Shade
Monster Junkie
Not for me.
Let's stick with the 18-20 and leave it up to the truly rat bastard DMs to give 'em Improved Critical.
21 ranks each in Listen, Spot, and Survival?
Environment: Any?
Advancement: 19+ HD (Colossal)?
CR: 18?
Converting monsters from Dragon magazine (Part Two)
- Status
Not for me.
Let's stick with the 18-20 and leave it up to the truly rat bastard DMs to give 'em Improved Critical.
21 ranks each in Listen, Spot, and Survival?
Environment: Any?
Advancement: 19+ HD (Colossal)?
CR: 18?
Shade
Monster Junkie
Sounds good on all the above. No HD cap for the advancement?![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Nah. Let's allow them to reach truly kaiju proportions. James would like that.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Tolwar
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 5-16
(d12+4) + 1-4 infants
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 15”
HIT DICE 6
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (2)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: (see below)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Hurling stones for 2-24 points damage
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below. Also, superior bearing, surprise only on a 1.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
SIZE: L (6’ high at shoulder)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Tolwars are herd animals, preferring open grasslands, near water, to other terrain. At first glance, they appear to be little more than undersized, trunkless elephants. The error of this assumption will soon become obvious to anyone who should attack them, however.
Tolwars are able to employ at will a limited form of telekinesis, which they use to uproot grass or playfully throw waterballs at each other. In addition, it can be used twice per round to various advantages. By telekinesis, Tolwars are able to lift up to 1000 gp weight, such as a large boulder, and hurl it at an opponent, doing 2-24 points of damage. Similarly, such missiles can be caught by Tolwars’ telekinesis 50% of the time. Up to 2 normal missiles, such as arrows, bolts, or spears, can also be caught in a round (75% chance for each catch), or the above functions (hurling and catching) can be mixed as needed, up to two actions per round. The telekinetic ability has a functioning range of 2”, though boulders may be hurled as far as 10”, with a -2 to hit at long range (5” or more) and a -1 to hit at medium range (3”).
A Tolwar raised from infancy by a single person becomes a loyal, loving mount. They are the equal of horses in intelligence, and, though slower, are much hardier. At 7500 gp weight carried they are slowed to half speed, up to their maximum load of 10,000 gp weight. They will defend their masters dutifully to the death, assaulting their enemies with boulders or other handy objects, or catching missiles hurled at their riders. They may also trample opponents for 2-8 points damage with each forefoot which hits, striking once per round (double damage if charging). A trained Tolwar will defend his master from the second round of battle onward. It should be noted that if a Tolwar successfully tramples an opponent, the victim will be prone on the next round unless initiative is gained. Lance thrusts made from a Tolwar’s back do damage as from the back of a heavy warhorse, with +4 to damage.
Tolwars are not easy to raise or train. First of all, before they are bought or captured, a pen strong enough to contain them must be built. For obvious reasons, the pen and all the ground within 2” of it should be cleared of any movable object. Gates or doors must be designed with padlocks, for a Tolwar will easily lift bars. The pen walls will always need to be of stone. The pen must be at least 100 feet square, to allow the growing Tolwar room to exercise. A three-foot thickness of stone, six feet high, of the dimension of 100 feet to a side, will probably cost around 1200 gp. A shelter of stone will also have to be built, at about the same cost. And of course, all stones used in construction had better weigh more than 1000 gp!
In addition, if an infant Tolwar’s initial reaction is not 60% or greater, it will not respond to its new owner, eventually becoming unmanageable.
Infant Tolwar have 2 hit dice. Newborns can already telekinese 250 gp weight, and hurl small stones as far as 4”, doing 1-8 points of damage. They may also butt with their heads for 1-3 points of damage. An adult Tolwar consumes roughly five times as much grain as a heavy warhorse each day, at 5 sp a meal. Once imprinted, a Tolwar will never favor anyone but the man who raised it.
Saddles, barding, and other accoutrements generally cost triple the price of the same gear for a horse. Bridle and bit are unnecessary, as a Tolwar is guided by nudging it with the foot behind one ear or the other.
