A Collection of Monsters New and Old

[Pants]

Originally, I statted up a bunch of monsters for a Dragon article back in the day*. The article was rejected and they've been languishing on my hard drive ever since. During a recent hard drive perusal, I came across these, along with some other things I did and I thought, '4e will be here soon' and I figured I should do something with them before they become obsolete.

So enjoy. Some of these are conversions of critters already done by the fabulous Creature Catalog team and some are new. Hopefully someone will get some use out of these before the big edition ticks over and maybe even after that.

* Read: Waaaay back before the cancellation of Dragon was announced. Mid/Late 2006 most likely.

QUICKLING
Tiny Fey
Hit Dice: 2d6 (7 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 140 ft. (28 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (+2 size, +6 Dex, +5 haste), touch 23, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-8
Attack: Mwk short sword +10/+10 (1d3-1 plus poison) or shortbow +9/+9 ranged (1d3)
Full Attack: Mwk short sword +10/+10/+10 (1d3-1 plus poison) or shortbow +9/+9/+9 ranged (1d3)
Space/Reach: 2-½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-Like Abilities
Special Qualities: Alacrity, Damage Reduction 5/cold iron, Improved Evasion, Low-Light Vision, Natural Invisibility, Poison Use, Spell Resistance 18
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +9, Will +4
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 22, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills: Balance +13, Bluff +10, Hide +15, Jump +25, Listen +6, Move Silently +13, Search +8, Spot +6, Survival +6 (+8 when following tracks), Tumble +11
Feats: Dodge(B), Mobility(B), Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate and warm forests
Organization: Solitary or group (1 leader (rogue/assassin or sorcerer) and 2-8 regular quicklings)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +8

A sudden blur of motion whizzes between your legs. You can only make out the vague form of a pale blue-skinned creature. It comes to a stop some distance away, a wicked looking dagger clenched in its small hand. Two exceptionally long ears rise to points above a head covered in long, snowy hair. Its features are finely chiseled, almost feral, and its eyes burn with an intense, inner radiance.

Quicklings are evil, malicious fey that delight in causing pain and slaying other creatures. Feared for their exceptional speed and dark demeanors, quicklings are masters of stealth and guile.

COMBAT
A quickling prefers to ambush prey, either by darting out and striking at their foes or firing poisoned from concealment. It usually starts combat by using its dancing lights or minor image spell-like abilities to trick the unwary into falling into their ambush. Being particularly vulnerable to cold iron weapons, the quickling usually reserves its shatter spell-like ability for any such weapons.

A quickling engaged in melee attempts to disengage as soon as possible, either by using its Tumble skill, its fast movement speed, or by just remaining invisible until its opponent moves out of reach. A quickling that retreats from an opponent seethes with hatred and it spends its time plotting revenge. It usually attempts to set up another ambush as soon as possible.

Alacrity (Su) A quickling moves and attacks with supernatural swiftness. It has a +5 haste bonus to its Armor Class, and a +120 ft. enhancement bonus to its land speed. It may make two attacks as a standard action and it can make two extra attacks at its highest base attack bonus when making a full attack. This effect does not stack with a haste spell.

Improved Evasion (Ex) If a quickling is ever exposed to any effect that allows it to attempt a Reflex save for half damage, it takes no damage with a successful saving throw. Even if it fails the save, it still only takes half damage.

Natural Invisibility (Su) A quickling is under the constant effect of an invisibility spell (caster level 10th). If the quickling moves, attacks, or casts a spell (or uses a spell-like ability), the invisibility effect ends, though the quickling becomes only partially visible, granting it a 15% miss chance. The quickling remains partially visible until the beginning of its next turn, at which point it automatically turns invisible again. The quickling can willingly end its invisibility effect as a free action on its turn and can remain visible as long as it wishes to.

See invisibility and true seeing reveals the location of a quickling and an invisibility purge spell suppresses the quickling’s invisibility for 1 round.

Poison Use (Ex) Quicklings are experts at poison use and are never at risk when applying poison to their weapons.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will – dancing lights; 1/day – minor image (DC 15), hypnotic pattern (DC 15), levitate, shatter (DC 15). Caster level 6th. The save DC's are Charisma-based.

Skills A quickling has a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Move Silently checks.


