6 min read


The magic lies within.

Context

Here’s a brief bestiary for the 1988 Willow fantasy/adventure movie.

It describes and stats out the five fantastic creatures encountered by Willow Ufgood and his companions.

Milieu

Willow’s world is your generic fantasy land.

Tech level is Medieval Europe with castles and knights in armor. Horse and carriage is the best form of transportation. Kingdoms are separated by huge expanses of forest or mountains.

There is also magic. Magical creatures and sorcerers gifted to harness this power.

Still, magic wielders are few. You must be born with a natural talent for it.

The animal and plant life are the same as our Earth but fantastic creatures are added to the mix. The ones featured in the film are presented in this article.

DC Heroes RPG

Death dog

A 180 points Character.

Dex: 03 Str: 02 Bod: 02
Int: 00 Wil: 01 Min: 02
Inf: 01 Aur: 00 Spi: 02
Init: 004 HP: 000

Powers:

Analytical Smell/Tracking Scent: 06, Claws: 03, Cold Immunity: 01, Directional Hearing: 04, Extended Hearing: 03, Running: 04, Shrinking: 01, Super Hearing: 03, Ultra Vision: 03

Bonuses and limitations:

Shrinking is always on and already factored in (-1 FC).

Motivation:

Survival.

Occupation:

Predator.

Wealth:

000

Background:

Death dogs have qualities of both dogs and rats.

They have a great wooly coat for harsh winter climates.

They track their prey by scent and have oversized canines for rending their victims apart.

Bavmorda used them to hunt prey and as war dogs.

Willow (1988 movie) death dog charging 1

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Willow (1988 movie) death dog baying

Brownie

A 102 points Character (without equipment).

Dex: 04 Str: -06 Bod: 01
Int: 02 Wil: 02 Min: 02
Inf: 02 Aur: 02 Spi: 02
Init: 008 HP: 000

Powers:

Shrinking: 06

Bonuses and limitations:

  • Shrinking is always on and already factored in (-1 FC).
  • Shrinking – weight, and Str reduced by APs of Shrinking (-2 FC).

Skills:

Animal Handling (Eagles): 03

Motivation:

Various good.

Occupation:

Servants of Cherlindrea.

Wealth:

000

Equipment:

Their weapons are too small to do any real damage to normal-sized targets. But working together they can harry an individual driving them where they want to go. For simplicity their team attacks could be given a flat EV 01, Bashing damage of course. Their captives will be judged by Cherlindrea herself.

  • Bow [BODY 02, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 03), Enhance (Range): 02 (cap is 04), Miniaturization: 06, Ammo: 01, Recommended STR: 02, R#03, Limitation: Low Penetration, Descriptor: Piercing] (X10 arrows in quiver).
  • Broadsword [BODY 04, Enhance (EV): 02 (cap is 06), Descriptor: Slashing, piercing, Miniaturization: 06].
  • Rat hide armor [BODY 02, Miniaturization: 06, Blunting: 01, Damage capacity: 02, Enhance (Cold RV): 01 (cap is 05), Enhance (Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing RV): 01 (cap is 06), Lightning immunity: 01, Stealth Penalty 2/1, Bonuses & Limitations: Damage Capacity has the Full Recovery With Infrastructure Bonus. Partial coverage.

Use standard eagle stats for their eagle mounts.

Background:

Brownies like Fairies serve Cherlindrea. They may be a bit daft but together they can accomplish a lot. Like digging a very deep pit to trap intruders.

These diminutive humanoids use the same weapons as humans but tiny-sized to suit them. Their leather armor is made from rat skins. They can tame and ride eagles to use as mounts.

Brownie’s may have the Jumping power as well. In the scene with the cat, Rool leaps from the floor to the top of a table. However, it’s left off as this is a joke. A cartoon-like exaggerated leap away from the threatening cat.

Willow (1988 movie) brownies bow ambush

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Willow (1988 movie) brownies two idiots

Fairy

A 122 points Character (without equipment).

Dex: 03 Str: -06 Bod: 01
Int: 02 Wil: 02 Min: 02
Inf: 02 Aur: 02 Spi: 02
Init: 007 HP: 000

Powers:

Flash: 01, Flight: 05, Shrinking: 06

Bonuses and limitations:

  • Flash is steady illumination from their bodies.
  • Flight is Winged (-1 FC).
  • Shrinking is always on and already factored in (-1 FC).
  • Shrinking – weight, and Str reduced by APs of Shrinking (-2 FC).

Motivation:

Various good.

Occupation:

Servants of Cherlindrea.

Wealth:

000

Equipment:

Bag of Dust of broken hearts [BODY 01, Broadcast Empath: 10, Bonuses and Limitations: Broadcast Empath may only Bliss and love (-1 FC) and has Range: touch (-1 FC). Causes the target to feel blissful until they see someone they could be attracted to. Then bliss turns to love. Cost: 36]

Background:

Nelwyn children are told fairies will put you to sleep for a hundred years.

Willow (1988 movie) fairy

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Willow (1988 movie) fairies glowing

Troll

A 149 points Character.

Dex: 03 Str: 03 Bod: 03
Int: 01 Wil: 01 Min: 02
Inf: 01 Aur: 01 Spi: 01
Init: 005 HP: 000

Powers:

Cling: 03, Cold Immunity: 02

Skills:

Acrobatics (Climbing): 08

Motivation:

Survival.

Occupation:

Predator.

Wealth:

000

Background:

Trolls are short humanoids with coarse black or brown hair covering their bodies. Very animalistic and violent. Nelwyn children are told Trolls will skin you alive.

Willow (1988 movie) troll battle

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Willow (1988 movie) closeup hairy

Two-headed Dragon – “Eborsisk”

A 426 points Character.

Dex: 03 Str: 08 Bod: 08
Int: 01 Wil: 01 Min: 01
Inf: 01 Aur: 00 Spi: 01
Init: 005 HP: 000

Powers:

Claws: 08, Extra-Limbs (X4): 06, Flame Project: 05, Growth: 07

Bonuses and limitations:

Growth is always on and already factored in (-1 FC).

Motivation:

Survival.

Occupation:

Carnivore.

Wealth:

000

Background:

The 30′ (9 metres), two-headed, fire-breathing dragon at Tir Asleen was created by Willow’s use of Cherlindrea’s wand on a troll.

It attacked until killed.

Design notes:

The name “Eborsisk”, was a reference to the movie critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.

Extra-limbs represents its six tiny legs along its body. They are never revealed in the film but can be seen in behind the scenes footage and in the vintage toy.

Ron Howard couldn’t find a part for his brother Clint in this film. Instead, he modeled the dragon after him.

Willow (1988 movie) Eborsisk two-headed dragon

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Willow (1988 movie) Eborsisk two-headed dragon breathing fire castle battle

Writeups.org writer avatar Ethan Roe

By Ethan Roe.

Source of Character: The 1988 film Willow.

Helper(s): Pawsplay.

Writeup completed on the 30th of December, 2020.