Over at The Other Side, Tim is having a little contest. Go here to read about it. While you're there, make sure you check out the preview of his book The Witch (for Basic era games). I thought his contest was not only a cool idea, but the notion of cross-trafficking that bloghop with his own Monstrous Monday bloghop was pretty novel. I decided to take that novelty a step further and enter his contest along with bringing you a brand new monster that fits the concept and the season. And yes, this one totally violates Wheaton's law, or so my players will say. I am indeed a fan of Tucker's kobolds, just so you know. Hey, they get multiple saves before they die...
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monstrous Monday Post Roundup on Hit Adjacent Ally
I've posted a lot of monsters over the past month (and there's more to come since this has been so good for me creatively). Here is a link roundup to all the posts on this blog.
THE MONSTERS OF HIT ADJACENT ALLY SO FAR
Monstrous Monday: 3 New Monsters
In addition to the monsters I've posted throughout the month, I wanted to finish strong, so I've given you all three more monsters today. However, I have many more ideas, and at least seven more write-ups. Expect them to keep coming indefinitely for a while.
Chameleon-Men
of the Jungles of Gath
Hit
Dice: 2
Armor
Class: 12
Attacks:
`1 weapon (1d6 + weapon modifier) or psychic disorientation
Saving
Throw: 16
Special:
Psychic disorientation, hide in shadows (jungle only) 95%
Movement:
9
CL/XP:
3/60
The
chameleon-men of the Jungles of Gath are savage and vicious men,
appearing much as any human being, but with distinctive gray skin
that, when in the midst of jungle foliage, mottles and blends into
the background, much like an actual chameleon.
Chameleon-men
have the ability to psychically disorient their foes. They can focus
this ability on one target each round, and the victim must make a
successful saving throw or be afflicted by a loss of balance,
equilibrium, and direction (gaining the sickened condition for 1d4
rounds). A target may only be affected by this disorientation again
if the effect has expired. Otherwise, chameleon-men may attempt to
disorient a foe as many times as they wish if they are not
successful.
Swarmonids
of the Fell Pass
Hit
Dice: 2
Armor
Class: 12
Attacks:
`1 swarm (2d4 + distraction)
Saving
Throw: 16
Special:
Distraction, ½ damage from slashing/piercing weapons, automatic
damage, cannot be flanked
Movement:
9
CL/XP:
4/120
Lurking
in the Fell Pass, the only easy way into and out of the City of
Sages, Taltun, are the swarmonids. They are permitted to waylay
those travelers as they see fit, so long as they do not attack those
in the employ of the Sages, or those on official business to the
city. Anyone not flying a banner of the city is at risk when
traveling through the pass.
The
swarmonids are small, 2 ½ to 3 feet tall at most, and they attack in
rabid swarms – sometimes with bare hands, sometimes with tiny
weapons. They are treated as a swarm in every case, as they are
never encountered in groups of less than twenty. They resemble small
green men with black hair and pointed ears.
A
swarm must move into an opponent's space to attack them, but it deals
automatic damage without need for an attack roll. When a swarm
damages an opponent, they are distracted unless they make a
successful saving throw. If the save is failed, a character is
considered nauseated and suffers a -1 to all attacks, damage, saving
throws, and ability checks for 1 round from the distraction. A swarm
cannot be flanked or backstabbed, and it suffers only half damage
from slashing and piercing weapons.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Monstrous Monday: Black Hornet of the Green Moon
This one's going to be a real pain-in-the-you-know-what for the PCs. Let's hope they never find a way to make it to the green moon they see in the night sky. However, they seem to always find a way into certain death...
BLACK HORNET OF THE GREEN MOON
Hit Dice: 2
Armor Class: 13
Attacks: 1 bite (1d3) or 1 sting (1d6 + poison)
Saving Throw: 16
Special: Poisonous sting, attach
Movement: 4, Fly 16
Challenge Level/XP: 4/170
On the green moon of Negalu, even insects take on a life-threatening and sinister aspect. The black hornets of the Green Moon make their nests in the tree-tops of the Negalan jungles, spending the majority of their time foraging for food and growing their nests. Since it never winters on the moon due to its proximity to the sun, black hornets are always active. They are notoriously hostile, often attacking for no larger reason than their victim crossed into their flight path. They are nearly three feet long, and incredibly fast when flying. Even the warlike Negalu-Men fear them, for their sting often means agonizing death.