ECOLOGY
Once thought to be gentle cousins of brownies, the quicklings dabbled in some dangerous and mysterious magic that eventually corrupted them into their now wholly vicious forms. Due to the dark magic that greatly accelerates their speed, quicklings also suffer from a tremendously increased metabolism which greatly shortens their lifespans, making them some of the shortest lived of any fey creature. Quickling young mature after less than a year and reach adulthood by the age of two. Old age sets in by their tenth year and many die at age twelve. Very few quicklings ever live past fifteen years.

Quicklings speak so quickly that it is often difficult for those unfamiliar with quicklings to decipher. Any creature that hears a quickling speak and can understand its language must succeed at a Listen check in order to understand the quickling. A DC 15 Listen check is needed for simple sentences, a DC 20 check is needed for longer sentences, and a 25 (or higher) is needed for complex statements.

Typical Physical Characteristics: Quicklings very closely resemble tiny elves, though their features are much sharper and more feral. Their skin ranges from pale blue to bluish white and their eyes sparkle with a cold yellow light. Their ears are long and slender and they rise to points above their heads. Quicklings wear bright, well-made clothing, usually black or silver colored. Quicklings disdain the use of armor and almost never wear any. A quickling stands about 2 feet tall.

SOCIETY
Quicklings live as secluded tribes of hunters and killers, seeking lost lore of the darkest kind. Their homes are dark, ruined places, filled with shadows and ancient evil. There they live in extended family units of at least ten members. The ruler of each family is known as an elder and can be of either sex. Each family is usually ruled by one elder, though larger families may have anywhere from two to four. Due to their inherent chaotic tendencies, such large families tend to break apart, with each elder forming its own smaller family.

Any contact that quicklings have with the outside world is usually violent. They often ambush loan travelers or small groups of people that pass near their lairs. Such trespassers are immediately slain; prisoners are of no worth to quicklings. Sometimes quicklings will deal with powerful spellcasters for arcane lore or magical items. Such alliances are usually short-lived, with the quicklings betraying their partners at the first opportunity.

Different quickling families worship different gods, though many are drawn to the worship of Vecna and Nerull. Some worship the primal deity, Tharizdun, a god of such potent malignancy that the other gods sealed him away in an eternal prison. Some sages speculate that the dark magic that initially corrupted the quickling race was a ‘gift’ from Tharizdun, though there are very few facts to help corroborate such speculation.

TYPICAL TREASURE
A quickling typically possesses standard treasure for its Challenge Rating, or about 1,600 gp worth for a standard quickling. This treasure is usually divided amongst various poisons, masterwork weapons, baubles, jewelry, and sometimes fine cloth. Many also carry around single-use magical items like potions and scrolls.

Quicklings dislike using armor of any sort. They see it as a hindrance rather than as something helpful. The only time a quickling will be encountered with armor is if the armor is very obviously powerfully magical.

QUICKLINGS WITH CLASS LEVELS
A quickling’s favored class is rogue. Many take up the assassin prestige class at the first opportunity. Others find the scout (see Complete Adventurer) to their liking. Due to their connections with ancient magic, warlocks (see Complete Arcane), sorcerers, and wizards are also fairly common.


Back in 2e and 1e, I loved the quickling and was quite unhappy that it never made the cut into 'Core' D&D. I've never had a chance to use these guys, but by golly, someday I will!

 

[Pants]

Something old, then something new

OLD MAN OF THE SWAMP
Medium Fey (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 14d6+70 (119 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 60 ft.
Armor Class: 24 (+2 Dex, +12 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+13
Attack: Claw +14 (1d6+6 plus debilitating strike)
Full Attack: 2 claws +14 (1d6+6 plus debilitating strike)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Call Swamp Creatures, Debilitating Strike, Spell-Like Abilities
Special Qualities: Amphibious, Bonded Swamp, Damage Reduction 10/magic and cold iron, Low-Light Vision, Spell Resistance 25
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +13
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +8, Concentration +22, Disguise +8, Hide +25*, Knowledge (geography) +20, Knowledge (nature) +26*, Listen +21, Move Silently +30*, Search +26*, Spot +21, Survival +27*
Feats: Dodge, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Track(B), Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Temperate and warm marshes
Organization: Solitary or retinue (1 old man of the swamp and 1-2 shambling mounds and 1-4 medium water elementals)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: -

From the cloying mists of the swamp emerges a hobbling old man, his gnarled fingers gripped tightly about the top of a stout, wooden walking stick. Wisps of white hair hang from his wrinkled head. His back is hunched and he winces with every careful step he makes.

