the Jester
Legend
To answer the question above, I'd say keep him medium.
Converting monsters from the second edition Monstrous Compendiums
- Status
the Jester
Legend
"On my home plane, medium goes up to eleven."
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
you asked for it, you got it! 
Dharculus (Far Realm)
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Special
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY/CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivorous
INTELLIGENCE: Very (11-12)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
NO, APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 10
THAC0: 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 6 or 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4x6 (tentacles) or 2d 10 (ma w)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Ethereal attack
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: H (30' long)
MORALE: Elite (14)
XP VALUE: 3,000
The dharculi are swimmers of the Border Ethereal, inserting, their mawed tentacles into the Prime Material Mane to feed. Their tentacles appear as a swarm of blind eel-like creatures sliding through the air in a deadly school. To those who can see into the Ethereal Plane, the eels are revealed to be protruding tentacle tips, some ending in small maws. The much longer tentacles are joined in the Ethereal Plane, in a fused worm-like braid that forms the main body of the creature. The posterior end of the cylindrical body
loops back toward the front like a question mark. This end has a huge, drooling maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. The dharculus has five tentacles that end in eyes instead of maws, which the entity keeps safely tucked into the Ethereal Plane to search through the mists for its next victim.
Combat: Dharculi feed by dipping their tentacles into the Prime Material Plane and drawing prey into the Ethereal. Each of their half dozen mawed tentacles attacks individually, inflicting 1d4 points of damage and attaching to the prey. An attached tentacle causes no further damage, but a successful Strength check at a penalty of -2 removes an attached tentacle, causing 1d4 points of damage as the teeth tear free (use a saving throw vs. paralysis for creatures with no Strength rating). If a dharculus attaches three or more tentacles to a single victim, only a successful saving throw vs. death prevents the victim from being drawn into the Ethereal Plane at the beginning of the next round. Here, the dharculus can bring its horrible primary maw to bear on the victim for 2d10 points of damage. The saving throw must be made each round that opens with three tentacles attached to the victim,
Each individual tentacle possesses the following statistics: AC 3; MV Fl 9; HD 2; hp 8 each; THAC0 11 (as the dharculus's HD); #AT 1; Dmg 1d4; SZ S (2'-10' long); ML As dharculus. Tentacles that have taken 8 points of damage in full, and the last strike from an edged weapon, are severed. They fall to the ground, looking like dead eels out of water (the dharculus regenerates damaged tentacles at the rate of 2 points per tentacle for each 12 hours on the Ethereal Plane). A hit with a magical weapon has a 20% chance per magical plus to knock the appendage fully back into the Ethereal Plane, where it takes the dharculus four rounds to insert it back through the veil to the Prime Material Plane.
A victim drawn into the Ethereal Plane can fight the whole creature as the beast attacks with its devastating primary bite. Killing the dharculus leaves the victim drifting in the Border Ethereal, able to see his companions through the gray mist, but unable to contact them. A marooned individual without extraordinary resources is lost; however, a single chance still remains: The dharculus's tentacles that inserted into the Prime Material plane offer a brief lifeline before they recede into the ethereal deeps (up to four rounds). It is possible to use a flaccid tentacle as a rope, and physically pull oneself back into the Prime Material Plane. A successful Strength check indicates success.
Habitat/Society: Dharculi are creatures from an alternate reality far from the Prime Material Plane and perhaps beyond the planar cosmology as well. So far, these creatures have congregated near the point of their entry into this reality. 'This may be because they are somehow dependent upon some element of their own Far Realm, or it may just be coincidence, in which case it seems inevitable that more will arrive, hunting the beaches of the Prime Material Plane in relative safety from the shallow sea of the Border Ethereal.
These creatures have an utterly alien psychology, but their underlying need seems to be to feed. A dharculus never passes up an easy meal. In fact, the creature is not above dragging creatures across the ethereal veil just to save it for later snacking. They boldly hunt other creatures that cross their paths without regard to rank or hierarchy.
