Devon
First Post
Hi, folks,
My apologies for a prolonged absence from this forum -- many things have been afoot lately (I just got engaged). I was able to pull this critter out of my imagination, though, so while I check out everyone else's recent creations, I'd love your input on this new creature.
Thank you,
- Devon
Sloon (Slugfolk)
Medium-sized Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: -1 (Dex)
Speed: 15
AC: 12 (+3 natural, -1 Dex)
Attacks: 4 tentacles +4 melee; mulcher +4 melee; by weapon +5 melee or +1 ranged
Damage: tentacle 1d2+2; mulcher 2d4+3 (see below); by weapon (+3 for Str)
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special attacks: Spider climb
Special Qualities: all-around vision, deliberate, slow metablism, poison resistance, partial actions only, vulnerable to dryness.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Escape Artist +5, Spot +6, Listen +5, Search +6, Concentration +6, Craft or Profession (any two): +6
Feats: Endurance, Multidexterity, Skill focus (Concentration)
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organization: solitary, group (5-8),
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: by character class
Sloon are a race of tentacled, technologically adept slugs.
A sloon is a roughly man-sized slug with two rough, strong tentacles where arms would be. Its face is somewhat humanoid, although bloated and jelly-like at best. Its mouth, which features a pair of strong tooth-plates used for shearing and grinding, extrudes from its face like a roundish muzzle. Two eyes, on eyestalks, cautiously circle about as it moves along -- eye color is usually brown, although there is as much variety as in human eyes. It skin is thick and leathery, but also moist and usually slimy. Sloon are usually gray in color, with darker striations along their backs, although some greenish or brown sloon have been spotted.
Sloon are slow-moving, but ponderous in their thought processes. They are able to bring their tentacles together to approximate an opposable grip, allowing the use of tools. Having given their lives over to quiet musing and tinkering, they have managed to develop some wondrous creations, most of which are intended to overcome some of the sloon's inherent lacks, such as quick mobility. They are strictly vegetarian.
Sloon often move about in perambulators: large, glass tubs set in brass, motorized wheel-chairs with lots of levers and dials.
Combat:
Sloon try not to engage in combat, since they are ill-suited for it. Nevertheless, sometimes they must defend themselves as best they can.
Spider Climb (Ex): The mucilaginous slime exuded by a sloon allows it to climb along almost any surface, as well as move upside-down, at its normal movement.
All-Around Vision (Ex): Sloon have learned to be cautious and aware of danger. Their eyestalks give them a +2 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can?t be flanked.
Deliberate (Ex): Sloon, although not very quick or dextrous, are very methodical and deliberate in their actions. Any craft or profession skill which is normally based upon Dexterity can, at the GMs option, be based upon Intelligence. They are also difficult to distract, and gain a +4 racial bonus to counter the effects of distraction when they are concentrating on something, including Concentration checks. Thus, a sloon who, working at a craft, would suffer a situational penalty due to loud noise or other distractions, would gain up to +4 to negate those penalties.
Slow Metabolism (Ex): Sloon have especially slow metabolisms, allowing them to subsist on the most meager portions of food. They have roughly 25% of the dietary needs of a standard human, and can eat most organic products, but prefer leaves and vegetables.
Poison Resistance (Ex): The slow metabolim of a sloon also inhibits the effect of poisons. A sloon has a +4 racial bonuses to saves against poisons, and the onset time is ten minutes instead of one minute.
Slimy (Ex): A sloon can secrete, at will, a mucilaginous substance which makes it quite slippery. This, combined with the fact that its body is almost entirely muscle, with no skeleton, affords it a +6 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks.
Partial Actions Only (Ex): Sloon have poor reflexes and can perform only partial actions. Thus they can move or attack, but can only do both if they charge (a partial charge).
Vulnerable to dryness: Sloon carry their ancestral vulnerability to salt and other dessicants. Treat exposure to salt as acid (see DMG), except sloon shrivel instead of dissolving.
The effects of time spent in a desert or other dry environment is doubled. Spells and spell-like effects which use salt, dessication or dryness as their special effect do double damage to a sloon, unless they make their save, in which case they take half damage.
