Some New Monsters

[johns]

Here are some new monsters I've worked up - well, new inasmuch as they aren't conversions. Over the past couple weeks I've been detailing the planets in my campaigns cosmos, which is geocentric. Some of the monsters, therefore, make mention of Jupiter and Venus and maybe some other campaign specific things that should be easy to ignore. I base most of my monster creations off of art I find on the internet. Where possible I've included a link to the art that inspired the monster.
ACTAEON

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1d4

SIZE: Large

HD: 6 (d8)

MOVE: 40 ft.

AC: 15

ATTACKS: Antlers (2d6) or by weapon

SPECIAL: Twilight vision, scent, track, woodcraft, woodland stride, rain of arrows, spell resistance 6, aversion to hounds

SAVES: P

INT: Average

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Fey

TREASURE: None

XP: 240 + 6

PICTURE: http://www.latein-pagina.de/ovid/pic_ov ... olis_3.jpg

The actaeon are fey creatures with the body of a large man and the head of a stag. They are the protectors of the deeper portions of Broceliande, and only regularly have contact with human rangers and druids.

The body and equipment of an actaeon turn into forest debris (old branches, moss, vines) after the creature dies. It carries no treasure.

Combat: Actaeon prefer to avoid combat whenever possible, using their woodcraft skills to stymie intruders. Once engaged in combat they will attempt to use their great speed to remain at range, pelting their enemies with arrows.

Woodcraft: Actaeon have the skills of a 6th level ranger, though not their combat marauder and favored enemy abilities. They are particularly adept at setting traps and ambushes.

Woodland Stride: Actaeon leave virtually no tracks behind when moving through the forest. Rangers attempting to track them suffer a -10 to their check.

Rain of Arrows: When at least 100 feet away from their opponents, actaeon can unleash a rain of arrows. Every creature within a 10 diameter circle takes 1d8 damage. A successful dexterity saving throws halves that damage. When closer than 100, an actaeon can attack with their longbows three times per round.

Aversion to Hounds: Actaeon have an aversion to hounds, suffering a -2 penalty to attack or perform other skills when in their presence.
CATHBAD

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-4

SIZE: Medium

HD: 5 (d6)

MOVE: 30 ft., 50 ft. (fly)

AC: 13

ATTACKS: 2 claw (1d4)

SPECIAL: Captivating beauty, bloodlust, summon crows

SAVES: P

INT: High

ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil

TYPE: Fey

TREASURE: 3

XP: 180 + 5

The cathbad are fey crow women. As with most fey, their delicate beauty hides terrible danger. The cathbad are cannibals, in as much as they eat other humanoids (not necessarily other cathbad.

Combat: Cathbad are usually encountered in the branches of trees, though they will quickly leap to the ground to investigate the approach of humanoids. They will not speak, but rather creep up to their victims, using their captivating beauty to charm them into submission. When subdued, they attack their opponents, trying to rend them limb from limb.

Captivating Beauty: Cathbad are possessed of a captivating beauty, not unlike that of a nymph. All humanoids, male and female, must succeed at a wisdom saving throw when within 30 feet of a cathbad or fall under her charm. They will stand motionless for 1d6 rounds, allowing her to attack without defending themselves.

Bloodlust: When a cathbad fells an opponent, she immediately begins to feed. If attacked while feeding, she will fight back as a 7 HD monster, dealing 1d6 damage per round. In this state, she will not retreat for anything.

Summon Ravens: Once per day, a cathbad can summon 4-26 ravens. They will obey her for up to one hour.
DUNE RAIDER

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 4-16

SIZE: Medium

HD: 3 (d10)

MOVE: 30 ft

AC: 12

ATTACKS: 1 weapon

SPECIAL: Twilight vision, 3rd level rangers

SAVES: P

INT: Average

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Humanoid

TREASURE: 1

XP: 50 + 3

PICTURE: http://www.creaturecantina.com/cable/im ... ken_lg.GIF

Beyond the shallow, black seas of the moon and the fungus forests that crowd those shores are the windswept lunar deserts. These deserts are frightening places; broiling hot in the daytime and freezing cold in the night, with fine, choking gray dust. The beasts who dwell in these deserts are fierce survivors, and the barbarians who hunt them are doubly fierce.

The dune raiders live in small hunting tribes. They live their entire lives wrapped in silk scarves and thick, woolen cloaks meant to protect their skin from the elements and their lungs from the lunar dust. They are built as humans, but have deep, croaking voices that betray their alien nature.

