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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 9272980" data-attributes="member: 6915329">Today’s Planescape: Torment monster is the grillig and is the type of weird creature that 2e Planescape really excelled at, since it exists only in two dimensions rather than the typical three. I’ve always preferred the “weird” Planescape/Outer Planes monsters over the more popular demons/devils/angels, anyway. The grillig is not the first 2D Planescape monster—there’s also the moignos, living mathematical equations from… Planes of Law, I believe. We’ll (possibly) get to that when I do the Monstrous Compendia. I wish more monsters were weird like that.These monsters are also said to be able to travel through the angles of space, and their climate/terrain is listed as “any angled terrain,” for all your Tindalos needs. Grilligs aren’t hounds, though; they’re more like lizard-gorillas. Hopefully I made them live up to their strange natures!As a note, I included the idea of "living angles" as an associated creature. There isn't any canonical reason for this; I just wanted to make them weirder.As with yesterday's monster, the article's illustration isn't very clear, so here's one from online.[ATTACH=full]348128[/ATTACH]GrilligDragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #262Creature by Chris Avellone; art by Eric CampanellaGrilligs are reptilian creatures that resemble green-brown gorillas. They walk on their forelimbs, which end in hands with three spindly digits and a thumb, while their hind legs—which end in three large, vicious claws—are kept free and used to attack. Their face is mostly a wide, flat-toothed grin; their beady eyes are almost lost among the thick scales and ridges on their heads.Grilligs don’t seem to keep lairs. When they need to rest, they simply find a likely spot and hunker down for a while.Angled. Grilligs have a fascination for geometric shapes that borders on fanatical. Although they are only about as intelligent as an ape and lack a true language, they seem to intrinsically understand geometry with a high level of skill. The area around a herd's favored structure is well-protected with simple traps, such as spiked pits or boulders or even landslides ready to be dropped. They lack the intelligence to make more complex traps, but have an innate knack for simple ones. When not building traps or hunting, they spend much of their free time drawing or carving complicated, geometric figures on any flattish surface they can find, or building strange, angular structures out of branches or piled stones.Strangest of all, these shapes sometimes come alive. How this happens is unknown, but wherever there are grilligs, there are things that look like wire-frame models that move about and can become violent when outside forces threaten the grilligs.From Unknown Planes. Nobody is quite certain where grilligs came from originally, although most suspect it is either the Far Realms or the Plane of Space. Whatever the answer is, it is certain that they are not natural creatures. They are seemingly two-dimensional beings. No matter how one looks at a grilling, one sees them as a flat image rather than as a three-dimensional being.This strange biology seems to be the reason for their even stranger traits. They are utterly immune to edged weapons—sharp edges just seem to pass through them. Their fascination with angles has another purpose beyond a merely artistic one—they can teleport to any area that has two or more lines meet in an acute angle.When a grillig dies, it almost immediately dissolves into fine sand, making it impossible to study them in-depth.Pests Who Hunt. These creatures are often considered to be pests. Upon finding a structure, they will draw shapes on it or even rebuild it to be more properly geometric, without regard for what the structure is or who owns it. They end up destroying a great deal of personal property, and more than one person has ended up homeless or without livestock because a herd of grilligs has decided to rearrange their properties. And once they set sight on a particular structure, they can’t be convinced to leave it—unless a more interesting structure is nearby.Grillig are notoriously cowardly; a single grillig will flee from danger and will rarely even defend themselves if cornered, preferring to cower and snarl in attempt to scare its attackers off. When in a herd, however, they have the bravado of bullies. They seek out powerful creatures and gang up on them, tearing them to shreds… and then just leaving the corpses there. Grilligs seem to somehow gain sustenance from the act of killing—they certainly never eat the creatures they kill. They aren’t cruel sadists, though, and kill no more often than any other apex predator would; their kills are just much bloodier.Climate/Terrain: any climate; cavern, dungeon, hill, mountain, ruinLegends and LoreWith an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:DC 15. Grillig are strange creatures from an unknown plane of existence. Edged weapons simply pass through their bodies. They are fascinated by geometric designs and are adept at building traps.DC 20. Grilligs like to hunt powerful creatures, but