Sloon as player characters:
Sloon tend to take classes in Experts or Commoner, working to support their villages. Occasionally an adventuring sloon will take up magic, or even more rarely, the sword. Most sloon spellcasters take up tinkering as their spell focus.
Sloon have the following stat adjustments: +4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Wis. They gain the abilities listed above. Sloon ECL is +3 to +4, depending on the dominant environment.
Sloon technology:
Sloon mulcher: Large Exotic melee weapon, 45 gp, 2d4 damage, critical 18-20/x2, weight: 40 lbs, type: S. The sloon mulcher is a wicked-looking bladed device, with lots of gears and pulleys, fitting around a sloon's body like a broad, bladed wreath. Originally designed for harvesting, the mulcher has been recently adapted for combat use, allowing a sloon so armed to effectively attack all creatures in a 5-foot radius, as if it had the feat Whirlwind Attack. Because the device is specifically designed to take advantage of sloon physiology (four tentacles, prehensile body), non-sloon must take an Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat in order to use it effectively. Creatures of size Large or larger wouldn't be able to use it at all.
Sloon perambulator:
Medium-sized vehicle
This vehicle consists of a glass tub (in which the passenger rests) around which has been built a framework of wood and brass. A machine, working on coiled springs, drives two pairs of large, rubberized wheels with spokes. The controls seem complicated at first, having been designed for a creature with four tentacles, but since sloon are also known for being somewhat slow, a two-limbed non-sloon can learn to manipulate it at only a -2 penalty. The perambulator affords its driver a speed of 45. Most perambulators can operate for 4 hours before winding down (necessitating a 1-hour wind to coil the spring again), but some advanced models work on a two-coil system, such that as one coil winds down, the other winds up. Such perambulators can be driven for 4 hours, at which point the driver must spend a minute switching the gears over. Sloon perambulators have an effective strength of 25 for carrying loads.
Sloon perambulator - Craft check (blacksmithing or engineering) DC 20, cost 350 gp
Advanced sloon perambulator - Craft check (blacksmithing or engineering) DC 25, cost 750 gp
My apologies for a prolonged absence from this forum -- many things have been afoot lately (I just got engaged). I was able to pull this critter out of my imagination, though, so while I check out everyone else's recent creations, I'd love your input on this new creature.
Thank you,
- Devon
Sloon (Slugfolk)
Medium-sized Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: -1 (Dex)
Speed: 15
AC: 12 (+3 natural, -1 Dex)
Attacks: 4 tentacles +4 melee; mulcher +4 melee; by weapon +5 melee or +1 ranged
Damage: tentacle 1d2+2; mulcher 2d4+3 (see below); by weapon (+3 for Str)
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special attacks: Spider climb
Special Qualities: all-around vision, deliberate, slow metablism, poison resistance, partial actions only, vulnerable to dryness.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Escape Artist +5, Spot +6, Listen +5, Search +6, Concentration +6, Craft or Profession (any two): +6
Feats: Endurance, Multidexterity, Skill focus (Concentration)
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organization: solitary, group (5-8),
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: by character class
Sloon are a race of tentacled, technologically adept slugs.
A sloon is a roughly man-sized slug with two rough, strong tentacles where arms would be. Its face is somewhat humanoid, although bloated and jelly-like at best. Its mouth, which features a pair of strong tooth-plates used for shearing and grinding, extrudes from its face like a roundish muzzle. Two eyes, on eyestalks, cautiously circle about as it moves along -- eye color is usually brown, although there is as much variety as in human eyes. It skin is thick and leathery, but also moist and usually slimy. Sloon are usually gray in color, with darker striations along their backs, although some greenish or brown sloon have been spotted.
Sloon are slow-moving, but ponderous in their thought processes. They are able to bring their tentacles together to approximate an opposable grip, allowing the use of tools. Having given their lives over to quiet musing and tinkering, they have managed to develop some wondrous creations, most of which are intended to overcome some of the sloon's inherent lacks, such as quick mobility. They are strictly vegetarian.
Sloon often move about in perambulators: large, glass tubs set in brass, motorized wheel-chairs with lots of levers and dials.
