Converting monsters from Tales From The Infinite Staircase

[Cleon]

Taker of Life Water Creation Homebrew

Original Stats
For some reason better left to sages to ponder, the brackish water held between the various ridges of the demiplane has attained a sort of sentience. The humans living on the demiplane call the water Death-Below-From-Above, or simply the Taker of Life. Disturbed only by the movement of the valgoss, the slaiyiths, and the rain which feeds the water being’s substance, the unmoving water possesses the capability to form solid extensions of itself. These extensions can take the form of huge grasping arms or even what appears to be the upper torso of a humanoid figure, complete with two arms and a menacing face made of black water. The arms can grasp with a Strength of 18/75, strike with powerful blows, or cast spells as 5th-level clerics (see statistics below). The extensions can reach about six feet from the surface of the water, although they may have spells which can affect foes at a much greater range.

All the water on the plane is a single, ultra-powerful entity, but each extension exists as an individual creature—if the extension is destroyed, the Taker of Life cannot create a new extension in that area for 10+3d6 minutes. The Taker of Life, as a whole, lies beyond the capacity of the PCs to affect unless they can destroy an entire plane’s worth of water.

Malicious and evil, the Taker of Life attacks any who come near it, seeking to drag them down into its own watery mass. Those in the water cannot perceive the creature’s extension well enough to fight it—it’s too dark and too difficult to distinguish the solid water from the rest—and the “creature” automatically hits those in the water. Its favorite tactic is simply to use its strength to hold foes underneath the water and drown them. The Taker of Life is happy, however, to kill foes above the surface outright and pull their corpses into the water. Either way, its victims are never seen again; the water somehow absorbs them—body and soul. Those slain by the Taker of Life cannot be raised or resurrected if it manages to drag them into its own watery mass.

TAKER OF LIFE WATER CREATION: AC 1; MV 12 (surface of water only), Sw 36; HD 9; hp 45; THAC0 11; #AT 1; Dmg 2d6; SA casts spells as a 5th-level cleric; SD +1 or better weapon to hit, immune to fire; SW Lower water, transmute water to dust, part water, and similar spells inflict 1d8 points of damage per spell level; MR 10%; SZ M (6’ above the water’s surface); ML fearless (20); Int genius (18); AL NE; XP 5,000.

Typical spell selection (5/5/2): 1st—cause light wounds, command, curse, darkness, magical stone; 2nd—enthrall, heat metal, hold person (x2), silence 15-foot radius; 3rd—call lightning, summon insects

Homebrew Conversion

Taker of Life
Medium Outsider (Evil, Native, Water)
Hit Dice: 9d8+27 (67 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft. (4 squares), swim 90 ft.
Armor Class: 19 (+3 Dex, +6 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+14
Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d6+5)
Full Attack: 2 slams +14 melee (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Absorb victim, spells
Special Qualities: Amorphous, damage reduction 10/magic, immunity to fire, invisibility in water, outsider traits, rejuvenation, spell resistance 13, vulnerability to water magic, waterbound, watersense
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +9
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 14
Skills: Balance +5, Concentration +15, Hide +15, Intimidate +14, Jump +7, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Knowledge (nature) +16, Knowledge (religion) +16, Listen +16, Move Silently +15, Spellcraft +18, Spot +16, Tumble +15, Swim +25
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Environment: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 10–12 HD (Medium); 13–17 HD (Large); 18–27 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

The black water surges upward as if the liquid itself had come alive. Its form shifts constantly, one moment it’s a single writhing limb, the next moment it’s a vaguely humanoid torso with grasping hands and a rippling face.

The greatest threat to life on the plane of Maelost is an evil entity that infuses every body of water on the plane of Maelost. The local Hanim tribesfolk call this being Death-Below-From-Above or simply the Taker of Life. Innately hostile, the Taker of Life wishes to kill and absorb any living creature it can reach. However, it greatly fears the power of the master slaiyiths and never attacks a creature under their protection – a category which includes all slaiyith, the symbiotic valgoss worms, or any creature who hosts a valgoss.

