The What Is It? Contest 3

[Mark Chance]

It's time for a third What Is It? Contest. This time the prize is again unlimited bragging rights for having the best monster as judged by the votes of your peers plus any one PDF from my catalog. The picture at the right for WIIC3 comes from FreakyGaming.com.

The Rules

1. One submission per entrant.

2. Post a complete stat block and fluff text for the creature depicted above in this thread using the standard format for PF monsters. Also, include at least two plot hooks for the monster.

3. Your work must be your own and cannot use anyone's Product Identity or Closed Content material.

4. The deadline is 31 March 2011. After this, all entries are considered final.

5. A winner will be chosen via a poll set up in another thread. This poll will remain open until approximately 8 April 2011.

6. All entrants retain rights to their submissions.

The Prizes
1. The winner chosen by poll gets to brag about awesome his or her monster is.

2. The winner will receive a copy of any one PDF from my catalog. Reception of the PDF is contingent on me having a valid email address for the winner.

 

[Walking Dad]

After hearing heavy blows from the other side, the wall finally falls apart, revealing a hulking human shape with a strange rotten skin color and dead eyes...

Fungal Zombie - Wrecker CR 7
XP 3200

NE Large plant (augmented human)

Init +0; Senses low-light vision; Perception +0

[SIZE=-2]DEFENSE[/SIZE]
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (+0 Dex, +11 natural, -1 size)
hp 90 (12d8+36)

Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +3;
Defensive Abilities plant traits, mindless; DR 10/slashing;
Weaknesses vulnerability to fire

[SIZE=-2]OFFENSE[/SIZE]
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +14 (1d8+5 plus disease)
Ranged rock +9 (1d8+7)
Space 10 ft.Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks rock throwing (120 ft.), spore burst, trample (1d8+7 plus disease, DC 21)

[SIZE=-2]STATISTICS[/SIZE]
Str 21, Dex 10, Con 17, Int - , Wis 10, Cha 10;
Base Atk +9; CMB 17; CMD 28

FeatsB Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)
Languages -
SQ double damage against objects

[SIZE=-2]ECOLOGY[/SIZE]
Environment any
Organization solitary or hive (2-7)
Treasure none

[SIZE=-2]SPECIAL ABILITIES[/SIZE]

Spore Burst (Ex)
When a fungal zombie dies, it explodes in a burst of spores. All creatures adjacent to the fungal zombie are exposed to its plague as if struck by a slam attack and must make a Fortitude save or contract fungal rot.

Disease (Su)
The slam attack — as well as any other natural attacks — of a fungal zombie carries the fungal rot disease.

Fungal rot: slam; save Fort DC 11; onset 1d4 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d2 Con, this damage cannot be healed while the creature is infected; cure 2 consecutive saves. Any humanoid who dies while infected transforms to a fungal zombie in 2d6 hours.

Background:
No one is sure how it happened. The first victims of the 'plague' or whatever it is was a farmer and his family from a remote farm. But it quickly spread, as the infected rose again, bashing through every barrier, not stopped by arrow or prayer. The only thing that seems reliable and working seems to set them afire, as the fungal fibers that fill most of their body burn rapidly.
Their origin? Maybe some brave soul will find out, before everything is to late.


Hooks: (all hooks can and should be combined in many different ways, chosen by the DM.)
What is it's origin? - Where did they come from? A stone from a far away planet, carrying deadly spores? Strange aberrations from another plane sending the first wave to conquer this plane? A cult of a demonic plant entity trying to convert the material plane to the new layer of their lord?

Could they be healed? - Can the heroes really slay everyone when their is the 'risk' of a cure. What if the cure requires a far travel or some components not available on the material plane?

This thing seems rather specialized. - This zombie seems to work like a living wrecking machine, 'designed' to destroy buildings and other fortifications. Are their more kinds of them? Waves with other specialized functions, controlled by some hidden force?


Story use: An 'undead' plague that isn't quickly countered by clerics channeling their positive energies or using the many undead specific spells to ward them of. Also another origin than a necromancer raising an army to destroy everything.

 

[ruemere]

I'll reserve an alchemist then: Hyde, the Overboard Edition.

Regards,
Ruemere

 

[TroyXavier]

I think I might try this one.

 

[Mark Chance]

I think I might try this one.

Please do. The more the merrier.

 

[Dog Moon]

I'll reserve an alchemist then: Hyde, the Overboard Edition.

Regards,
Ruemere

Haha. That's sorta what I'd thought of immediately upon seeing the picture.

I might jump in this too. If I can find an idea beyond the alchemist.

 

[ruemere]

I've had like four different ideas since. It's hard to decide which one is going to be finalized, so feel free to use alchemist concept.

Especially since my current favorite is a parasite.

Regards,
Ruemere

 

[Mark Chance]

I might jump in this too. If I can find an idea beyond the alchemist.

I've had like four different ideas since.

Ooh! More interest!

Keep in mind we have a little under two weeks left. Plenty of time to get a monster statted and posted.

 

[Mark Chance]

The end-of-March deadline loometh!

 

[Scott DeWar]

looming deadline

the end-of-march deadline loometh!

thursday, march 31