Low level encounter - monster suggestions

[Xilo]

Hi,

I'm in the process of writing my first ever adventure. It will be for 2 or 3 PCs of either 1st or 2nd level.

I'm after suggestions for a creature that will use macigal circumstances for it's own ends, but isn't smart or skilled enough to have created a them itself.

Basically the PCs are investigating a abandoned wizards lab. A number of people have gone missing and what ever has been left behind is doing the killing.

Thoughts?

 

[Asmor]

Kobolds. 'Nuff said.

 

[Land Outcast]

Gerard felt wet warm liquid bathe his back... sh*t! 'tis blood!
He turns around, drawing the sword with lighting-speed...
Rodigan is standing behind him, as he was supposed to... but with a gaping hole on the middle of his chest. The corpse falls.
It seems like the burnt corpse they saw at the entrance wasn't a corpse at all... a humanoid figure, completly charred, is kneeling over the body, as the blood from Rodigan flows up it's clawed arm, the burnt crusts give away to reveal fiery skin.
The beast rises it's head to look at the remaining human in the eye, the blazing greenish unholy light in it's eyes are foretelling doom for Gerard...

[sblock=CR 2]Fiendish Peitioner
Medium Outsider
HD 2d8+6; hp 15;
Initiative +3;
Speed 50 ft.;
Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.;
AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12;
Base Atack +2; Grapple +5;
Full Atack Claw +6 melee (1d6+2);
SA Smite good;
SQ Low-light vision, scent, Darkvision 60 ft, resistance to cold 5 and fire 5,SR 7;
Alignament Lawful Evil;
Saves Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +4;
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +8, Listen +6, Move Silently +8, Spot +6, Survival +6*
Feats: Track, Weapon Focus (claw)

Skills: *Fiendish Peitioners have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.
Smite Good(Su): Once per day a Fiendish Peitioner can make a normal melee attack to deal +2 extra damage against a good foe

Has the Stats for a Fiendish Wolf (CR 1), with no Trip Special Attack
but with Outsider traits, a +4 to Intelligence, and a +2 Str, Con, Dex[/sblock]

 

[Xilo]

Wow, that looks like a nasty piece of work. I'll be sure to use it at some point, though maybe not quite yet.

 

[Land Outcast]

Sorry, I tend to forget the differences between normal 1st levels and the 1st levels in the party I'm DMing (whiners, stats built with 12 modifiers)

Then just throw some kobolds... but not kobolds, something more fun, like...

Small skinny humanoids with bone spurs protuding from their forearms...

or go with kobalds... they've got the same stats after all

 

[Xilo]

Yeah I am going to go with Kobolds, and I was thinking a slightly higher CR creature but one that has a disability. For example a creature on 1/2 HP due to a previous encounter. Not to sure how that would work out in XP, but it would flesh things out a little more. That or the good old rat.

 

[Land Outcast]

Good idea, what about a Lizardfolk at the rearguard head of the kobolds?

 

[Xilo]

Good idea, what about a Lizardfolk at the rearguard head of the kobolds?

I think having lizard folk there will make the kobolds a little too structured. I'm kind of making the creatures here a bit random, almost like they shouldn't really be there. The only reason they are is due to this wizard who has now disapeared.

But I'll put lizardfolk on the list to use as well.

 

[Kunimatyu]

A choker. It's been experimented on in the wizard's lab, and now that the lab is in ruins, it just hides and picks off people who wander in.

 

[Herobizkit]

I like the kobolds (although I prefer Goblins myself), but what if said Kobolds came across a a bunch of magical clockwork "toys"? Basically, take any tiny or small animal or humanoid and apply the Construct template to it, or use the Animated Object monster type. Why toys, you ask? Make your missing wizard the equivalent of an evil Santa Claus in the service of Nerull (or your campaign's own God/dess of Death). The kobolds see the toys, get curious, wind them up or what have you and then... chaos. The PC's might even consider a temporary alliance with the kobolds in order to overcome the difficulty of beating up miniature constructs...

If your PC's think this idea is too silly, send an army of said toys into a town and watch the fireworks.