Dune raiders use massive woolly lunar caterpillars (10 HD, AC 18, MV 30, SV P, slam for 1d12) as their mounts. These creatures are larger than elephants and exist in their caterpillar stage for over one hundred years before burrowing in the sand and emerging a century later as a lunar moth. The caterpillars are mostly inoffensive creatures capable of sustaining themselves on nutrients sifted from the lunar sand. The dune raiders use their silk to weave their scarves, and their hair to weave robes and cloaks.

Dune raiders use morningstars made of petrified seedpods found beneath the lunar sand. They are as effective as metal weapons and affect lycanthropes as though they were silver. The light weight of the seeds allow their wielders a +1 bonus to initiative.

They also arm themselves with ancient jezzails (rifles), the origin of which are unknown. An explosive powder and metallic balls are procured somewhere in the desert. These weapons have a range of 200 and deal 2d8 damage with a successful hit. They jam about one time in ten, and have such an explosive recoil that their firers must succeed at a CL 5 strength check to avoid being knocked prone.

The most important device the dune raiders have at their disposal, and another mystery for wizards, is their breathing tube. Anchored beneath their necks, these copper tubes sneak beneath their scarves and provide them with cool, dust-free air.

All dune raiders have the abilities of 3rd level rangers. If the dune raiders have a religion it is unknown, and spellcasters have never been encountered among their kind. They make their way hunting the sands and raiding small settlements. On rare occaisions they will seek to trade their silk and wool for seemingly worthless baubles; they are especially fond of glass and copper.
GHOST REX

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1 (unique)

SIZE: Large

HD: 18 (d8)

MOVE: 40 ft.

AC: 15

ATTACKS: Bite (5d8 subdual)

SPECIAL: Darkvision, swallow whole, +1 or better weapon to hit

SAVES: P

INT: Animal

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Undead

TREASURE: None

XP: 5,744 + 18

PICTURE: http://bp2.blogger.com/_3PDZInqHDm0/Rl8 ... ostrex.jpg

Just as it seems, this is the ghost of a tyrannosaurus rex that wanders the forest at night looking for prey. It behaves just like a normal member of its (former) species.

Combat: Like a normal t-rex, this ghostly version is only interested in a meal. Once it swallow a victim whole (see below), it will be satisfied and tromp into the night, disappearing after about 20 yards.

Swallow Whole: If the ghost rex rolls a natural 20 on its bite attack it will swallow the creature whole. The swallowed creature will actually fall through the beast and hit the ground beneath it with a thud, suffering 3d6 points of damage.
JOVIAN WYRM

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1

SIZE: Large

HD: 8 (d8)

MOVE: 50 ft. (fly)

AC: 16

ATTACKS: Bite (2d6)

SPECIAL: Scent, track, twilight vision, immunity: electricity (full), improved grab, shocking bite

SAVES: P

INT: Animal

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Beast

TREASURE: None

XP: 500 + 8

Jovian wyrms dwell in the clouds of Jupiter, never touching the ground. They look like massive blue eels, running anywhere from six to thirty feet long. They are rapacious predators. Bladders that run the length of their bodies are filled with a buoyant gas. This allows them to fly, moving through the air as water snakes move through the water.

A wyrms air bladders can be harvested and used to make a variety of light flying craft in use on Jupiter. Its teeth are attractive trophies, and their serated edges make them useful as weapons as well (treat them as knives). Teeth extracted by an alchemist will retain a residual electrical charge, inflicting 1d3 points of electricity damage when a natural 20 is rolled to attack. Many warriors favor hide armor made from the beasts brilliantly scaled skin.

Combat: Jovian wyrms are solitary predators. They have an amazing sense of smell, which they use to locate prey from up to seven miles away. They are canny enough hunters to attack the wings of prey that have wings.

Improved Grab: When a Jovian wyrm bites a victim, it usually locks its jaws and holds tight. It then picks up speed and begins shaking its prey about, trying to inflict its shocking bite as often as possible. To avoid this fate, the victim must succeed at a strength saving throw; they may make one attempt per round.

Shocking Bite: A jovian wyrms bite can inflict an additional 1d6 points of electrical damage once every 1d4+1 rounds.
LION DEMON

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1d6

SIZE: Medium

HD: 4 (d8)

MOVE: 40 ft.

