Hi, guys... thought I'd try my hand at creating, converting and adapting monsters, and I'd like to see how players around the world will respond. So, don't be shy, and say whatever you want about my creatures, okay?
First up is not exactly one of my creations... it's more of a convertion/retcon from an Italian 3.5 manual, the awesomely horrific Nephandum campaign setting. I don't think the books have been released anywhere else... and anyway, I guess showing you a little glimpse of the things populating that doomed campaign world wouldn't really hurt.
So, that having been said, enjoy the... *drum roll* Rotting Abomination!
Rotting Abomination This creature is pretty much the most loathsome thing you have ever seen. The lower parts of its body resembles that of an enormous slug, while the upper part reminds you of a humanoid torso, with four whip-like tentacles instead of arms. The thing's elongated head is filled with eyes, splayed asymmetrically across its surface, and its jaws are filled with sharp, crooked teeth. The creature's body is composed of rotting flesh, and is dotted with festering wounds.
Rotting Abomination CR 12
Always CE Large aberration
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Spot +19, Listen +1 Defense AC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (-1 size, +10 natural) hp 172 (15d8+105) Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +10 Defensive Abilities rotting metabolism; Damage Reduction 5/-; Immune charm, diseases and poison (see 'Rotting Metabolism' below), fear effects, illusions; Offense Spd 40 ft (8 squares) Melee Bite +19 melee (1d8+8/19-20 plus poison) and four tentacles +17 melee (1d6+4); Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft Special Attacks Poison, pestilent aura (20 ft.) Tactics During Combat A rotting abomination attacks anything it deems edible, which is pretty much anything that moves or might have moved, usually directing itself towards those that seem weaker. Rotting abominations are terrifying, near-mindless and fearless beasts. They are not concerned with their opponents' size or number. Morale Rotting abominations almost invariably fight to the death. It takes an extraordinary set of circumstances for one of them to leave combat once it has engaged prey. Statistics Str 27, Dex 11, Con 24, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 6 Base Atk +11; Grp +23 Feats Ability Focus (pestilent aura), Improved Critical (bite), Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite), Weapon Focus (tentacle) Skills Spot +19, Listen +1 Languages None Ecology Environment Warm marshes Organization Solitary or pair Treasure None Advancement 16-22 HD (Large), 23-30 (Huge) Level Adjustment —
Special Abilities Pestilent Aura (Ex): A rotting abomination is surrounded in a foul aura of disease and pestilence. Any creature within 20 feet of the creature must make a Fortitude save (DC 26) or be infected with a terrible disease known as rotting death. (Onset period 1 day, damage 1d6 Con and 1d6 Wis). The disease presents itself with darkening skin, torpor and a terrible rotting stench coming from the victim's flesh, which is slowly covered with pus-filled boils. A successful saving throw grant immunity from that particular rotting abomination's pestilent aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution-based, and includes a +2 bonus from Ability Focus. Poison (Ex): Bite, Fortitude DC 24, initial damage 1d4 Str and 1d4 Cha, secondary damage 1d6 Str and 1d6 Cha. The save DC is Constitution-based. Rotting Metabolism (Ex): Rotting abominations thrive in the foulest, dirtiest places of all, takes nourishment from the very diseases they are infested with. A rotting abomination instantly converts ability damage inflicted by diseases and poison in equivalent ability bonuses. For instance, a rotting abomination infected with demon fever gains 1d6 bonus points of Constitution instead of taking 1d6 Constitution damage, after which the disease gets metabolized and no longer has an effect on the creature. The disease's onset time becomes 1 round, and the creature automatically and willingly fails its saving throw. If a rotting abomination is the target of a poison, only initial damage gets converted in ability bonus, after which the poison is absorbed and no longer has an effect. Should a disease or poison not inflict ability damage, a rotting abomination gains 1d10 temporary bonus hit points instead.
Ability bonus from rotting metabolism lasts for 24 hours, and temporary hit points last for 1 hour. A rotting abomination cannot use its own poison or another rotting abomination's pestilent aura to gain such benefits.
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A rotting abomination - the only way such an horror could conceivably be called - only exists to spread disease and corruption wherever it lays its foul glare. These terrifying creatures' motives are completely unknown, as are their origins, but rumors persist that they were created by Ashatha, a little-reknown Elder Evil of plague and pestilence. Rotting abominations attack and infect humanoids, animals and plants without distinction, and no living creature seems to be safe from their loathsome hunger. The more they spread their disease, the more they prosper, as they derive their nourishment from disease itself.
Ecology
By some innatural and as of yet unexplained process, a rotting abomination literally feeds off of the many diseases thriving in the corrupt places it dwells in. Somehow, their aberrant organism is capable of metabolizing bacteria, virii, poison and other pathogens, with no harm to the creature other than its unwholesome aspect. However, rotting abominations will also readily eat any manner of organic matter, being partial to decomposing carcasses and creatures killed by some virulent disease such as bubonic plague. These horrors don't have natural enemies - no predator would willingly approach them, and animals go out of their way to avoid them. Only good-aligned dragons have been known to hunt rotting abominations, and even then, only to utterly obliterate them. Not even copper dragons, known for their preference for poisonous prey, will debase themselves to make a meal out of them. The creature's reproductive cycle is unknown - perhaps this is for the better - but they are thought to reproduce by germination.
Habitat and Society
Rotting abominations do not form groups, and do not communicate with each other. Even when two or more of them share territory, they compete for food and seem to otherwise ignore each other. It is, however, extraordinarily rare to see two or more of them in a single place: in such cases, they have been placed there by someone more powerful using them as horrific guardians of ruined temples of corruption, and plague-infested places of importance to Ashatha. Cancer mages (see Book of Vile Darkness for details) and thralls of Juiblex especially seem to enjoy their company.
Physical Characteristics
Rotting abominations have large, snail-like bodies reaching about 9-10 feet in lenght, covered in filth and pus-filled abscesses. The upper part of their bodies rises up to 5 feet off the ground, and their writhing tentacles can reach up to 10 feet in front or behind it. They weigh as much as 4'000 pounds, because of their thick flesh.
Alignment
Existing only to eat and destroy needlessly, without any care for anything else (and lacking the intelligence to really conceive anything else in the first place), rotting abominations are always chaotic evil.
Treasure
These horrible things are not interested in treasures. What little they might have is either coincidental, or has been placed by their 'masters' for them to guard. It is also quite possible that a rotting abomination might have swallowed small valuables it might have found (such as rings or gems), so those who would try to recuperate them face a disgusting and highly dangerous work of dissection.
OK, that's really cool. I'd remove the reference to their disease and poison immunity, since "rotting metabolism" is already covered, but other than that, it looks good!
Question, though. Can a rotting abomination be boosted by the same poison of the same individual multiple times? Say someone summoned a fiendish scorpion to fight one of these. Would it get a Con boost every time it got stung, or just the first time by that scorpion that day?
Hmmm, guess I wasn't clear enough in my description, so I'll explain better here. A rotting abomination can only be affected by a particular poison or disease once in a day. Therefore, when stung by a monstrous scorpion, the rotting abomination gains the Con boost only once, after which it gains no other bonus from monstous scorpion venom for 24 hours (even from other monstrous scorpions). It would be too much if it gained the bonus every time, I guess...