Black hornets will always attack with their bite first. On a successful attack they deal 1d3 points of damage and automatically attach to their victim, dealing instant sting damage. The victim of the bite is considered grappled, with all relevant modifiers applied, and removing the hornet is resolved with a grappling contest. As long as the hornet is attached, it may deal automatic sting damage each round. Black hornets may use their poison in combat every 1d4 rounds, a roll of 1 indicating the very next round. Victims of the sting will take 1d6 points of damage and must make a successful saving throw or suffer the effects of a particularly virulent poison. It has an onset time of 1d4 minutes, after which the victim will sustain 1d6 points of damage for 1d4 rounds. A sting from an attached hornet will always do 1d6 points of damage, whether it can use its poison in that round or not.
Quick Note: My monsters will make use of my house rules. Most often referred to will be Conditions, which I converted to S&W from Pathfinder, and put out Condition Cards for you in the blogosphere to have a look at (see link in the right bar). Also, very few spells will match their standard counterparts in S&W as far as names go - for instance, curse of chaos and disorder is confusion. I just like how it sounds better. Plus, it makes use of conditions - so substitute in your own stuff if you feel like it. All the artwork above is "found art" on the internet, so if it winds up being owned by you and you don't like it being here, just say so and I'll take it down. These are pictures that inspired me, and they're used out of respect. No infringement intended.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
My Current Appendix N
Every once in a while I catch a post from the blogosphere referring to their own personal Appendix N, which in turn influences their game world. Well, time for me to join the ranks. What follows is a list of selections that have informed my game world(s) in the past two years - as I uncover more, I'll give a shout. This is just a few that really stand out.
Tales of Mars (SFBC novel anthology) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
Owls Hoot in the Daytime (Anthology) - Manly Wade Wellman
The Sword of Rhiannon - Leigh Brackett
Brak: When the Idols Walked - John Jakes
Tarnsman of Gor - John Norman
Ringworld - Larry Niven
Ringworld's Children - Larry Niven
Gather Darkness - Fritz Leiber
Fragment - Warren Fahy
Mister B. Gone - Clive Barker
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Redbeard - Michael Resnick
The Book of Ptath - A. E. Van Vogt
Conan the Savage - Leonard Carpenter
Dwellers in the Mirage - A. Merritt
Ursus of Ultima Thule - Avram Davidson
Wizard by Trade (Novel Anthology) - Jim Butcher
World War Z - Max Brooks
Johannes Cabal The Necromancer - Jonathan L. Howard
Shadow Kingdoms (Anthology) - Robert E. Howard
Elak of Atlantis - Henry Kuttner
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Best of Weird Tales 1923 - Ed. Kate and Betancourt
Best of Weird Tales - Ed. Betancourt
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Lovecraft Unbound (Anthology) - Ed. Ellen Datlow
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos - H.P. Lovecraft and Others
Ancient Sorceries and Other Weird Stories - Algernon Blackwood
The Return of the Sorcerer (Anthology) - Clark Ashton Smith
Out of the Silent Plant - C.S. Lewis
Hell's Angels - Hunter S. Thompson
As you can see, I dabble in many genres, but it's heavy on old sword & sorcery/planet. And yes, I happen to like Gor. Even though it's a misogynistic ripoff of the John Carter stuff. It has that Mars feel about it, and I love it, even when it's really bad.
Of all the weirdness above, I will recommend Redbeard by Michael Resnick. I found it at a flea market - it's printed on paper so pulpy it breaks when you dog-ear a corner to mark your spot (I hate bookmarks and I don't collect books for the value - they are to be read!). It's a post-apocalyptic tale about a normal man who is generally a brutish oaf, including being a rapist and murderer, who ends up holding the fate of humanity in his hands - and promptly kills it. It's remarkably well done, and even though I thought the protagonist was annoying at times, he's supposed to be. Find it and read it. There's like a bajillion of them on Amazon for 22 cents and up. It really has that awesome old S&S feel to it.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Campaign Notebook: The Necropolis of Voor
(Written to be a primer for the players before the campaign begins. This place will be pure nightmare for the PCs. I've got a reputation to uphold for being a devious S.O.B. at times, and it wouldn't be one of my games without the promise of hardship for the PCs.)
