Barsoomian Races & Animals

The Wilderness Wandering Monsters tables in OD&D vol 3 The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures list a number of Barsoomian Races & Animals.  For instance, in the "Men" subtable, under the Desert (Mars) column:

These various Barsoomian races are described in Warriors of Mars, (pgs 41, 44):


Red Martians:

The red race is the most numerous upon Barsoom, and its members run the gamut from the most superb fighters to the most abject cowards.  It is this race which maintains most of the inhabited cities upon the planet, and, excluding the Green Martians, they account for perhaps 75% of the population.

Red Martians appear human, but are oviparous.  Their eggs incubate for 5 Martian years (almost 10 Earth years) after which their offspring hatch as fully-formed youngsters.


Green Martians (Tharks, Warhoons, et al):

These strange creatures are all nomadic, roaming about the dead sea bottoms of Barsoom.  There are many tribes of Green men, the largest being the Tharks, the fiercest the Warhoons.  Smaller tribes are not noted on the map.  They typically take their tribal name from the abandoned city which they have chosen to house their Jed or Jeddak.  Of all their warlike abilities, their marksmanship with the Radium Rifle is by far the most outstanding.  They are not prone to use their 40' lances against humans, except in large battles against many times their own number of Red men for example.  They do, however, employ them extensively against other Green peoples.  The sword is undoubtedly their favorite weapon!  There are perhaps two million Green tribesmen on Barsoom, with a total population of perhaps five million when females and children are considered.

Green Martians are 15' tall, with six limbs (4 arms and 2 legs, although the lower set of arms can also be used as legs).  They are likewise oviparous.

Note:  The "Sand Folk" described in Blackmoor module DA3: City of the Gods (1987) appear to be modeled after Green Martians, although with some differences.


White Martians (Orovarians, Therns):

This category includes the almost extinct Orovarians who have blond or auburn hair and the bald Therns who wear yellow wigs.  Although the latter are somewhat ignoble, both types are among the staunchest of fighters.  They regard all races as beneath them, although they are somewhat in awe of the First Born.  All Therns are not of equal ability, the best of the type being awarded the title of Holy Therns.  These latter constitute perhaps a third of the type.  The white race comprises perhaps 10% of the Barsoomian population, with the Orovarians having only about 3%.  Orovars are found only in lost cities; Therns inhabit the Valley Dor at the South Pole and some colonies within Red Martian cities.

The Holy Therns are the major villains of the first Mars trilogy.  In an OD&D campaign, I would give them psionic abilities.


Black Martians:

The black race is perhaps the single finest type upon all Barsoom, for its members are above average in both height and musculature.  They are handsome in appearance and brave beyond compare.  Furthermore, their bravery is matched by their fighting ability.  They claim to be the "First Born" of all Barsoomian humans, and this is what they call themselves.  Others, however, know them as the Black Pirates because of their propensity for raiding and plundering.  They comprise about 5% of the population.  The Black Martians inhabit the underground world of Omean and the "Rift" in the northern part of the Western Hemisphere.

Introduced in the second Mars novel "The Gods of Mars" as the enemies of the Therns, the Black Pirates of Barsoom are portrayed as a valiant race.


Yellow Martians (Okarians):

These sturdy, black-bearded men are known as Okarians.  They live in domed cities scattered about the northern polar region.  As a race they are exceptionally capable fighters.  Their chief weapons are the javelin, the long sword, the "cup shield", and hook sword.  Any fighter engaging an Okarian with sword, hook sword, and cup shield would not violate the Barsoomian Code if he were to counter with long sword and short sword.  The Yellow men comprise about 10% of the total population.

Introduced in the third Mars novel "The Warlord of Mars" as a legendary, polar-dwelling race.


In the "Optional Arid Plains" subtable, we find 8 Barsoomian creatures listed:

Descriptions for many of these creatures are lacking in "Warriors of Mars", but may be found in the excellent "A Guide to Barsoom" by John Flint Roy, published in 1976 (and referred to continuously throughout the making of the film "John Carter" (2012).


Apt:

A white-furred beast of the northern polar regions.  Its head is like that of a hippopotamus - large, and with a tremendous mouth, but with a pair of horns growing downward from the lower jaw.  The eyes are large, reaching from the top of the head down to the lower jaw, and are made up of several thousand ocelli each.  Each ocellus has its own lid, and the apt has independent control of as many as he wishes - a few for use in bright sunlight and snow, or many for the dark caves which are its home.  It has a pair of arms extending forward from the shoulders.  These terminate in hands with which it seizes its prey.  The apt stands six to eight feet at the shoulder, and its fur is highly prized for garments and throws.  At one time, the Okarians considered the apts sacred and forbade hunting and killing them.

excerpt from "A Guide to Barsoom" (1976)

A six-limbed arctic creature, apts only sleep 1 day a month.