Anyway, thanks a lot, and keep tuned! I will try to have another creature ready by next week!
I see that many people have given this thread a look, and for that, I am grateful! Now, to show you my appreciation, I give you a monster I created from scratch. Don't worry, this time I am doing something somewhat more pleasant!
This creature was inspired by the myth of Eros and Psyche: the 'heroine' is sent to collect the wool of these irritable beings as second of the four trials Aphrodite puts her through. I tried to stick as close as possible to the original legend, while incorporating elements of my own. Hope I did a good job... and please don't hesitate to criticize, if you think something is off!
Even grammar and language help is accepted. English is not my native language, after all.
That said, enjoy the Sheep of the Sun!
Sheep of the Sun In front of you stands an overlarge sheep, easily as big as a warhorse, with huge curved horns jutting out of its head, and wearing a strangely aggressive expression. Its wool is a gleaming golden colour which seems to reflect sunlight, and its feet are armed with iron-hard hooves, but strangest of all are the sharp, predatory fangs lying in its mouth.
Sheep of the Sun CR 6
Usually CN Large magical beast Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Listen +5, Spot +4 Defense AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 16
(-1 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural) hp 66 (7d10+28) Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +4 Defensive Abilities fast healing 4; Damage reduction 10/magic; SR 14; Vulnerabilities fast healing, heat rage and Diehard feat are negated at night Offense Spd 60 ft. (12 squares) Melee Gore +13 melee (1d8+7) and bite +11 melee (2d6+3 plus poison) and 2 hooves +11 melee (1d6+3) Space 10 ft; Reach 5 ft Special Attacks Heat rage, poison (DC 17, 1d6 / 1d6 Str)
Tactics Before Combat When given enough warning, sheep of the sun try to position themselves in order to more easily bull rush their opponents. More sheep try to group together as much as they can, forming a moving wall in front of their opponents During Combat Sheep of the sun are meek and passive creatures at night, but during the day, they become ferocious combatants who will attack any Small or larger creature traspassing in their territory. A sheep of the sun usually bull rushes opponents in the first round, hoping to knock them into cravasses or similar natural dangers. It then usually tries to power attack for 3, scaling up or down according to how easily it can hit, and flies into a heat rage as soon as it can. Morale A sheep of the sun is a tenacious combatant, and will usually rage and fight to the death under sunlight. At night, however, it is much more likely to flee from danger. Statistics Str 24, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 12 Base Atk +7; Grp +18 Feats Diehard (B), Improved Bull Rush, Multiattack, Power Attack Skills Balance +13, Hide -1, Jump +16, Listen +5, Spot +4, Survival +8 Languages none; understands Common and Sylvan Ecology Environment Warm plains and mountains Organization solitary, bunch (2-5) or herd (6-36) Treasure wool (see below) Advancement 8-14 HD (Large), 15-21 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities Fast Healing (Ex) A sheep of the sun benefits from fast healing only when under bright sunlight. Rainy or cloudy weather reduce its fast healing to 2, and it is negated altogether at night.
Heat Rage (Ex) While in sunlight, a sheep of the sun can enter a state of murderous rage. This ability works like a barbarian's rage abilty, and a sheep of the sun under such circumstances temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strenght and Constitution, a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but also takes a -2 penalty on its AC. A heat rage lasts for 9 rounds (3 + the sheep of the sun's newly modified Con score), during which the following changes apply to a sheep of the sun's statistics: Str 28; Con 23 Hp 80 (7d10+42) AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 14 Fort +11 Will +6; Skills Jump +18
and the save DC for its poison (see below) increases to 19. A sheep of the sun can only rage twice per day, only once per encounter, and only under bright sunlight, but unlike a barbarian's rage, the sheep of the sun is not fatigued at the end of its rage. Poison (Ex) A sheep of the sun delivers its poison with a successful bite attack. This strange poison causes victims to experience exhausting heat that progressively saps their strength, until they finally collapse in a manner similar to an heat stroke. Initial and secondary damage is the same (1d6 Str). The save DC is Constitution-based. Skills: Sheep of the sun gains a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Jump checks, and can always take 10 on a Balance check, even if rushed or threatened. Sheep of the sun also gain a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks. Feats: A sheep of the sun gains Diehard as a bonus feat, but only during daytime.
Sheep of the sun are strange, aggressive quadrupeds that roam vast prairies and inhospitable mountain ranges, gathered in large herds to whom most predators give a wide berth. Empowered by the light of the sun, these creatures are extremely belligerent during daytime, and have been known to fell many a would-be hunter who was after their prized wool, tearing them asunder with jagged horns and poisonous bites, and quickly recovering from injuries than would bring down larger beasts. During the night, however, they become timid and noncombative.
Ecology
Sheep of the sun usually live in open prairies or among harsh mountains, and move about in herds, except for the occasional lone individual - quite possibly a ram driven away in a mating dispute. They usually content themselves to feed on grass and small plants, and require relatively little food, as the rest of their nourishment seems to come directly from the rays of the sun. However, the territories they claim as theirs can be quite wide, and they invariably react aggressively to intruders of any kind. Sunlight sends them into a state of restlessness and excitement for battle, and enables them to fly into unexpected bursts of rage, that look all the more unsettling to onlookers because of the creature's inoffensive appearance. Certainly, one would not expect a sheep to savagely rend an opponent with sharp fangs and horns.
Despite such dangerous abilities, sheep of the sun have quite a few natural predators, that usually take advantage of their relative helplessness during nighttime. Dire wolves, rocs, griffins and wyverns are common threats, and copper dragons consider them a delicacy: not only are they good eating, their wool is also a small treasure in itself for the greedy draconic pranksters.
Habitat and Society
These strange magical creatures live in herds led by the strongest ram, who has priority over the others for mating and food. The leader may still be challenged anytime by another male, and clashes between such rivals are always impressive to behold - especially when both combatants fly into an heat rage. Losers of such duels usually leave the herd, and wander about aimlessly in the wilderness, venting their rage on any creature unfortunate enough to cross their path. In some occasions, particularly powerful creatures manage to actually domesticate the aggressive sheep, and form an herd of their own property. Rumour has it that a particularly large and mighty solar dragon called Kreutzet (a 36-HD sunwyrm - see Fiend Folio for details) keeps over fifty sheep of the sun in his domain hidden between the highest peaks of a remote mountain range.
Physical characteristics
A sheep of the sun looks like an overlarge sheep with glittering wool and impressive natural weaponry, consisting of great horns, lethal hooves, and pointed fangs fit for a predator. It is about the same length as an heavy warhorse, but weight a little more because of its luxurious wool and its thick bones.
Alignment
Sheep of the sun are primarily concerned with their own survival, and care little for morality. They are still unpredictable creatures who act on their whim unless somehow restrained. Therefore, sheep of the sun favor a chaotic neutral alignment.
Treasure
As is fitting of wild animals, sheep of the sun have no use for riches. The only treasure they might have is the one they wear - their wool is extremely soft, and seems to glitter on its own, and is therefore quite prized. A sheared sheep of the sun's coating is worth about 70 gp per Hit Dice of the creature (490 gp for the average specimen), and will grow back in about a month. However, the creature won't willingly cooperate, and will attack anyone who attempts such a daring task.