The Necropolis of Voor is haunted by mystery. From its practical origins as an interment site for the extinct Voori race to the legends of the incredible fortunes it hides, it has captivated the minds of the more adventurous in Antediluvia for centuries. However, no one enters the Necropolis without fear being foremost in their mind. It is said the mountain itself is alive, that it can sense intrusion and repel it with its defenses, which are said to include the bodies of the reanimated dead, traps, and the remnants of Voori sorcery.
What began as a mountain-top cemetery for the honored dead of Voor grew over thousands of years to encompass the entire outside surface of the mountain. The Voori began to build monuments to house their dead after this, building on top of the graveyards of old. When the monuments began to fill, it was decided that a complex must be designed and built within the mountain itself to house the bodies of the dead to come. Centuries passed as the project commenced and was completed, but in the process the Voori discovered, hidden under the mountain, secrets of dark sorcery and the dark masters that ruled them until they disappeared completely. No one knows what these masters were or what sorceries were taught to the Voori by them, but certain hieroglyphs found within the first several levels of the Necropolis mention them in passing.
After the discovery of their new masters, the Voori were taught their secrets, which may or may not have been limited to the worst sort of sorceries. Mention has been made of strange technology found within the pits of the mountain. The Voori came to dwell entirely within the mountain, caring nothing for the outside world any longer, wanting only to worship their masters and learn their secrets. Their sizable nation fell into discord and ruin, leaving no legacy other than the Necropolis and a few places in the wider world named for them. They disappeared from the earth, and only recently have the Necromancers of Naat found evidence of Voori activity again after many centuries, but they have noted that the creatures calling themselves Voori today are no longer of mankind.
It bears note that the Necropolis attempts to claim those who enter without permission. It sends dark messengers of various sorts after those who pilfer the dead that rest there, and very little is known of the interior other than what the Necromancers have uncovered and brought back from the tombs, and only that which (as relates to physical objects) the Necropolis did not send its messengers after to retrieve (resulting in the deaths of the interlopers in nearly all cases). It is these expeditions that have returned with horror and rumor as their only treasure that have fired the ambitions of many adventurers in the lands near the mountain, but few have actually dared to delve the Necropolis. Those who live in the surrounding country avoid traveling too near it at all costs, and consider those who wish to plumb its depths foolhardy or insane.
However, the lure of riches is strong, with some strong enough to ignore the warnings. For those that the promise of treasure does not snare, there is also the rumor of rare knowledge secreted away below the mountain by the Voori of old. The Necromancers of Naat have laid near-exclusive claim to finds in this regard so far - and most have escaped with little else but their lives and memories intact and live in fear lest the mountain send something to claim what they took, tangible or otherwise.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Monstrous Monday Addendum: Charnel Ape of Pit-bottom
CHARNEL-APE OF PIT-BOTTOM
Hit Dice: 2
Armor Class: 11
Attacks: 2 claws (1d4 each), 1 bite (1d6 + poison)
Saving Throw: 16
Special: Poisonous bite, blindsight, phosphorescent glow
Movement: 12, Climb 15
Challenge Level/XP: 4/170
Deep at the bottom of the Shaft of Spiderspire (that great vertical shaft that connects the temple at the peak of the mountain to the pits below where the Elder Spider dwells) live a degenerate race of beings that are much like apes, but can operate in the blackness of the pit. They subsist on the garbage and sacrificial remains tossed into the Central Shaft by the Spider Cult and the denizens of the Spire, but only those which are uneaten by the Elder Spider and her brood. They can see perfectly in total darkness, requiring no light, working much like bats with echolocation. Truly, their heads resemble more a bat's than an ape's. They can jump up to 20 feet, across chasms, from wall to wall, and to a floor or ceiling, and still cling to sheer surfaces without any effort at all.
They can climb with frightening ease and speed, even up sheer surfaces. They can be found on nearly every level of the complex, as they work their ways up the shaft and into the recesses of all regions of the Temple Below. They do not hide well, however, as they are limned in a phosphorescent glow as a result of the consumption of garbage containing magical energies and their close proximity to the demon-god that is the Elder Spider. This glow grants them no benefit, but is rather a hindrance, granting enemies +1 to attack them if there is no more light than just a torch.