Combat:
Sloon try not to engage in combat, since they are ill-suited for it. Nevertheless, sometimes they must defend themselves as best they can.
Spider Climb (Ex): The mucilaginous slime exuded by a sloon allows it to climb along almost any surface, as well as move upside-down, at its normal movement.
All-Around Vision (Ex): Sloon have learned to be cautious and aware of danger. Their eyestalks give them a +2 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can?t be flanked.
Deliberate (Ex): Sloon, although not very quick or dextrous, are very methodical and deliberate in their actions. Any craft or profession skill which is normally based upon Dexterity can, at the GMs option, be based upon Intelligence. They are also difficult to distract, and gain a +4 racial bonus to counter the effects of distraction when they are concentrating on something, including Concentration checks. Thus, a sloon who, working at a craft, would suffer a situational penalty due to loud noise or other distractions, would gain up to +4 to negate those penalties.
Slow Metabolism (Ex): Sloon have especially slow metabolisms, allowing them to subsist on the most meager portions of food. They have roughly 25% of the dietary needs of a standard human, and can eat most organic products, but prefer leaves and vegetables.
Poison Resistance (Ex): The slow metabolim of a sloon also inhibits the effect of poisons. A sloon has a +4 racial bonuses to saves against poisons, and the onset time is ten minutes instead of one minute.
Slimy (Ex): A sloon can secrete, at will, a mucilaginous substance which makes it quite slippery. This, combined with the fact that its body is almost entirely muscle, with no skeleton, affords it a +6 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks.
Partial Actions Only (Ex): Sloon have poor reflexes and can perform only partial actions. Thus they can move or attack, but can only do both if they charge (a partial charge).
Vulnerable to dryness: Sloon carry their ancestral vulnerability to salt and other dessicants. Treat exposure to salt as acid (see DMG), except sloon shrivel instead of dissolving.
The effects of time spent in a desert or other dry environment is doubled. Spells and spell-like effects which use salt, dessication or dryness as their special effect do double damage to a sloon, unless they make their save, in which case they take half damage.
Sloon as player characters:
Sloon tend to take classes in Experts or Commoner, working to support their villages. Occasionally an adventuring sloon will take up magic, or even more rarely, the sword. Most sloon spellcasters take up tinkering as their spell focus.
Sloon have the following stat adjustments: +4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Wis. They gain the abilities listed above. Sloon ECL is +3 to +4, depending on the dominant environment.
Sloon technology:
Sloon mulcher: Large Exotic melee weapon, 45 gp, 2d4 damage, critical 18-20/x2, weight: 40 lbs, type: S. The sloon mulcher is a wicked-looking bladed device, with lots of gears and pulleys, fitting around a sloon's body like a broad, bladed wreath. Originally designed for harvesting, the mulcher has been recently adapted for combat use, allowing a sloon so armed to effectively attack all creatures in a 5-foot radius, as if it had the feat Whirlwind Attack. Because the device is specifically designed to take advantage of sloon physiology (four tentacles, prehensile body), non-sloon must take an Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat in order to use it effectively. Creatures of size Large or larger wouldn't be able to use it at all.
Sloon perambulator:
Medium-sized vehicle
This vehicle consists of a glass tub (in which the passenger rests) around which has been built a framework of wood and brass. A machine, working on coiled springs, drives two pairs of large, rubberized wheels with spokes. The controls seem complicated at first, having been designed for a creature with four tentacles, but since sloon are also known for being somewhat slow, a two-limbed non-sloon can learn to manipulate it at only a -2 penalty. The perambulator affords its driver a speed of 45. Most perambulators can operate for 4 hours before winding down (necessitating a 1-hour wind to coil the spring again), but some advanced models work on a two-coil system, such that as one coil winds down, the other winds up. Such perambulators can be driven for 4 hours, at which point the driver must spend a minute switching the gears over. Sloon perambulators have an effective strength of 25 for carrying loads.
Sloon perambulator - Craft check (blacksmithing or engineering) DC 20, cost 350 gp
Advanced sloon perambulator - Craft check (blacksmithing or engineering) DC 25, cost 750 gp
Last edited:
