Shadowdark Let's make Shadowdark monsters!

[NN]

Thoul
Lvl3 hp15 AC13 att 2 claws +3 d3 or 1 weapon +3 by weapon. Stats S+2 C+2.
attacks paralyse as per ghoul
regenerate 1hp per round

Lore:

Thouls! ... Owlbears!

Thouls and Owlbears oh my! Inspired by Hereticwerk’s 6 Tigers and 6 Lions of Wyrmspittle here’s 10 Owlbears and 10 Thouls. Ow...

dungeonofsigns.blogspot.com

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Inspired by today's Grandiloquent Word of the Day. (How else do you think I got like this?)

BLATHERSKITE
A babbling undead jester in tattered motley.
AC 13, HP 10, ATK 1 scepter +0 (1d6), MV near, S +0, D +3, C +1, I -1, W -3, Ch +2, AL C, LV 2
Undead. Immune to morale checks.
Babbling. Creatures within near DC 12 WIS on turn or take a random action (d8): 1-3. Do nothing, 4-5. move in random direction, 6-7. attack nearest creature, 8. flee.

I think this would pair nicely with undead archers attacking from a distance, as part of the court of an undead tyrant.

 

[Scribe]

BLATHERSKITE
A babbling undead jester in tattered motley.
AC 13, HP 10, ATK 1 scepter +0 (1d6), MV near, S +0, D +3, C +1, I -1, W -3, Ch +2, AL C, LV 2
Undead. Immune to morale checks.
Babbling. Creatures within near DC 12 WIS on turn or take a random action (d8): 1-3. Do nothing, 4-5. move in random direction, 6-7. attack nearest creature, 8. flee.

I like this one a lot, immediately popped some scenario ideas.

 

[Quickleaf]

HORDE OF KOBOLDS
A wet dog-smelling mass of yapping tricksy kobolds.
AC 13, HP 26, ATK 6 spears (melee/ranged) +0 (1d6) / when reduced to 13 hit points or less, reduce to 3 spear attacks, MV near, S -2, D +2, C +0, I -1, W 0, Ch -1, AL C, LV 6
Scatter. When an attack misses the Horde of Kobolds, roll a d4; reduce the horde's hit points by that amount and place that number of individual kobolds in play near the horde.
Kobold Chaos. When a creature moves through the horde, gets pulled into the horde, is surprised by the horde, or take a critical hit from the horde roll a d4: (1) The kobolds try to steal what's in its hands (DC 12 Str), (2) The kobolds try to separate them from the party (DC 12 Wis), (3) The kobolds try to snuff out their light source (DC 12 Dex), (4) The kobolds try to lure them into a trap (DC 12 Int).

Still don't know Shadowrun rules well enough to assign a Level and may be making some faux paus with the rules, but the idea is there.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

HORDE OF KOBOLDS
A babbling undead jester in tattered motley.
AC 13, HP 24, ATK 6 spears +0 (1d6) / when reduced to 12 hit points or less, reduce to 3 spear attacks, MV near, S -2, D +2, C +0, I -1, W 0, Ch -1, AL C, LV ???
Scatter. When an attack misses the Horde of Kobolds, roll a d4; reduce the horde's hit points by that amount and place that number of individual kobolds in play near the horde.
Kobold Chaos. When a creature moves through the horde, gets pulled into the horde, is surprised by the horde, or take a critical hit from the horde roll a d4: (1) The kobolds try to steal what's in its hands (DC 12 Str), (2) The kobolds try to separate them from the party (DC 12 Wis), (3) The kobolds try to snuff out their light source (DC 12 Dex), (4) The kobolds try to lure them into a trap (DC 12 Int).

Still don't know Shadowrun rules well enough to assign a Level and may be making some faux paus with the rules, but the idea is there.

It's a great idea! One of my favorite things about Grizzled Heroes, from the makers of Beyond the Wall, was their use of hordes (swarms) for everything. I've wanted to bring them into Shadowdark for a while.

For the math:

Your horde has 25 hit points, minus one due to low Constitution. At an average of 4.5 hit points per level, your horde is a level 5.55 monster. If you wanted it to be a standard level 6 monster, it would have 26 hit points (27-1).

A level six monster should have about AC 14, and with the lower hit points and +2 Dex, I think you might consider bumping it to AC 16.

The quickie monster stats bookmark suggests three attacks at +5 doing 1d10 damage, but that feels really high for kobolds. I like them having 3-6 spear attacks. I would also include the spears as a possible ranged attack, since kobolds flinging spears from a distance, rather than engaging, is very much on-brand.

 

[Quickleaf]

It's a great idea! One of my favorite things about Grizzled Heroes, from the makers of Beyond the Wall, was their use of hordes (swarms) for everything. I've wanted to bring them into Shadowdark for a while.

For the math:

Your horde has 25 hit points, minus one due to low Constitution. At an average of 4.5 hit points per level, your horde is a level 5.55 monster. If you wanted it to be a standard level 6 monster, it would have 26 hit points (27-1).

A level six monster should have about AC 14, and with the lower hit points and +2 Dex, I think you might consider bumping it to AC 16.

The quickie monster stats bookmark suggests three attacks at +5 doing 1d10 damage, but that feels really high for kobolds. I like them having 3-6 spear attacks. I would also include the spears as a possible ranged attack, since kobolds flinging spears from a distance, rather than engaging, is very much on-brand.

Thanks! I’m still getting familiar with Shadowdark standards. Yes, there’s always fun ways to think of hordes/swarms that break the mold. I incorporated most of your advice, but decided to keep the AC low because their average damage begins at 21 (instead of Level 6 monster being around 15 usually), and when their Chaos triggers that can really muck with the party, and there’s potential for “spawning” lots of kobolds.

 

[Fenris-77]

The idea of spawning other monsters needs to be handled delicately, IMO, althought it's an awesome idea. A key deisgn point is what level is a given swarm going to used for. I think that low level foes can still be great in high level adventures, but I also think that spawnign new monsters is perhaps terrible for low level parties.

I did this in a limited way with my SD take on Pink Horrors, that canonically split into two blue horrors when they die.

 

[Fenris-77]

I'm writing an higher level SD adventure, for which I need some big sexy undead BBEGs.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm writing an higher level SD adventure, for which I need some big sexy undead BBEGs.

View attachment 412642

Can Light Drinker be looted after the king is defeated? (Players are dumb and will want even a sword that is a terrible idea to possess.)

 

[Fenris-77]

Can Light Drinker be looted after the king is defeated? (Players are dumb and will want even a sword that is a terrible idea to possess.)

I don't see why not. They could probably sell it for a mint at the very least.