11/19/2011 6:30:02 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Cloud Stalker
No. Enc. 4d4 (10d6+50)
Alignment Chaotic
Movement fly 270' (90')
AC 5
HD 4
Attacks 1 or 1 (weapon or tail slash)
Damage weapon or d6
Save T6
Morale 6
Hoard Class XVI, XVII, XX (magic items only)
Cloud stalkers are 12' long worms that live on the underside of clouds. They have bean shaped wings, four tentacles near the head for manipulating objects and are quite intelligent (14+). They created their villages on the underside of clouds because they can not survive sunlight for very long (d6 points of damage per round, double damage from light based spells). Each has a harness made of skin used to carry his or her property- they don't trust each other not to steal. Come the rare night on the Forge, the stalkers leave their homes and raid other cloud stalkers (that is where the skin comes from), airships and surface communities for magic items. Cloud stalkers can sense such from a mile away and they avoid the most powerful items as their owners tend to kill stalkers in large numbers. Those hunting cloud stalkers have a difficult time as the structures of their villages are upside down and a few dozen feet within the clouds. Weather control is the best method of revealing them as the spell has no effect on those clouds that hold stalker villages.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
11/21/2011 4:50:19 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Carcass scavengers are an LL version of a certain tentacled worm like critter. These species originated on the Forge and then spread out into the rest of the multiverse.
Name Horned Carcass Scavenger
No. Enc. d6 (5d4)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 120' (40') climb 120' (40')
AC 6
HD 5
Attacks 1 or 6 (horns or tentacles)
Damage d8 or special X6
Save F8
Morale 12
Hoard Class XVII, XX
This species of carcass scavengers is gutless, has two of its tentacles modified into horns and it much more intelligent and social than its ancestors. It feeds on magic consuming bacteria in its flesh and new organs have replaced most of its digestive system. These organs allow it to survive almost everywhere. It is immune to natural cold, heat, poisons, most other chemicals, lack of air, starvation, dehydration and falling impact damage. Horned scavengers are as intelligent as pigs and hunt in small groups. They store the corpses of their prey in large numbers. They obviously do not consume this flesh but they still hunt as the urge is hardwired into them. In combat they gore with their horns and then paralyze. The smell of blood makes them frenzy (+4 to hit, AC 7) for 2d4 rounds.
Name Trapper Carcass Scavenger
No. Enc. 1 (1)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 120' (40') climb 120' (40')
AC 7
HD 3+1
Attacks 4 or 4 (blood or tentacles)
Damage special or special
Save F2
Morale 8
Hoard Class XII
Trapper scavengers are the survivors of a plague. Their blood turns sticky in contact with air and they have adapted to using it as a form of webbing. Traps are generally 50-150 square feet and are on the floor and walls of a tunnel or cave. The animals are trapped just as easily as other creatures and occasionally one will find a trapper starved to dead in its own trap. In addition to the trap, four of the tentacles are modified to spray this blood to 20' and each can be aimed at an individual. Each spray does no damage but those hit must save versus breath weapon. Failure means the target is covered in blood and all gear, armor and clothing are glued in place. The blood is also flammable (as oil) but the scavenger has no capacity to ignite it. The other four tentacles have the typical paralytic toxin.