One other side effect of the charnel-apes' subsistence on refuse is their highly poisonous bite, made so by the necrotic detritus they eat. If a character is bitten by a charnel-ape, he must make a saving throw. If the saving throw fails, he is poisoned, and the poison will start affecting him in 1d10 minutes, during which time he has the nauseated condition. When this time is up the character immediately takes 1d6 damage for the next 1d6 rounds. If the character's saving throw was successful he is merely nauseated for 1d6 rounds.
Monstrous Monday Addendum: Wax Mockery
WAX MOCKERY
Hit Dice: 30 hp (6)
Armor Class: 14
Attacks: 2 slams (1d8) or 1 weapon (1d8 + weapon modifier)
Saving Throw: 11
Special: Mimic, immune to slashing / bludgeoning / piercing damage, immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities, speak any language
Movement: 12, Climb 12
Challenge Level/XP: 9/1100
Though the population of the city of Taltun is small, the Sages have seen fit to create special automatons, wax mockeries, to serve as their special guardians and secret police force. In their natural state they appear as featureless humanoids made completely of beeswax, and smell of wax and honey. They exist solely to blend in with the populace, which consists largely of mercenaries and scholars, and indeed can take on the appearance of any person they study for at least one hour. Not only do they mimic the appearance of their subject, but they also mimic perfectly the clothing, gait, physical traits, voice, mannerisms, and habits of whoever they are studying. After transformation, which is quite complete, even the odor of wax and honey being removed for the time the wax mockery spends in its new form, they are nearly identical to the person being imitated. People who know the subject well must succeed at an Intelligence check with a -4 penalty in order to detect that the creature is not the person being mimicked. They are magically imbued with the ability to speak all languages known to the Sages of Taltun, and this excludes very few - only the rarest of languages in Antediluvia will be an exception, and they even have record of the languages spoken on the moons Negalu and Nibiru as they have traffic with the beings there.
This ability has implications far beyond mere police work. The Sages guard their knowledge jealously, and take great care to safeguard their secrets. They have no qualms about sending a wax mockery to kill and replace an interloper in the city, and it is not unheard of for rival Sages to infiltrate each others' laboratories and libraries using a wax mockery as a spy, although it is strictly forbidden for one Sage to kill another, even by proxy. They can climb, since they are naturally sticky as they are made of beeswax, and can do so alarmingly fast.
The wax mockery also has a few abilities beyond its ability to mimic. It can reform its body when it is damaged - if a limb is separated, it simply has to hold it in place for 1d3 rounds and it is reattached. It is immune to all mundane attacks of a piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning nature due to this. Normal weapons do not harm it. Magic and magical weapons will harm it as usual, and indeed, only magic can penetrate its physical defenses. The only noticeable effect of normal weapons upon it is the release of the smell of wax and honey in a 10 foot radius. Also, it can detect any magic spells or items in use within its range of vision, and the same goes for any invisible creature. They are difficult to surprise, being surprised only on a 1.
Though the population of the city of Taltun is small, the Sages have seen fit to create special automatons, wax mockeries, to serve as their special guardians and secret police force. In their natural state they appear as featureless humanoids made completely of beeswax, and smell of wax and honey. They exist solely to blend in with the populace, which consists largely of mercenaries and scholars, and indeed can take on the appearance of any person they study for at least one hour. Not only do they mimic the appearance of their subject, but they also mimic perfectly the clothing, gait, physical traits, voice, mannerisms, and habits of whoever they are studying. After transformation, which is quite complete, even the odor of wax and honey being removed for the time the wax mockery spends in its new form, they are nearly identical to the person being imitated. People who know the subject well must succeed at an Intelligence check with a -4 penalty in order to detect that the creature is not the person being mimicked. They are magically imbued with the ability to speak all languages known to the Sages of Taltun, and this excludes very few - only the rarest of languages in Antediluvia will be an exception, and they even have record of the languages spoken on the moons Negalu and Nibiru as they have traffic with the beings there.
This ability has implications far beyond mere police work. The Sages guard their knowledge jealously, and take great care to safeguard their secrets. They have no qualms about sending a wax mockery to kill and replace an interloper in the city, and it is not unheard of for rival Sages to infiltrate each others' laboratories and libraries using a wax mockery as a spy, although it is strictly forbidden for one Sage to kill another, even by proxy. They can climb, since they are naturally sticky as they are made of beeswax, and can do so alarmingly fast.
