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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

My Fiend Folio: A Taste of My Tenkar's Hexa-Ma-Bob Entry

I'm writing for Tenkar's Hexa-ma-bob and I have two contiguous hexes on the coast.
These creature descriptions are taken from the TSR Fiend Folio and more or less S&W'd them for more omni-ness.

These will appear in slightly different form in the final product.

Enjoy, but please give me the credit and link back to this post if you use this stuff in public.


ENCOUNTERS-
(@) 2015 Kyrinn S. Eis


Algoid #A 1d6, AC 15 [05] HD 5 HP 20 Atk +3 Dmg 2d6 Spcl Immune to Edged and Piercing damage of less than +2 magic
    In pools of still water the skin of algae will sometimes suddenly form into a humanoid shape and attack those that drink.  The appearance of one of these creatures almost always results in attack, but, on the rare occasions when no hostilities occur, the Algoid simply observes the interlopers, unless attacked.  Sages are not certain if the Algoid is a function of the algae, the water, or some combination, and require samples to solve some of the creatures puzzles.


Assassin Bug #A 1d2, AC 15 [05] HD 01 HP 05 Atk +0 Dmg 1d6-1 Spcl 2d6 continuing damage each hour until a high-level curative spell is cast upon the victim.
    Bizarre creatures combining insectoid and humanoid features, the Assassin Bug exists to spread its eggs in the victim’s body like many other insects, but the rate of maturity of these eggs is often lethal in the first hour.  Fortunately, Assassin Bugs are most often encountered in the deepest reaches of the Black River swamplands, where the Rivermen hunt them down with great joy and celebration.


Babbler #A 1d4, AC 14 [06] HD 05 HP 20 Atk +3 Dmg 1d6+1 Spcl Sneak Attack 75% for +4 to hit and double damage.
    The wild variety are cunning and will lead hunters into traps of sinkholes, bogs, and quicksand, and can easily circumvent the defences of the common marshland homestead.  Those domesticated by lizardmen are used as steeds for the smaller strains of folk, and as shock troops accompanying Lizard Kings.  The name of the creature comes from its inarticulate usage of the Common Tongue, while its mastery or Lizardman is said to be very good, and may lure unwary Humans into a trap.  Rumours of Babblers guarding Kelpie pools is unconfirmed at this time.


Barge Horror #A 1d4 AC 12 [08] HD 02 HP 08 Atk +1 Dmg see Spcl Immune to non-magical damage; 25% armed for 1d6 damage, otherwise chokehold on hit with continuing 1d6 damage, no to hit afterwards; Undead.
    The dead sent out to sea for burial, but now corrupted and undead, these creatures wait until targets are within grasp before becoming active, and have been known to lie in wait while taken aboard larger craft until a mortician or a scholar examines ‘the remains’.  Some barges have been rumoured to exit from the Maw of Seagrave at Veyn, but most are encountered coming ashore from deep water; this fact has raised the question as to who is sending them, and what may be the greater plan.


Bonesnapper #A 1d3 AC 16 [04] HD 04 HP 16 Atk +2 Dmg 1d6 Spcl Tail sweep 1d6-1
    Degenerate Babblers with a compulsion to collect bones, decorating their lairs with all manner of them, although these collections are neatly arranged in complex patterns.


Caterwaul #A 1 AC 20 [0] HD 04 HP 18 Atk +3 Dmg 1d6 Spcl Keening screech 1d6-1 in 60’ radius.
    More of a legend than a known creature, it seems to haunt the Elven ruins in Northwold, or so the villagers of the area say.  Tales suggest that, like the Displacer Cat, the Caterwaul is indistinct and seems to double and triple in one’s vision, making it nearly impossible to strike.  Reportedly, those who (live or dead) have heard the wail of the beast develop a white shock in their hair by morning.


Corsair #A 3d4, AC 12 [08] HD 04 HP 18 Atk +3 Dmg 1d6-1 Melee or 2d6 Ranged
    Corsairs are coastal raiders rather than oceangoing pirates.  This requires that they have a good knowledge of their target waters as well as swift ships to make up for their limited range.  their craft tend to be smaller, with shallower draught, allowing both greater manoeuvrability in the waters near the shore and cliffs.  Morale is one category lower than indicated by HD, and their fighting is also generally reserved for the assault, and not in sustained combat with defenders.  The ranged attack listed is a black powder pistol, and can only be fired once per combat, although figures may have more than one loaded pistol.  Muskets may also be present, which fire a 3d6 blast which entitles its three targets in a 10’ cone a Save [Breath] for half damage.


