4e Fan Creations and House RulesWorking on variant powers? Statting up a PC race or your version of a monster? Creating or converting an adventure? Put it here!
Book of Distant Stars - a monster manual by Mesh Hong
Following on from my last Monster Manual (Book of the Dead) I have created the next in my series:
Book of Distant Stars – part 1 heroic tier A monster manual from the Far Realms by Mesh Hong
The 80 page book contains 64 new aberrant creatures ranging from levels 2 to 12 and is split into 2 sections; general and themed. All the creatures have their own full stat block and a short description.
I have also included a section introducing mechanics for adding psychological conditions and mental disorders to your game and provided examples.
List of general creatures: Bep’nar Mite Brutal Tusk Hound Bulbous Lasher Burning Ice Horror Crimson Haze Cryo Glider Dreamtree Psychic Dustworn Nomad Far Touched Vermin Feeding Fingers Fire Polyp Floating Shrieker Graknik Brain Eater Green Mist Spider Highplane Thrasher Infected Squatter Jibber Jab Kelfirn Pelter Kelfirm Stonehammer Kelfirn Stonewalker Lightning Polyp Metallic Ooze Nrel’gorn Savage Shat’mar Crytalline Silvertail Infinpede Star Swarm Swarm of Lies Temporal Polyp Wasteland Absolutionist Whip Tongue
Now to answer your question....
[looks around for a handy exit]...maybe because it is a native of the Far Realms and is therefore considerred an aberrant for monster knowledge checks etc rather than an elemental?.....is that enough, no? well it is a bit poor I suppose......[looks sheepish]....er just because its skin oozes does not make it an ooze itself, therefore it can plausably be an aberration...[legs it and doesn't look back]
Ooh, great. Swarm of Lies is the best name for a creature I have ever seen. Where are Cthulhu and Azathoth?
EDIT: link in your sig to book of distant stars is broken (the undead one works fine).
Last edited by eriktheguy; 23rd June 2009 at 10:45 PM..
Then perhaps it is mud animated with a sinister intelligence. Sort of a byproduct of certain aberrations on the very soil around them - causing them to spontaneously animate and worship the Elder Evils. Tieing it back to the ToEE/Tharidzun.
As much as I love the Great Old Ones (Cthulthu Phtagn ) I have no plans to convert any mythos creatures directly. (actually I think someone already has if not on this forum it must have been the official one)
I am open to any suggestions from people as to creature themes or general areas that need expanding.
I considered doing a monster manual for the Fey Wild for a while and might start on that as it is not really a part of my own campaign at the moment.
I have also tentatively started on "The Book of Serious Threats", which will consist of solo creatures and themed adversaries. My reasoning is that there arn't that many solo creatures in the official monster manuals and most of the ones presented (especially in MM1) are a little underwhelming.
I have also very briefly toyed with the idea of releasing the encounters and creatures from my ongoing campaign, but I don't think I will bother. There is probably no way I could explain the plot in any way that would make enough sense for anyone to run it.
I might try and put together a few short side quests, plot ideas and situations though. the Book of Adventure maybe? or the Book of Distractions?
Hmm, I will see how the mood takes me, unless someone comes up with a good idea.
I considered doing a monster manual for the Fey Wild for a while and might start on that as it is not really a part of my own campaign at the moment.
I would be interested in this.
Quote:
I have also tentatively started on "The Book of Serious Threats", which will consist of solo creatures and themed adversaries.
I would be interested in this. I like your "phase" based solos.
Quote:
I might try and put together a few short side quests, plot ideas and situations though. the Book of Adventure maybe? or the Book of Distractions?
I would be interested in this. There are a few books out called "En Route" which are basically one or two encounters/side quests you can have while on the road/on a journey. Non-combat situations, etc. There's another series called "Foul Locales", which are just set pieces within areas - like a well where a fey trickster lives, and when people make wishes, he comes out and makes it happen in an unfortunate manner. I'd like to see a book of this.
One thing I've been wanting for a long time is a book of encounter areas or fantastic terrain like in the DMG. Interesting features of the area, or flavorful themed terrain/room that you can drag and drop. (Like a clockwork room with the info on the mechanics of the room itself).
I can just echo the "I would be interested in this" that Rechan said.
They all sound good, and I don't really want to influence you to do something you might not find as fun or interesting.
Having said that though, I think a lot of people a thirsting for terrain and hazards. I don't know if doing a whole book on them is possible (I find it harder to come up with ideas for hazards than monsters), so it might be more appropriate to add a few in each monster book? Something that fits the monster theme of course.
I have also tentatively started on "The Book of Serious Threats", which will consist of solo creatures and themed adversaries. My reasoning is that there arn't that many solo creatures in the official monster manuals and most of the ones presented (especially in MM1) are a little underwhelming.
and this -
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mesh Hong
I might try and put together a few short side quests, plot ideas and situations though. or the Book of Distractions?
Hmm, I will see how the mood takes me, unless someone comes up with a good idea.
__________________ Player: "What are you going to do us next?! Key our cars after the session?!"
This book has been a great help to me, thanks! The arri-vastril we're the perfect solution to a main heroic tier plot I was brewing in my world where the majority of the populace is undead (but not many intelligent) as the plane is on a collision course with the shadowfell .
edit: which I populated with alot of your undead from your previous book haha. I just hate presenting my players with standard MM monsters so I always custom bake them myself but now you handed me a nice tool for the job. Really helps against metagaming .
__________________ Some are born to live, others born to die. I belong to the last, born to burn, born to cry. For I shall remain alone... forsaken.
[sigvirus]uhoh[/sigvirus]
I've downloaded both your books, Mesh Hong, and I love both of them. Thanks especially for doing the Far Realm creatures; it REALLY helped me out for one of my adventures (in it there's an ancient artifact that allows unreliable/random connection to the Far Realm).
I wonder if just a generic wildlife book might be useful. I know I always like my PCs wandering in some wilderness for a short bit to get to the main plotpoint, but I can never muster the wildlife to really get the right feel...
These books are great. I needed some abberations that didn't fail. Some suggestions for another book are:
Dungeon Dive - Book of critters for the generic dungeon (Oozes, Undead Goblins, Kobolds etc)
Book of traps - (im not sure if your uber creation abilites extend beyond monsters, but, if they do,I need traps for 4e)
Random encounters - Wilderness, urban, cave and other places that need a random table for when the players wander.
Tome of poison and disease - Some poisons and diseases that are actually more fun then "+12 vs fortitude, 3d6 poison damage and 1d6 ongoing poison damage"
Tome of poison and disease - Some poisons and diseases that are actually more fun then "+12 vs fortitude, 3d6 poison damage and 1d6 ongoing poison damage"
) I have no plans to convert any mythos creatures directly. (actually I think someone already has if not on this forum it must have been the official one)
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