The wax mockery also has a few abilities beyond its ability to mimic. It can reform its body when it is damaged - if a limb is separated, it simply has to hold it in place for 1d3 rounds and it is reattached. It is immune to all mundane attacks of a piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning nature due to this. Normal weapons do not harm it. Magic and magical weapons will harm it as usual, and indeed, only magic can penetrate its physical defenses. The only noticeable effect of normal weapons upon it is the release of the smell of wax and honey in a 10 foot radius. Also, it can detect any magic spells or items in use within its range of vision, and the same goes for any invisible creature. They are difficult to surprise, being surprised only on a 1.
Exploiting Pulp Era Fantasy
When I launch the campaign I'm gearing up for right now, it will include things I have borrowed wholesale from pulp era fantasy and science fiction, especially the sword & sorcery and sword & planet genres. You will probably ask if my players will recognize any of these things and be able to figure out what direction things are headed in based on what they know. Well, I'm sad to say that my players know absolutely jack about pulp era fantasy other than watching the Conan movies and perhaps dabbling in one or two of the stories. I'm the only one of the group who went backwards after reading the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy and found The Hobbit, and then Lovecraft and Howard and Burroughs. A lot of the ideas I'm going to be using will be fresh to the players since their most common literary conquests are likely to be in the vein of George RR Martin or whatever new slab of paper holds the current epic high fantasy tale. Myself, I've been buying old pulp magazines, scouring the internet, and adapting art I stumble on to game mechanics (I'm all visual). They do not know of Barsoom from things other than the John Carter movie (which I liked a lot, sue me), they've pretty much never touched the Lord of the Rings in book form (some of them own it but just haven't really read it), and the real Conan has never been seen in their mind's eye. Fafhrd? Grey Mouser? Matt Carse? Solomon Kane? Herbert West? These names are well known to those of use who read the fiction of the 1930s-1970s. But for those living in mainstream D&D land they are not as well known as could be. Yes, I said Fafhrd isn't well known. Just ask someone who has only played since the late 2E era who that is. I dare you. It is a rare answer in these parts when they say, "Yes, Fritz Leiber rules!" Of course, I'm delving way deeper, into authors that came and went during that period that even some well-read fans may not have explored before. And I'm stealing ideas like I was a third-level thief.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Monstrous Monday Addendum: Necropolis Spearhound
NECROPOLIS SPEARHOUND
Hit Dice: 5+5
Armor Class: 15
Attacks: 1 spear (1d8+3)
Saving Throw: 12
Special: Wounding spear, telepathic harassment, tracking, prey scent, immune to spells that affect the mind, cause sleep, and charms
Movement: 12
Challenge Level/XP: 8/800
The Necropolis of Voor is many things. It is a dungeon, a mountain, and a grave site for the extinct Voori people. Rumors of vast wealth and forgotten knowledge draw adventurers and treasure-seekers from far and wide, but very few ever make it out of the mountain's depths alive. This is because the Necropolis seems to "awaken" to intrusion, becoming more and more deadly the closer adventurers come to its heart. Truly, it is semi-sentient and insidious, and has the power to raise the dead and put them to its defense, a power given to it long ago by the sorcerers of Voor to protect their honored dead.
When something important is taken from the mountain, or interlopers who manage to escape with their lives remain too near the Necropolis after they leave its depths, the spearhounds, who appear much as any skeletal undead, are dispatched to retrieve the stolen items and capture or kill those who entered Voor without permission. Killed and captured treasure-seekers are always returned to the depths of the Necropolis to become part of its retinue of undead guardians, becoming spearhounds themselves if they are destroyed by the horrible sickness the spears of these creatures inflict.
When the victim of a spearhound is wounded by its spear, which is fashioned of one piece of black iron, the wound is immediately more painful than it should be, bestowing a cold, stinging sensation under the typical pain of a normal spear wound. This is the beginning of the curse the wounds inflicted by one of these spears carry. The wound cannot be healed by normal or magical means while the spearhound who inflicted it still lives, and if the initial encounter is not immediately fatal and escape is managed, there is a 50% chance each day that the wound grows worse, inflicting another 1d8+3 points of damage that cannot be healed if the spearhound is not destroyed. After its destruction the wound is free of the curse and can be healed. If the character dies because of this wound, he will rise as a spearhound himself in 1d6 days, during which he will rot at an exponential pace and he cannot be brought back to life by other means.