Hehee... hi, everyone... for those who arewondering why I'm taking so long to update, just know that I've been terribly busy as of late... I just hope I will be able to put up my next creature on Sunday! I am also trying to stat up and give a background to my personally created Elder Evil... a glimpse of which will be posted as soon as possible!
Just to make an anticipation, this time we'll be taking a look at an Archon!
You were thinking about that fallen planetar serving the snake Elder Evil, huh, Demiurge?
Well, in fact they're separate from each other... but not really that much, since the Elder Evil I'm cooking up has some... let's just say, unusual... origins!
Anyway, with a little luck, my Archon should be posted by today or, at most, tomorrow evening!
I told you this thread would have been updated by today evening, and in fact... here I am, to present you with my newly-created archon! Feel free to point out any mistakes I might have committed... statting up outsiders is a tough job! Anyhow, I hope I did a satisfying job, so... Enjoy!
Scorpion Archon This creature has a strange, yet glorious look - a tall insectile warrior covered from head to toe in golden plates of natural armor and holding a large halberd in his pincer-like hands. A pair of compound eyes, which seems to shine with a fragment of the brightness of the sun itself, look attentively at you from an elongated head shaped almost like a scorpion's, while a long tail, tipped with a sharp stinger, arcs itself in the air behind the creature's back. Despite its insect-like appearence, the warrior carries itself with a calm, noble demeanor.
Scorpion Archon CR 11
Always LG Large outsider (Archon, Extraplanar, Good, Law)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Spot +20, Listen +12 Defense AC 25, touch 10, flat-footed 24 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +15 natural) hp 93 (11d8+44) Saves Fort +11 (+15 vs. poison), Ref +8, Will +11 Damage Reduction 10/evil; SR 26; Immune electricity, petrification; Special Defenses magic circle against evil, greater teleport, tongues Offense Spd 40 ft (8 squares); climb 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee+2 keen Large halberd +19/+14/+9 melee (2d8+12/19-20/x3) and sting +15 melee (1d6+3 plus ruin); or 2 claws +17 melee (1d8+7 and improved grab) and sting +15 melee (1d6+3 plus ruin) Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft Special Attacks Aura of menace, gaze, improved grab, ruinous sting, spell-like abilities, spells Tactics Before Combat If it has any time to prepare, a scorpion archon will power up with spells like bear's endurance and owl's wisdom, to improve its staying power and make its other spells harder to resist During Combat A company of scorpion archons fights with brilliantly executed strategies. They believe in disciplined teamwork, and usually divide their duties between keeping enemies at bay with their halberds, and hammering them from a distance with their gaze attack and their spells, all the while cooperating to gain flanking bonuses. They use their true strike spell-like ability with caution, usually pairing it up with a full (11-point) Power Attack against the more resilient opponents. A scorpion archon's natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, are considered good-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpouse of overcoming damage reduction. Morale Scorpion archons are courageous warriors, and only retreat when it is clear that defeat is otherwise inevitable. They do not flee for long, though, and will soon regroup and try to work up another strategy of attack. In dire situations, against such supremely evil creatures as devils or demons, one or two members of a company of scorpion archons will willingly sacrifice themselves to hold back the enemy while their companions escape to safety. Statistics Str 25, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 17 Base Atk +11; Grp +22 Feats Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will (B), Multiattack, Power Attack Skills Balance +10, Climb +19*, Concentration +14, Craft (weaponsmithing) +12, Diplomacy +18, Intimidate +13, Jump +11, Knowledge (religion) +12, Knowledge (the planes) +17, Listen +12, Sense Motive +17, Spot +20*, Survival +3 (+5 in other planes) Languages can converse with any creature that has a language Ecology Environment Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia Organization Solitary or company (2-7) Treasure No coins, standard goods, standard items plus +2 keen Large halberd Advancement 12-22 HD (Large), 23-33 (Huge) or by character class; Favored class paladin Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities Aura of Menace (Su): Any hostile creature in a 20 ft. radius of a scorpion archon who fights or gets angry takes a -2 penalty on attacks, AC and saves for 24 hours, or until it successfully hits the scorpion archon that created the effect (Will DC 20 negates). After a creature has successfully saved or broken the effect, it can't be affected by the same archon's aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. Gaze (Su): Any evil-aligned creature who meets a scorpion archon's burning eyes must make a DC 18 Fortitude save or suffer the effects of a holy smite spell. A creature who successfully saves cannot be affected by that particular scorpion archon's gaze for 24 hours. This is considered as a gaze attack, and the save DC is Charisma-based. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a scorpion archon must hit an opponent at least one size category smaller than itself with its claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action, without provoking an attack of opportunity (+22 grapple bonus). If it estabilishes a hold, it can then choose to grapple normally, or to simply hold the opponent with its claw. (In which case the scorpion archon takes a -20 penalty on the grapple check, but is not considered grappled itself) In any event, the scorpion archon inflicts normal claw damage with any subsequent successful grapple check, and can bear its stinger on the grappled foe with a +4 bonus on the attack roll. Magic Circle against Evil (Su): A magic circle against evil effect always surrounds a scorpion archon (caster level 11th). The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in the above statistics block. Ruinous Sting (Ex): A scorpion archon delivers a powerful ruin (see Book of Exalted Deeds) with its tail stinger. Any evil-aligned creature hit by a scorpion archon's tail stinger must make a Fortitude save (DC 19) or be injected with the ruin, which causes the victim to experience on himself the pain and the loss of those he has wronged. (Initial and secondary damage 1d4 temporary Strength and 1d3 temporary Wisdom). The save DC is Constitution-based. Spell-like Abilities (Sp): At will - aid, continual flame, detect evil, fly, message; 2/day - true strike. Spells: Scorpion archons can cast divine spells as 11th level clerics. A scorpion archon has access to two of the following domains: Good, Law, Protection and Sun (or any others from its deity). The save DCs are Wisdom-based. Typical cleric spells prepared (6/7/6/6/4/3/2; DC 13 + spell level):
0- create water, detect magic, light, purify food and drink, read magic, resistance; 1- bless (2), divine favor (2), protection from chaos, sanctuary *, shield of faith; 2- aid *, bear's endurance, bull's strength, consecrate, hold person, owl's wisdom; 3- create food and water, cure serious wounds, daylight, protection from energy *, remove disease, searing light; 4- cure critical wounds (2), death ward, spell immunity *; 5- dispel evil *, flame strike, righteous might; 6- blade barrier *, undeath to death
* indicates a domain spell. Domains: Good and Protection.
Skills and Feats:: A scorpion archon gains Iron Will as a bonus feat. A scorpion archon also gains a +8 racial bonus on Climb and Spot checks, and can always take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
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Scorpion archons are warriors and, sometimes, diplomats from the higher planes, often acting as spokesmen for higher celestial authorities, or as trusted guardians of places sacred to the gods of law and good. Courageous and loyal to the death, they are among the most martial of the archons, yet they possess a strong sense of discipline that prevents them from rushing headlong into a battle, or worse yet from losing track of compassion and mercy in the eternal battle.
Ecology
Like all outsiders, scorpion archons do not need to eat or drink to survive. They do not contribute to the ecology of an area, and take great care not to alter an area's natural environment, unless there are no other feasible solutions. They can be found anywhere in the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, but a fair number of them live in Arcadia as well, working to prevent that plane from slowly slipping into law.