Banth:

The lion of Barsoom.  A savage beast of prey roams the dead sea bottoms.  It is almost entirely hairless, having only a tawny mane about its neck.  Its hide is yellow and it has a powerful tail.  Its long, lithe body is supported by ten powerful legs; its enormous jaws are equipped with several rows of long, needle-like fangs; its mouth reaches to a point far back of its tiny ears; and its enormous protruding eyes of green add the last touch of terror to its awful aspect.  Banths roam singly or in packs.  They have a low, moaning cry when hunting, and a terrifying roar for paralyzing their victims.

excerpt from "A Guide to Barsoom" (1976)

Calot:

The Barsoomian dog.  About the size of a Shetland pony, with a head somewhat like a frog's, and ten short legs.  Its jaws are equipped with three rows of long, sharp tusks.  Faster than an Earthly greyhound, it is the fleetest animal on Barsoom.  Highly intelligent, it is loyal to its master, a ferocious fighter, and has tremendous endurance.  It is omnivorous, although mainly a meat-eater.  Domesticated by the green men, it is used as an individual watchdog or in packs to guard the herds and camps.

excerpt from "A Guide to Barsoom" (1976)

Darseen:

A chameleon-like reptile, inasmuch as it can change color at will.  No further information is available concerning this creature.

excerpt from "A Guide to Barsoom" (1976)

Gygax added some details in "Warriors of Mars", stating:

This is a generic name for Martian reptiles.  There are small darseen, little chameleon-like lizards, and great reptiles capable of severing the head from a man in one bite.  It is these latter sort which are considered in the rules.  The largest mentioned is the monstrous albino lizard beneath Kadabra.  The tables consider darseen to be about half again as big as a monitor lizard, and if larger ones are encountered it should be adjusted accordingly.

Orluk:

A fur-bearing animal of the polar regions, and one highly prized for its magnificent  black-and-yellow-striped coat.  We are given little information about this creature, except that it is an "elephantine beast of prey".

excerpt from "A Guide to Barsoom" (1976)

Another arctic creature, Gygax states:

We are taking a few liberties with this monster, for ERB never really described the Orluk, other thans to say it was a black and yellow striped arctic-dwelling carnivore.  It is weasel-like in appearance, being about the size of a jaguar.  The orluk has four legs, great fangs and a lust for blood like the little Jasoomian animal it resembles in form.  Although it has a keen sense of smell, it has rather weak eyes or else it would be far more deadly than it is.

Sith:

An almost-extinct giant insect found in the Kaolian Forest.  It resembles a bald-faced hornet about the size of an ox.  It has powerful jaws, a mighty, poison-laden stinger, myriad-facet eyes covering three-quarters of its face, and it can move with lightning-like speed in any direction.  Its venom has certain commercial uses and is the best weapon against the sith itself.

excerpt from "A Guide to Barsoom" (1976)

Thoat:

The Barsoomian steed.  The giant thoat used by the green men "towered ten feet at the shoulder; had four legs on either side; a broad flat tail, larger at the tip than at the root, and which it held straight out behind while running; a gaping mouth, which split its head from its snout to its long, massive neck...it was entirely devoid of hair, but was of a dark slate color and exceeding smooth and glossy.  Its belly was white, and its legs shaded from the slate of its shoulders and hips to a vivid yellow at the feet.  The feet themselves were heavily padded and nailless".  The thoat can live almost indefinitely without water, getting sufficient moisture from the moss that covers so much of the surface of Barsoom - and is also its main source of food.  The rider guides his mount by telepathic means, using neither bridle nor reins.  A form of saddle is employed, sometimes with elaborate trappings and blankets.

excerpt from "A Guide to Barsoom" (1976)

White Ape:

A colossal, ape-like creature, white and hairless except for an enormous shock of bristly fur upon its head.  It stands from ten to fifteen feet in height, has an intermediary set of limbs (arms) midway between its upper and lower limbs.  The eyes are close together and non-protruding; the snout and teeth are much like that of an African gorilla.  The white apes are tribal by nature; they have a spoken language; they carry clubs; and some even wear strips of hide in imitation of the harness of the green men.  Their homes are the deserted cities scattered across the planet.

 excerpt from "A Guide to Barsoom" (1976)

In terms of developing statistics for Barsoomian creatures, Nathan Mahney used movement rates from "Warriors of Mars" and extrapolated Hit Dice in this post on his blog.

"Monster File Number One" (Dragon Tree Press, 1981), provided stats for Plant Men, Calot, Banth, Thark, Ulsio (the Martian Giant Rat), Apt, Orluk, and Martian Ape, (according to Finarvyn in this post on the OD&D Discussion boards).

There is a fan-made OD&D supplement, "Warriors of Mars" inspired by Gygax & Blume's rules, as well as an addendum "Adventures on Mars" (reviewed on Swords & Stitchery in 2012, here).