Another Creature Catalog query for Dragon? (Pt 2)

[Echohawk]

Okay, my #4 is the Scathe from Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (MC14), unless they've been proposed before. Gotta love that crazy facial expression in the illustration .

 

[Shade]

Ooh. Are the three critters from Up the Garden Path (ST1) possibilities? (That's the IffanbutT, Shadow Wolves and the Snap Dragon.) It would be quite hard to find more obscure creatures than those...

It was an offiicial TSR product, so I don't see why not. Do you actually have it? Otherwise, the original stats might be hard to come by.

 

[Echohawk]

OK, was that a TSR module? i'm not immediately familiar with it.

Yes. An extremely rare one.

Edit: No, I do not have a copy... yet . I came very close to buying the copy Noble Knights had recently, but needed the money for a deposit on a house instead. (Next time, though... )

But someone on ENWorld must have one... diaglo maybe

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

Okay, my #4 is the Scathe from Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (MC14), unless they've been proposed before. Gotta love that crazy facial expression in the illustration .

not as far as i know - good choice!

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

Yes. An extremely rare one.

OK, if you want to go with one of those for your #5, that's fine then. otherwise, you have other options to consider...

 

[dhaga]

I have a pile of 2nd Ed. compendiums at home, but nothing with me currently (I'm at work). I'd like to submit a few; hopefully I can do so tonight when I get home (or tomorrow night at the latest).

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

you have five minutes...

 

[Echohawk]

Okay here are my five, with short descriptions.

1. Demarax from Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II
   A lizard-like creature with hundreds of tiny crystals embedded in its dark hide. The demarax roams slowly across the outer planes feeding on the spell crystals that are the manifestation of summoning spells in the planes. Highly magic resistant, demaraxes are usually non-hostile, but can defend themselves with their tails, by shooting magic missiles from their three eyes, or by releasing a storm of spell crystals. Although pretty dumb, Demaraxes live for thousands of years and can perfectly recall every conversation they've ever had, making them a potential source of information for planar adventurers
   
2. Mortiss from Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix (MC7)
   Mortiss are a colony of coral-like worms that infest ships. They can burrow through wood and stone and will eventually destroy a ship's hull. A colony of Mortiss usually defends itself using their head spines, which contain a strong delusion-inducing poison. They can also lunge and latch onto a victim with their jaws. Although originally designed with spelljamming craft in mind, Mortiss could be easily adapted to Eberron's airships, or even water-going craft.
   
3. Molian Heart from Return to the Tomb of Horrors
   A disembodied human heart trailing arteries and veins in a sinister tangle. These undead creations of the necromancer Drake of the Black Academy of Moil remain inanimate until a living creature approaches. Then they drain life force and begin beating, animating those that they kill as Moil zombies (bleakborn in Libris Mortis). Although a molian heart has no physical attacks, it can project a wave of frost at neaby enemies.
   
4. Scathe from Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (MC14)
   Hairless, milky-white humanoids, with thin membranes joining their limbs, and a thick tail. Scathes use their long, curved claws as ice skates, and their membranes as sails to skate across desolate arctic plains. Difficult to detect, scathes hunt in packs, attacking with claws, a poison beak attack, and -- according to the picture at least -- a bladed mace. They communicate in howls and shrieks often mistaken for the arctic winds.
   
5. Ni'iath from Planes of Conflict
   Long, wormlike creatures with vicious mouths and four narrow eyes spaced equidistantly about their heads. Natives of Bytopia, ni'iaths have a peculiar immunity to gravity and no concept of "up" or "down". They have a barbed tail and a special reverse gravity fling they use to propel opponents into nearby objects. Ni'iaths resemble wolves in mentality, hunting in packs, often tiring prey out before closing to attack.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

excellent - well done.

 

[demiurge1138]

I got an invitation to join from Our Benevolent BOZ, so I figure I should get in on this while the getting is good.

Peluda (Dragon #248) - a dragonlike creature with a long neck and tail, no wings, four feet like those of a giant snapping turtle, and a back covered with bright orange quills. The base of these quills is pine green. A peluda's body is turtleshaped but without a shell, and the quills and coarse fur give the torso a shaggy appearance. Its venomous quills provide protection against attacks and can be flung as ranged weapons. It can also change its coloration to provide camouflage.

Dragon Magazine had a peluda? I wrote one up a few years ago, without knowing there'd been another conversion (they're native to a French folktale, I believe). Also, for some reason, I called it the "pedula". Serves me right for working from memory. My version can be found here, and might be a good launching point for that conversion if it gets accepted.

As for my offering up lambs of obscurity to the slaughter of conversion (great metaphor, eh?), I'm not exactly the most qualified here. I got into D&D via 3rd Edition, so all my exposure to previous editions has been retroactive. I have no idea if the creatures I'll be offering are actually one-hit wonders, or if there's another source I've missed.

Keeping that in mind, here are some offerings:

Garmorm (Planescape MC III): A vast floating worm native to the Astral Plane, the garmorm absorbs creatures into it with a song - creatures that fail to resist have their soul swallowed and join the choir of faces that cover its body. They are also accomplished spellcasters from all the souls they've absorbed over the centuries, and have a powerful bite.

Linqua (Planes of Conflict): Linqua are the servitors of Sung Chiang, the god of theives from a Chinese mythos. Short squat humanoids tufted with green hair, they recieve the blessings of their creator in clerical spells, the ability to gain a burst of Strength (rather like the Strength domain power) and sneak attack. Despite their divine origin, linquas often escape the service of their master. These rogue linquas often make for powerful clerics, as they become addicted to the divine energy imbued by serving a god.

Living Hair (Dragon 252): An manifestation of vanity, living hair forms when a person weaves a carpet or curtain out of their own hair, incorporating mystic runes into the designs. They despise all life, and dwell in the castles and manors of their creators (often after killing them). They strangle opponents in their fibrous mass, can ooze through tiny holes, and can only be killed with fire.

Mole Dragon (Dragon 272): Wicked dragonets related to the pseudodragon, mole dragons have thick bodies and short tails. Their claws are huge and adapted to digging through earth and stone, and its hide is encrusted with gemstones. They have no breath weapon, but can summon earth elementals and cast spells as a cleric. They occasionally cooperate with derro and duergar and tend to be dour and sadistic.

Murdrakus (Dragon 270): Creations of the Boneheart of Iuz, the murdrakus is a two headed draconic creature ninety feet long. It breathes lines of fire, and is so hot that merely touching the creature deals fire damage. Its tail can sever limbs on a successful critical hit. It regenerates rapidly, but can be permanently slain with acid and negative energy. (I have a feeling James Jacobs might like this one, because he wrote it back in the waning days of 2e).

Demiurge out.