Habitat and Society
Scorpion archons are usually found in squads, with an average of four-five members, and are typically tasked with guard duty, to keep evil-aligned creatures and outsiders away from important sites. They take their duty very seriously, and consider their comrades the closest thing to family a good-aligned outsider might have, fighting fiercely to defend them and their charges. Despite their good alignment, they have been known to nurture grudges and wish for vengeance upon the slayers of comrades, although their overwhelming sense of duty usually prevents them from acting upon such feelings (which archons universally regard as potentially misleading).
Other than as guardians, scorpion archons act as celestial soldiers alongside sword archons (see Book of Exaled Deeds). A solid group of scorpion archons releasing smiting gazes and ruinous stingers upon the foes of good can be a match for any like-sized fiendish army, and scorpion archons especially seem to have devils, targetting them before any other opponent.
Physical Characteristics
Scorpion archons look like humanoid scorpions averaging about 9 feet in height, with golden, shining chitinous plates covering its body, strong yet deft pincer-like hands, and a long curved tail upon which rests a sharp stinger, and they usually carry a large halberd with them. They weigh about 500 pounds. Despite their insectile appearence, they do not come off as revolting or unsettling, and have a tranquil demeanor.
Alignment
Like all archons, scorpion archons are brave fighters who uphold justice and honour in all of their dealings, and will readily defend innocents from harm. They are also very disciplined and have a 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few' mentality, thereby always leading to a lawful good alignment.
Treasure
Scorpion archons carry the standard amount of wealth in goods and items for a creature of their Challenge Rating. They favor potions and consummable items that enhance their battle prowess or cure damage, as to preserve their spells for unpredicted emergencies.
Scorpion Archons With Class Levels
While they do not take class levels too often, a scorpion archon's favored class is paladin, which is probably to be expected of creatures of law and good. Their spells and innate spell-like abilities do not increase in caster level with the addition of paladin levels, but their spell resistance does increase. Others choose the path of fighter, ranger or even cleric, in which case its cleric levels stack with their spellcasting ability in order to determine the number of spell a scorpion archon can cast every day.
There you have it! What do you think? Maybe the CR is a little off, but I tried to balance this archon out by comparing it to the trumpet archon in the MM, and by seeing how it would fare against a same-CR fiend. The results seem to confirm a CR 11...
Anyway, you're the final judges! Please, let me know if you liked it, and how could I possibly make it better!
After a long-ish leave from monster-creating action, I've come back to submit another creature to the trial by fire! Let's see how THIS measures up...
A lot of people would probably believe me if I said love can hurt. But, what would their reaction be if I took it one step further and said 'love can kill'? They'd probably look at me in a weird way...
Chances are, they would rethink their position if they met... the Crimson Kiss!
Crimson Kiss A stunning aura of beauty surround the healthy, alluring body of a beautiful female with pale, soft skin, and a finely chiseled face. The shining armor she wears seems to have been modeled especially for her graceful anatomy, and her eyes are full and red with passion, as are her thick lips and shining hair. However, a disquieting feature disturbs the otherwise stunningly beautiful sight. An extra pair of gnarled, clawed, grey-skinned arms extends itself above the woman's head, growing from behind her shoulders and nervously grasping at air.
Crimson Kiss CR 7 Always NE Medium fey Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Listen +12, Spot +12 Defense AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15
(+3 Dex, +5 masterwork breastplate) hp 33 (6d6+12) Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +8 Damage Reduction 10/cold iron; SR 18 Offense Spd 20 ft in plate mail; base speed 30 ft. Melee 2 claws +6 melee (1d8+1 plus withering) and 2 nails +4 melee (1d4) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft (10 ft with claws) Special Attacks Death kiss, improved grab, obsessing beauty, withering Tactics Before Combat A crimson kiss usually tries to study potential victims from a certain distance, singling out someone who looks more vulnerable and trying to attract him towards her lair while he's distanced from the group, either by calling to him or by making some kind of barely-audible, captivating sound. During Combat A crimson kiss usually opens up with her obsessing beauty ability to turn enemies into defenders. Adversaries who resist particularily well are subject to her claw and nail attacks. By forcng her lips upon helpless opponents, the crimson kiss steals away their life energy. A crimson kiss attacks any creature she thinks she can kill, but she particularily despises nymphs, elves and gnomes, with other good-aligned fey creatures as close seconds. Morale Crimson kisses are hardly brave. As soon as it becomes apparent that her opponents are a fighting match for her and her thralls, a crimson kiss will beat a hasty retreat, only fighting to the death if she has no other choice. Statistics Str 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 19 Base Atk +3; Grp +8 Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Multiattack (B), Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +13, Diplomacy +10, Disguise +4, Hide +9, Intimidate +6, Listen +12, Move Silently +9, Sense Motive +10, Swim +7, Spot +12 Languages Common, Sylvan
Ecology Environment Temperate forests Organization Solitary Treasure Standard Advancement 7-12 HD (Medium) or by character class Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities Death Kiss (Su): A crimson kiss can kiss an helpless opponent, or a creature affected by her obsessing beauty ability, as a standard action. This ability functions like a vampiric touch spell cast by a 6th-level sorcerer, dealing 3d6 points of damage to the victim and healing the crimson kiss by the same amount. The same restrictions as the spell also apply.
Improved Grab (Ex): In order to use this ability, a crimson kiss must hit a Small, Medium or Large creature with her claw attack. She can then make a grapple check as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +8, including a +4 racial bonus). If she pins her opponent, she may then use her death kiss ability on the helpless foe. Any further successful grapple checks in the following rounds automatically inflict claw damage and Strenght damage.
Obsessing Beauty (Su): All living creatures within 30 feet of a crimson kiss must make a Will save (DC 17) or become obsessed with the otherworldly beauty of the creature. This obsession takes the form of a disease with instantaneous onset time, dealing 1d3 Con and 1d3 Wis damage every day, and also acts as a charm monster spell, causing its victims to see the fey as a lovable being to be protected and to pin after. A creature that makes his/her save is immune to that particular crimson kiss' obsessing beauty for 24 hours. Those who become obsessed become vulnerable to the creature's death kiss ability, and also keep taking ability damage every day, unless they succeed at a DC 17 Will save. Two consecutive successful saves mean that the victim has overcome his obsession, just like a normal disease. This obsession can also be healed by a remove curse, break enchantment or dispel evil spell.
Obsessed creatures find themselves unable to shake off the crimson kiss' mental image. They will do anything to see the creature again, regardless of the danger, and will stand in admirating of the object of their affection without a care for anything else, blissfully waiting for their deaths with a vacant smile on their faces, and a glossy look in their eyes. Such enthralled creatures are a truly painful sight.
The save DC is Charisma-based.
Withering (Su): A living creature hit by a crimson kiss' claw attack also takes 1d3 points of temporary Strenght damage in addition to the usual damage, as their limbs atrofy at an abnormal rate. Grappled creatures take such Strenght damage every round they remain pinned.
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Attractive and detached at the same time, crimson kisses represent the dark, self-destructive side of love: the suffering for the unreachable object of one's affection, the cruel mockery of the unreciprocated feeling, the morbid, unhealthy obsession for an unreal fetish. They mostly prey on humanoids, attracting them in their lairs and draining their life force with a single kiss, chilling and hot with passion at the same time.
