Trophy Room: A strange person is examining old papers, art, and figurines. This seems familiar for some reason. (Jeff Easley, AD&D module C3: The Lost Island of Castanamir by Ken Rolston, TSR, 1984)
The baku of the Upper Outer Planes of Neutral are timid and peace-loving, but will fight fiercely against evil. They have elephant- (or tapir-) like heads, rhinoceros- and lion-like legs, and dragon-like torsos. Those who travel to the Prime Material Plane will live incognito among human communities as secret protectors. (Looks like a Jim Holloway illus, from AD&D Monster Manual II, TSR, 1983)
Send lawyers, guns, and money (Larry Elmore, the two covers of Polyhedron 4 featuring Top Secret, early 1982, the first issue to introduce the new name of the RPGA News zine)
Dave Arneson’s Dungeonmaster’s Index, published with Heritage Models, 1977, Gordon Davis cover art – No original content or specific rules here, this 38-page book consists entirely of indexes to find the monsters, spells, magic items, and tables scattered throughout TSR’s 3 original little D&D books, correction sheets, 5 supplements, Chainmail, and the first 7 issues of Strategic Review (precursor to The Dragon).
Bone devil from RPGA News (Polyhedron) 3, November 1981 – No signature visible; possibly sketched by Dave Trampier and completed by others, the way the the B1 cover was made. The bone devil’s wings were a source of debate for years since Trampier’s AD&D Monster Manual illustration shows wings, but the stats say no fly speed, it has the fly spell instead, and Sutherland’s “A Paladin in Hell” shows no wings. Most subsequent editions omitted the wings but they officially returned in 5e.
The vilstrak (aka ”marl mugger,” “tunnel thug”) is an underground dweller with a stony body, club-like fists on arms with an extra joint, and an ability to merge with solid rock or packed soil. It occupies an ecological niche similar to the umber hulk, but is smaller and has movement abilities like an earth elemental. Its stats only appear in the 1983 AD&D Monster Manual II, where it also can be found on the contents page tearing a book in half. TSR issued a vilstrak miniature in the mid-80s packaged with the rock reptile, but both creatures were rarely mentioned again in print. They did appear in the 1992 gold box video game Treasures of the Savage Frontier alongside a relatively large number of other monsters originally from the MMII. (Jim Holloway illustration, I presume)
Treasures of the Savage Frontier, 1992, with Clyde Caldwell box art also recreated in the game’s splash screen, one of the Gold Box AD&D games published by SSI and WizardWorks for Amiga and IMB compatibles (aka PCs), sequel to 1991′s Gateway to the Savage Frontier
The Thri-Kreen or “mantis warriors” are 6-limbed carnivores found in deserts and plains. They first appeared in the AD&D Monster Cards Set 2, 1982 (above), then were reprinted in the Monster Manual II in 1983. They first became a playable race in the Dark Sun campaign in the 1990s, and are most prominent on Athas though they are found in smaller numbers across many other worlds.
Many of the creatures in the 1983 AD&D Monster Manual II first appeared in adventure modules, a few debuted in the Monster Cards packs, and others were brand new. Some of the more memorable entries include the aboleth, behir, duergar, froghemoth, tarrasque, thri-kreen, and yuan ti – the latter two appear on the contents page reading their own book. (Jim Holloway illus)
“Ropers live in caverns preying on all types of creatures, but preferring humans. They are gray and cigar-shaped and look like a stalagmite when standing up and resemble a boulder when lying down.” (Erol Otus illustration from AD&D Monster Cards 2, TSR, 1982) Otus stays true to his own style in his illustration but also seems to be referencing the AD&D Monster Manual text: “This yellowish gray monster appears to be a mass of foul, festering corruption.” Most descriptions emphasize that ropers can change shapes, resembling stalagmites only when it fits the environment as camouflage. In that form they may resemble inverted piercers, but the two creatures weren’t related officially until 5th edition.