Name Marine Carcass Scavenger
No. Enc. d4 (1)
Alignment Neutral
Movement swim 90' (30') climb 60' (20')
AC 7
HD 3+1
Attacks 8 (tentacles)
Damage d3 X8
Save F2
Morale 12
Hoard Class VII
Marine scavengers are found in cold and temperate waters. Sahuagen are known to charm them and use the animals to capture humanoids for slaves and food. Unless their ancestral stock, marine scavengers' tentacles are covered in spines. These allow the animal to have a much better grasp on prey (something difficult to do with fish and other slimy aquatics). They can survive out of water for about an hour. Though they may be found hunting in a group, each has its own lair, bored into sand or mud.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
12/8/2011 4:31:15 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Sand Monkey
No. Enc. 3d6 (3d6)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 150' (50') swim 10' (3')
AC 3
HD 2
Attacks 2 (bite and tail)
Damage d4/d6
Save F5
Morale 12
Hoard Class VII plus d4 magic items
These earth elementals are found all over the Forge. When resting, they appear as small mounds of sand. When active, they have the shape of seven limbed primates, each limb can be used as a arm, leg or (singular) tail. The tail has a metal weapon head on it, transmuted sand. It is usually a spear head or light mace though they can be tools as well. Sand monkeys can only be harmed with magic weapons and spells. They are slowed by extreme cold but it does not harm them otherwise. They can swim very slowly in the form of a clump of sand. This clump can not form weapons and tries to escape any encounter (it can also fall through the water at a speed of 240' (80')). Sand monkeys are thieves and pests. They take anything that interests them and non-magical barriers just extend the time it takes for them to reach the objects of their desire. Broken down doors, burrowed through walls and ripped open chests surrounded by sand is a clear sign that sand monkeys were the thieves. What is worse is they can hide in plain sight as sand and travel just about anywhere- even the depths of the oceans. They will follow something of interest for days or weeks before getting bored and going home.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
12/9/2011 4:41:46 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Elder Nixie
No. Enc. 1 (1)
Alignment Chaotic
Movement 90' (30') swim 150' (50')
AC 5
HD 6
Attacks 1 (touch)
Damage d4 +d8 years
Save M6
Morale 6
Hoard Class none
Elder nixies are spirits of pollution and are named for their ability to age things (rather than their own age). They are a constantly changing pattern of vile colors. Their touch ages a creature or object d8 years (save versus death to negate). Most are born from alchemical pollution but a few come from other industries and almost all of them are found in or near cities. These nixies do not enslave mortals. In fact they rarely interact with them at all- who swims in pollution? A few have been befriended by alchemists who want to learn from the fairies, though this takes time and certain, expensive reagents that the nixies enjoy as food and drink. Those luck enough to learn have creation times for potions, dusts and other forms of alchemy cut in half.
Name Boffin Sprite
No. Enc. 5d4 (10d20)
Alignment Lawful
Movement fly 210' (70')
AC 3
HD 1/2
Attacks 1 (weapon)
Damage weapon
Save M1
Morale 8
Hoard Class XXII X3
These are the spirits of knowledge and engineering. They are 8" tall, have crystal and metal wings and usually carry several tools on tiny harnesses. They are constantly creating and anything they produce is given away- they don't care about technology, just the information that is learned in design and construction. Boffins can be found anywhere as they use their magic and technology to communicate and teleport. In effect there is one boffin sprite city. Those who would harm them suffer. The surviving spirits use very powerful magic to determine who harmed them (this gets around middle men and assassins) and then go to war. Sprite weapons are very powerful, effectively wands with a caster level of 12, and most of an army will be armed. These weapons do not work for mortals and will inflict 4d6 points of damage to any creature that touches them (save versus spells for half damage). Though they may use golems and other constructs, boffin sprites do not hire others and do not use animals (such as warbeasts and tracking hounds). And they can not be hired to make anything. What comes from their communities is whatever they are working on at the moment. They don't even give instructions and some people have died from misunderstanding what they have obtained.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
12/9/2011 5:35:33 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Rock Ooze
No. Enc. 1 (0)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 60' (20')
AC 6
HD 15
Attacks special
Damage special
Save F9
Morale 12
Hoard Class special
Rock oozes feed not on flesh, but rather on stone. They gain energy and mass from converting one kind of mineral to another, each specific to a species. They create more energy than they can hold and some of this leaks. Most do 2d6 points of damage within 5'. If they are actually struck, the damage increases to 4d6 (no save). Some examples include
Granite oozes create turquoise and electricity.
Basalt oozes create amethyst and fire.
Sandstone oozes create pearls and a paralysis effect (contact penalizes save by -4).
