Send In The Clowns… (or, Converting the Oddballs)
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
OK then! 
how does this look?
Tirapheg
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares)
Armor Class: 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+4
Attack: Spikes +4 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: 2 spikes +4 melee (1d4+3) and claw +2 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict 1d4+3, illusions
Special Qualities: All-around vision, darkvision 60 ft
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13
Skills: Hide +3, Jump +6, Listen +3, Search +4, Spot +7
Feats: Multiattack
Environment: Any mountains and marsh
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Medium); 5-6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +2
This pseudo-humanoid creature has a truly bizarre appearance. It is taller than the average human, wearing no clothing or equipment and is completely hairless and mostly featureless. It has three heads, and only the central one has any features. The middle head has three large, deeply-inset eyes spaced equidistantly around the head – two in front where a human’s would be, and one in back. Small ears flank each side of this head, and it has no mouth.
Its body is equally unusual. It has three arms, two of which are at the shoulders and double-jointed, ending in a 6-inch long spike rather than hands. The third arm protrudes from its chest, ending in a three-fingered hand. The creature also has three legs; the outer two ending in stumps and the central leg ending in a footpad with three long toes. Below the creature’s central arm is a mouth-like orifice, above which are seen three 3-inch long tentacles that writhe constantly.
The tirapheg may well be one of the strangest known aberrations in existence, at least due mostly to its odd anatomy. It says nothing, and sages have had little success in divining much of anything about the tirapheg. Its actual mouth is the one located in its chest; a tirapheg’s favorite food is decayed flesh. The purpose for the tentacles above the mouth is a mystery, like the creature itself.
A tirapheg is 7 feet tall, and weighs about 225 pounds.
A tirapheg does not speak and perhaps cannot, and might not understand any language.
COMBAT
Normally the tirapheg avoids encounters, but these unpredictable creatures exhibit erratic behavior and have been known to attack living creatures for reasons known only to the tirapheg.
A tirapheg that successfully spikes an opponent with both spikes can attach its central arm around the victim’s neck as a free action. A tirapheg uses this arm to strangle its opponent, and usually maintains the hold until it or its opponent is dead. If cornered or if melee is going against it, a tirapheg will use its illusion ability to deceive its attackers and escape.
Constrict (Ex): A tirapheg deals 1d4+3 points of damage with a successful grapple check. Because it seizes victims by the neck, a creature in a tirapheg’s grasp cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tirapheg must hit with both of its spike attacks. It can then 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 constricts.
Illusions (Su): A tirapheg can create two illusory duplicates of itself at the same time, as a standard action. The duplicates are made of material from the Plane of Shadow and are partially real, and appear to be the same as the original. The duplicates have no hit points and are unaffected by any form of attack. They have the same Armor Class as the tirapheg, and may appear to take damage if struck. The duplicates otherwise have the same statistics as the tirapheg, except that they cannot likewise create more illusions.
These duplicates remain under the tirapheg’s absolute command at all times, through a telepathic link. The duplicates may take a standard action in the melee round they are created, and always take their actions on the tirapheg’s initiative. These illusions disappear only at the tirapheg’s will, or when the tirapheg is killed. The tirapheg may only create and maintain two duplicates at a time.
Any creature that interacts with the duplicates can make a Will save (DC 12) to recognize their true nature. Any creature that makes a successful Will save cannot be harmed by a duplicate; objects automatically succeed on their will saves. The duplicates deal normal damage to creatures that believe they are real. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
At the instant a tirapheg creates these duplicates it generates a split-second flash of dazzling light, which affects all creatures in a 30-foot radius (except the tirapheg itself) that can see the tirapheg as a lesser confusion spell. This effect conceals the sudden appearance of the illusions, and a tirapheg cannot use it at any other time. There is no saving throw for this effect.
All-Around Vision (Ex): A tiraphegs’s three equally spaced eyes give it a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks, and it can't be flanked.
