The Cat-Wyrm Tatzelwurm
A noxious column on using folklore in tabletop RPGs
If you’ve ever thought to yourself that not enough monsters are part-cat, part-dragon, it turns out that the Alps have you covered.
For hundreds of years, locals and mountaineers have been menaced by this poisonous creature—perhaps it’s time your players were as well?
Tatzelwurm
Of the order of wingless dragons, this feline serpent doesn’t have quite the awe-inspiring size of its more famous counterparts. Rather, it is typically described as resembling a ‘stubby lizard’, usually with a cat head, and measuring 1 to 7 feet in length. Don’t underestimate it for its size, however, as its poisonous breath induces nausea at best and kills at worst. The tatzelwurm also has a piercing gaze and is capable of emitting ear-splitting shrieks1 (although any cat owners could have told you that).
The name tatzelwurm comes from the German Tatze (“paw, claw”) and Wurm (“worm”). Since this wyrm can be found across the Alps, it is known by many different names, including stollenwurm in Switzerland, sergstutz in Austria, and arassas in France. Each creature has a slightly different description, often larger or smaller, with more or less pronounced feline features.
Tales of the Tatzelwurm
Stories about the tatzelwurm and its ilk go back centuries, entering records around the 17th century. In the 1600s, a 7-foot long ‘cat-headed serpent’ with no legs and a black-grey body menaced locals. This tatzelwurm suckled on the udders of cows, sucking them dry (I guess no one told it that cats are lactose intolerant). Another man encountered a cat-faced ‘mountain dragon’ that was as tall as a man when rearing up, boar-like bristles running along its back. An illustration of this scene gives us our delightful banner image up top.
The tatzelwurm was also a popular topic in many 19th-century almanacs and guides to the Alpine regions, due to the extensive anecdotal discussion of its existence2. Some even still believe it really exists, classifying it as a cryptid. Of course, there’s no actual physical evidence to support the existence of cat dragons except for a hoax photo3, but nonetheless (I want to believe).
There are numerous legends of dragons from across the Alpine countries that we can take inspiration from for our tatzelwurm too. As an example, we can look to the Swiss legend of Heinrich von Winkelried4, a criminal who accepted the duty of dragon-slayer in exchange for a pardon for manslaughter. Using a barbed spear he actually did manage to slay the beast, but it was a short-lived victory. He raised his sword above his head in triumph, thanked God, and promptly died from the creature’s poisonous blood dripping onto him. Oops.
Using Tatzelwurms in Your Game
The tatzelwurm has a number of potential uses in your game, both as a monster and as an idea. Here’s just a few!
'Lesser’ Dragon
The tatzelwurm occupies an interesting space as a creature that can function as a ‘lesser dragon’. Your average game of D&D often has fewer appearances of one of its two main nouns than you might think, but is having low-level parties fight baby dragons the solution? To preserve the mystique of ‘true’ dragons, creatures like the tatzelwurm allow you to have draconic encounters without needing to power down an actual dragon to prevent a quick TPK.
Scooby Doo
The tatzelwurm is a popular Alps tale, speaking to mysterious animal encounters and explaining what might have knocked free rocks nearby as you travel. So, why not lean into it? Especially in a period game like Call of Cthulhu or Vaesen, a villainous character might use stories of the tatzelwurm to their advantage. They might have a secret mining operation they need people to steer clear off, or perhaps they poisoned someone and managed to direct blame at a mythical creature. Either way, only a team of intrepid investigators can stop them from getting away with their lies. Plus, if you like some dramatic irony, the PCs can always accidentally chase the fleeing villain straight into a tatzelwurm’s cave.
Familiar
If feline familiars are a witchy classic, I’d be remiss not to posit the tatzelwurm as a punk alternative. Diminutive tatzelwurms, either from age or breeding, are a growing attraction in the occult underground after all. You have to pay through the nose for one, of course, but your part-cat part-serpent will make you the centre of attention at your next Witches' Sabbath. Just be careful it doesn’t start leaking its poison breath, that’s a sure mood killer.
Tatzelwurm Statistics (Old-School)
Armor Class: 3 [16]
Hit Dice: 5** (22 hp)
Attacks: [2 × claw (1d4), 1 × bite (1d8)] or 1 x breath (poison)
THAC0: 15 [+4]
Move: 120’ (40’)
Save As: Fighter 5
Morale: 8▶ Poison Immunity: Immune to most poisons.
▶ Poison Breath: Once per hour, may breathe a 20’ cloud of poison gas directly in front. All in the cloud must save versus poison or be overcoming with headaches and dizziness for 1 turn: no physical activity possible except half speed movement. Cloud disperses after 1d3 rounds.
▶ Poison Blood: Skin contact causes death (save vs poison).
▶ Pounce: Lies in wait to pounce on unsuspecting passers-by.This description is for a human-sized tatzelwurm. Smaller wurms have reduced HD and a less virulent poison, while larger wurms have increased HD and can let out an ear-splitting scream that causes temporary immobility (save vs paralysis). These more powerful tatzelwurm are said to have the shrewd cunning of true dragons.
And that’s it for the tatzelwurm!
Thanks for reading; next week we’ll be turning from serpentine felines to shape-shifting canines. I’ve got a special plan for subscribers to celebrate three months of Mythoi too, so stay tuned for that!
Penny for your thoughts: Have you ever run or played in an adventure set in the Alps? Alternatively, what’s the most monstrous cat-based creature you’ve encountered?
~ A.C. Luke
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Lecouteux, Claude. 2016. Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic. Inner Traditions: Rochester.
Cohen, Daniel. 1982. The Encyclopedia of Monsters. Fraser Stewart Book Wholesale Ltd: Hertfordshire.
Clark, Jerome, and Coleman, Loren. 1999. Cryptozoology A To Z. Simon & Schuster: New York.
Flight, Tim. “St. George and Beyond: 12 Dragon-Slayers from Around the World”. History Collection. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
This blog is amazing.
You had me at "cat-dragon." Very intriguing, as always! Thanks for sharing!