Slate oozes create chalcedony and positive energy. Living creatures within 5' of the ooze heal 1 point of damage per round. Those in contact heal 5 points per round. Any creature that heals more than their normal amount of hit points are warped by the positive energy. Some suggestions on how that might work are on the following pages:
http://ruscumag.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/come-into-the-light-the-light-that-kills/
http://ruscumag.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/the-light-that-kills-positive-energy-part-ii/
|
|
0
• permalink
|
1/13/2012 5:01:42 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Sea Hippo
No. Enc. 3d4 (0)
Alignment Neutral
Movement swim 240' (80')
AC 3
HD 20
Attacks 1 (bite)
Damage 5d6
Save F10
Morale 11
Hoard Class XII (in gut)
Name Vine Thing
No. Enc. special
Alignment Neutral
Movement 150' (50') swim 150' (50')
AC 5
HD 3-6
Attacks 1 (slash)
Damage d6-d8
Save L (HD)
Morale 12
Hoard Class special
Sea hippos are found in the Central Ocean of the Forge. They are giants at 40' long and have flippers instead of legs. Though they can graze kelp and other algae, the hippos' prefered diet are vine things. Once per hour, each hippo can release a burst of magical energy 250' in diameter. Every biological animal (including humanoids) within the field must save versus spells at -4. Those failing become vine beasts in d4 rounds. Dispel magic, remove curse and similar spells can stop and reverse the change. Sea hippos are usually found within 5 miles of shore and do attack ships, converting those aboard into things. They are hunted to protect people and for their blubber- it can be used in grease spells and as fuel for alchemical fire (i.e. the fire used to make alchemical items).
Vine things are simply that- masses of vines. They are driven to enter the water and feed themselves to the sea hippos that created them. If someone attempts to stop them, vine things will use razor sharp tendrils to slash their way free. Large creatures, such as horses and some sharks, turn into more than one vine thing. Small creatures, such as shrimp, fuse together as they transform. The smallest thing is about the size of a gnome and the largest the size of a bugbear.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
1/14/2012 5:29:58 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Sand Truffle
No. Enc. swarm
Alignment Neutral
Movement 10' (3')
AC 5
HD 18
Attacks contact
Damage 2d6
Save M2
Morale 12
Hoard Class XII, XIII
Name Desert Opossum
No. Enc. d4 (d12)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 90' (30')
AC 7
HD 1
Attacks 1 (bite)
Damage d4
Save F1
Morale 5
Hoard Class none
Found on the Central and Southern Ocean beaches of Arena, the sand truffles feed on organic materials washed up by the waves. The fungus normally sits just under the sand to keep out of the hot sun and drying wind. Each patch is 50-100' in diameter and is made up of hundreds of hyphal masses. When organic matter, including most creatures, comes within 10', the fungi emerge and attack. Anything taking damage is also treated as being within a web (as per that spell). The fruiting bodies are as valuable as forest truffles (500-5000 gp per pound) but the fungus is too dangerous for most to harvest.
One creature that has specialized in feeding on the sand truffle is the desert opossum. It isn't detected by the fungus and can dig up the truffles without fear. The only time the opossum is in danger is when the fungus is attacking another creature- the little critter may be caught up in the strands and killed. People who try to train the opossum find it is as difficult as training a cat. Most use charm animal (1st level druid spell) but a few communities have attempted to breed obedient opossums with varying amounts of success. In fact there is one desert tribe that uses them as scenting and tracking animals very effectively. In the wild, desert opossums burrow into the sand or soil, usually near boulders to provide shade and extra protection- they dig under the stone and few creatures can follow them.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
1/15/2012 5:02:18 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Slush
No. Enc. d4 (d4)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 60' (20')
AC 5
HD 4
Attacks 1 (slam)
Damage d6 +d6 cold
Save F2
Morale 7
Hoard Class VII
Name Death Skeeter
No. Enc. d20 (0)
Alignment Neutral
Movement fly 180' (60')
AC 6
HD 2
Attacks 1 (bite)
Damage d3 +d6 positive or negative energy
Save T3
Morale 12
Hoard Class none
Slush are ice paraelementals that turn ice and snow into water. Their puddles stay open no matter how cold it gets as long as the slush are home. They feed on the conversion and need no other food source. In fact they only attack in defense or if something attempts to drain all of their home. On the Forge, they are common in the Vault and provide all the water there. Some people throw coins or other small valuables into the puddles as payment for water taken- something ignored by the elementals.