The tirapheg first appeared in the first edition Fiend Folio (1981, Colin Reynolds).
how does this look?Tirapheg
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares)
Armor Class: 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+4
Attack: Spikes +4 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: 2 spikes +4 melee (1d4+3) and claw +2 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict 1d4+3, illusions
Special Qualities: All-around vision, darkvision 60 ft
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13
Skills: Hide +3, Jump +6, Listen +3, Search +4, Spot +7
Feats: Multiattack
Environment: Any mountains and marsh
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Medium); 5-6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +2
This pseudo-humanoid creature has a truly bizarre appearance. It is taller than the average human, wearing no clothing or equipment and is completely hairless and mostly featureless. It has three heads, and only the central one has any features. The middle head has three large, deeply-inset eyes spaced equidistantly around the head – two in front where a human’s would be, and one in back. Small ears flank each side of this head, and it has no mouth.
Its body is equally unusual. It has three arms, two of which are at the shoulders and double-jointed, ending in a 6-inch long spike rather than hands. The third arm protrudes from its chest, ending in a three-fingered hand. The creature also has three legs; the outer two ending in stumps and the central leg ending in a footpad with three long toes. Below the creature’s central arm is a mouth-like orifice, above which are seen three 3-inch long tentacles that writhe constantly.
The tirapheg may well be one of the strangest known aberrations in existence, at least due mostly to its odd anatomy. It says nothing, and sages have had little success in divining much of anything about the tirapheg. Its actual mouth is the one located in its chest; a tirapheg’s favorite food is decayed flesh. The purpose for the tentacles above the mouth is a mystery, like the creature itself.
A tirapheg is 7 feet tall, and weighs about 225 pounds.
A tirapheg does not speak and perhaps cannot, and might not understand any language.
COMBAT
Normally the tirapheg avoids encounters, but these unpredictable creatures exhibit erratic behavior and have been known to attack living creatures for reasons known only to the tirapheg.
A tirapheg that successfully spikes an opponent with both spikes can attach its central arm around the victim’s neck as a free action. A tirapheg uses this arm to strangle its opponent, and usually maintains the hold until it or its opponent is dead. If cornered or if melee is going against it, a tirapheg will use its illusion ability to deceive its attackers and escape.
Constrict (Ex): A tirapheg deals 1d4+3 points of damage with a successful grapple check. Because it seizes victims by the neck, a creature in a tirapheg’s grasp cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tirapheg must hit with both of its spike attacks. It can then 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 constricts.
Illusions (Su): A tirapheg can create two illusory duplicates of itself at the same time, as a standard action. The duplicates are made of material from the Plane of Shadow and are partially real, and appear to be the same as the original. The duplicates have no hit points and are unaffected by any form of attack. They have the same Armor Class as the tirapheg, and may appear to take damage if struck. The duplicates otherwise have the same statistics as the tirapheg, except that they cannot likewise create more illusions.
These duplicates remain under the tirapheg’s absolute command at all times, through a telepathic link. The duplicates may take a standard action in the melee round they are created, and always take their actions on the tirapheg’s initiative. These illusions disappear only at the tirapheg’s will, or when the tirapheg is killed. The tirapheg may only create and maintain two duplicates at a time.
Any creature that interacts with the duplicates can make a Will save (DC 12) to recognize their true nature. Any creature that makes a successful Will save cannot be harmed by a duplicate; objects automatically succeed on their will saves. The duplicates deal normal damage to creatures that believe they are real. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
At the instant a tirapheg creates these duplicates it generates a split-second flash of dazzling light, which affects all creatures in a 30-foot radius (except the tirapheg itself) that can see the tirapheg as a lesser confusion spell. This effect conceals the sudden appearance of the illusions, and a tirapheg cannot use it at any other time. There is no saving throw for this effect.
All-Around Vision (Ex): A tiraphegs’s three equally spaced eyes give it a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks, and it can't be flanked.
The tirapheg first appeared in the first edition Fiend Folio (1981, Colin Reynolds).
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
Shade, sounds good. The best part is, I don’t even think Jonathan Richards designed them as April Fools monsters either. IIRC, they were supposed to be a silly extrapolation of wizards who go “I wonder what you get if you mix X with X? let’s try an owl and a bear today…”
martyn - that's the nice and easy way to do it. but we never ever do anything nice... and easy. we always like to do things rough!
big wheel keep on turnin', proud mary keep on burnin'...
IIRC, they were supposed to be a silly extrapolation of wizards who go “I wonder what you get if you mix X with X? let’s try an owl and a bear today…”martyn - that's the nice and easy way to do it. but we never ever do anything nice... and easy. we always like to do things rough!
big wheel keep on turnin', proud mary keep on burnin'...
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