Crabborn #A 2d6 AC 16 [04] HD 03 HP 12 Atk +2 Dmg 1d6-1 Spcl one Water Spray 1 target saves [Breath] or blinded for 1d2 Rounds :: additional spray on 5+ on d6
    It is rare to catch sight of a Crabborn; humanoids encased in natural shell armour, able to breath a powerful jet of water from internal reserves, and possessing powerful pincers.  While most are fighters, the rarer still Sorcerer is a marvel, for in time it becomes fully amphibious, and grows multiple legs as well as gaining eyestalks.


Drow #A 1d10 AC 16-19 [1d4] HD 03-05 HP 12-20 Atk +4 Dmg 1d6+1 melee or 1d6-1 ranged Spcl ranged attack is Save or Sleep as per spell; Darkvision 120’; -2 to hit and Morale in sunlight, -1 to same in bright magical light; very well organised, with leaders +1d4 levels/ HD, and in any group greater than 3, one Drow is a Wizard (male) or Cleric (female +1HD); Clerics can naturally communicate and command any spider, and Ettercap are their willing servants, while Wizards require magic to communicate and the Ettercaps have learnt to distrust the males.


Drow Halfbreed #A 1d4, AC 10-13 [06] HD 01 HP 06 Atk +0 Dmg 1d6-1
    While most are from Human stock, the predilections of Drow cannot be underestimated, leading to rather unusual offspring.  In cases of Humanoid or monster sires and mothers, their young should have a mix of the benefits and drawbacks of both parents.  These children are usually rejected and outcast.  Fully 50% of Drow Halfbreeds encountered are neutral, 25% are friendly and seeking shelter or aid, and 25% are spies for the Drow establishment.


Ettercap #A 1d6 AC 14 [06] HD 03 HP 12 Atk +3 Dmg 1d6 Spcl bite is poison, save is for +1d6-1 damage, fail is for +2d6; Spin spider silk (lines, lassos, nets, tripwire, etc.); dim but cunning
    Bipedal upright walking with long arms and slouching gait, these spider-derived humanoids are loyal to Drow females, and will obey Drow male orders within reason.  They are consummate trappers and weavers, utilising their silk secretions to the utmost for their aim of hunting and capturing for the Drow.  There are rumours that some of the most powerful Drow Clerics keep Ettercap lovers, and through dark alchemy, have birthed spider-Drow hybrids not unlike centaurs to Humans and horses.


Garbug #A 1d4 AC 15 [05] HD 03 HP 11 Atk +2 Dmg 1d6 Spcl Paralysis on failed Save; awkward flight


Giant, Swamp #A 1d3 AC 14 [06] HD 10 HP 45 Atk +6 Dmg 6d6 Spcl Hurled rocks 4d6 60’
    It is believed that only five such giants remain, but on Landfall Day each year, the tale of the Stone Rain and the casualties of this attack is told with almost religious observance.  In those days, Swamp Giants numbered a dozen or more near the coast, and more were thought to exist further up the Black River.  At no less than 10’ tall, tactics had to be developed to fell these creatures before they wiped out a platoon of riflemen.  Records indicate that


Jaculi #A 2d6 AC 14 [06] HD 01 HP 04 Atk +0 Dmg 1d6 Spcl the listed damage is only inflicted when the animal launches from a tree or other high point, and then it must crawl up again to strike anew; 75% camouflage in natural surroundings, 50% in other terrain.
    These increasingly rare snakes are very timid, but when their ground nests are disturbed, they literally fly into a fit of protective fit, with all parent animals defending the common hatchery.  Removed from their natural environments when young, the Jaculi become very personable and affectionate pets, learning instead to imitate the patterns of the hand-made world of their keepers.


Kamadan #A 1d2 AC 16 [04] HD 04 HP 18 Atk +3 Dmg 1d6 Spcl this cat-thing has 1d4+3 furred snakes growing from behind its head which strike for 1d6-1 each; one Breath weapon attack in 30’x10’ cone, Sleep as per spell, no save :: additional breath attack on a 5+ on d6.
    Most specimen sighted or killed appear most like a jaguar or leopard, although some more tiger-like sorts have been found.  Almost certainly a wizard’s creation rather than some sort of naturally occurring creature, the alarming aspect is that it now appears to a recessive trait among normal big cat populations sharing the same territory, whether due to mating, or an environmental feature as yet unknown.  Their pelts are becoming prized, and some rather unconvincing fakes have been offered in local markets.