Creatures absorbed by the Taker of Life are dissolved into the water, body and soul, and cannot be raised from the dead by normal means.

As a whole, The Taker of Life is no more capable of action that a pond. When it wishes to attack it solidifies part of its liquid body into a “water creation” able to strike blows and cast spells. The stats above detail these water creations. The Taker itself is too vast and diffuse to be destroyed by any conventional means.

A typical Taker of Life Water Creation is roughly 6 feet tall or long and weighs about 280 pounds.

Combat
A Taker of Life water creation hides invisibly in the water until a living creature comes within reach, then emerges to attack. It often uses hold person to prevent opponents moving away or command to order a victim to come closer. They routinely cast deathwatch on themselves and concentrate their efforts on killing creatures the spell reveals to be close to death.

Water creations fight until they're destroyed. The Taker of Life just uses its rejuvenation power to create a replacement.

Absorb Victim (Su): A Taker of Life water creation can drag the body of a dead creature into its depths and dissolve it in 1 round. No trace of the corpse is left, so it cannot be returned to life by raise dead or resurrection; methods that do not require any remains will work, such as miracle, true resurrection or wish.

The Taker of Life absorbs part of the soul or spirit of any creature it dissolves. An absorbed victim cannot be returned to life by a reincarnate spell or contacted via speak with dead.

Amorphous (Ex): A Taker of Life water creation is not subject to critical hits and cannot be flanked.

Invisibility in Water (Ex): The Taker of Life's water creation is indistinguishable from water. A water creation that is submerged underwater is invisible

Rejuvenation (Ex): The Taker of Life's essence permeates every open body of water on Maelost. The water creation is merely a solid "extension" of the Taker. If it is destroyed, the Taker will form a new water creation 3d6+10 minutes later. The reformed water creation appears with full hit points and a full spell selection (which need not be the same spells as it had prepared for its last incarnation). A Taker of Life can deliberately dissipate its water creation as a standard action, forming a new water creation after a 3d6+10 minute delay.

Abilities that imprison life forces such as trap the soul will "kill" a Taker of Life and force it to form a new water creation instead of capturing the Taker's essence.

Spells: A Taker of Life water creation casts spells as a 5th-level cleric with the Death and Destruction domains. It can choose its spells from the cleric list or the druid list.

The Taker of Life can spontaneously cast inflict wounds spells like a cleric able to channel negative energy.

Typical Spells Prepared (5/4+1/3+1/2+1; save DC 13 + spell level, 15
0—create water (×2), detect magic (×2), resistance;
1st—bane, command (DC 14), deathwatch, inflict light wounds*, protection from good;
2nd—death knell* (DC 15), hold person (DC 15), silence (DC 15), summon swarm;
3rd—call lightning (DC 16), contagion* (DC 16), deeper darkness.

Vulnerability To Water Magic (Ex): Spells that destroy or manipulate water, such as the control water spell, will inflict 1d8 damage per spell level (no save) if cast on a Taker of Life water creation, in addition to any normal effects the spell might have upon water-based creatures.

Waterjoined (Ex): The Taker of Life is bonded to an area of water. Indeed it is part of that water, given solidity and animation by the malign essence that taints most standing water in Maelost. The water creation cannot willingly separate itself from its main body of water. If forcibly separated by some means, the water creation instantly reverts to liquid water and starts flowing downhill. If this liquid form reaches the main body of water by the Taker of Life's next turn the water creation will resolidify (the liquid form can flow up to 30 ft. in this time). If it cannot rejoin its main body in time the water creation is destroyed and starts using its Rejuvenation ability (see above) to reform.

Watersense (Ex): The Taker of Life is aware of everything that happens in the body of water it is part of, as if it were sensing the water with Blindsight.

Waterwalking (Ex): A Taker of Life water creation can move across water as if it is using the water walk spell. This ability cannot be dispelled or countered.

