Yeti fluff?

[Zen Master]

This coming tuesday I will be running an encounter against yetis. No, to my undivided astonishment, they aren't in the MM1. But never mind, I have a fair memory of them from earlier editions, and stat-wise I'll simply base them off dire apes.

But ... I'm of the firm conviction that in a fantasy world nothing should ever be as simple as it looks. Yeti's are presented as kind-hearted brutes - but that's just not good enough.

So ...

What do I add for flavor, fun and to give them a chance to challenge my fairly powerful (at level 6) group of players?

My own thoughts revolve around a regious framework based on the elements. Traps using snow and ice - resulting in effects like slow og grease (or sliding off a high mountain wall, which would be hilarious but possibly annoying). Melee tactics emphazising their great strength.

I also want some sort of lose society. Not a cozy yeti village, but maybe places of worship, burial grounds, communal hunting ground or whatever.

Has anyone done anything similar? Or simply have any great ideas to share?

[dsmiles]

Perhaps they live in loose family groups in a warren of tunnels carved into a glacier? As far as religion, I might go with ancestor worship in this scenario. Their adepts might be powerful with ice/wind/cold spells, but can barely start a fire with magic.

Maybe they're nomadic hunter/gatherers following the herds of caribou across the arctic plain. In this case, they might worship nature totems, and have a strong druidic tradition. Spirit animals, the spirits of ancient trees, etc.

Just a couple of quick thoughts...

[TroubleBrewing]

Better yet, play them exactly like the Abominable Snowman from "Monsters, Inc.": mega-friendly and hospitable, even going so far as to offer them a snow cone.

[Jair Barik]

Perhaps savage territorail beasts?
If you have access to fiend folio perhaps throw some Wendigos in there with them as spirits that the Yeti's revere as Gods.

[Serpentine]

I'm pretty sure there is a yeti statted out for 3.5 somewhere. Frostburn or a Dragon Magazine, perhaps?

Lets have a look at a whole culture... Religion, government, society, arts and technology are probably good places to start.

An element-based religion would be fine. What would their concept of "good" and "evil" be like? Would cold be comforting and natural while fire is dangerous and destructive, or would cold be an unfortunate fact of life and warmth a rare luxury? Etc.

A tribal government, or democratic or monarchy etc or what? Whose opinions are respected the most?

You've thought about society, and want it to be loose. What if they mostly live in family groups, with wider membership in larger communities that meet to woo, communicate, do business and so on on certain occasions, and maybe occasional contact with other communities at specific times? Smaller, more nomadic groups would probably work well in a resource-low environment.
Actually, that's another point. Societies are pretty much defined by their means of subsistence. Would they have any agriculture at all? I'd presume they're more a hunter society. Maybe base them on the Inuit somewhat? What are their trading options?

Arts... What do they value? Music maybe, or ice sculpture? Even architecture - carved glacier halls would be pretty neat. Storytelling seems like something they'd be fond of, too.

Technology is probably fairly straightforward. Stone age, medieval or what? How advanced is their magic? Arcane or divine dominate?

'sabout all I've got.

[Jair Barik]

Page 162/3 of Frostburn, Yeti/Abominable yeti
Cr3 and 7 respectively.

Much cooler than that though is that it gives a stat block for panserbjørn

Based on the initial post though I'm guessing that he doesn't have many/any supplements, only the core books.

[Zen Master]

Wonderful input so far - thanks a lot.

Ancestor worship sounds cool - I'll give it some thought. That leads me to think of summoning spirits of the dead, which is neat, but ... possibly not what I want. Or maybe it is?! Hm.

Elemental worship was my own idea - maybe adapted to suit the seasons? When the sun grows powerful, the yetis retreat to the higher mountaintops - when ... hm, the wind or the earth? .. they return to the valleys?

And yes - they should be strong with some elements, and weak with others. Spells to shape ice and summon snowstorms - but no fireballs.

Caves inside a glacier is exactly right - something like the scene in Ice Age. Without the ufo, possibly =)

How about technology. With strong natural attacks, do they have any reason to wield weapons? If they don't mine for metal, they will have little or no armor. Traps is fine, maybe some slings for ranged attacks? What else fits?

How about class levels? They wouldn't be wizards, eh - but sorcerers, druids, clerics ... hm, warlocks?!

Also, it's true I don't have too many supplements. Core, some Eberron, Psi handbook.

[Serpentine]

Caves inside a glacier is exactly rightI'd still like to see surprisingly delicately carved halls, or at least beautiful caverns, rather than caves... But 'sjust me.

If they don't mine for metal, they will have little or no armor.There's lots of substitutes. Stone, bone, leather - the latter two especially would be appropriate for arctic hunters. Really depends what sort of creatures you're after. Some sort of magical or alchemical ice armour would be neat. You could make up a whole new skill - Icecrafting - and have all sorts of stuff made out of it :3
And/or a new material... Permafrost or somesuch, the ultra-cold core of glaciers and maybe icebergs, literally mined from the surrounding normal ice by the yetis. It would only melt in extremely hot temperatures and/or over a very long period of time. It'd deal Cold damage - to the wielder, too, if they don't have resistance to it - and maybe give protection from heat or cold if turned into armour.
...
Even if you don't use that, I might :smalltongue:

[Zen Master]

I'd still like to see surprisingly delicately carved halls, or at least beautiful caverns, rather than caves... But 'sjust me.
There's lots of substitutes. Stone, bone, leather - the latter two especially would be appropriate for arctic hunters. Really depends what sort of creatures you're after. Some sort of magical or alchemical ice armour would be neat. You could make up a whole new skill - Icecrafting - and have all sorts of stuff made out of it :3
And/or a new material... Permafrost or somesuch, the ultra-cold core of glaciers and maybe icebergs, literally mined from the surrounding normal ice by the yetis. It would only melt in extremely hot temperatures and/or over a very long period of time. It'd deal Cold damage - to the wielder, too, if they don't have resistance to it - and maybe give protection from heat or cold if turned into armour.
...
Even if you don't use that, I might :smalltongue:

Oh I agree - natural caves within glaciers should be carved and decorated. High shafts should let in light, and there could be hunting trophies, murals telling the history of the tribe or describing the changing of the seasons. I imagine such halls would be a work in progress - across hundreds of years.

I'm unsure how advanced or civilized I want them. Chest armor of thick hides reinforced with bone works for me - maybe from a polar bear. Shields carved from slabs of ice do too (but who uses a shield?).

Hm - use lumps of ice and snow for slingbullets? Would it be unfair to say that when they explode in your face, you must save to avoid being blinded for 1 round?

How about pets? A behir might be a bit much (for my players), but bears, wolves ... snow tigers?

[dsmiles]

How about pets? A behir might be a bit much (for my players), but bears, wolves ... snow tigers?

Giant lynxes! (For those of you old enough to get that reference.)