Stories circulate around roaring fires about strange, old hermits that live at the center of swamps and attack unwary trespassers. In every story, the traveler is approached by a weak old man, who either asks that the traveler escort him to somewhere in the swamp or that the traveler give a bit of coin or food. If the traveler refuses (and, in these stories, he always does), the old man reveals himself and attacks the traveler, summoning the very swamp to defend him. Snaking vines and mounds of shambling moss rise from the swamp to drag the greedy interloper to a shallow, watery grave. Other stories tell of how the traveler manages to slay the old man, only to encounter that same old man again during a later foray into the same swamp.

Masters of swamps and deception, these fey are often colloquially referred to as ‘the old man of the swamp.’ They are wholly evil and almost always make ambiguous or impossible demands for their tolls.

COMBAT
An old man of the swamp prefers to start combat on his terms, usually by duping or otherwise tricking a group with its wide array of spells. Many old men spy on trespassers prodigiously before striking, often sending out small groups of lesser creatures to test their strengths and weaknesses before striking himself.

An old man's natural attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Amphibious (Ex) Although an old man of the swamp is aquatic, he can survive indefinitely on land.

Bonded Swamp (Su) An old man of the swamp is magically bound to a single swamp. While it is within its bonded swamp, an old man of the swamp cannot be permanently killed. If an old man is killed within its swamp, the waters rise around its corpse and the swamp reclaims it fully in 1d6 rounds. 1d4 days later, the same old man steps from the waters of its swamp, fully healed. The old man retains all of its memories and any gear it had on its corpse when the swamp reclaimed it. It is, for all effects and purposes, the same old man of the swamp as before.

If the old man is slain while it is outside its bonded swamp, it remains dead until its body is returned to its swamp, at which time it returns to life as specified above. Only a death effect or a properly worded wish or miracle can slay an old man of the swamp permanently, even if it is within the boundaries of its bonded swamp.

Additionally, the old man cannot be tracked within its swamp (it just fails to leave any tracks) and its movement is not impeded by the marsh’s terrain or foliage.
Though it can freely leave its bonded swamp should it choose to, it rarely does so considering that many of its powers would be lost.

Call Swamp Creatures (Sp) Once per day, an old man of the swamp can summon aid from the creatures that inhabit the swamp. The old man can call either 1 large water elemental, 1 shambling mound, 1-2 vine horrors (Fiend Folio 185, substitute assassin vines if you do not have this book), or 1-3 medium water elementals. The creatures summoned are composed entirely of elements of the swamp. The creatures remain for 1 hour before breaking down and rejoining the swamp. If any of the summoned creatures leave the old man’s bonded swamp, they immediately die. This is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.

Debilitating Strike (Su) Anyone struck by an old man’s claw attacks must succeed on a Fort save (DC 22) or take 1d4 points of Strength or Dexterity drain. The old man can choose which score to apply the drain to each time he successfully hits. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Spells: An old man of the swamp casts spells as a 10th-level druid. Saving throw DC's are 14 + spell level. He often has the following spells prepared:
5th – call lightning storm (DC 19), insect plague
4th – cure serious wounds (2), dispel magic, freedom of movement
3rd – call lightning (DC 17), contagion (DC varies), poison (DC 17), spike growth
2nd – barkskin, chill metal, fog cloud, tree shape, warp wood
1st – cure light wounds (2), entangle (DC 15), faerie fire, obscuring mist
0 – cure minor wounds, detect magic (2), guidance, know direction, read magic

Spell-Like Abilities: At will – clairaudience/clairvoyance (DC 17), command plants (DC 18), disguise self, hallucinatory terrain (DC 18), speak with animals (marshland animals only), speak with plants; 3/day – control water, evard’s black tentacles (DC 14), suggestion (DC 17); 1/day – commune with nature, wall of thorns. Caster level 14th. The save DC's are Charisma-based.

Skills An old of the swamp has a +6 racial bonus on all Hide, Knowledge (nature), Move Silently, Search, and Survival checks while it is within its bonded swamp. It also has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. These bonuses are included in the statistics above.


ECOLOGY
An old man of the swamp's natural habitat is (unsurprisingly) a marsh, fen, bog, or swamp of some sort. The old man usually lives in an old, ramshackle hut located somewhere near the center of the wetland. Some even dwell within hollowed out trees, dank caves, or beneath the stagnant waters.