Skills: A Taker of Life water creation has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Originally appeared in Tales From the Infinite Staircase (1998) in Tale 3: Lord of Worms

 

[Cleon]

Dark Dweller Portion Homebrew

Original Stats
**I'm leaving off the description, since this post is long enough already!**

SINGLE PORTION OF THE DARK DWELLER: AC 4; MV 36; HD 10+3; hp 58; THAC0 9; #AT 6; Dmg Nil or 1d6 (constriction); SA Successful hit can grasp opponent with 25 Strength, can use ESP, know alignment, confusion, dispel magic, slow, and fear at will, one per round; SD immune to heat and flame; SZ G (15’ tendrils connected to a larger tendril which connects to the rest of the creature); ML fearless (20); Int genius (18); AL NG; XP 7,000.

Notes: This is only one portion of a creature that spans most of the plane of Maelost. Maelost is about 120 miles across, but the space warps back on itself—so does the Dark Dweller.

Homebrew Conversion

Dark Dweller Portion
Huge Outsider (Native)
Hit Dice: 10d8+40 (85 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 90 ft. (18 squares), burrow 10 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+25
Attack: Tendril +15 melee (1d6+7)
Full Attack: 6 tendrils +15 melee (1d6+7)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 1d6+7, improved grab, perfect grappler, spell-like abilities, wall of tendrils
Special Qualities: All-around vision, blind, blindsight 60 ft., chthonic gestalt, immunity to fire, soulprobe, squeeze, telepathy 100 ft., the scouring, thoughtsight 60 ft., tremorsense 300 ft., tunnel trek
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +11
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 20
Skills: Concentration +17, Escape Artist +15, Hide +7, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +17, Knowledge (geography) +17, Knowledge (nature) +19, Knowledge (the planes) +17, Listen +17, Move Silently +15, Search +8, Spellcraft +19 (+21 deciphering scrolls), Spot +8, Survival +17 (+19 when aboveground, underground, or on other planes; +19 finding paths & avoiding natural hazards), Use Magic Device +20 (+22 with scrolls)
Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Disarm, Lightning Reflexes
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, node (2–5) or cluster (6–20)
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral good
Advancement: 11–15 HD (Huge); 16–30 HD (Gargantuan); 31+ HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: —

Something immense writhes out of the ground. A loose-woven bundle of fleshy tendrils interspersed with slimy organs, six of the thickest tendrils reach out from the mass like ropy tentacles. Whatever the thing is it has a foul, earthy stench.

The Dark Dweller is a singular entity of astonishing size, a vast underground network of ropey tendrils and pulsing organs that spans the entire plane of Maelost. The Dweller's fleshy tendrils range in thickness from the width of a hair to many feet. Most of the tendrils are as immobile as the roots of a tree, but parts of its body are capable of moving with astonishing speed and it is these "portions" whose statistics are presented here.

The Dark Dweller has constructed a system of 5-foot wide tunnels and fetid caves that honeycombs Maelost. Some of these tunnels open to the surface and allow the Dweller to communicate with creatures that dwell above ground. The Hanim who dwell on Maelost's surface believe the Dark Dweller inhabits these tunnels, but it is possible (indeed probable) that the bulk of the Dweller's body actually grows through the earth like the subterranean threads of a fungus. The Dark Dweller can use these tunnels to transport portions of itself around Maelost as incredible speed, sometimes carrying allies with them.

Despite its weird appearance and terrifying power, the Dark Dweller is a benevolent being. Its main concern is defending Maelost from being polluted by supernatural "contaminants" from other planes. The Dweller's alien mindset mean it cannot explain the nature of these "contaminants" to normal creatures. and a creature would need a world-spanning intellect like the Dweller's to even understand the explanation. It has implied these pollutants created the Taker of Life, an evil force that animates the waters of Maelost. To cleanse this contamination, the Dark Dweller has developed a special ability it calls the "Scouring".

Whenever an intelligent creature approaches the entrance to one of the Dark Dweller's tunnels, a portion of the Dweller reaches out with its tendrils and draws them inside to an antechamber – typically a 50 ft. spherical cavern about 500 ft. from the entrance. The Dweller then examines the creature with it Soulprobe ability. Good or neutral creatures are offered a deal – if they consent to undergo the Scouring, the Dark Dweller will use its Tunnel Trek ability to transport them anywhere on Maelost whenever they wish. Creatures who accept are transported deeper inside the tunnels to a ceremonial chamber to receive the Scouring, creatures who refuse are returned to the surface unharmed. If the Dweller discovers an evil creature it immediately returns them to the surface without offering them Scouring. Should the evil creature attack or refuse to leave, the dark dweller portion attempts to kill the interloper.