While a character is cursed by the spearhound's wound, the spearhound haunts his mind by telepathy, made possible by the curse of the wound. Visions of decay, death, and the hound itself haunt the character randomly and will be of a highly disturbing nature. This activity will manifest 1d4 hours after escaping from a spearhound, and is represented in game terms as a -2 to all saving throws that would normally be modified by Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. This limited telepathy does not allow the spearhound to determine where the victim is hiding or how hurt he is, but it will know if the victim dies.
Escaping the spearhounds will not be easy for their victim. They are able to track their quarry, much like a ranger, with a 95% chance of success day-to-day (only one roll is necessary per day for them to stay on the trail). They are also able, while a character is under their curse, to detect them by scent at a range of 200 feet. They can pinpoint the scent to within 20 feet of where the character is hiding.
Destroying the spearhound who inflicted the cursed wound will free anyone who is afflicted by it, and all telepathic harassment will cease. No character may be cursed by more than one spearhound at a time, although his pursuit may be carried out by several spearhounds working as a unit. Note that to anyone but a spearhound, the black iron spears are simply regular weapons and cannot be used in the same way by a character.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Hit Adjacent Ally Monster Round-up (So Far)
 |
| This is the sort of weirdness in regards to magic that I try to portray to my players. Unrelated content to post, I know, but a side note worth noting. Magic should be utterly strange when dealing with old-style sword & sorcery and sword & planet settings. As much as I've enjoyed the high fantasy approach over the years in other campaigns, weirdness is my preference. |
I thought it would be useful to round up the posts in which I created or converted monsters for my game, to help those of you who may be looking for some inspiration in this regard. Plus, I want to collect them into my GM campaign document, and felt like getting all the links into one place. I love lists, and sometimes looking at lists of my own stuff helps me to focus on new creations.
THE MONSTERS OF ANTEDILUVIA
Quick Note: My monsters will
make use of my house rules. Most often referred to will be Conditions,
which I converted to S&W from Pathfinder, and put out Condition
Cards for you in the blogosphere to have a look at (see link in the
right bar). Also, very few spells will match their standard
counterparts in S&W as far as names go - for instance, curse of chaos and disorder is confusion.
I just like how it sounds better. Plus, it makes use of conditions -
so substitute in your own stuff if you feel like it. All the artwork in the posts is "found art" on the internet, so if it winds up being owned by
you and you don't like it being here, just say so and I'll take it
down. These are pictures that inspired me, and they're used out of
respect. No infringement intended.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Monstrous Monday: Vomiting Spirit of Voor
VOMITING SPIRIT OF VOOR
Hit Dice: 3
Armor Class: 14
Attacks: 2 slams (1d6) or 1 vomit (special)
Saving Throw: 14
Special: Ectoplasmic vomit, half damage from blunt/piercing weapons, change shape, immune to mind-affecting/charm/sleep-inducing spells and effects
Movement: 9
Challenge Level/XP: 6/400
Many creatures unknown to the surface world are found in the depths of the Necropolis of Voor, but amongst the most insidious are the undead abominations that make their home there. Spawned by the rampant blasphemous sorcery of the Voori and its proximity to so many buried dead, the restless spirits here are ever-changing and always insidious. The vomiting spirits of Voor are creatures of pure emotion, consisting of the ectoplasmic residue of decaying haunts and foul sorcery. Physically they are generally man-sized and roughly humanoid. Potential victims receive a +1 to surprise if they encounter these creatures since they are never silent, always sending forth wet gurgling noises from what passes for their throats. They are solid, but viscous-looking, and they leave drippings of ectoplasm as they move.
In melee, vomiting spirits attack with what appear to be arms, but also resemble ectoplasmic tendrils that extend from their bodies, having the harmless side effect of covering the victim in foul-smelling slime. There is a 3 in 6 chance every round that they will vomit forth ectoplasm at their target, which for game purposes can be considered to be a ranged attack that can be directed at a single combatant up to 10 feet away. If hit by the spirit's vomit, the victim is immediately nauseated for 1d6 rounds, and must successfully save or be confused for 1d3 rounds, as the latent spiritual energy present in the ectoplasm erodes the personality of the target temporarily as he struggles with visions and voices that are not his own.