In places where undead congregate in the Vault, slush puddles are usually home to larval death skeeters. These 3' long insects feed on the negative energy that power undead. They inflict an additional d6 points of damage to undead by the drain and can inflict the same to the living by bleeding off some of the negative energy. Adults collect bits of undead flesh that are still tainted and drop them into the puddles so that their larvae can feed on both the flesh and the energy. Every few generation (2-3 times per year), adult females must feed on living blood to collect the needed substances to produce their eggs.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
1/16/2012 4:44:22 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Leech
No. Enc. d4 (d8)
Alignment Lawful
Movement 90' (30') swim 120' (40')
AC 8
HD 6
Attacks 1 (bite)
Damage d6 + blood drain
Save C6
Morale 4
Hoard Class none
Name Bandage Spider
No. Enc. swarm
Alignment Lawful
Movement 120' (40')
AC 6
HD 12
Attacks contact
Damage d6 + poison
Save C3
Morale 9
Hoard Class none
Name Plague Wasp
No. Enc. swarm
Alignment Lawful
Movement fly 210' (70')
AC 5
HD 8
Attacks contact
Damage d4 + poison
Save C2
Morale 10
Hoard Class XII
Name Cycle Vulture
No. Enc. 3d4 (3d4)
Alignment Neutral
Movement fly 120' (40')
AC 6
HD 4
Attacks 1 (bite)
Damage d6
Save C4
Morale 12
Hoard Class none
There are good creatures found on the Forge that are looked upon with fear or disgust on many worlds.
Leeches are 8' long worms that feed on blood and heal with their saliva. They can bite for no damage but each round thereafter, they drain d4 points worth of blood and heal 3d4 points at the same time. They consider the blood payment. As they need clean, fairly warm water to survive in, leeches are not found in the Kiln, the Vault, Anvil and much of Arena. Many are in cities, kept in tanks to provide healing for the public, though their assistants usually require some form of cash.
Bandage spiders are 6" long orb weavers (i.e. they are not hairy) with a hive mind and ability to speak. They wrap creatures up in their silk, which is infused with positive energy. Every day a creature is so wrapped, it heals at five times the normal rate. The silk can be reused, but heals only twice as fast. It wears out after d4+2 total uses. If attacked, the spiders have a poison that inflicts 25 points of damage on a failed save and 5 on a successful save.
Plague wasps are drawn to those with illness. Like the bandage spiders, they have hiveminds and the ability to speak. If someone with a mundane disease is engulfed by a swarm, he is cured within d4 turns. Magical diseases, such as mummy rot and afflicted lycanthropy, takes 24-36 hours. The wasps want payment for their efforts, typically 50-100 gp for a mundane disease and 50 times that for magical diseases. Those attacking the wasps suffer many stings and their venom does 40 points of damage on a failed save and 15 points on a successful save.
Cycle vultures are large birds that promote the reincarnation cycle. Every creature they consume is reincarnated, as per the spell, within 3d4 days. The vultures are reincarnated as themselves 24 hours after being slain, thus they have no fear of death. Those who harm a cycle vulture are marked with red spots on their face (no save, no way of removing them) and no vulture with consume his corpse. Red races gain spots of a different color.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
1/17/2012 4:45:11 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Bridge Termite
No. Enc. swarm
Alignment Neutral
Movement 30' (10')
AC 5
HD 30
Attacks contact
Damage 5d6
Save F4
Morale 12
Hoard Class special
Name Isle Crab
No. Enc. swarm
Alignment Neutral
Movement 60' (20') swim 30' (10')
AC 4
HD 25
Attacks contact
Damage 3d6
Save F2
Morale 10
Hoard Class incidental
Some creatures are engineered to reshape the land.
Bridge termites construct their mounds over chasms, rivers, canyons, etc. The problem is they protect their homes, attacking all those who try to cross. A bridge with a healthy colony can hold at least four tons and very large mounds can hold as much as twenty tons. Kill the termites and the bridge quickly erodes. Every month after the colony is lost, the amount of weight the bridge can hold drops one ton. As bridge termite queens are difficult to produce, most who use termite bridges are forced to burn the upper surface before passing. This drives the soldiers back into the mound and they will reemerge 4d6 rounds after the flames are put out. Creatures the termites kill are incorporated into the mound. A very old bridge, as much as 500 years, can hold a lot of corpses and treasure.
Isle crabs also build mounds, but these are made of soil, sand, coral fragments and floatsom and jetsom. They take thousands of years to make large islands over shallow seas and much longer in the open ocean. The crabs build their islands so that currents add, rather than erode, the mounds and all kinds of things might wash up and be buried on the island. Isle crabs have been used by sea people to make places where they can meet surface dwellers as well as by surface dwellers wanting more land to colonize. They are not a hazard to those on the island, but rather to those in the water around it.