It is unknown how or even if an old man of the swamp can reproduce. Many theorize that an old man is simply the spirit of a swamp made physically manifest or that a set number exist in the world, a number that never decreases or increases. Even if a particular old man is killed, another arises elsewhere to fill the void.

Typical Physical Characteristics: An old man of the swamp looks like an old, frail human with wispy hair, a hunched back, and an overall pitiful appearance. This is just an illusion. In its true form, an old man is tall and physically powerful, with peat-green skin, dark eyes, black nails and a mouth full of sharp fangs. An old man's feet are always caked thick with swamp mud in its natural form.

SOCIETY
An old man of the swamp usually lives alone at the center of its swamp. Sometimes an old man will traffic with sirens, hags, or evil nymphs or dryads, but its existence is usually a solitary one.

TYPICAL TREASURE
An old man of the swamp usually has an assortment of magical trinkets at its disposal, mostly minor wondrous items, scrolls, potions, and maybe a wand or two.

This particular old man has the following items: boots of elvenkind, potion of cure serious wounds, potion of barkskin (+3), scroll of flamestrike, and a masterwork darkwood quarterstaff.

OLD MEN OF THE SWAMP WITH CLASS LEVELS
An old man's favored class is druid and many choose to advance in it. Some of the more unhinged old men take levels in barbarian to improve their combat abilities. Still others advance in rogue or ranger.


COMMENT
I got the basic idea for this from the excellent Monsternomicon, but I just wasn't happy with the implementation. So I decided to make my own version. Voila!

 

[Corbert]

QUICKLINGS

You can bet my players will be seeing these little guys pretty soon.
Have you thought about what their level adjustment would be? Because I have a DM I would really like to give headaches to with one of these as a PC

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Have you thought about what their level adjustment would be? Because I have a DM I would really like to give headaches to with one of these as a PC

QUICKLING
Level Adjustment: +8

 

[Corbert]

DOH, right there at the end of the stat block

 

[Angel Tarragon]

BTW Pants, I really like your take on the Old Man of the Swamp.

It really fits in quite well with the flavor of my camapign.

 

[Pants]

BTW Pants, I really like your take on the Old Man of the Swamp.

It really fits in quite well with the flavor of my camapign.

Thanks

CHAOS IMP
Tiny Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: Fly 40 ft. (perfect) (8 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +2 defection), touch 18, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/-
Attack: Incorporeal touch +10 (infest, see below)
Full Attack: 2 incorporeal touches +10 (infest, see below)
Space/Reach: 2 ½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Infest, Polymorph
Special Qualities: Chaotic Mind, Damage Reduction 5/lawful, Darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +5
Abilities: Str –, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +9, Hide +19, Listen +8, Move Silently +11, Search +6, Spot +8, Tumble +11
Feats: Ability Focus (infest), Improved Initiative
Environment: Limbo
Organization: Solitary or clutch (3-12)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None (see below)
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: 5-12 HD (Tiny)
Level Adjustment: -

A multicolored bubble floats before you and suddenly a lopsided face bulges out of the bubble. Before your very eyes, the bubble twists into a small, winged creature with rapidly shifting facial features, though one thing remains the same, the creature has a large nose and large, pointed ears.

Chaos imps are perverse and irritating extraplanar rodents that possess the ability to infest inanimate objects and change its shape at their chaotic whims.

COMBAT
Lacking any abilities to directly harm creatures, a chaos imp’s most common strategy is to swoop down on an unsuspecting victim and attempt to infest some of its gear without it finding out. If the imp successfully infests the item, it usually lays dormant until the creature arrives on another plane or until the imp becomes bored. Creatures that fight back or attack a chaos imp are also subjected to its driving need to infest an item, usually a weapon or anything valuable looking. The chaos imp then attempts to annoy the offending creature as much possible, rapidly polymorphing the item into humorous or otherwise useless forms. A sword might suddenly transform into a bouquet of flowers, a bucket, a mop, or anything the capricious little imp’s mind can think of.

Chaotic Mind (Ex): A chaos imp’s mind is a swirling maelstrom of chaotic, illogical thoughts that are dangerous to normal minds. Anyone targeting a chaos imp with a thought detection, mind control, or telepathic ability makes direct contact with its chaotic mind and is automatically confused (as per the spell, caster level 6th) for 6 rounds. Creatures with the chaotic subtype are immune to this ability.