The Scouring permanently burns away every hair on the subject's body and consumes flammable non-magical objects. The Dark Dweller will not mention this to visitors, as it is irrelevant to the creature, but the Hanim may warn planewalkers to divest themselves of clothing and wooden or leather goods before accepting the Dark Dweller's gift. The Dark Dweller will Tunnel Trek a Scoured creature through its domain as many times as they wish, to whichever tunnel mouth is most convenient for their desired destination. It only applies a couple of restrictions. First, it always Soulprobes travelers, and turns away any Scoured creature that has gained an evil alignment. Second, a Scoured creature may pick up more extraplanar "contaminants" if they leave the plane of Maelost, in which case the Dark Dweller will insist they undergo Scouring again before it allows them passage.

A typical dark dweller portion is a few feet in diameter and at least 30 feet long, weighing about 5,000 pounds. The Dark Dweller itself encompasses the whole 120 mile width of Maelost. The plane of Maelost wraps back upon itself like a Möbius strip, and so does the Dark Dweller.

The Dark Dweller is mute but can communicate using telepathy. It will use Soulprobe before it talks, to determine the other creature's alignment and motives.

Combat
The Dark Dweller will go to great lengths to avoid harming a good or neutral creature. If attacked by a good or neutral creature (or one whose alignment the Dark Dweller is unsure of), a dark dweller portion will seize them in its tendrils and attempt to pin them without doing any damage (either slam or constriction), or possible use its fear spell-like ability to try to put its attacker to flight. A dark dweller portion will usually retreat rather than harm a good creature. It can block off pursuit by raising a Wall of Tendrils or, in extremis, collapsing a tunnel behind itself.

The Dark Dweller has no compunctions against killing truly evil creatures, and will reluctantly fight neutral creatures who insist on attacking its portions. In a "serious" fight a dark dweller portion will grab opponents with its tendrils and constrict them with all its strength. It will cast confusion or slow upon its enemies and trap them with a Wall of Tendrils.

Dark dweller portions often use their Improved Disarm feat (+27 check modifier) to try to remove weapons from their opponents. Remember they can use an attack of opportunity to make a disarm attempt.

Enemy spellcasters may be countered by a dark dweller portion's dispel magic ability. If a dark dweller portion is seriously impaired by an opponent's special attack it might use its Scouring ability on itself to remove the affect.

A dark dweller portion often fights until destroyed. It is not "fighting to the death" since, from the perspective of the Dark Dweller, the destruction of a single portion is no more meaningful than the loss of a hair would be to a human.

If a dark dweller portion survives a battle, it will want to gather up the bodies of any slain opponents and reduce them to ash with its Scouring ability.

All-Around Vision (Ex): A dark dweller portion’s senses work in all directions simultaneously, providing a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks. A dark dweller portion can’t be flanked.

Blind (Ex): A dark dweller portion is immune to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.

Constrict (Ex): A dark dweller portion deals 1d6+7 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Chthonic Gestalt (Ex): A dark dweller portion is merely a fragment of a single entity, the Dark Dweller. Most of the Dark Dweller is a web of subterranean fibres, most as fine as a hair, that spans the entire Underdark of Maelost. These fibres have tremorsense, so the Dark Dweller is aware of anything that moves underground in Maelost.

Every dark dweller portion is linked to the rest of the Dark Dweller by a myriad of subterranean tendrils, A portion must remain connected to these fibres, so is unable to leave the underworld. All dark dweller portions are in constant communication through these fibres. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No portion in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.