Ecology- It is not known whether these creatures mate, or merely asexually bud or fission. It the latter is true, even a single creature could rapidly populate an area Their current rarity and tendency to gather near their point of entry into this reality may be because they are somehow dependent on some particular element of their own Far Realm and need to stay near the point when the cross-dimensional leakage of this influence occurs. If this is true, only creatures near the point of entry are in peril. However, if the zone of influence is slowly expanding into the Prime Material Plane itself, then the situation would be most dangerous.
-From Gates of Firestorm Peak, #9533
some preliminary stats for the dharculus:
Dharculus
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 10d8+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 25 ft (5 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-2 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+X
Attack: Tentacle +X melee (1d4+X)
Full Attack: 6 tentacles +X melee (1d4+X) or bite +X melee (2d10+X)
Space/Reach: X ft/X ft
Special Attacks: (attach/improved grab)
Special Qualities: All-around vision, (ethereal jaunt?)
Saves: Fort +7 Ref +7 Will +7 (base)
Abilities: Str X Dex X Con X Int 12 Wis X Cha X
Skills: 117 ranks – Search, Spot
Feats: 4
Environment: (Far Realm?)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Huge); 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: +X
COMBAT
Originally found in Gates of Firestorm Peak (?) and Monstrous Compendium Annual Four (1998).
Dharculus (Far Realm)
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Special
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY/CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivorous
INTELLIGENCE: Very (11-12)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
NO, APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 10
THAC0: 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 6 or 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4x6 (tentacles) or 2d 10 (ma w)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Ethereal attack
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: H (30' long)
MORALE: Elite (14)
XP VALUE: 3,000
The dharculi are swimmers of the Border Ethereal, inserting, their mawed tentacles into the Prime Material Mane to feed. Their tentacles appear as a swarm of blind eel-like creatures sliding through the air in a deadly school. To those who can see into the Ethereal Plane, the eels are revealed to be protruding tentacle tips, some ending in small maws. The much longer tentacles are joined in the Ethereal Plane, in a fused worm-like braid that forms the main body of the creature. The posterior end of the cylindrical body
loops back toward the front like a question mark. This end has a huge, drooling maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. The dharculus has five tentacles that end in eyes instead of maws, which the entity keeps safely tucked into the Ethereal Plane to search through the mists for its next victim.
Combat: Dharculi feed by dipping their tentacles into the Prime Material Plane and drawing prey into the Ethereal. Each of their half dozen mawed tentacles attacks individually, inflicting 1d4 points of damage and attaching to the prey. An attached tentacle causes no further damage, but a successful Strength check at a penalty of -2 removes an attached tentacle, causing 1d4 points of damage as the teeth tear free (use a saving throw vs. paralysis for creatures with no Strength rating). If a dharculus attaches three or more tentacles to a single victim, only a successful saving throw vs. death prevents the victim from being drawn into the Ethereal Plane at the beginning of the next round. Here, the dharculus can bring its horrible primary maw to bear on the victim for 2d10 points of damage. The saving throw must be made each round that opens with three tentacles attached to the victim,
Each individual tentacle possesses the following statistics: AC 3; MV Fl 9; HD 2; hp 8 each; THAC0 11 (as the dharculus's HD); #AT 1; Dmg 1d4; SZ S (2'-10' long); ML As dharculus. Tentacles that have taken 8 points of damage in full, and the last strike from an edged weapon, are severed. They fall to the ground, looking like dead eels out of water (the dharculus regenerates damaged tentacles at the rate of 2 points per tentacle for each 12 hours on the Ethereal Plane). A hit with a magical weapon has a 20% chance per magical plus to knock the appendage fully back into the Ethereal Plane, where it takes the dharculus four rounds to insert it back through the veil to the Prime Material Plane.
A victim drawn into the Ethereal Plane can fight the whole creature as the beast attacks with its devastating primary bite. Killing the dharculus leaves the victim drifting in the Border Ethereal, able to see his companions through the gray mist, but unable to contact them. A marooned individual without extraordinary resources is lost; however, a single chance still remains: The dharculus's tentacles that inserted into the Prime Material plane offer a brief lifeline before they recede into the ethereal deeps (up to four rounds). It is possible to use a flaccid tentacle as a rope, and physically pull oneself back into the Prime Material Plane. A successful Strength check indicates success.
