Always count the legs,” groans the Fighter, after showing off a scar the size of a Short Sword down his back.

I freely admit that I didn’t know what to make of the Rhagodessa when I first came across them in the Monster list all those years ago. They seemed like just another made up Monster to me, and as a very seldom seen word, I felt it must’ve just been something invented just for D&D. I couldn’t find any entry for it in the old Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia we had, so it wasn’t until years later that I realized it was a type of Solifuge.

Apparently, we have those in these parts (and every continent save Antarctica and Australia even), but I’ve never actually seen one in the chitin. They go by other neat and less tongue-twisting names like Wind Scorpions and Camel Spiders. Even though it's nearly as awkward to say: I'm pretty partial to Jerrymunglum. I’m sure I’d be just as fascinated by them as any bug that crossed my path. So, this is one Monster that went full circle from D&D mythos to reality for me.

They are bigger and more formidable than most of the Giant Spiders, so they can serve as a good stand in for those when you want something evocative, but a little larger. If you’re feeling especially devious, you could always call for a Saving Throw on bite, even though these critters aren’t venomous. The automatic damage on Grab mechanic is dangerous enough though.