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I am trying to recall the name of a creature I saw in an early d&d game, certain it was before 2e, but don't recall if it was in a core book or an adventure, or other supplement.
It was a humanoid with a mooselike head (snout, antlers). It had a spit attack (acid or poison I think), and possibly some charm type ability. I've looked at creature lists and some core books (Rules Cyclopedia, monstrous compendium), but haven't found it. It had a stat block page with a black and white picture of the head I think.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I love the fact that there are so many different moose monsters in D&D that it's hard to work out which one you're looking for. \$\endgroup\$
    – GMJoe
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 0:59

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Thanks to the other answers, I figured out the creature. It was an actaeon, a defender of woodland creatures from Mystara campaign setting. I misremembered its breath weapon: instead of acid, its breath weapon polymorphs foes into forest creatures.

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Reindeer head instead of moose, but maybe a Shatjan?

It has an ice-based breath weapon instead of acid, but no charm. This specific printing is from The Horde, a FR splat-book from 1990 (2e), but there may be earlier iterations I'm not familiar with.

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Could you be thinking of the Peryton? That has the form of a large bird of prey, with the head and antlers of a stag. Their shadow is that of a humanoid, which could cause confusion. However, the version in the AD&D1e Monster Manual does not have a spit attack.

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The only thing I could find that matches your description (in part) is a Wendigo.

These often are presented as a humanoid body with either Elk horns, or an Elk head & horns (or moose), but not always. The only stats I could find were from Pathfinder, and did not involve a spit attack from what I could see.

It was also in Fiend Folio for 3e but I found no stats (I do not have access to this book).

Although both of these are later than you recall seeing them, the Wendigo is from Native American mythology so it is not unlikely that it was included in some past editions. Though I can find no proof of this.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Pathfinder is seriously post 3.5 E, he did encounter the monster far before 3.5 was a dream in the head of its makers. \$\endgroup\$
    – Trish
    Commented Nov 6, 2017 at 18:04
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    \$\begingroup\$ True, which is why I mentioned that was the only place I founds stats. However the Wendigo is from Native American culture and may have appeared in earlier editions (It was in 3e for instance). I will adjust my answer \$\endgroup\$
    – Baergren
    Commented Nov 6, 2017 at 18:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ Some brief research indicates that the wendigo wasn't published in the AD&D era in hardcover, but it was published at least twice in Dragon Magazine. However, neither are moose- or elk-like. The March 1987 (page 51) wendigo is just a human who has tasted too much human flesh, and looks like a savage human. The Oct 1988 (page 32) Wendigo is described as a Unique being, and “Everyone who sees Wendigo sees him differently, since Wendigo’s form reflects a person’s deepest fears.” Notably, most First Nations traditions say wendigo are spirits or look human, so that might just be Pathfinder. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Commented Nov 6, 2017 at 19:35

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