The Ray Gun Robot Monster For Old D&D

Are things a little boring in your setting? Are the players killing all the badies? Maybe you need a little new technology! The Ray Gun Robot Monster is a creation of Jim Ward. I found this monster in Dungeoneer The Adventuresome Compendium Of Issues 1-6 1979 (which was the second printing of the Compendium), however I do believe its original publishing year would have been 1976 in the Dungeoneer Volume 1 Issue 3. The Ray Gun Robot is a nice little something to throw at OD&D players for a variety of reasons. First it is from that gaming era of OD&D and second they will not expect it! Most D&D folks are pretty grounded into a fantasy only setting but early D&D mixed in Sci-Fi elements, in essence Super Science is Magic in a D&D setting. As the DM keep in mind your players characters may have no frame of reference as to what a robot is... so as DM you should be creative in your description of this deadly beasty and avoid words such as Robot or Gun in describing it. Remember it is a programed to kill, kill and kill some more and does not make friends with anyone.

Original Stats:

No. Appearing...........1
Armor Class..............-2
Movement.................24
Hit Dice....................20
% in Lair..................Nil
Treasure...................Nil
Damage....Energy Ray 10D8 

(Note the oldest version of D&D used D6 for hit dice and damage so if you are using that system I suggest 14D6)

A Terminator from the Terminator series of films.

Original Description:
   This machine was set loose to roam battle fields of the far, far future, shooting down all living organisms.
   The violence and power of these future battles often caused dimensional rifts that make these and other futuristic battle machines appear in dungeons and areas where rifts are created by Wizards and Gods. The device is programmed to stay 90 ft. away from any given target, firing 3 shots at every one and then leaving. It is 95% magic resistant, with an atomic-power cell that allows it and its gun to fire until it is destroyed. This is the cover creature to Number 3. The Ray Gun Robot is a creation of Jim Ward, author of Metamophosis Alph, a new Sci-Fi role-playing game available from TSR.

(Note Jim Ward is James M. Ward and his game's name was misspelled, Metamorphosis Alpha is the correct spelling and James Ward is now the owner of his game.)

Original Art for the Ray Gun Robot

When I read the origin story of how such creatures might find their way to any fantasy D&D setting I could not help but think of Star Empire's Timeline in which the following is stated:

6,732 AD The War of Extermination was followed by the Period of Shame, during which the remaining forces of each side were automated and programmed to seek out and destroy life.

6,893 AD The 161 years of automated forces destroying life resulted in the total collapse of Galactic civilization and the advent of the Three Millenia Dark Age.

Another option of course is the D&D setting is the far, far future and the Ray Gun Robot is an ancient relic that was locked away in the rubble of some deep underground "magical" fortress of the ancients that the players manage to release upon themselves and their world or it is the result of a Space Ship crashing on the D&D world... something that seems to have happened more than a few times in the original play settings of old D&D. Keep in mind though the party's Wizard or a NPC Wizard could accidentally call this killer evil automated knight into the realm above ground or a mad God could just set it loose for fun... if conditions are right in a campaign it need not be found in a "dungeon" but instead accidentally summoned or purposely cast into play in any location.

As a side note if a "Rift" is used to get the Ray Gun Robot to your setting it is equally plausible for people and creatures to go through a "Rift" to the future battle field setting these monsters come from.  

As always have fun and keep on gaming!

Gort from the Movie The Day The Earth Stood Still circa 1951