AC: 15

ATTACKS: 2 claws (1d6), bite (1d6)

SPECIAL: Twilight vision, rake, hypnotism

SAVES: P

INT: Low

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

TYPE: Magical Beast

TREASURE: None

XP: 80 + 4

Lion demons appear as humanoid lions with long, distorted faces, leering red eyes and mouths full of long, sharp fangs.

A necklace made of their teeth, or a cloak made of their pelt, is a sure mark of a great warrior to the barbarians of the steppe. In addition, their vital organs are valued by tribal shamans. They are worth approximately 10 gp in barter.

Combat: The lion demons work in packs, and will always attack the weakest members of a party first. They are intelligent and capable of employing sound tactics. If more than two or three of their number are killed, they will retreat into the night. There is then a 50% chance that they will hound the party for 1d4 additional nights.

Rake: If a lion demons bite hits, the victim must succeed at a strength saving throw or be raked by its rear claws for 2d6 damage.

Hypnotism: Any creature that meets a lion demons gaze must make an intelligence saving throw or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.
QUEEN MERMAID

Queen mermaids are a rare breed only seen in Mother Ocean and the northern reaches of the South Seas. They are akin to normal mermaids, but possess the powers of nymphs. Queen mermaids are born to normal mermaids, and usually take on the mantle of priesthood or leadership when they mature.
SCHOLARBANE

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1

SIZE: Medium

HD: 4 (d8)

MOVE: 20 ft., 40 ft. (swim)

AC: 13

ATTACKS: Bite (1d6)

SPECIAL: Swallow whole

SAVES: P

INT: Low

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Magical Beast

TREASURE: 2

XP: 130 + 4

PICTURE: http://mooncalfe.deviantart.com/art/rav ... t-74994570

A scholarbane is a toadlike creature with a powerful psionic power. It is an amphibious swamp dweller, and its coloration makes it quite difficult to spot when hiding in the shallow water. Scholarbane are carnivores.

Combat: A scholarbane will lie in shallow water near well-travelled areas waiting for its prey to come along. When they approach, it begins sending out its psionic pulse, hoping to incapacitate as many people as possible. Amid the confusion, it will leap out of hiding, attacking conscious prey first.

Swallow Whole: On a natural 20 on its attack roll, a scholarbane can swallow a small creature whole, dealing 1d6 points of damage each round they spend in its belly. A small weapon can be used to cut oneself out, but a total of 10 points of damage must first be dealt to AC 11.

Psionic Pulse: A scholarbane can send out a psionic pulse that resonates in a 100 radius. All creatures hit by the pulse take 1d4 points of subdual damage plus 1d4 points per point of intelligence bonus they possess. Thus, a creature with an 18 intelligence would suffer 4d4 subdual damage each round. In addition, creatures with an intelligence of 13 or higher must save each round or be confused, as the spell, for as long as they are within 100 of the creature.
SNAKE MAN

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1

SIZE: Medium

HD: 3 (d8)

MOVE: 30 ft., 30 ft. (swim)

AC: 13

ATTACKS: Bite (1d4), six claws (1d3)

SPECIAL: Improved grab, poison, surprise, see magic auras

SAVES: P

INT: Low

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Magical Beast

TREASURE: 4 (magic items only)

XP: 50 + 3

Snake men are predatory thieves of the jungle, living along well-worn tracks. They are not terribly intelligent, but they are quite cunning. They are carnivores, eating their prey as do snakes. Their green skin makes them difficult to spot in the jungle.

A skilled assassin or alchemist can harvest a snake mans poison, though it will only be effective for a month thereafter and saves against it are made at CL 0. The confusion effect of harvested poison has a duration of only 1 minute.

Combat: When they attack, they attempt to snake their bodies around their victims. If faced with possible stiff competition, they will either try to draw someone off alone, with one snake man making the attack while the others act as sentries, or they will simply to their best to steal something magical; snake men can see magical auras, though they cannot perceive how magical an item is.

Once they have liberated magical items from someone, snake men will hurry home to their nests high in the trees and stow them away. Often, a single snake man will have five or six nests spread out over a large territory each such nest will have from 1d4 magical items hidden in it. Other than that, they keep no treasure.

Improved Grab: If a snake man manages to hit with its bite attack, the victim must succeed at a strength saving throw or be grappled. A grappled victim will be squeezed for 1d4 points of damage. The snake man will also take them with their six claws.

Surprise: Give each character a wisdom check at -6 to notice them creeping up from behind, below, or above. If they fail, they will be surprised for the first round of combat.