Kelpie #A 1d4 AC 17 [03] HD 05 HP 20 Atk +3 Dmg see Spcl Drowning Charm saves at -2 or desire to drown to be with her; shapechange with limitations; half-damage from fire/heat attacks on failed save, none if save succeeds; amphibious (15’ Move) for 1d3 hours; very cunning for a plant, picking off stragglers and not showing self; appears most often as a desirable woman or more rarely as a fine steed.
    That Kelpie numbers do seem to coincide in Lizardman is indisputable, but rumours that they are transplanted from wild pools to those within Lizardman holdings is yet to be confirmed.


Kuo-Toa #A 2d6 AC 16 [04] HD 02-10 HP 08-40 Atk +2 to +7 Dmg 1d6 Spcl Mancatcher save or pinned; nocturnal surface raider or underwater only encounters and are -4 in day or equivalent magical light, less so versus other light; slavers; 50% lair nearby with 20x number encountered; 1 in 4 are Wizard-Clerics of +1d4 HD; immune to poison; most magic has minimum effect on failed save, and no effect on save; suffer maximum damage from fire/heat attacks and save at -2; Blindsight 120’; vision extends into the Astral and Ethereal planes.
    These creatures are almost purely marine in nature in the Waterlands area, but some scouts report that Kuo-Toa have been seen swimming upstream in the Black River and spotted in the Great Salt Marsh of the delta.  Rumours of sightings in the Riverwoods are increasing.  Their new moon sacrifices and wild undulations on the seafloor or within pools is both engrossing and disturbing; woe betide the victim caught in their spying!  Kuo-Toa are slavers, and their complex social structure seems to centre around the trading of slaves to curry favour with their leaders and priests.  These slaves are used to work underwater after ingesting a slime secreted in a ritual too abhorrent to discuss, and their lifespans are short if they are lucky.  Those unfortunate few who are not sacrificed to their goddess, are used as breeding stock (see).


Kuo-Toan Halfbreed #A 1 per 5 Kuo-Toa AC 12 [08] HD 01 HP 06 Atk +1 Dmg 1d6 Spcl Amphibious; half effect/benefit of listed features with Kuo-Toa; only fighters


Lizard King #A 1 AC 17 [03] HD 08 HP 32 Atk +5 Dmg 2d6 or Trident 5d6 Spcl if a strike with the trident is 5 or more than needed, the victim is skewered doing a minimum of 15 points of damage; the trident is a magic item and only functions in this fashion for a Lizard King; 3x the normal number of Lizardmen accompany a Lizard King in its territory.
    Rumours of Lizard Kings possessing Kelpie concubines cannot be substantiated, but sages are most desirous of evidence regarding this subject.


Lizardman #A 3d6 AC 15 [05] HD 04 HP 16 Atk +3 Dmg 1d6+1
    The primary variety found in the Waterlands grow a tortoise-like carapace from their skulls, providing that location one-better AC, and catfish-like ‘whiskers’ which grant them one-better Initiative in and out of the water.


Lunge Pod #A 1d6 AC 14 [06] HD 03 HP 12 Atk +3 Dmg 1d6-1 Spcl Engulf on failed [Paralysis] Save if attack succeeds
    These roughly barrel sized and shaped plant creatures begin the size of mature coconuts, and grow over years into man-eating monstrosities.  Colouration is varied, but always two-toned, with the outer casing one colour, and the lip-seams another.  The creature’s maw is a spiral of inward facing thorns, and through fluidic contraction the plant is capable of rotating or screwing these bands downward into its pitcher-pot structure where digestion takes place.  Engulfed creatures are better freed once in the pot than in the thorn bands; victims pulled by compatriots while on the bands take an additional 1d6+1 damage per Round.  The pot’s digestive juices are relatively mild, doing only 1 point of damage per Round, and this can be neutralised with baking soda.


Needlemen #A 3d4, AC 14 [06] HD 04 HP 18 Atk +3 Dmg 2d6 Spcl 75% Invisibility in pine forest Look like undead, but are really plant creatures who really hate Elves, and have a certain degree of similarity to the Scarecrows being reported in the country. Possibly Drow in origin.


