D&D: Five Monsters Straight Out Of ‘White Dwarf’
Did you know White Dwarf and D&D go together more closely than you’d think? These monsters, straight from its annals, tell all!
White Dwarf can trace its routes back through gaming history. After Dragon+ quietly came to a close earlier this year, White Dwarf remains one of the few gaming and hobby magazines to survive since the 80s. Though, in deference to exclusively hobby ‘zines, we should mention Model Railroader because nothing stops those model trains, nothing.
But White Dwarf is still kicking. Now it’s the bastion of Games Workshop. But its humble origins were steeped in Dungeons & Dragons. Back in the days of early TSR, White Dwarf was once a beacon for fans of the hobby. Especially with its columns like ‘fiend factory’ or other features that introduced many a fan-favorite monster to the game. We’re looking at some of the more enduring monsters in D&D who began life in White Dwarf. It’d be strange to think of D&D without some of these.
Disenchanter
The Disenchanter might be one of the most feared monsters in D&D, not because it does a ton of damage, but because it eats magic items. Rust monsters will eat your plate mail, but the Disenchanter, which first appeared in White Dwarf #6, will eat your +1 sword, drink your healing potions, and whatever other hard-earned loot you have.
Githyanki
The Githyanki were famously created by Charles Stross of the Laundry Files fame. These psionic humanoids, introduced in White Dwarf #12, get their name from a George R.R. Martin story (which is a weird fantasy-sci-fi circle, but kind of beautiful), became astral pirates and raiders who rose up to overthrow a vast Mind Flayer empire and ride around on Red Dragons.
Nilbog
Nilbogs, the backward goblin pranksters that still exist in 5th Edition where they cause all manner of trouble, were first introduced in White Dwarf #6, along with the Disenchanter. They love to rhyme and cause problems for adventurers, as true then as it is now.
Berbalang
Berbalangs, first introduced in White Dwarf #11, are weirder ones. They create astral (now spectral) duplicates of themselves that rove out into the world, fighting on their behalf. These evil astral predators love to kill and then speak to the corpse to learn the things they knew in life.
Hook Horror
The Hook Horror is one of those bizarre but iconic monsters. If you’ve never fought one, consider yourself lucky–these monsters have been grappling and terrorizing adventurers since White Dwarf #12.
What’s your favorite monster out of a White Dwarf? Let us know in the comments!