Ecology
The presence of a crimson kiss is almost always the telltale of a greater evil brewing up in that region, and usually coincides with the appearence of other evil fey or particularily ill-tempered dire animals. Any good-aligned fey, particularily the hated nymphs, is the prime object of a crimson kiss' wrath, as crimson kisses represent an obsessive distortion of beauty just like nymphs represent it in its most wholesome form. Crimson kisses do not seem to eat - all they require for sustenance is the life force of unfortunate individuals who get enthralled by their powers.
With respect to other fey, a crimson kiss does not have empathic abilities towards animals, preferring to drain and slaughter them with the same hatred and cruelty they show for other living beings. Crimson kisses, in other words, hate all other life, and only rejoice in inflicting pain.
Habitat and Society
Crimson kisses dwell in natural places, favoring the proximities of crystal-clear rivers, small lakes in the midst of deep forests, and long-abandoned sanctuaries and shelters. They never stray too far from inhabited places, and prefer to make their home in natural environments of almost touching beauty - the ideal places for their lethal encounters with their lovers. A crimson kiss' behaviour is seductive yet unempathic, alluring yet mocking at the same time. They almost never gather in groups, nor associate with other evil fey, unless it is under the supervision of a greater power of evil that forces them to work together. In such rare occasions, they seem to work fairly well with kelpies, lunar ravagers and verdant princes.
Physical Characteristics
A crimson kiss resembles a human female in her very prime, healthy and brimming with beauty, standing about 5 ft. and 7 in. and weighing in proportion. Their eyes and hair are a vibrant red, and they don elaborate suits of armour. Their extra pair of malformed arms aside, their forms come close to aesthetical perfection.
Crimson Kisses with Class Levels
Some crimson kisses advance by class levels, usually rogue or ranger (all the better to ambush their opponents and always be one step ahead of them), or bard (to assuage potential victims with their music and mind-affecting spells). Some of them have developed a knack for sorcery, and on rare occasions a crimson kiss has taken levels in the duskblade class (Player's Handbook II), complementing sword skills with the use of magic. Crimson kisses never become druids, as they hate nature... yet, rumour has it that one of these hateful fey actually became a druid just to spurn that path later on, and turn to the unspeakable ways of the blighter.
Alignment
Crimson kisses are universally neutral evil. They care nothing for stratified society or anarchy, and are only interested in inflicting pain upon innocents. At the same time, while hate-filled and murderous, they are reasonable and can see the value of allies... at least, as long as such allies give them reasons to fear or have their uses.
Treasure
A crimson kiss usually possesses standard treasure for a creature of her CR, usually in the form of costly jewel that might be gifts from slain lovers, or loot from their kills. As for magic items, they keep an eye out for items that enhance their defense and/or their stealth abilities.
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Hehee, what can I say? I've always had a soft spot for evil fey, and their thriving in the latest Monster Manuals made me quite happy... as a result, this probably won't be my last venture into the darker side of fey-dom.
Anyway, feel free to tell me what do you think of this latest creation of mine. Criticism welcome, as long as it is not a flame. In which case, I'll be glad to use it for my barbecue.
I hope I'll be able to send something else soon! For now, I bid you farewell!
Last edited by Judou Ashita; 10th May 2008 at 09:34 AM..
Plate mail is probably not the armor you're thinking of for the crimson kiss--it's got a +8 armor bonus and a +1 max Dex. Judging by the AC bonus and the Dex bonus to AC she gets, it's probably breastplate you want.
I like both of the new(ish) ones. Insectile archons are definitely not the norm, which I approve of, and evil fey are always good. Er, I mean appreciated.
Heh, right! That was a typo on my part, since I intended to wrte 'breastplate'...
Thanks a lot! I decided going for an insectile archon because, after all, the forces of good aren't supposed to care about such petty things as aesthetics. Not that forces of evil are picky either, judging by the succubi, erinyes and brachina...
Evil fey tend to be interesting, at least in my eyes. I liked both the verdant prince and the lunar ravager from the MM4, the redcap from MM3, the grey jester from Heroes of Horror, and the banshrae from MM5. Didn't care too much for the master of the hunt though... horrendously broken, even for a near-Epic critter. (CR 22? Really? An Ha-Naga of the ELH is EASIER than that... power player of a fey!)
For my next creation... well, I'm actually thinking of something that put the 'love kills' thing to ENTIRELY new heights! I'll begin working on it tomorrow... but I guess it will take some time to complete, since it will be a Shapechanger!
Hiya, guys! Yeah, I know, once again, I have grossly overestimated the time I would be away from these forums. Between the ever-present university, and 4th edition coming to Italy (by the way, I think it's pretty good, even if it does have a WoW-ish feel to it), I never had time to update my creations... and my latest attempt to create a shapeshifter ended in disaster. I could never balance the creature and give it a proper CR. Pity, because I thought it had an interesting visual.
Anyway, I started over from scratch... and tried to create something new for an interesting race that doesn't really gets much attention as of now. The Inevitables. Hey, other than the misguided Obligatum The Seventh in Elder Evils and the nameless varakuth in another Elder Evil related adventure, I never saw them put to much use.
So... here I tried to give you something new by creating a new race of Inevitables, concerned with making sure planar boundaries are respected. Hey, after all, with all those gate and plane shift spells running around, someone has to do a little patrol!
A silly idea? Well, perhaps... but I don't think it's any more silly than the scorpion-like andyruth from Sandstorm... seriously, guys, they could have done better!
Oh well. Without further ado, here comes the Azimukuth!
Inevitable, Azimukuth This strange clockwork creature stands about 8 feet tall. It has an imposing, somewhat rotund frame, covered in a bulky bluish armor, with complex-looking geometric shapes etched upon it, and a large, circular red crystal embedded in its chest and gently glowing with strange crimson light. Its arms, legs and head are similarly protected, and through small passages in its armor, you can see that its body is made of clockwork devices, dully clicking and humming with its every move. It stops in front of you, impassively staring, and just then you can see, under its semispherical helmet, that its eyes contain two swirls of dimly-shining points of light, like miniature galaxies. The creature's demeanor is cold and impassive, and its voice, as it speaks at you, echoes ominously in your head. "State you reasons for trespassing on this plane of existance." it states uncerimoniously.