Name Crystal Bat
No. Enc. 3d4 (10d10 X10)
Alignment Neutral
Movement fly 180' (60')
AC 8 (4 in flight)
HD 2
Attacks 1 (flash)
Damage special
Save T2
Morale 5
Hoard Class none
Name Cave Frog
No. Enc. d4 (3d6)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 120' (40') swim 90' (30')
AC 7
HD 3
Attacks 1 (kick)
Damage d6
Save F2
Morale 4
Hoard Class none
Some creatures were altered to make life underground possible.
Crystal bats produce light, that can be used by plants, and heat. Each has a glowing bit of glass in its abdomen. This glow fades d4 hours after the bat dies. In defense, the bats can produce a flash. Those within 25' of the bat must save versus poison, failure results in blindness for 3d4 turns. Their caves tend to stink from their guano, are five to ten degrees higher than surrounding caves and are very verdant. Several races use them extensively in farming. The bats require insect prey and most colonies feed on the surface. There, the bats' light acts as a lure for their prey.
Cave frogs are 60-80 pounds, feed on anything smaller than themselves and cast create water to make pools to wet their skin and for breeding. Larger creatures that get too close are kicked just before the frog jumps into the water. During the breeding season, their trills can be so loud that they can be heard a mile away. Frog farms exist to harvest not only the animals' hides and meat, but also the water. As it is removed, the frogs just make more to replace it.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
1/18/2012 5:18:28 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Bloodseeker, Mist
No. Enc. swarm
Alignment Neutral
Movement fly 60' (20') or 0'
AC 9
HD 10 or N/A
Attacks contact
Damage 4d8
Save M20
Morale 12
Hoard Class incidental
Name Bloodseeker, Pool
No. Enc. 1 (1)
Alignment Neutral
Movement swim 150' (50')
AC 4
HD 8
Attacks 1 (lash)
Damage 3d6
Save F12
Morale 12
Hoard Class incidental
Name Flesheater, Small
No. Enc. 1 (1)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 90' (30')
AC 2
HD 6
Attacks 2 (bites)
Damage d8/d8
Save F12
Morale 12
Hoard Class incidental
Name Flesheater, Large
No. Enc. 1 (1)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 120' (40')
AC -2
HD 16
Attacks 3 (bites)
Damage 3d4/3d4/3d4
Save F21
Morale 12
Hoard Class incidental
Sometimes the land and the sea gain a hunger flesh and blood. Why- it could be a curse, enraged spirits over the shaping or polluting of their homes, a divine edict to keep the land and sea healthy, an accident of arcane research or something else.
Bloodseekers are forms of water that kill creatures with blood. The mist form represents fog and rain. All those within a mist bloodseeker must save versus death or suffer damage as their blood is ripped from their bodies. Fog type mist can be driven off with fire magic (it flies away and doesn't return for several hours) and harmed with +3 or better weapons. Rain type mist is effectively indestructable and can cover several square miles. Neither are affected by weather control spells. The blood collected is taken by ground water to the location where the sea feeds.
Flesheaters are forms of earth that consume fleshy creatures. Both forms look like canines, the smaller is the size of a horse and has two heads; the larger is the size of an elephant and has three heads. Flesheaters can only be harmed with magical weapons and earthquake spells (save versus spells or die instantly). After consuming a number of hit dice equal to their own, the flesheaters sink into the earth until it hungers again (anything from hours to decades).
|
|
0
• permalink
|
1/30/2012 3:37:05 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Hopper
No. Enc. d6 (3d6)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 180' (60') climb 150' (50')
AC 5
HD 5
Attacks 3 (claws and bite)
Damage d3/d3/d6
Save L5
Morale 6
Hoard Class XXII
Name Eyes & Ears
No. Enc. 1 (d10)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 30' (10')
AC 6
HD 1/2
Attacks 1 (flash of light)
Damage blindness for 3d4 rounds
Save L1
Morale 3
Hoard Class none
When a population of ethereal filchers were brought to Penance by Israfel several centuries ago, the creatures were horrified to discover that they had lost access to the ethereal plane. Most died. Those who survived, now called hoppers, retreated into the undercity and continue to steal things. They went through Forge driven evolution, gaining a few tricks to survive. Each can cast jump, spider climb and shield at will. These allow the hoppers to move around in three dimentions and ambush people from above, the side or even below (characters are on edges of roofs and such) and escape effectively. The hoppers live in groups and all share their loot. Still the Forge is a deadly place and some hopper populations have made allies to survive.