Infest (Su): A chaos imp has the ability to infest any non-intelligent inanimate object that it touches. The item is allowed a Will save (DC 16) to resist this effect. Non-magical items receive no saving throw against this effect, unless the item is currently being wielded, in which case it uses the wielder’s Will save. A magical item uses either its own saving throw bonus (2 + one-half its caster level (rounded down)) or the wielder’s, whichever is higher. An item that strikes or otherwise touches the chaos imp is also subjected to this ability. Intelligent items and animated creatures (such as golems or animated objects) are immune to this ability. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 bonus from the chaos imp’s Ability Focus feat.

If the item fails the save, the imp infests it, merging its own body with the item. If the item succeeds on the save, the imp cannot attempt to infest that same item for 1 round. The infested item does not radiate magic unless already magical, however a detect chaos spell does reveal a chaotic aura with a strength equal to the imp’s Hit Dice.

There are only a few ways of driving a chaos imp out of an infested item. A banishment, dismissal, or dispel chaos forces the imp out of the item and stuns it for 1 round if it fails a Will save. A dispel magic or greater dispel magic can also force the chaos imp from the infested item if the caster succeeds on a successful caster level check against a DC of 11 + the chaos imp’s Hit Dice + it’s Charisma modifier (17 for a normal chaos imp). A magic circle against chaos suppresses the imp’s ability to polymorph the infested item for as long as it remains within the spell’s area. Destroying the infested item also forces the imp out and automatically stuns it for 1 round.

Polymorph (Sp): A chaos imp that has successfully infested an item can mold the item into whatever shape the imp’s chaotic mind can imagine. This functions like a polymorph any object spell (caster level 20th) with the following stipulations. The polymorph effect lasts for as long as the imp wishes and it can only affect the item it is currently infesting. The imp can only change the infested item into another inanimate object, it cannot turn it into an animated item or anything with an Intelligence score. The polymorphed form must be roughly the same size and weight of the original item. If the imp leaves the infested item or is somehow forced from it, the item returns to its normal form. If the item is broken while polymorphed then it remains broken when it changes back.

A character that is wielding an infested item can attempt to keep the item from changing shape by making a Will save (DC 18). If the wielder wins, the imp cannot polymorph the item for as long as he concentrates (standard action each round). If the imp wins, it can polymorph the item as normal. The wielder may attempt a new Will save once each round. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +4 racial bonus.


ECOLOGY
Chaos imps bear no relation to the more common fiendish variety native to the Nine Hells, aside from some vaguely similar features. Chaos imps are perverse, exuberant, and utterly barmy, at least by normal mortal standards. A chaos imp’s mind is so flushed with incoherent thoughts that mere contact with its mind can cause a creature to become as incoherent as the imp itself.

However, a chaos imp does have one singular desire running through its rattling miasma of a mind; to infest items and to leave Limbo. No one is quite sure why chaos imps are so determined to leave their home plane behind, but many suspect that it stems from an imp’s desire to spread chaos throughout the planes. Nothing pleases a chaos imp more than unadulterated chaos, especially if the chaos results in humor. Thus, chaos imps are innate pranksters. They enjoy playing pranks upon creatures bearing items they’ve infested. They love to polymorph the infested items into something really useless just as soon as its owner really needs it. Due to this penchant for mischief, most knowledgeable adventurers loathe the irksome imps and attempt to rid themselves of them as soon as they’re discovered.

As far as is known, chaos imps do not or cannot reproduce. They are thought to emerge spontaneously from the surging chaos of Limbo. On Limbo chaos imps take the form of inert bubbles of rapidly shifting colors. Only when they detect other creatures nearby do they change into their semi-humanoid forms.

Typical Physical Characteristics: In its humanoid form, a chaos imp is a little less than 2 feet tall. Due to its incorporeal nature, it is utterly weightless.

SOCIETY
As befits such a chaotic creature, chaos imps possess no real society of any sort. On Limbo they live in nests of floating, chromatic bubbles, but these nests have no known leadership, hierarchy, or anything even remotely resembling structure.

TYPICAL TREASURE
Chaos imps on Limbo do not keep any treasure. Off of Limbo, a chaos imp might be discovered infesting a magic item of some sort, usually owned by another adventurer or group of adventurers, but they do not keep their own treasure.

EDIT: Some stuff got left out in the copy-n-pasting. I put it back in.