Azimukuth CR 13
Always LN Large Construct (Extraplanar, Lawful)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Listen +12, Spot +12 Defense AC 31, touch 9, flat-footed 31 (-1 size, +15 natural, +7 masterwork half-plate armor) hp 107 (14d10+30) Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +9 Damage Reduction 10/chaotic; SR 25; Special qualities construct traits, fast healing 8 Special Qualities merciful Offense Spd 30 ft in half-plate armor; base speed 40 ft. Melee 2 slams +19 melee (2d6+10) or dissolving ray +9 ranged touch (special, see below) Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft Special Attacks Banishing grapple, dissolving ray, improved grab, spell-like abilities Tactics Before Combat: An azimukuth tries to gather as much information as possible about its targets before striking, and plans an attack accordingly. It makes also liberal use of its detect magic spell-like ability to assess the enemy's magical defences. Anyway, it usually tries to first convince transgressors to leave quietly, instead of launching an all-out attack. It only gives one warning, though - if this warning is ignored, the azimukuth attacks. During Combat: Azimukuth usually focus on one opponent at the time, trying to lower the number of attackers as soon as possible thanks to its banishing grapple ability. Therefore, it normally goes for spellcasters first, since it knows that it is very dangerous for them to be grappled, and they usually have the arcane weapons needed to pierce its defenses. If unable to melee, azimukuth use their scorching ray and lightning bolt spell-like ability to the best of their abilities, and will try to single out an opponent who can be easily sent back to his home plane via banishment to do just that. An azimukuth's natural weapons, as well as any weapon it may wield, are treated as lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction Morale: Despite their single-mindedness in carrying out their mission, azimukuth are not suicidal. If faced with imminent destruction, they will usually plane shift back to Mechanus for repairs or simply dimension door to a safe place, taking advantage of their fast healing. However, they will strike back if transgressors have not yet returned to their home planes, and will undoubtedly be much better prepared. Statistics Str 30, Dex 11, Con -, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 17 Base Atk +10; Grp +32* Feats Ability Focus (banishing grapple), Cleave, Great Fortitude (B), Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack Skills Concentration +10, Diplomacy +6, Gather Information +8, Knowledge (the planes) +14*, Listen +12*, Spot +12*, Survival +5 (+7 while on other planes) Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, language of first target (usually Common) Ecology Environment Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus Organization Solitary Treasure None Advancement 15-28 HD (Large); 29-42 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities Banishing Grapple (Ex): Any creature with the extraplanar subtype (with respect to the plane they're actually in) grappled by an azimukuth must make a DC 22 Will save every round the grapple is maintained, or be immediately sent back to his home plane, as per the banishment spell. The victim reappears at the exact place of departure, with his equipment intact, is dazed for 1 round, and will be placed under the effects of a dimensional anchor spell for 24 hours, thereby negating his planar-travelling ability, but suffers no other drawbacks. Azimukuths use this special ability to send transgressors back to their home planes without harming them. The save DC is Charisma-based, and includes a +2 bonus from Ability Focus.
Dissolving Ray (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, as a standard action, an azimukuth can project a glittering ray of white specks of light from its eyes, delivering a ranged touch attack. Any creature hit is subject to the effect of a greater dispel magic spell. Note that azimukuths are careful in using this attack, as it might deprive the target of defences from planar effects. Fast Healing (Ex): An azimukuth heals 8 points of damage each round as long as it still has at least 1 hit point. However, damage dealt by chaotic-aligned weapons heals at the normal rate.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an azimukuth must hit an opponent of up to one size smaller with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it can choose to conduct the grapple normally (+32 modifier on grapple ckecks, including a +8 racial bonus), or just use his hand to hold the opponent (in this case, the azimukuth takes a -20 penalty on its grapple check, but is not considered grappled itself). In any case, the azimukuth automatically deals slam damage each round it maintains the pin (this damage can be non-lethal if the azimukuth chooses, see below). A grappled creature is subject to the azimukuth's banishing grapple ability every round it remains grappled. Merciful (Ex): An azimukuth can choose to inflict nonlethal damage on a target, without the penalties normally associated. Spell-like Abilities (Sp): At will - detect magic, dimension door, hold person (DC 15), locate creature, protection from chaos, scorching ray; 3/day - lightning bolt (DC 16), mark of justice, true seeing; 1/day - banishment (DC 19), dispel chaos, plane shift (self only); 1/week - geas/quest (DC 19) Skills and Feats: Due to the planar lore programmed directly into their minds, azimukuth enjoy a +8 racial bonus on Knowledge (the planes) checks and can always choose to take 10 on such checks. They also enjoy a +6 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks
Azimukuth are a little-reknown species of inevitables whose prime directive is to ensure that planar boundaries are respected. In a multiverse where powerful wizards have the ability to travel through the planes, and to extend that same ability to their allies and accomplices, it might seem easy for someone with access to powerful magic to directly get transferred to paradise planes like Celestia or the Elysium, seeking a prize they might not be worthy of, or to negotiate with dangerous planar powers to bring reality-disrupting plans to fruition. The azimukuth exist to ensure such does not happen, and track down those who abuse their planar-travelling powers. Short sojourns of no more than seven days and/or explicitly authorized (by deities or similar powers) planar travels will be tolerated, but overstaying will quite probably invoke the wrath of Mechanus, and an azimukuth, or a whole squad of them in extreme cases, will be dispatched to return the transgressor to his home plane, not before having received all the necessary spells for protection from that particular plane's hazard (at the very least, an avoid planar effects spell).
Azimukuth stand about 8 feet tall, but since their bodies are made of clockwork machinery, they weigh a lot more than most creatures of the same size.
Ecology
Azimukuth have very little impact on ecology, if any at all. As constructs, they do not require food, water or air to function properly, and because of their single-mindedness in pursuing transgressors, they will almost always leave the natural world alone. Like all inevitables, the azimukuth's life cycle begins when it is created in the forges of Mechanus and is given its first task, which it pursues relentlessly. An azimukuth's mind is already fully functional by the time it is given awareness, and the inevitable can reason, learn and remember already from day one. This makes it so that it can take lessons from its mistakes, and work out strategies in combat. However, their awareness does not extend to emotion, and like all inevitables, they find concepts such as friendship or affection to be 'beyond their processing abilities'.
Habitat and Society
Azimukuth do not really have a society to speak of. They only exist to enforce the law of the multiverse they embody, and have little to no interest in anything else. Whenever they're encountered in a squad, they're working together to stop a more powerful transgressor, but will not interact with one another beyond what is necessary to fulfill their mission. Sometimes, they work in tandem with justicators (see Monster Manual 3), but even then, their unemotional nature will hinder any connection beyond 'work duty' between the two races.
Among inevitables, azimukuth are quite obviously the ones who travel the planes more extensively in search of transgressors, and may be encountered anywhere in the Great Wheel.
Alignment Azimukuth are created and programmed to make sure a fundamental law of the multiverse is respected, and to punish transgressors under any circumstances. While they try to minimize bloodshed, they also do not feel any obligation to help others, making them always lawful neutral.
Treasure
These extraplanar automatons have no use for treasure. Some advanced varieties might wear enchanted armor or wield magical weapons, but even then, it is only for the sake of completing the mission at hand.
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Alright, guys, so... how was it? Passable? Good? Awful? Do tell! Even if I'm getting the 4th edition, I'm still sticking to 3.5 adventures... and I'm even planning to post something from my campaigns in the Rogues Gallery... so, do you think my players will be satisfied with this bugger?
Next time (which I *hope* will be soon) I will be posting something that will creep the squeamish up, guaranteed!
I like these guys! The anhydrut of Sandstorm was lame, I agree. The inevitability of planar boundaries is much more compelling, and I like that they're careful with their dispelling abilities on dangerous planes. I also like that they're an in-game justification for why mid-level wizards can't just plane shift to the Heaven of their choice and stay there, rather than get there the hard way by living a good life.
And consider me suitably intrigued by your next entry!
My rationale behind the Azimukuth was more or less along these lines, Demiurge. While Inevitables cover a lot of fundamental laws, that of planar boundaries was sadly forgotten... and in its place, we got some bug-like tank which enforces... desertification! Ooookay...