Habitat/Society: Dharculi are creatures from an alternate reality far from the Prime Material Plane and perhaps beyond the planar cosmology as well. So far, these creatures have congregated near the point of their entry into this reality. 'This may be because they are somehow dependent upon some element of their own Far Realm, or it may just be coincidence, in which case it seems inevitable that more will arrive, hunting the beaches of the Prime Material Plane in relative safety from the shallow sea of the Border Ethereal.
These creatures have an utterly alien psychology, but their underlying need seems to be to feed. A dharculus never passes up an easy meal. In fact, the creature is not above dragging creatures across the ethereal veil just to save it for later snacking. They boldly hunt other creatures that cross their paths without regard to rank or hierarchy.
Ecology- It is not known whether these creatures mate, or merely asexually bud or fission. It the latter is true, even a single creature could rapidly populate an area Their current rarity and tendency to gather near their point of entry into this reality may be because they are somehow dependent on some particular element of their own Far Realm and need to stay near the point when the cross-dimensional leakage of this influence occurs. If this is true, only creatures near the point of entry are in peril. However, if the zone of influence is slowly expanding into the Prime Material Plane itself, then the situation would be most dangerous.
-From Gates of Firestorm Peak, #9533
some preliminary stats for the dharculus:
Dharculus
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 10d8+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 25 ft (5 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-2 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+X
Attack: Tentacle +X melee (1d4+X)
Full Attack: 6 tentacles +X melee (1d4+X) or bite +X melee (2d10+X)
Space/Reach: X ft/X ft
Special Attacks: (attach/improved grab)
Special Qualities: All-around vision, (ethereal jaunt?)
Saves: Fort +7 Ref +7 Will +7 (base)
Abilities: Str X Dex X Con X Int 12 Wis X Cha X
Skills: 117 ranks – Search, Spot
Feats: 4
Environment: (Far Realm?)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Huge); 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: +X
COMBAT
Originally found in Gates of Firestorm Peak (?) and Monstrous Compendium Annual Four (1998).
the Jester
Legend
Good start! As I said, this is my favorite monster EVAR.
I think on the ethereal it can attack with its tentacles and bite- the description states that it can attack with its 'whole body.'
For some starter suggestions on stats:
Str 29, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 11?
As I said, this is my favorite monster EVAR. I think on the ethereal it can attack with its tentacles and bite- the description states that it can attack with its 'whole body.'
For some starter suggestions on stats:
Str 29, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 11?
Shade
Monster Junkie
Here's an update of BOZ's stat block using Jester's suggested stats and some of my thoughts. I extrapolated the tentacle severing info from the kraken, the etheral snare from the maulgoth, and the "attach" from the mind flayer.
Dharculus
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 10d8+50 (95 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 25 ft (5 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +9 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+27
Attack: Tentacle +17 melee (1d4+9)
Full Attack: 6 tentacles +17 melee (1d4+9) or bite +12 melee (2d10+4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/10 ft (20 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: All-around vision, (ethereal jaunt?)
Saves: Fort +12 Ref +8 Will +9
Abilities:Str 29, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 11
Skills: Hide -7 (-8 for size), 117 ranks – Search, Spot
Feats: 4
Environment: (Far Realm or Ethereal Plane?)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Huge); 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: +X
COMBAT
An opponent can make sunder attempts against a dharculus' tentacles as if they were weapons. A dharculus' tentacles have 8 hit points. If a dharculus is currently grappling a target with one tentacle, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a dharculus’ tentacle deals damage to the dharculus equal to half the tentacle’s full normal hit points. A dharculus usually withdraws from combat if it loses more than X tentacles. A dharculus regrows severed tentacles in X days.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a dharculus must hit a creature with a tentacle attack. It can 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 attaches the tentacle to the opponent.
If a dharculus begins its turn with at least one tentacle attached, it can try to attach two additional tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or Escape Artist check, but the dharculus gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent's turn.
Ethereal Snare (Ex): A dharculus that begins its turn with three or more tentacles attached and that makes a successful grapple check can attempt to force an opponent onto the Ethereal Plane. The victim must make a X saving throw (DC X) to avoid being forced onto the Ethereal Plane.