Each dark dweller portion is treated as a separate creature by attacks despite it technically being part of a single being. Should an opponent gain influence over a portion or access to its senses or thoughts (via domination, charm, mind probe or similar powers), the Dark Dweller will isolate it. An isolated portion cannot use its Scouring, Tunnel Trek or Spell-Like Abilities. An isolated portion's communications with other dark dweller portions (see previous paragraph) becomes one-way only. The isolated portion cannot sense other portions of the Dark Dweller, but the other portions can sense what it is doing. The Dark Dweller knows everything that any of its portions knows.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the dark dweller portion must hit an opponent of any size with a tendril 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 establishes a hold and can constrict.

Perfect Grappler (Ex): A dark dweller portion can grapple a single opponent of any size or up to six opponents up to two sizes smaller than itself – one opponent in each tendril. The portion rolls separate grapple checks against each opponent when grappling multiple opponents. If a portion holds an opponent with more than one tendril it gains a +2 bonus on its grapple check per tendril (e.g. +6 for three tendrils). A dark dweller portion can choose to hold on to an opponent with a tendril while remaining ungrappled itself without taking any penalty on its grapple checks (instead of the normal –20 penalty).

Soulprobe (Su): A dark dweller portion can probe the mind and spirit of a creature it is in contact with (such as a grappled opponent). The creature can negate this probing with a DC 20 Will check, but the portion can try again an unlimited number of times. If probed successfully, the dark dweller gains considerable knowledge of the creature. It determines the creature's alignment, mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha), personality, and its current desires and goals. This gives the dark dweller a +4 circumstance bonus on all Cha-bases skill checks against the probed creature, plus a +8 circumstance bonus on Sense Motive checks.

Soulprobing also reveals any natural or supernatural afflictions a creature has, including the mysterious "contaminants" the Dark Dweller is so concerned about. If it detects any "contaminants", the Dweller usually offers to cleanse the creature with its Scouring ability.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will—confusion (DC 19), dispel magic, slow (DC 18), or fear (DC 19). Caster level equals Hit Dice (minimum CL 10th). The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Squeeze (Ex): A dark dweller portion can freely move and fight through any opening large enough to pass a Medium creature. It can squeeze through openings a Small creature can fit through with a DC 30 Escape Artist check.

The Scouring (Sp): This powerful cleansing ability uses a mixture of elemental forces and positive energy that literally burns away impurities. The Scouring can eliminate all manner of mundane and magical impurities, including extraplanar "contaminants" that are incomprehensible to creatures without the Dark Dweller’s vast consciousness. These energies infuse and cleanse a dark dweller portion’s body, and the portion can extend the Scouring’s energies to include any creature or object it is grappling. However, it will only Scour non-evil creatures who consent to the process. Recipients of the Scouring sense it as a dazzling blast of light and heat.

The Scouring is the equivalent of a 9th level spell. The effective caster level of a single dark dweller portion’s Scouring is equal to its Hit Dice (usually 10), but the Dark Dweller normally performs Scourings in special ceremonial chambers which allow it to concentrate the strength of many portions into a single Scouring, with an effective CL equal to the HD of the most powerful dark dweller portion participating plus one-third the combined HD of the other portions. A typical Ceremonial Scouring may involve one 20 HD portion and nine 10 HD portions, giving it a CL of 50, but the Dark Dweller can easily gather many more portions if it desires a higher CL. Any save DCs are Charisma-based. A Ceremonial Scouring uses the highest Charisma score among the participating dark dweller portions as well as any applicable feats (such as Spell Penetration) they might have.

Scouring has the following effects:

Any nonmagical flammable object is disintegrated, as per the spell, appearing to burn to ash in the blink of an eye. Despite the sensation of intense heat, it does not ignite incendiary materials or explosives and the destroyed object will not damage anything it is in contact with (such as a creature). Creatures, non-cursed magical items, and incombustible materials are never damaged by Scouring.

A creature subjected to Scouring feels a blast of intense heat which sears away any hair, feathers or the like they may have. A creature’s hair/fur/feathers will never grow back naturally after being Scoured, but a heal, limited wish or regenerate spell can restore them to their normal growth.

The Scouring automatically annihilates all mundane diseases, poisons and harmful parasites. It ignores harmless parasites and symbiotes.

