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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bob Mackenzie" data-source="post: 488078" data-attributes="member: 8799">Ladies & GentsMy first stab at a new monster  - just the concept no stat blocks. The idea is to act as an inspiration.MorpheumThe Morpheum is the undead form of a human(oid) that died in the throws of withdrawal from drug addition. As such it feels a consant craving for drugs it can no longer metabolize (having no metabolism). After a while the constant craving unhinges the Morpheum's mind, most are quite crazy.There are two ways to forget the nagging addiction, the rush of combat and destruction or the morpheum's ultimate death. The need for release turns the Morpheum in to a relentless death machine, constantly slaying the living around it to provoke even more powerful foes in to attacking it, so it can be defeated. Ultimately, for a morpheum, combat is just an elaborate form of suicide.Ironically a morpheum regenerates. Even if slain the morpheum will re-grow and become whole again. Only burning prevents this, bit if only one small piece of the body remains the morpheum will eventually come back to un-life. Unless there is a handy volcano nearby this pretty much precludes the morpheum from taking its own life.Its also ironic that the Morpheum's body is full of the drug it so craves. The Morpheum's claw attacks if successful inject Morphine in to its victim. The victim feels no pain from the attack - indeed a sense of calm and well being seep in to the victim's body. The victim will feel no pain for 3d10 minutes after the attack. The benefit of this is that with morphine flowing through your veins you are no longer required to make fortitude attacks for massive damage.There are no immediate drawbacks to having morphine in your system except you have no idea how much damage you are taking. The DM must roll all damage in secret and keep track of the players HPs in secret until the Morphine wears off. The players have no idea how much damage they have taken. They can not even tell by looking at each other (remember 90% of DnD damage is NOT physical). However a successful heal check at DC10 will determine the creatures current HP total.The real damage occurs when the morphine wears off. Players feel awful and lethargic, -1 on ALL stats for 24 hours unless they make a Fortitude Save (DC?). Morphine counts as a poison and all bonuses to poison saves count vs morphine. However some effects last for ever. Each time a character sees a morpheum he will remember how good it felt to be struck by its claws. Each player who was struck previously must make a will save (DC?) if he fails then he loses all dex and dodge AC bonuses; subconsciously he wants to be struck by those beautiful claws again. If anyone fails by 10 or more they just drop all their weapons and rush towards the Morpheum into its embrace. They count as a helpless target to the Morpheum’s attack.Note that the addiction effect is psychological – cure disease and cure poison won’t effect it. Cure poison will stop the morphine deadening pain but that’s it.Anyone slain within whilst in withdrawal from a morpheum attack has a 10% or rising in 1d6 hours as a morpheum.Some powerful, addicted individual keeps morheums, breaking off parts of their bodies and then grinding down the bones in to powder which they then smoke.CheersBob</blockquote>

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