Originally found in Gates of Firestorm Peak (?) and Monstrous Compendium Annual Four (1998).[/QUOTE]
Dharculus
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 10d8+50 (95 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 25 ft (5 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +9 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+27
Attack: Tentacle +17 melee (1d4+9)
Full Attack: 6 tentacles +17 melee (1d4+9) or bite +12 melee (2d10+4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/10 ft (20 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: All-around vision, (ethereal jaunt?)
Saves: Fort +12 Ref +8 Will +9
Abilities:Str 29, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 11
Skills: Hide -7 (-8 for size), 117 ranks – Search, Spot
Feats: 4
Environment: (Far Realm or Ethereal Plane?)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Huge); 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: +X
COMBAT
An opponent can make sunder attempts against a dharculus' tentacles as if they were weapons. A dharculus' tentacles have 8 hit points. If a dharculus is currently grappling a target with one tentacle, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a dharculus’ tentacle deals damage to the dharculus equal to half the tentacle’s full normal hit points. A dharculus usually withdraws from combat if it loses more than X tentacles. A dharculus regrows severed tentacles in X days.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a dharculus must hit a creature with a tentacle attack. It can 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 attaches the tentacle to the opponent.
If a dharculus begins its turn with at least one tentacle attached, it can try to attach two additional tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or Escape Artist check, but the dharculus gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent's turn.
Ethereal Snare (Ex): A dharculus that begins its turn with three or more tentacles attached and that makes a successful grapple check can attempt to force an opponent onto the Ethereal Plane. The victim must make a X saving throw (DC X) to avoid being forced onto the Ethereal Plane.
Originally found in Gates of Firestorm Peak (?) and Monstrous Compendium Annual Four (1998).[/QUOTE]
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
worked up some flavor text:
This massive creature looks something like a huge, floating worm. One end of its cylindrical body loops backward, and features a horrible, drooling maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. Attached to the other end is a sort of fused braid of several mawed tentacles, which resemble a swarm of blind eels. Some of these tentacles are tipped with lidded eyes instead, which constantly scan the area around them.
The dharculus is a bizarre monster that spends most of its time “swimming” in the border Ethereal Plane hunting creatures on the Material Plane. These utterly alien creatures come from a reality far removed from the Material Plane, and perhaps the planes as we know them. Thus far, the dharculi have congregated only near their point of entry into our reality in the border Ethereal from their own Far Realm. Perhaps they are dependent somehow on their homeworld and do not want to stray too far from it, but this is unknown.
The physiology of the dharculus is alien and perhaps incomprehensible. It is known that they feed at every opportunity, regardless of the power or status of its intended victims. It is not known how they reproduce, but there may be significant danger if they are able to reproduce while on the Ethereal Plane. Thus far, no dharculus has been able to enter the Material Plane, but the day may come when such an alarming event might occur.
A dharculus is 30 feet long, and its tentacles can be anywhere from 2-10 feet long.
COMBAT
To hunt creatures on the Material Plane, the dharculus inserts its mawed tentacles into minute holes in the Ethereal Plane. It may send any or all of its six tentacles through. The dharculus uses its five eye tentacles to search the mists of the Ethereal Plane for its next victim, and does not send them to the Material Plane. Those on the Material Plane might mistake the tentacles as a school of blind, flying eel creatures. Each of these tentacles can attack independently, and the dharculus attempts to attach these tentacles to victims, that it may drag victims onto the Ethereal Plane. The dharculus can be fully engaged on the Ethereal plane, as it can use its bite attack and creatures can attack the main body.
An opponent can make sunder attempts against a dharculus' tentacles as if they were weapons. A dharculus' tentacles have 8 hit points. If a dharculus is currently grappling a target with one tentacle, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a dharculus’ tentacle deals damage to the dharculus equal to half the tentacle’s full normal hit points. A dharculus usually withdraws from combat if it loses more than X tentacles. A dharculus regrows severed tentacles in 2 days, but only while it is fully on the Ethereal plane.
If the dharculus is killed, its victims are stranded on the border Ethereal, unable to return to the Material Plane unless they have the means to do so. However, characters may grasp any tentacles that the dharculus had inserted onto the Material Plane at the time of its death. A successful (Use Rope?) check allows a character to pull himself pack onto the Material Plane. These tentacles only remain 1d4 rounds each before receding back into the deeper Ethereal with the main body.
and some questions:
Should we give them blindsense so that their tentacles know where to attack? Or can they physically see victims on the Material from the Ethereal?
should we keep that 1d4 damage?
keep or no?