don’t eat what they kill. They are capable of teleporting through angles. Sometimes, somehow, these angles come alive.Grillig EncountersChallenge Rating 0-2 1 grilligChallenge Rating 3-4 2-3 grilligs; 1 grillig and 2-4 dust or ice mephitsChallenge Rating 5-10 herd of grilligs; herd of grilligs and 1-2 living anglesChallenge Rating 11-16 2 herds of grilligs and 3-4 living anglesSigns1. Strangely geometric symbols carved into a cliff-face.2. Dozens of strange handprints surrounding a nearly-shredded stone giant corpse3. With a DC 13 Perception check, spent arrows4. The sound of guttural growls and hootsLone Behavior1-2. Scouting for potential prey; will retreat if seen3. Scouting for potential threats; will hiss and threaten if seen4. Fleeing from a pack of huntersHerd Behavior1-2. Setting up an ambush point3. Angry; will attack on sight4. Building a strange, angular structure5. Restructuring a standing building6. Pursuing a young red dragonGrilligMedium aberration; Challenge 1 (200 XP)AC 12HP 26 (4d8+8; bloodied 13)Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.STR 16 (+3) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2)INT 6 (-2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0)Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 13Saving Throws Dex +4Skills Engineering +0 (+1d6 mathematics), Perception +3Damage Immunities damage from piercing and slashing weaponsCondition Immunities paralyzed, petrified, strife, unconsciousSenses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13Languages —Cowardly. The grillig has disadvantage on saving throws to avoid being frightened.Dimensional Dash. If the grillig takes the Dash action, it becomes surrounded by a nimbus of dimensional energy. When it moves within 5 feet of a creature, that creature takes 5 (1d10) force damage. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.ActionsMultiattack. The grillig makes four talons attacks.Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) slashing damageBonus ActionsAngles of Space (Recharge 5-6). The grillig teleports to a space it can see within 120 feet of it, as long as its destination is a place where two lines meet at a 90° or smaller angle.ReactionsFission (1/Day). If a grillig that is not bloodied is subjected to fire, force, lightning, or psychic damage, it splits into two grilligs. Each new grillig has half the original’s hit points (rounded down).CombatA lone grillig flees at the sight of danger. A herd of grillig fights to the death and will focus on whoever seems to biggest threat at the time.Herd of GrilligsLarge group of Medium aberrations; Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)AC 12HP 130 (20d8+40; bloodied 13)Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.STR 16 (+3) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2)INT 6 (-2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0)Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 14Saving Throws Dex +4Skills Engineering +0 (+1d6 mathematics), Perception +3Damage Immunities damage from piercing and slashing weaponsCondition Immunities paralyzed, petrified, strife, unconsciousSenses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13Languages —Area Vulnerability. The herd takes double damage from any effect that targets an area.Dimensional Dash. If the herd takes the Dash action, it becomes surrounded by a nimbus of dimensional energy. When it moves within 10 feet of a creature, that creature takes 5 (1d10) force damage. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.Squad Dispersal. When the herd is reduced to 0 hit points, it turns into 2 (1d4) grilligs, each of which are bloodied.Squad. The herd is composed of 5 or more grilligs. If it is subjected to a spell, attack, or other effect that affects only one target, it takes any damage but ignores other effects. It can share its space with Medium or smaller creatures or objects. The herd can move through any opening large enough for a Medium creature without squeezing.ActionsMultiattack. The grillig makes four talons attacksTalons. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (5d4+3) slashing damageBonus ActionsAngles of Space (Recharge 5-6). The herd teleports to a space it can see within 120 feet of it, as long as its destination is a place where two lines meet at a 90° or smaller angle.Living AnglesWhen grilligs congregate and build strange structures, sometimes the angles of those structures come alive. They look like masses of lines made of the same material as their surroundings, constantly shifting and changing. They are mindless entities that react to the emotions of the grilligs that accidentally created them. When the grillig is peaceful, the angles remain in place, quivering slightly, looking all the world like living modern art study of line and movement. When the grillig is angered, the angles attack.A living angle uses the stats of a shadow, with the following changes: it is an aberration, its Intelligence is 1 (-5), it is vulnerable to force damage instead of radiant, it doesn’t have the Sunlight Weakness trait, and its Claw attack doesn’t curse the target or cause a slain target to rise as a shadow.</blockquote>

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