Poison: A snake mans poison causes confusion (as the spell) for 1 hour unless a constitution saving throw is made.

See Magical Auras: Snake men can see magical auras, as per the spell detect magic. They are unable to determine the power of an aura.
TENTACLED WOMAN

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-12

SIZE: Medium

HD: 2 (d6)

MOVE: 30 ft., 30 ft. (swim)

AC: 13

ATTACKS: 2 tentacles (1d6)

SPECIAL: Improved grab, spells

SAVES: M

INT: High

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral

TYPE: Monstrous Humanoid

TREASURE: 2

XP: 30 + 2

The tentacled women are a constant threat along the coasts of Venus shallow seas. Fishermen and pearl divers must be on constant guard, for to be captured by one of these beings means sure death.

The tentacled women are devotees of the dark goddess Blibdoolpoolp. In her honor, they strangle their victims, remove their innards, sew up their varied orifices, and then inflate their hollow skins. These trophies are anchored to the sea bottom and allowed to bob above the surface like buoys.

Tentacled women never speak. No males of their species have ever been seen. They have no lairs, but do tend to heap any treasure they acquire upon stone altars to their goddess. These altars are protected by explosive runes that discharge lightning rather than fire.

Combat: Tentacled women aim to strangle their victims. They will run from a fight that is turning against them.

Improved Grab: When a tentacled woman hits with a tentacle, the victim must succeed at a strength saving throw or be grappled. The tentacled woman can automatically inflict 1d6 damage on a grappled victim her round. Their tentacles have a 7 ft reach, allowing them to avoid attacks on their bodies. Their tentacles have an armor class of 13, and will be severed if a total of 4 points of damage is inflicted on them. A severed tentacle will grow back over the course of a few months.

Spells: All tentacled women cast spells as 3rd level druids.
TREEHUGGER

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1

SIZE: Medium

HD: 5 (d8)

MOVE: 0 ft.

AC: 15

ATTACKS: Bite (2d6)

SPECIAL: Camoflage, improved grab, excrete acid

SAVES: P

INT: Animal

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Beast

TREASURE: 2 (on the ground beneath its perch)

XP: 160 + 5

Tree huggers are vicious beasts that live in the vast timberlands of Venus. They have thick, stubby trunks and large maws that contain three massive fangs. They attach themselves to the trunks of trees during their larval stage and go through their entire life cycle on the same tree. Although they resemble plants, they are defintely animals.

The flesh of these creatures, when dried, makes a tasty and very long lasting jerky. It can also be used to make leather armor.

Combat: When you mostly consist of a mouth and a stomache, your combat tactics are rather limited. Treehuggers clamp their jaws on inattentive prey and then excrete a copious amount of acid, allowing them to slowly digest their prey. Because they are immobile, they attack as 3 HD creatures.

Camoflage: The tree hugger, when its mouth it closed and it is completely immobile, is notoriously difficult to see. It gains a +5 bonus to surprise.

Improved Grab: A creature hit by the tree huggers bite attack must succeed at a strength save or be held fast by its fangs. While so held, it will continue to suffer 1d3 points of damage per round from the fangs and 1d6 points of acid damage from its excreted stomache juices.
THUNDER BEAST

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1

SIZE: Large

HD: 7 (d10)

MOVE: 20 ft.

AC: 20

ATTACKS: Bite (1d8), tail slam (1d10)

SPECIAL: Quills, thunder, blind, tremorsense 60, trample

SAVES: P

INT: Animal

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Magical Beast

TREASURE: 0

XP: 160 + 5

Thunder beasts fill a similar niche to rhinoceroses in the Venusian ecosystem. They resemble giant porcupines with thick, long tails. Thunder beasts are completely blind, but can detect tremors in the ground around them within a 60 radius. Their only reaction to such tremors is violent.

A thunder beasts quills are worth a few silver pieces in most bazarres some jewellers use them for a form of Venusian scrimshaw, and others make ornamental dagger sheaths from them. The creatures meat is tough and nearly inedible.

Combat: Thunder beasts attack without provocation. Though they attack from a sense of fear, they are will pursue a threat until it gets more than 60 feet away from them (the limit of their tremorsense).

Quills: A thunder beast cannot specifically attack with its quills; the ones on its tail are flattened out, and merely serve to batter enemies. This does not make them dangerous, however. Creatures not using long weapons who miss in melee combat against thunder beasts must make dexterity saves (CL 0) or be struck for 1d4 damage.