The Scouring can neutralize or remove curses, supernatural diseases, arcane poisons, harmful enchantments, and any similar afflictions. For each such effect, the Scouring must succeed at a caster level check to remove it (DC 10 + caster level or Hit Dice of the effect).

The Scouring can remove the curse component from cursed magical items, although it has no effect on cursed artifacts. The cursed magic item must make a successful Will save or be stripped of its curse. The item either becomes an equivalent normal magic item (e.g. a berserking sword would turn into a +2 greatsword, a cloak of vermin into a +4 cloak of resistance and so on) or is turned into a mundane item (e.g. a stone of weigh becomes an ordinary loadstone). If the newly mundane item is flammable, it is liable to be burned to ash during the Scouring (e.g. a robe of powerlessness would become an ordinary robe and be promptly incinerated). This “un-cursing” will never turn a cursed item into a magic item of higher value. For example, it will turn a ring of clumsiness (500 gp) into an ordinary masterwork ring, not the ring of feather falling (2,200 gp) that cursed ring functions as, since a ring of feather falling is more expensive.

A creature with the Evil subtype who does not have an evil alignment can submit to Scouring and have their Evil subtype removed. The creature must consent and succeed at a DC 20 Will save.

Thoughtsight (Su): A dark dweller portion can “see” thoughts in a 60 ft. radius sphere. It can pinpoint the position of any conscious creature with an Intelligence scores of 1 or higher within this area and determine their Intelligence score. The portion can read the surface thoughts of any thinking mind in the area (Will save DC 20 negates, but the portion can try again as a standard action an unlimited number of times). Thoughtsight can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Unlike the read thoughts psionic power, the dark dweller portion does not risk being stunned if it reads an Intelligence at least 10 points higher than itself with thoughtsight.

Tunnel Trek (Su): A dark dweller portion can turn itself incorporeal and travel through its tunnel network at speeds of up to 2700 feet per round (300 mph, or 5 miles per minute). A Tunnel Trekking dark dweller portion can transport as many creatures or objects as it can carry (a typical portion can carry up to 3200 pounds as a heavy load). Anything the portion carries also turns incorporeal when the portion Tunnel Treks. A dark dweller portion can Tunnel Trek unwilling creatures by grappling them. It must succeed at a grapple check every round it transports an unwilling creature or the creature escapes the portion's hold, returns to corporeality, and is left behind as the dark dweller portion Tunnel Treks away.

Wall Of Tendrils (Ex): A dark dweller portion can raise walls of root-like tendrils. It can create as many 10-by-10-by-5-foot blocks of tendrils as it has tendril attacks (normally six). A wall of tendrils need not be continuous; the blocks can be placed separately wherever the dark dweller portion wishes. The tendril blocks can be raised anywhere the dark dweller portion can sense with its 300 ft. tremorsense, even if there's hundreds of feet of earth or stone blocking the portion's line-of-effect. A dark dweller portion cannot raise a wall of tendrils on the far side of a barrier of hard granite, iron, or any other material with a hardness of 8 or more.

The maximum number of wall of tendril blocks a dark dweller portion can have at any one time equals the portion's hit points divided by five (17 blocks for a typical portion).

Each block of a wall of tendrils has 10 hit points, hardness 5, and a Break DC equal to 10 plus half the portion's Hit Dice plus its Strength modifier (22 for a typical portion). The dark dweller portion is connected to its wall of tendrils by hair-thin underground fibres. It immediately senses if any of the blocks take damage. If a block is destroyed, the dark dweller portion takes 5 hit points of damage.

A dark dweller portion can re-absorb a wall of tendrils using the same procedure as it raises them, only in reverse.

Advanced Dark Dweller Portions
Gargantuan dark dweller portions have 8 tendril attacks, Colossal ones have 12 tendril attacks.

Originally appeared in Tales From the Infinite Staircase (1998) in Tale 3: Lord of Worms

 

[Cleon]

I think that's it for my Infinite Staircase Homebrews, although I might add some description & tactics to a few of them.