As beings made of ectoplasmic slime, they can change their physical shape to squeeze through openings or holes in walls, doors, etc. It takes 1d4 rounds for the spirit to effectively change its shape to flow through a gap too small for it to normally get through. They also take just half damage from blunt and piercing weapons due to their nature, and are completely immune to any spell or effect that affects the mind, such as charms, sleep-inducing spells, and any effect considered mind-affecting. They can, however, be turned.
Quick Note: My monsters will make use of my house rules. Most often referred to will be Conditions, which I converted to S&W from Pathfinder, and put out Condition Cards for you in the blogosphere to have a look at (see link in the right bar). Also, very few spells will match their standard counterparts in S&W as far as names go - for instance, curse of chaos and disorder is confusion. I just like how it sounds better. Plus, it makes use of conditions - so substitute in your own stuff if you feel like it. All the artwork above is "found art" on the internet, so if it winds up being owned by you and you don't like it being here, just say so and I'll take it down. These are pictures that inspired me, and they're used out of respect. No infringement intended.
Quick Note: My monsters will make use of my house rules. Most often referred to will be Conditions, which I converted to S&W from Pathfinder, and put out Condition Cards for you in the blogosphere to have a look at (see link in the right bar). Also, very few spells will match their standard counterparts in S&W as far as names go - for instance, curse of chaos and disorder is confusion. I just like how it sounds better. Plus, it makes use of conditions - so substitute in your own stuff if you feel like it. All the artwork above is "found art" on the internet, so if it winds up being owned by you and you don't like it being here, just say so and I'll take it down. These are pictures that inspired me, and they're used out of respect. No infringement intended.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Monstrous Friday? No, A Real Life Monster (sort of...)
Look at the picture. Cute, right? That's what we thought when we bought two of these little guys. They are amazing fun to watch run on their wheel and tunnel. Plus, they get up around dusk, so my girls can actually watch their hamsters play. We've had them for a while, and we like them. They're not as awesome as our black bear hamster or guinea pigs, but they're pretty cool and they're fun creatures to care for.
Until this morning.
We awoke as normal, and after I had dressed, my daughter came down to the basement and asked me "Dad, why is there fluff in the hamster cage?"
Well, it turns out the more aggressive of the little guys ATE HIS CAGEMATE. ATE him. ALL of him. There was just fur and leg bones. Now, he appears to be getting very, very sick and is incredibly agitated, so he's probably going to die, too. As much as I hate to say it, because I really like the little guy, it serves him right. Freakin' cannibal.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Monstrous Monday Late Post: 2 New Monsters
BANSHEE-RAIDERS OF THE RED MOON
Hit Dice: 1+1
Armor Class: 12
Attacks: 1 weapon (1d8 + weapon modifier)
Saving Throw: 17
Special: Piercing wail, steal life force
Movement: 12
Challenge Level/XP: 4/120
On the Red Moon of Nibiru that floats through the night sky of Antediluvia dwell a race of beings referred to as the banshee-raiders, named for their horrible, piercing wails and proclivity for looting settlements. There are many things to fear on the moon of Nibiru, but the banshee-raiders are far up the list. Their heads and faces are bat-like, their arms gangly but heavily muscled, an their unholy nature is quite obvious upon casual observation. They dwell in the deserts and harsh places of Nibiru, ever wandering, conquering as they move from ruin to ruin.
They can emit a piercing wail (3 in 6 chance per round) that will deafen characters in a 30 foot radius, with no saving throw permitted. This is, however, a secondary effect of the wail. The primary effect, which receives a saving throw, is to drain the life force of the victim. Each banshee-raider may choose a single opponent within 30 feet on which to focus this effect (for they may only drain one life at a time). A failed save will result in the victim of the wail taking 1d4 points of temporary Con damage (resulting in appropriate hit point loss if it reduces a bonus or incurs a penalty). For each point of Con damage, the banshee-raider gains 1d4 hit points and a +1 to attack - the maximum they may attain is an extra 5d4 hit points and a +5 to attack in any single day, and this only lasts for 12 hours. Once a victim of the wail is affected in this way, he may not be affected by the wail of any banshee-raider for 24 hours, with the exception of the deafness effect - this can occur again as soon as the condition is expired or lifted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)