Tolwars give birth to only one infant at a time (after 1½ years pregnancy). Infants take 4 years to reach maturity, although they can be ridden into battle after only 2 years. They live to around 20 years of age.
A healthy infant Tolwar is valued at 10,000 gp on the open market.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #43 (1980).
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 5-16
(d12+4) + 1-4 infants
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 15”
HIT DICE 6
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (2)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: (see below)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Hurling stones for 2-24 points damage
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below. Also, superior bearing, surprise only on a 1.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
SIZE: L (6’ high at shoulder)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Tolwars are herd animals, preferring open grasslands, near water, to other terrain. At first glance, they appear to be little more than undersized, trunkless elephants. The error of this assumption will soon become obvious to anyone who should attack them, however.
Tolwars are able to employ at will a limited form of telekinesis, which they use to uproot grass or playfully throw waterballs at each other. In addition, it can be used twice per round to various advantages. By telekinesis, Tolwars are able to lift up to 1000 gp weight, such as a large boulder, and hurl it at an opponent, doing 2-24 points of damage. Similarly, such missiles can be caught by Tolwars’ telekinesis 50% of the time. Up to 2 normal missiles, such as arrows, bolts, or spears, can also be caught in a round (75% chance for each catch), or the above functions (hurling and catching) can be mixed as needed, up to two actions per round. The telekinetic ability has a functioning range of 2”, though boulders may be hurled as far as 10”, with a -2 to hit at long range (5” or more) and a -1 to hit at medium range (3”).
A Tolwar raised from infancy by a single person becomes a loyal, loving mount. They are the equal of horses in intelligence, and, though slower, are much hardier. At 7500 gp weight carried they are slowed to half speed, up to their maximum load of 10,000 gp weight. They will defend their masters dutifully to the death, assaulting their enemies with boulders or other handy objects, or catching missiles hurled at their riders. They may also trample opponents for 2-8 points damage with each forefoot which hits, striking once per round (double damage if charging). A trained Tolwar will defend his master from the second round of battle onward. It should be noted that if a Tolwar successfully tramples an opponent, the victim will be prone on the next round unless initiative is gained. Lance thrusts made from a Tolwar’s back do damage as from the back of a heavy warhorse, with +4 to damage.
Tolwars are not easy to raise or train. First of all, before they are bought or captured, a pen strong enough to contain them must be built. For obvious reasons, the pen and all the ground within 2” of it should be cleared of any movable object. Gates or doors must be designed with padlocks, for a Tolwar will easily lift bars. The pen walls will always need to be of stone. The pen must be at least 100 feet square, to allow the growing Tolwar room to exercise. A three-foot thickness of stone, six feet high, of the dimension of 100 feet to a side, will probably cost around 1200 gp. A shelter of stone will also have to be built, at about the same cost. And of course, all stones used in construction had better weigh more than 1000 gp!
In addition, if an infant Tolwar’s initial reaction is not 60% or greater, it will not respond to its new owner, eventually becoming unmanageable.
Infant Tolwar have 2 hit dice. Newborns can already telekinese 250 gp weight, and hurl small stones as far as 4”, doing 1-8 points of damage. They may also butt with their heads for 1-3 points of damage. An adult Tolwar consumes roughly five times as much grain as a heavy warhorse each day, at 5 sp a meal. Once imprinted, a Tolwar will never favor anyone but the man who raised it.
Saddles, barding, and other accoutrements generally cost triple the price of the same gear for a horse. Bridle and bit are unnecessary, as a Tolwar is guided by nudging it with the foot behind one ear or the other.
Tolwars give birth to only one infant at a time (after 1½ years pregnancy). Infants take 4 years to reach maturity, although they can be ridden into battle after only 2 years. They live to around 20 years of age.
A healthy infant Tolwar is valued at 10,000 gp on the open market.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #43 (1980).
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
Sounds good to me. They also need stability. Perhaps we should give them an entropic shield effect and/or Deflect Arrows?
- Status