Thunder: A thunder beasts first attack is to set its quills to vibrating. This begins creating a powerful sonic wave. During the first round of combat it inflicts 1 point of sonic damage to creatures within 5 feet of the beast. The second round it deals 1d3 points of sonic damage to all within 10 feet. The third round it deals 1d4 damage to all creatures within 20 feet. Each successive round increases the damage by one type and doubles the range, until it is 1d12 damage within 320 feet. When damage reaches 1d8, creatures within range must make a constitution saving throw each round to avoid being deafened for 1d6 hours. At 1d12 damage, creatures within 60 ft must also make a strength save each round to avoid being knocked prone. Creatures who specifically state they are covering their ears (which usually means they cannot attack) suffer half damage and gain a +4 bonus to save vs. deafness.

Trample: If a thunder beast detects that an opponent has fallen over, it will trample them for 2d6 damage. The victim must make a dexterity saving throw. If successful, they suffer only half damage.
VOLCOUROS

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1

SIZE: Large

HD: 7 (d8)

MOVE: 0 ft.

AC: 20

ATTACKS: Bite or slam (2d6), 10 tentacles (1d6)

SPECIAL: Tremorsense, radiant heat, gout of flame, immune to fire (full), burst into flame

SAVES: P

INT: Animal

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

TYPE: Beast

TREASURE: None

XP: 500 + 8

PICTURE: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/arcana/1257

Volcouroi live beneath volcanos or in mountainous areas with heavy volcanic activity. They resemble massive caterpillars with fang-fileld maws that are surrounded by a mass of whipping tentacles. These bizarre creatures burrow their backsides into the ground and anchor themselves. They then feed off of the heat in the ground beneath them, occaisionally letting off great spouts of flaming gases from their mouths.

When killed, these creatures burst into flames and soon become little more than ash. Some alchemists use this ash in their work.

Combat: Although they have no need to feed, volcouroi attack anything that enters their territory. Their size gives them a reach of about thirty feet, and their breath weapon has a range of fifty feet beyond that. Within their reach, they can either bite an opponent or slam into them with their bodies. They can also swipe at multiple targets with their tentacles.

Tremorsense: Volcouroi are blind, but are capable of detecting vibrations caused by landbound creatures. This allows them to attack creatures on the ground without penalty. They attack flying creatures as though they were blind.

Radiant Heat: The internal temperature of a volcouros is such that creatures within 5 feet of the monster suffer 1 point of subdual damage each round.

Gout of Flame: Every round there is a 30% chance that a volcouros will let loose a gout of flaming gas from its mouth. Treat this as a cone of fire with a 50 ft wide base dealing 4d6 damage to all who fail a dexterity saving throw.

Burst of Flame: When a volcouros dies, it bursts into flame dealing 3d6 damage to all creatures within 10 feet of it. A successful dexterity saving throw reduces this damage by half. It takes approximately 30 minutes for a volcouros to burn itself into ash.

[Treebore]

Nice write ups, my only point of contention would be the XP values you give for the special powers they have. IE I think you award to little for what powers they have. XP values are determined with the assumption that they are able to bring all their powers and abilities to bear upon their opponents. At least I think that is how Serleran said it, and has been how I have been doing it.

So I think some of the powers you give them would qualify as type 2 and type 3 powers, in most cases type 2.

The most important thing is the concepts, and I think you did a great job on that.

Thanks!
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[clavis123]

Good work! Keep posting.

I have a personal soft-spot for sci-fi/fantasy crossover. And after all, Science Fantasy has a great RPG pedigree. The very first D&D campaign was Arneson's Blackmoor, a science fantasy world. Gygax's Greyhawk campaign had a strong dash of science fantasy, with trips to Mars, a crashed spaceship and a mage who used six-shooters! And the whole D&D/C&C magic system was inspired by Vance's (science fantasy) Dying Earth books.

[johns]

Thanks for the kind remarks, guys.

Quote:
IE I think you award to little for what powers they have. XP values are determined with the assumption that they are able to bring all their powers and abilities to bear upon their opponents. At least I think that is how Serleran said it, and has been how I have been doing it.

Yeah, there's always some guess work involved there. I'm sure the XP could go higher on some of these beasties - unfortunately I haven't had a chance to run them in actual combat yet.

[Omote]

Very nice. I like the Actaeon very much.

Now when is somebody going to collect all of these monster threads into one thread, or a single document.
-O
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[Brutorz Bill]

Nice work! The Ghost T-Rex is really cool!