Moving on to next beastie...
Oh, this one I have a fond memory of. In one adventure in a deep forest, my players (a pretty good 6-men party about to enter level 7) had come across two trails of footprints, which the druid identified as respectively belonging to a bear, and to what might have seemed an overlarge horse. Their curiosity piqued, they carefully followed the trail... until they heard the roar of a bear and the whinny of a horse! But something just did not feel right about the whole scenario... after that, in fact, another horse was heard, and then another, and another one...
Now seriously alarmed, my players hid themselves in bushes and peeked out, somewhat expecting to see the bear making a meal out of a dead horse...
And what they got, instead, was a bunch of two-headed horses devouring the STILL-LIVING BEAR!
The expressions on their faces were quite satisfying, to say the least...
Of course, they decided to turn tail and run... but the monsters were hot on their trail, and they had to fight them off. In the end, they killed four of these "blood stallions", and the others split before getting hurt all the more... but I got what I wanted: I shocked the players into complete disbelief!
Ah, good times...
Blood Stallion Truly nightmarish in appearence, this creature is a powerful, overlarge two-headed horse, its muscles developed to exaggerated proportions. A dirty white all over, it possesses a bifurcated, blood-red made which whips around incontrollably in its uncontrollable rage, and a nauseating mix of blood and froth drips from its fang-filled mouth. It gallops in a disorderly manner, and you can make out, behind the thin blanket of dust it kicks up, that its hooves are hollow and shaped like hooks, in some sort of mockery of a claw. It lets out a double whinny, which sounds more like a roar, before rushing in to attack!
Blood Stallion CR 5
Usually CE Large Magical Beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Listen +8, Spot +8 Defense AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +6 natural) hp 69 (6d10+36) Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +5 Special Qualities gallop Offense Spd 60 ft. Melee 2 bites +12 melee (1d8+7) and 2 hooves +4 melee (1d6+3) Space 10 ft; Reach 5 ft Special Attacks Devour, rend 2d8+10 Tactics Before Combat: A pack of blood stallions relies on numbers, sheer power and advantageous positions to bring their opponents down, therefore they will try to place themselves in places where they easily surround prey before charging in with ear-shattering neighs. A lone blood stallion is a lot more straight-forward, and will usually leap to attack as soon as it has an opponent in sight. They usually avoid opponents with superior numbers. During Combat: While intelligent, blood stallion are usually too blood-crazed to care about strategy. They go for the unarmored (or lightly-armored) foes first, bringing their hooked hooves and their vicious bites to bear. They take unholy delight in tearing off chunks of flesh from their opponents' bones, before feeding on them in front of their still-living foes. Morale: Blood stallions rarely retreat, unless most of their pack has been killed. They will try to stay in the fight as long as possible, if only to feast on an opponent's flesh and get a Constitution boost. Statistics Str 24, Dex 15, Con 23, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 16 Base Atk +6; Grp +17 Feats Multiattack, Power Attack, Run Skills Jump +20*, Listen +8, Spot +8, Survival +6 Languages none (understands Common) Ecology Environment Temperate swamps and forests Organization solitary or pack (2-8) Treasure none Advancement 7-12 HD (Large), 13-18 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities Devour (Ex): When a blood stallion scores a killing blow on an opponent (that is, a blow that brings its opponent to -10 hit points or fewer) with one of its bite attacks, it gains a temporary +4 enhancement bonus to its Constitution score for 1 hour. More killing blows during the course of the hour do not stack, but prolong the duration of the effect for 1 hour each. Gallop (Ex): A rider who succeeds at a DC 18 Handle Animal check can push a blood stallion to gallop, allowing it to reach amazing speed for a relatively long period of time. A gallopping blood stallion takes nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage when being pushed, and does not automatically fail Constitution checks under such circumstances. Rend (Ex): A blood stallion that successfully hits an opponent with both bite attacks in the same round latches to the opponent's body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically inflicts 2d8+10 points of additional damage. Skills: A blood stallion has a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks. Thanks to its Run feat, a blood stallion enjoys an additional +4 bonus to Jump checks when getting a running start.
An unusual, fierce and bloodthirsty beast, the blood stallion is a veritable corruption of the order of nature, a blight that devours anything smaller than itself that dares cross its way. Gifted with human-like intelligence despite their brutish appearence, blood stallions serve nobody save for those who can physically dominate them. A blood stallion accompanied by its rider is a truly heart-stopping sught even for the bravest adventurers, only matched by the sight of a pack of blood stallions' feeding frenzy. Rumors persist that these beasts are sacred to Karaan the Beast-God (see Book of Vile Darkness), but so far this has remained a simple theory.
Slightly larger and much heavier than a normal heavy warhorse, a blood stallion canot speak, but does understand Common. The very few who have a rider may understand snippets of other languages as well.
Ecology
Blood stallion are not easily placed in some kind of ecological system. They are a perversion of the natural cycle of nature, and very few beasts could match them in combat. In fact, the presence of a pack of blood stallions in an area can easily depopulate it in a matter of days, since these monsters have a ravenous appetite which requires them to consume huge amounts of flesh every day. Blood stallions are strictly carnivores, with a preference for reptiles, and especially snakes; but they do not pass up a chance to devour a human being, possibly a still-living one. They find the screams of sentient creatures to be particularily pleasurable, and delight in the feeling of quivering flesh and warm blood sliding down their dual gullets. Only in the most dire of circumstances will a blood stallion feed on carrions.
Habitat and Society
Blood stallions live in packs, led by an alpha male, just like wolves. However, their society is a lot less cooperative and orderly than that of wolves, with frequent power struggles and infighting for a better position. During the hunt, though, this all slips away, replaced by a terrifying ferocity and a surprisingly good teamwork that leaves little chance of escape for most creatures. When the prey has been brought low and devoured, however, any semblance of community gets immediately thrown away, in favour of a feeding frenzy that is hideous to behold.
Some blood stallions, unsatisfied with living in a pack, willingly abandon it. Such rogues are usually the ones who advance in Hit Dice, and will usually ally themselves with other evil wild creatures for the sake of spreading mayhem. They usually get into alliances with leucrottas (see Monsters of Faerun): the leucrotta removes an opponent's armor, leaving the blood stallion free to savage prey. Such alliances, however, are not known to be too stable, due to the chaotic and evil nature of the creatures.
Some blood stallion can be reared and trained by an evil individual who is sufficiently powerful as to cow them into servitude. To be trained, a blood stallion must first be made friendly towards the would-be rider (which can be done with a sufficiently high Diplomacy or Intimidate check). Then, a DC 25 Handle Animal check must be done, after a six-week period of training. Riding on a blood stallion requires an exotic saddle. A blood stallion can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider himself cannot attack unless he makes a Ride check.
Alignment Being creatures of relentless hunger and pointless destruction, blood stallions are usually chaotic evil, especially in the case of solitary rogue specimen. A blood stallion who is caught young and brought up by creatures of a different alignment might turn neutral, or even good, but such cases are rare, and the creature usually bolts back into the wild and succumbs to its vicious tendencies.
Treasure
Wild blood stallions don't have any treasure. They have no use for coin and gems, and lack the manipulative abilities to use most magic items. Sometimes, a rider might allow them to wear magic armor, or magical items made for horse-like creatures, but that's about it.
