Need Help With New Race

[Nikroecyst]

I just got done watching the movie "Decent". It was an okay movie but it game me some great ideas. Im sure this has been done before so I wanted to get some good ideas based off what every one else thinks.

I wanted to create a race of subterran humanoids based off of the "Crawlers" (as they were listed in the credits) without using a lame exsisting race. I wanted the campaign to be a little horror at this point and need something to really scare the bejezus outta the players. Also, unlike alot of other horror-spelunking films I've seen I want them to be more humanoid than like bat creatures.

I liked how they were blind and had the clicking echolocation like bats. They had the ears for the echolocation too. Could have had bigger noses for the low frequency echolocation though. I know alot about bats, and would like to use this but I know dittly as far as game creation mechanics goes. Especially for a race.

Maybe Scent, Blindsight, bonues to listen, definetly a climb speed. I am looking at these creatures as sorof a non playable base class, like orcs. If some one has suggestions please pipe in. I'd like to get some good ideas for this race.

 

[Herzog]

haven't seen the movie, but i think I know where you're headed with this race.

Consider the following:

1. Because they use bat-like echo location, they cannot be blinded, except by 'silence'.
2. Locations where these creatures move around will be filled with 'echo' sounds. Very creepy if you do not know what they are.
3. If they use echo-location, why do they need Scent?
4. Because of their superior hearing, you could rule they are very vulnerable to sound-based magic (sonic damage, bardic music, etc.)

 

[Nikroecyst]

Good, Im gettin alot otta this already.

The Scent thing was based on real bats. In the movie when the "Crawlers", because they were completely blind, moved into the light they could be seen sniffing around alot. Echolocation only does soo much. I would think that to survive as a blind creature (keep in mind bats are not blind) they would need not only a secondary sight system but the enhancement of other senses as well. Like a star-nosed mole.

 

[Goblyns Hoard]

Also don't know the film but here are some thoughts

Echo location in bats is above our hearing range - but you could put it on the edge of the normal hearing and give it some effect, nausea by unbalancing stomachs, dizzyness by affecting the water balance in our ears etc... So that gives them a constant form of debilitating attack (whenver they're trying to see at least). I'd go with sickening rather than nauseating to stop it being too debilitating, but maybe also give them a concentrated attack form - which is nauseating but on a single individual rather than an area. Fort save of some type

Scent would be useful to something hunting in the dark - echolocation gives one set of information but the more the better. Plus it can help identify things that are out of sonar range - like around corners (bat echo location uses line of sound)

Blindsight - yep that's echolocation for you - with the proviso that magical silence kills it.

Bonus to listen - again absolutely, but with vulnerability to sonic effects as Herzog said

Climb speed - makes sense for subterranean creatures

Creatures that hunt where their prey is quite sparse (e.g. deserts but applicable subterranean) often have good ways of making sure their prey doesn't get away or at least not far - so maybe some form of immobilising poison - or possibly improved grab.

And the reviews I've just read indicated there was a lot of blood in the film - so some form of natural attack (claws/teeth) and maybe a 'bleeding' attack (continual hp drain for each wound until healed either magically or using the heal skill).

 

[Nikroecyst]

The "Crawlers" made clicking noises which I found interestind due to the fact that the frequencies of some bats allow us to hear clicking noises when they give off echolocation. Depends on the species, and size. What was really creepy during the film was in the complete darkness all you heard was this faint clicking sound.

As far as thier climbing thier were parts in the filme where they literally looked like they were crawling on the ceiling. Would a spiderclimb ability at will be too campy? OR Just a climb speed. It seemed that thier prefered movement was based on climbing even when the ground was level they haunched on all fours and crawled along. It reminds me of my pet rat, she only stands when shes sniffing or investigaing something.

 

[Nikroecyst]

Heres what im lookin at . . .