Eyes & ears are tiny humanoids with human sized heads. Their vision and hearing are unparelled- they can can not be suprised without magic. To survive on the Forge, these little people have been forced to rely on others. All of them work as eyes and ears for others and they can be found in all the domains except the Vault- they don't like the constant cold.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
1/31/2012 4:27:07 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Sandskipper
No. Enc. d8 (1)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 60' (20') swim 210' (70')
AC 6
HD 5
Attacks 1 (bite)
Damage 2d4
Save F3
Morale 6
Hoard Class I, II, VI
Name Bone Eater
No. Enc. 1 (0)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 90' (30')
AC 2
HD 12
Attacks 2 or 1 (fists or bite)
Damage d8/d8 or 3d6
Save F10
Morale 12
Hoard Class none
Wildwood has extensive beaches, some of which are 25 miles deep (p. 31 of Wildwood). Though there is not much life in the centers of these mini deserts, the edges have suprising diversity. Corpses and algae wash up on shore all the time, attracting scavengers and their predators. One well known species is the sandskipper, a large fish that walks. The skipper lives in burrows just below the high tide line and drags some food in when the tide is in (the water makes hauling carcasses easier). The fish looks like sand and can hide in plain sight- it suprises on 1-5 on a d8. One odd feature of the skipper's lifecycle is that it produces eggs year round. The larvae are plankton and only come ashore after their 10th year, when they have reached about 5' long. Adults can be as large as 12' (and have 6 hit dice). People have been known to hunt sandskippers for food and their hides. The latter don't break down in salt water easily and can be traded with aquatic races who use it for cloth.
Bone eaters can be found through out the beaches as well as Arena. They are earth elementals that are stuck on the Forge. This group of elementals have gone through a form of Forge evolution and now have a diet made up of sand and bone. The former is easy to find and each round a bone eater consumes sand, it heals d8 points of damage. The latter is much more difficult in the wastes. Unless recently fed, a bone eater will do anything to consume bones. They never tire and will track a creature beyond the desert. Bone eaters have one serious weakness, one that keeps them in dry lands most of the time- water breaks them down. Water based attacks do double damage and rain does between d4 points of damage per hour to d12 points of damage per round, depending on how strong the showers and wind are. Those that have met water or powerful opponents and survived have obvious scars as they have had to replace much of their mass with sand.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
2/1/2012 4:36:44 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Snapper
No. Enc. d6 (20d12)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 90' (30') swim 150' (50')
AC 6
HD 1
Attacks 1 (weapon)
Damage weapon
Save F1
Morale 9
Hoard Class VII, XXII
Name Dark Jelly
No. Enc. d4 (d10)
Alignment Neutral
Movement fly 150' (50')
AC 7
HD 10
Attacks 6 (tentacles)
Damage d3 each
Save M7
Morale 12
Hoard Class none
On Arena's shores of the Northern Ocean, snappers are the dominate scavenger. They are 4' long intelligent shrimp that create large complexes under the sand. They farm fungus by collecting every scrap of organic material they can- dead or alive. Snappers are nocturnal, have 90' infravision and create a form of silk used to bind sand grains, thus allowing them to make clubs, darts and tools from the abundant resource. To capture fertilizer, snappers prefer pit traps 10-30' deep. These pits have walls as hard as sandstone because of the silk. Come night, they check each pit to see what has been captured. They are true amphibians and can survive out of water indefinately. Some scouting parties have been found dozens of miles from their communities (in land and out to sea). Though they usually kill everything they come across, snappers don't bother with jellyfish as those creatures are worthless for fertilizer.
Ceptu desire to control all other races, "for their own good", so it is ironic that some were captured and domesticated by snappers. Dark jellies are much larger, stronger and less intelligent than their ancestors. They are used for labor and defense. A dark jelly can lift 500 pounds with its telekinesis and levitate as far as 50' above the ground. Their tentacles are still toxic and do 10 points of damage on a failed save. Dark jellies are not that common in snapper communities only because they are mouths to feed, ones that can not eat the fungus. Snappers who do have them usually let their jellies forage in the water near shore.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
2/3/2012 3:46:47 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
An epic (or almost epic) level MF monster, one that can make the lives of the PCs very interesting. Warning, it is mildly icky.