And yes, I did some misspelling in my previous post. I'll get around to it as soon as possible.
Anyway, my next creation is something a little more down-to-earth. A "simple" giant vermin, convertions of which I have never found in any rulebook or Dungeon/Dragon magazine. Since this is such a common creature, I spiced up my convertion by adding an advanced version of it, but it's still quite basic. So, don't expect too much.
To make up for the unimaginative nature of this new monster, the next one will be far, far, FAR more outlandish!It will take some time for it to come out, though. For now, I hope this vermin will do...
Giant Locust An overlarge locust, dull brown in colour with short antennae and sail-like wings, turns its head at you and stares blankly through its composed eyes.
Giant Locust CR 3
Always N Large Vermin
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft, Listen +3, Spot +7 Defense AC 17 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14 hp 34 (4d8+16) Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +4 Special Qualities jump Offense Spd 30 ft; flying 60 ft. (poor) Melee bite +7 melee (1d6+5) and 2 kicks +2 melee (1d6+2) Space 10 ft; Reach 5 ft Special Attacks trample 1d8+7 Tactics During Combat Being unintelligent, giant locusts have no strategy during a fight. They just go for the nearest opponent, kicking and biting madly at it in an attempt to bring it down or buy itself some time Morale Giant locusts dislike fighting and will much rather flee before a genuine menace. They try to jump and fly away to safety, only staying to fight if they have no other option. Even then, they flee the first chance they get. Statistics Str 21, Dex 16, Con 18, Int -, Wis 16, Cha 5 Base Atk +3; Grp +12 Feats none Skills Hide +3, Jump +25*, Listen +3, Spot +7 Languages none Ecology Environment temperate and warm plains, hills and deserts Organization solitary, cluster (2-8), colony (6-12) or swarm (20-50) Treasure none Advancement 5-8 HD (Large); 9-12 HD (Huge)
Special Abilities Trample (Ex): 1d8+7 points of damage, Reflex DC 17 for half. The save DC is Strength-based Skills: Giant locusts have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks because of their neutral colours, and a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks because of their composed eyes. Giant locusts are also natural born jumpers, and have a +20 racial bonus on all Jump checks.
These creatures are the bane of cultivations and of anyone who depends on them to survive, to the point where they are considered a divine punishment. Quite unaggressive by themselves, they yearly gather into huge swarms, flying over miles of land and devouring all they find.
Ecology
Giant locusts are omnivores, though they prefer plant matter, and are especially dangerous for grain and other cereals. They are also unusual among giant vermin in that they do not pass through a larval stage - instead, they hatch as "nymphs", smaller and unfinished versions of their adult selves who gather in small bands until they are strong enough to survive on their own. They can breed rapidly under under suitable conditions, and become gregarious and migratory. During migration periods, they experience a slight physical change, becoming more colourful and at the same time more aggressive.
Lots of carnivoures prey on giant locusts, which explains their quick reproduction rate. Other than dragons, rocs, cloud mantas, larger vermin and such predators, they are also considered to be a delicacy by desert-dwelling human tribes.
Habitat and Society
Giant locusts are simple, mindless creatures. They do not have a society to call their own and live as simple parasites. However, for reason that have yet to be determined, giant locusts are sometimes compelled to gather into swarms and migrate long distances, even flying above entire oceans and continents (giant locusts are resistant, while hardly agile, flyers), rapidly stripping fields and greatly damaging crops.
Treasure
Needless to say, giant locusts do not have any treasure. They neither have the mental ability to recognize it, nor the means to gather it.
ADVANCED VERSION Advanced Celestial Giant Locust Divine Scourge Locust CR 8
Always LG Huge Magical Beast (Extraplanar)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft, Listen +3, Spot +7 Defense AC 18 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16 hp 126 (12d8+72) Fort +14, Ref +6, Will +7 Damage reduction 10/magic; SR 17; Resist acid, cold and electricity 10; Special Qualities jump Offense Spd 40 ft; flying 70 ft. (poor) Melee bite +17 melee (1d8+10) and 2 kicks +12 melee (1d8+5) Space 15 ft; Reach 10 ft Special Attacks smite evil, trample 2d6+15 Tactics During Combat Both cannier and more combat-capable than a "normal" giant locust, divine scourge locusts use numbers and flanking positions to take down enemies, attacking like a well-organized pack of wolves. They have a basic understanding of Celestial, and if summoned by another creature, will obey orders at the best of their abilities. They usually try to use their smite evil ability on the opponent that looks nastier. Morale A divine scourge locust usually stays in the fight a lot more than its mundane counterpart, only retreating after its hit points have been lowered to a dangerous level. They re also more aggressive, and will usually attack evil (especially demons) on sight Statistics Str 30, Dex 15, Con 22, Int 3, Wis 16, Cha 5 Base Atk +9; Grp +27 Feats none Skills Hide +2, Jump +30*, Listen +3, Spot +7 Languages none (has a basic understanding of Celestial) Ecology Environment Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia Organization solitary, cluster (2-8), colony (6-12) or swarm (20-50) Treasure none Advancement -
Special Abilities Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a divine scourge locust can make a normal melee attack to deal 12 extra damage to an evil foe. Trample (Ex): 2d6+10 points of damage, Reflex DC 26 for half. The save DC is Strength-based Skills: Divine scourge locusts have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks because of their neutral colours, and a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks because of their composed eyes. Divine scourge locusts are also natural born jumpers, and have a +20 racial bonus on all Jump checks.
A divine scourge locust is a particularly large, powerful extraplanar insect normally used as a punishment for tyrannical rulers and slavers. Descending down in a cloud of righteous fury, swarms of these dreaded bugs devour supplies and destroy armies, reminding such haughty oppressors that no evil deed goes unnoticed by the forces of good. The orderly, split-second precise coordination of a swarm of divine scourge locusts is a sight for the eyes, if one is not on the receiving side of their attack.
A divine scourge locust looks very much like an "ordinary" giant locust, but is much larger and its exoskeleton has a golden or silver sheen to it.
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Nothing special, was it?
Anyway, next time we'll take a look at the convertion of something veteran D&D players might have memories of. Yes indeed, guys, an old acquaintance from the earlier versions has decided to come back for an encore! Although, when you actually meet it, you'll probably be the ones performing an encore for IT instead...
Hmmm, did I tip you off?
We'll see... hopefully in a few weeks' time, the new conversion will be ready!
I like that your templated giant locust was, in fact, celestial. Fiendish seemed the easy way out.
Have you ever seen the movie Beginning of the End? A low-grade rip-off of Them!, with giant rear-projected locusts taking the place of giant animatronic ants. I did a conversion of those giant grasshoppers a long time ago in my Mystery Science Theater Monster Project, a netbook of monsters inspired by terrible movies.
I like that your templated giant locust was, in fact, celestial. Fiendish seemed the easy way out.
Have you ever seen the movie Beginning of the End? A low-grade rip-off of Them!, with giant rear-projected locusts taking the place of giant animatronic ants. I did a conversion of those giant grasshoppers a long time ago in my Mystery Science Theater Monster Project, a netbook of monsters inspired by terrible movies.
I liked the celestial locust as well. The description is pretty good!
demiurge, is that MST netbook available somewhere?
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