Crawler
Med. Monsterous Humanoid
HD 2d8+6 (9Hp)
Initiative +0
Speed 20ft, Climb 20ft
AC 10 (+1 size, +1 NA) Touch 11, Flatfooted 10
Bab/Grapple 2/5
Attack Bite +5 d6+4, or Claw +5 d4+3
Full Attack Bite +5 d6+4 and one Claw +5 d4+3
Space/Reach 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks Bleeding Wound
Special Qualities Crawling Posture, Blindsight 60ft, Blind, Vulnerability to Sonic
Saves 5/3/3
Abilities Stre 16, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 11, Char 7
Skills Hide +8, Climb +11, Listen +10
Feats Diehard
Enviroment Underground
Organization Solitary (1), Pair (2), Gang (3-7), Family (8-23)
Treasure Standard
CR 2
Alignment NE
Advancement 3-4 Med.

Bleeding Wound: Each time a Crawler hits and deals dmg with its Bite or Claw attacks it deal 1 point of Con Dmg. A critical hit does not multiply the Con dmg. Creatures immune to critical hits (such as plants and constructs) are immune to Con dmg.

Crawling Posture: Due to thier low crawling movement Crawlers are considered small size during any time in which they are not grappling, hiding, or making listen checks.

Vulnerability to Sonic: Crawlers take half again as much (50%) dmg as normal from sonic affects, reguardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is sucessful or a failure.

Blind: Crawlers are immune to any spells or effects that rely on visualization (such as being dazzled or most illusions).

Blindsight: A Crawler notices and locates all creatures within 60ft as long as it has a clear line of sight.

Crawlers have a +8 bonus to Climb and Hide and a +10 bonus to Listen.

Crawlers are viscious sbterran humanoids with disgustinly close ties to humans. They typically stand about 5ft tall (about 2-2 1/2 ft when crawling) and have dark grey skin with flecks of black. They have slightly large pointed ears that are sensetive to a wide range of frequencies. Thier noses are pushed up and thier eyes are white with large yellow pupils. Only females have hair and it tends to only grow atop thier heads. Thier hair is usually long and matted. Despite thier humanoid form they crawl on all fours.

Combat: Crawlers can be patient stalkers or wild killers. Thier method usually depends on thier numbers. When alone they will stalk thier prey and wait for an oppurtunity of vulnerablility. When in numbers they are brazen throwing themself at thier prey clawing and bitting untill it or they are dead. As soon as thier victem is immobilized (not neccesarily dead) they imidiately begin eating thier prey. When struck or injured they appear to ignore pain and due to thier constant ravenous hunger all Crawlers fight to the death.

The only problem Im having is with the CR, is it right, not high enough, or too low??? Oh and the advancement. I wanted to do it by HD, but for a Monsterous Humanoid its done by class. Is it ok to give it advancement by HD even if it is Monsterous Humanoid?

 

[Clueless]

Read the book. You thought the movie was creepy? The movie didn't manage even *half* of what the book did.
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/thedescent/book.html
Amazon's entry for it

I've used these guys in a game as well after reading the book. My version of them was basically human with blind fighting/scent, some serious boosts to strength and dex, and very mild psionic powers that effectively gave them serial immortality by body-hopping. Additionally they recieved bonuses to listen, climb, hide, move silent, and serious negatives to spot and other actions when there was any lightsource around. As well as claw, bite attacks and natural armor.

Going from the original book - we didn't make them blind though. We also placed them on average human intellegence - again, going from the original book. We placed them roughly around a CR3 by the time we were done with it, with a lot of flavour text. Scared the beejees out of our players. Plus, since they *are* smart we got to play up that intellegence and that made them just that much more creepy. I don't think my party will *ever* be comfortable in a catacomb again for fear of 'the Eaters of the Dead'.

 

[Rolzup]

The movie isn't based on the book, actually. Similar sort of theme, but very, VERY different in just about every way.

I've been using similar sorts of creatures in my own game -- Ghuls, I call them. Subterrainian cannibals, and a nasty bunch indeed. Being lazy, I based them on Ghasts, gave them blindsight and a climb speed, and...well. Other stuff.

 

[Piratecat]

Moved to House Rules.

 

[Nikroecyst]

Ya sorry about that, im still a lil new to this computer, forum, whats-this-crazy-thing-called?-A-mouse?-stuff.