Name Plague Worm
No. Enc. 1 (0)
Alignment Neutral
Movement burrow 90' (30')
AC 8
HD 35
Attacks 1 (slam)
Damage 5d4
Save L18
Morale 12
Hoard Class none
Mutations: aberrant form (xenomorphism), gigantism, larval form (variant), regenerative capacity, +d6 random physical mutations (+2d6 with extended charts)
Name Organ Swarm
No. Enc. swarm
Alignment Neutral
Movement 60' (20')
AC 6
HD 10
Attacks contact
Damage 3d8
Save L2
Morale 12
Hoard Class none
Mutations: d6 random physical mutations (2d6 with extended charts)
Plague worms are 90'+ earthworms that are the result of medical technology gone wrong. They have a strange form of cancer- their organs are constantly reproducing. This has one benefit- the worm heals 25 points of damage per round. Otherwise, it causes the worm agony every second of its life (it doesn't back down from any threat except suffocation). Every 12 hours or every time the worm is struck with an attack of more than 10 points of damage that would pierce the skin, a swarm of mobile organs escapes before the skin heals. Each organ swarm escape does an additional 50 hit points of damage to the worm, but this heals in just two rounds. The worms consume soil, stones and the occasional carcass and rarely surface (usually during flooding).
The organs are a writhing mass of flesh that attempt to consume other creatures. If enough prey is consumed (more than 20 hit dice), the organ swarm transforms itself into a new worm.
Both the plague worm and organ swarm have several mutations that may be unique to that worm or swarm (roll for each). Those GMs using the charts in Mutant Future should roll for d6 mutations. Those using longer charts should roll 2d6.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
3/3/2012 7:00:06 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Elementals in 1/2e were spirits that inhabited the material of their home plane. In the millions (or billions) of years the Forge has existed, some elemental spirits have learned something new. They act as symbionts and alter their hosts. Many are parasites and wither or incinerate their hosts over time. Some are commensalists and the changes are simply cosmetic. And then there are the mutualists that enhance their host while finding a (relatively) safe place to reside. With the mutualists, most provide obvious bonuses (faster initiative, natural armor, no need for water, flight, etc.) but some are a bit more interesting than that. They take traits from previous hosts and provide them to their current hosts. The older the elemental, the more options it has to benefit its host with. I tried to work up a chart, but there are too many options between racial, supernatural and other traits, so it is up to the GM to work it out.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
3/5/2012 5:16:52 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Bactrian Newt
Name Larva (Eelworm)
No. Enc. d12 (0)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 60' (20') clim 30' (10')
AC 5
HD see chart
Attacks 1 (bite)
Damage see chart
Save L (1/2 HD)
Morale 10
Hoard Class none
Age (days) Hit Dice Notes
0-5 1/2 bite does d3
6-10 1 bite does d6
11-25 3 bite does d8
26-60 7 bite does 3d4, armor class 4
61-90 15 bite does 4d6, armor class 5, starts metamorphosis
91-120 25 bite does 4d12, armor class 6
121+ N/A completes metamorphosis
Name Bug (Buzz)
No. Enc. swarm
Alignment Neutral
Movement fly 210' (70')
AC 4
HD 18
Attacks contact
Damage 3d8
Save L4
Morale 12
Hoard Class none
Found in the Forest of Bactrian (in Penance), these amphibians were altered by the druids to provide muscle in the war against Utopia. The animal is entirely terrestrial and there are three forms. The larva, also called an eelworm, looks like an earthworm with legs. They grow very fast by consuming a lot of spruce needles and oak leaves or via plant growth spells (each spell adds 3 days per caster level to the animal's effective age). The reproductive is the size of a fox (and has its stats). The rest of the larval mass is converted into "bugs", small frog-like creatures with wings that make a buzz in flight. The bugs have razor sharp talons that drip a paralytic toxin (save or be paralyzed for d4 turns) and protect the reproductive unto death. With the change in the member of the Black Flock running the domain, the druids have started to give the secrets behind the newt's creation to other druid circles. Most of their actual use is throwing large larvae at the enemy or drawing the enemy into a bug nest. Normally they don't attack fleshy creatures, but the eelworms can be driven into a rage with a 2nd level spell that affects 1/caster level.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
3/6/2012 5:38:32 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
When the army of followers of Lothar attacking the citadel of the queen, many were dropped into the Wellspring and drown. One mass of them sank into the laboratory of a ceptu alchemist and broke most of the containers. These days, nasty mutant things pop up in the Wellspring and its rivers from time to time because of that and the energies of the water (remember this is one of the places where evolutions can be done freely).