Pirate #A 3d4, AC 12 [08] HD 03 HP 13 Atk +2 Dmg by weapon type Spcl Dodge in place of making an attack, must roll equal to or higher than the attacker’s roll to escape melee damage; ranged attacks and spells may only be dodged on a natural 20; only HD number of Dodges per Day.
  • Different Piratical groups are briefly detailed


Qullan #A 1d6, AC 09+1d4 [09-08] HD 02 HP 10 Atk +4 Dmg 1d6+4 Spcl Confusion in 5’ radius save or roll 1d6 (1-2) Do nothing (3-4) Attack Qullan (5-6) Attack ally; two-handed broadswords are +3/+3 for no more than 5 strikes in the hands of non-Qullan afterwhich they behave as normal broadswords; Insane and ‘immune’ to all Charm/Enchantment which kill the Qullan.
    These fierce Humans are conjectured to be the victims of the ancient magical warfare of the area, resulting in the Confusion aura which has afflicted their number, preventing the formation of any sort of culture beyond that of the immediate family unit or occasional clan versus clan warfare sometimes noted from afar by hidden observers.


Qullan Leader #A 1:6, AC 16 [04] HD 03 HP 15 Atk +2 Dmg 2d6 Spcl as above
    The leaders of the Qullan seem to be individuals who can focus past their people’s aura and organise a rudimentary clan structure.  These last only as long as the leaders live, and itis not known if theis ability is hereditary and could be passed on to their offspring.  Should this be the case, it is equally possible that the Qullan could develop into allies of the Waterlanders or become implacable foes.  At present, their chaotic nature and incessant warfare keep their population low, and with that, the number of leaders.


Sandman #A 2d6, AC 14 [06] HD 01 HP 06 Atk +0 Dmg 1d6-1 Spcl Sleep 20’ radius, save or 30 minutes of unconsciousness regardless of level, waking only if injured; Immune to normal missiles.  


> Scarecrow ? Vehicles of a remote pre-invasion scouting operation.


Skulk #A 2d6, AC 14 [06] HD 01 HP 06 Atk +0 Dmg 1d6-1 Spcl 80% invisible when immobile, minus 5% for each 5’ travelled, resetting each Round; -80% to be Tracked; +6 to hit and +2d6 damage on Sneak Attack; will flee if injured, etc.
    Skulks encountered in the Northwold and Riverwood areas appear to be derived of Drow ancestry, and although they disdain the light, they do not suffer the same penalties as their ancestors, while possessing a random distribution of their innate spell-like abilities.  No Adamantine implements are found among them, but Mithril is sometimes found.


Sussurus #A 2d6, AC 14 [06] HD 08 HP 32 Atk +5 Dmg 1d6 Spcl Death Hug 4d6; Dronesong calms Undead as per Cleric of same HD.
    It is rumoured that some Sussurus are in a symbiotic relationship with other plant-creatures, furthering the range and variety of terrain these other plants can reach.


Yellow Musk Creeper AC 13 [07] HD 03 HP 12 Atk +1 Dmg see Spcl 1d6 vines attack and if the victim fails a Save versus each, they are drawn into the plant where they suffer 1d6-1 Int loss each Round.  If the Int loss leaves a victim with 1 or 2 Int at the end of a Round, they become a Yellow Musk Zombie (below).  If the Int loss exceeds the score, the victim dies, feeding the plant.  Those who are rescued before either becoming zombified or dying, regenerate the Int at 1 point per day of rest.
    Some scouts have reported that standard Undead zombies and skeletons sometimes are utilised as transport by these plants, but no such sample creatures have been captured for study.  The scent of the Yellow Musk Creeper, once encountered, is never forgotten or mistaken.


Yellow Musk Zombie AC see [--] HD +02 HP +12 Atk +1 Dmg by weapon Spcl the victim of a Yellow Musk Creeper, armoured and armed as they were in life, with only the faintest hint of their former memories and none of the personality save the most outstanding habits or behaviours.  They now only exist to transport plant so as to infect others.  Druids are treated as Clerics of one level category higher, and the YMZ as a Zombie for purposes of Turning and Destroying these creatures.  If the controlling plant in the victim’s skull is destroyed, the victim can be restored with a minimum of four weeks of complete bedrest.
    It is rumoured that YMZ victims with exceptional Int scores (17+) can be utilised by the plant in their former Class abilities, and that the most distant wilderness holds a grove commune of such creatures living in harmony with their plant masters.