This massive creature looks something like a huge, floating worm. One end of its cylindrical body loops backward, and features a horrible, drooling maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. Attached to the other end is a sort of fused braid of several mawed tentacles, which resemble a swarm of blind eels. Some of these tentacles are tipped with lidded eyes instead, which constantly scan the area around them.
The dharculus is a bizarre monster that spends most of its time “swimming” in the border Ethereal Plane hunting creatures on the Material Plane. These utterly alien creatures come from a reality far removed from the Material Plane, and perhaps the planes as we know them. Thus far, the dharculi have congregated only near their point of entry into our reality in the border Ethereal from their own Far Realm. Perhaps they are dependent somehow on their homeworld and do not want to stray too far from it, but this is unknown.
The physiology of the dharculus is alien and perhaps incomprehensible. It is known that they feed at every opportunity, regardless of the power or status of its intended victims. It is not known how they reproduce, but there may be significant danger if they are able to reproduce while on the Ethereal Plane. Thus far, no dharculus has been able to enter the Material Plane, but the day may come when such an alarming event might occur.
A dharculus is 30 feet long, and its tentacles can be anywhere from 2-10 feet long.
COMBAT
To hunt creatures on the Material Plane, the dharculus inserts its mawed tentacles into minute holes in the Ethereal Plane. It may send any or all of its six tentacles through. The dharculus uses its five eye tentacles to search the mists of the Ethereal Plane for its next victim, and does not send them to the Material Plane. Those on the Material Plane might mistake the tentacles as a school of blind, flying eel creatures. Each of these tentacles can attack independently, and the dharculus attempts to attach these tentacles to victims, that it may drag victims onto the Ethereal Plane. The dharculus can be fully engaged on the Ethereal plane, as it can use its bite attack and creatures can attack the main body.
An opponent can make sunder attempts against a dharculus' tentacles as if they were weapons. A dharculus' tentacles have 8 hit points. If a dharculus is currently grappling a target with one tentacle, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a dharculus’ tentacle deals damage to the dharculus equal to half the tentacle’s full normal hit points. A dharculus usually withdraws from combat if it loses more than X tentacles. A dharculus regrows severed tentacles in 2 days, but only while it is fully on the Ethereal plane.
If the dharculus is killed, its victims are stranded on the border Ethereal, unable to return to the Material Plane unless they have the means to do so. However, characters may grasp any tentacles that the dharculus had inserted onto the Material Plane at the time of its death. A successful (Use Rope?) check allows a character to pull himself pack onto the Material Plane. These tentacles only remain 1d4 rounds each before receding back into the deeper Ethereal with the main body.
and some questions:
Should we give them blindsense so that their tentacles know where to attack? Or can they physically see victims on the Material from the Ethereal?
should we keep that 1d4 damage?
keep or no?
Last edited:
Shade
Monster Junkie
Excellent description.
I don't think we'll need any special vision. Per the SRD: "An ethereal creature can see and hear into the Material Plane in a 60-foot radius, though material objects still block sight and sound. (An ethereal creature can’t see through a material wall, for instance.) An ethereal creature inside an object on the Material Plane cannot see. Things on the Material Plane, however, look gray, indistinct, and ghostly."
I'm thinking we should just add to the Improved Grab ability that the dharculus continues to do tentacle damage every round that the hold is maintained. Whaddya think?
I'd lose it. The mechanic is too clunky.
BOZ said:
I don't think we'll need any special vision. Per the SRD: "An ethereal creature can see and hear into the Material Plane in a 60-foot radius, though material objects still block sight and sound. (An ethereal creature can’t see through a material wall, for instance.) An ethereal creature inside an object on the Material Plane cannot see. Things on the Material Plane, however, look gray, indistinct, and ghostly."
BOZ said:
I'm thinking we should just add to the Improved Grab ability that the dharculus continues to do tentacle damage every round that the hold is maintained. Whaddya think?
BOZ said:
I'd lose it. The mechanic is too clunky.
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