Name Spiral Hogfish
No. Enc. 3d8 (0)
Alignment Neutral
Movement swim 150' (50')
AC 6
HD 5
Attacks 1 (ram)
Damage 2d4
Save L3
Morale 5
Hoard Class none
Name Saltfinger
No. Enc. 0 (d4)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 0'
AC 8
HD 18
Attacks none
Damage none
Save L9
Morale 12
Hoard Class VII
Spiral hogfish are named for their swimming pattern and diet. Each can reach 7' long and they are very hard fighters those who try to land them with hook and line. They are the result of medicinals escaping into the water and each carries several diseases (3d2 random diseases that can be found underwater). The fish spread these plagues through touch and many have learned to kill them from a distance. Other predators pick up and die from these diseases and rafts of floating corpses follow when spiral hogfish die.
Saltfingers are restricted to the Wellspring. They are massive kelp (50' diameter) that use salt defensively. They collect it from the water, the walls of the spring and the corpses that sink into them (something more common these days). Whenever the plant is injured, its ruptured cells release salt. Freshwater creatures within 10' of the plant must save versus death or flee for d4 rounds. The kelp itself is wounded by the salt and take 5d6 points of damage (this does not cause additional salt releases). Some of the plants were mutated by the alchemist's work and when they are exposed to extreme heat or electricity, they explode as their mass is converted into an adhesive. Everything within 50' must save versus breath weapon or be globbed and start to suffocate. Other alchemist pay good money for living fragments of the kelp. As it dies from salt just like any other freshwater plant, this is not as easy as one might think. Snipping off a piece will just kill the fragment when the salt is released. Create water spells or something similar must be used to keep the fragment alive. Typically it can be sold for 50 gp per pound. Spores, if they can be filtered out of the water, sell for 1000 gp per ounce.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
3/9/2012 4:31:22 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Name Barrel-head Turtle
No. Enc. d20 squared (0)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 30' (10') swim 90' (30')
AC 3
HD 20
Attacks 1 or 1 (bite or flipper)
Damage 4d6 or 3d8
Save F12
Morale 12
Hoard Class none
Name Flotsom Crab
No. Enc. d100 (1)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 90' (30') swim 10' (3') climb 10' (3')
AC 4
HD 3
Attacks 2 (claws)
Damage d4/d4
Save F2
Morale 6
Hoard Class V
On several of Arena's islands in the Northern Ocean, barrel-heads come to lay their eggs. These reptiles can reach 25' long and weight 8 tons. They are magical creatures that feed on jellyfish (including ceptu), fin fishes and water elementals. Strangely they are encountered in regular numbers- 1, 4, 9, etc to 400. It is not known why, though groups over 100 are very rare. Though their bite is terrible, it is their flippers that hunters avoid at all cost. Anything the turtles strike with the flippers must save versus poison or be encased in ice. Those encased float to the surface, may suffer the bends and will suffocate if they can't escape. The turtles' eggs come in two forms. The small eggs will produce hatchlings. The large eggs are magical. Those consuming an egg have their potential realized. This may mean the awaken spell, the anthropomorphic template, a paragon level or two or something similar. Eating more than one egg means reversion to an ooze, no save. Which ooze is up to the GM.
Flotsom crabs are one of several giant crab species in the Northern Ocean. They have small claws and scavenge rather than act as active predators. They swim, though usually the current takes them where ever it goes. Occasionally ships are attacked by swarms of them, usually over deep water. In shallow water, the crabs live in the sands of beaches but scuttle on the bottom to find food. When they encounter a barrel-head eggs, they eat and turn into either crabmen or crystal oozes, depending on how much they eat. The crabmen produce eggs that hatch into more flotsom crabs but they rarely have the desire to "uplift" their spawn and thus don't hunt for turtle eggs.
|
|
0
• permalink
|
3/10/2012 3:15:19 AM
Derek Holland
Posts: 366
|
Arena is described as mostly lifeless. Eh. I would think it would be covered in elementals (except water of course) and aberrations with the air, earth and fire subtypes. The latter are usually awakened material, the result of magical chaos storms. The armies have to deal more with little monsters in their boots than each other.
|
|
0
• permalink
|