 

[freyar]

OK, in that case, let's say they can make items, etc, while in Reflection. But I think I'd assume that they can do anything normal in Reflection if they have enough time for it, so maybe we can just comment on that in flavor text. Do we need to resolve anything else?

(For the moment, I am ignoring the existence of your other homebrews; we can get to them when we finish the kamerel. )

 

[Cleon]

OK, in that case, let's say they can make items, etc, while in Reflection. But I think I'd assume that they can do anything normal in Reflection if they have enough time for it, so maybe we can just comment on that in flavor text. Do we need to resolve anything else?

(For the moment, I am ignoring the existence of your other homebrews; we can get to them when we finish the kamerel. )

I can't remember what, if anything, we'd agreed on using from my Kamerel Homebrew. At the moment I only have the Mirror Magic we'd settled on in the Working Draft.

 

[freyar]

I'd already agreed to Enlargement, Hardened Senses, Madness, and Mirror Safety.

From our recent discussion, I think I will agree to letting kamerel make stuff in the Plane of Reflection, but I think I'd let anyone who has enough time. In other words, I think I'd rather talk about that in an underbar on the Plane itself rather than make it an SA of the kamerel.

 

[Cleon]

I'd already agreed to Enlargement, Hardened Senses, Madness, and Mirror Safety.

Okay, I'll port those over from the "Cleon Special" Kamerel to the Kamerel Working Draft.

I also added the immunity to electricity and petrification, since those were in the original monster.

From our recent discussion, I think I will agree to letting kamerel make stuff in the Plane of Reflection, but I think I'd let anyone who has enough time. In other words, I think I'd rather talk about that in an underbar on the Plane itself rather than make it an SA of the kamerel.

That works for me.

So what shall we have for the "Pass Into Reflection" ability?

 

[freyar]

Let's see, the Cleon Special has

Pass Into Reflection (Su): Kamerel have a unique ability to enter the Plane of Reflection, a “pseudo-dimension” made up of reflected images. To Pass Into Reflection, a kamerel must spend at least a minute contemplating itself in a mirror that is large enough to reflect the kamerel’s entire body. The kamerel then simply steps into the mirror and vanishes (this requires a move action, so the kamerel must be within its move distance of the mirror).

Only kamerel and mirrorwork items can Pass Into Reflection, any other creature or object they try to carry Into Reflection will fall to the ground when the kamerel vanishes.

A kamerel can exit the Plane of Reflection by using the same procedure to step out of a mirror from the "other side". It need not be the same mirror as the kamerel used to enter Reflection.

That's pretty good, though I might drop the word "unique" since I'd allow other critters to enter Reflection by means of specially prepared magic objects or spells. Also, is there some quote that indicates it should take a minute? Finally, I'm not sure I'd prevent other items or creatures from entering Reflection. After all, doesn't the library itself extend through Reflection?

 

[Cleon]

Let's see, the Cleon Special has

That's pretty good, though I might drop the word "unique" since I'd allow other critters to enter Reflection by means of specially prepared magic objects or spells. Also, is there some quote that indicates it should take a minute? Finally, I'm not sure I'd prevent other items or creatures from entering Reflection. After all, doesn't the library itself extend through Reflection?

Well in principle I'm not against the idea of there being other methods to enter Reflection, but I would like it to be inaccessible to standard methods of plane-travelling and interdimensional scrying - otherwise it wouldn't have been such a mystery where the Kamerel went.

The infinite number of cubical mirror-rooms in the library do exist in a dimension where "spatial existence is based on reflection". However, I doubt it's the same as the Plane of Reflection because its existence does not depend on observation from outside the plane. The kamerel in it moved around, set up ambushes and released monsters in rooms that are not being observed by creatures outside the plane (or even from beings in the adjacent mirror-rooms).

 

[freyar]

I agree Reflection shouldn't be easily entered, but it'd be strange if only Kamerel could get in. Let's drop the word "unique" and talk about how difficult it is to get there in an underbar on the plane.

I suppose you're right about the library. The problem with this adventure, like many other old ones, is that it's hard to tell the intent of the author, but I agree that there should be some distinction.