GitP Monster Competition LXIII: Rebirth
Rebirth
http://www.flipsidecoreproject.com/b.../ouroboros.jpg
Image provided by Flipsidecore project. (c) 2005
All of this has happened before
The new year is a time of rebirth and arrising. Some, like the Phoenix, are explosive in their return, others more subtle.
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will continue until the 31st of January.
Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until the 7th of February.
As it's part of what I do, I'm happy to offer artwork as a prize. This month's contest winner will be awarded a
choice of one character portrait or an illustration of their winning monster. If another entry achieves sufficient awesome to warrant an honourable mention, I may give out additional paintings [I'm not great, but I enjoy it]
Rules
1. You will be creating an original creature for D&D 3.5, which must possess some means of rebirth or ressurrection. It does not have to be spectactular, but it has to be significant in some way. Examples for your inspiration include the Phoenix, the Star Archon from Pathfinder and the Resurrection Man from DC.
The resurrection/rebirh/spawning MUST affect the way the creature is fought; a creature that fool-proof ressurrects regardless of what you do isn't altering play, if it can be kept down permanently by te correct means, that affects the way it is fought and would count.
2. The entry must include name, complete stat-block, physical description, basic background information, and detailed combat behavior if any. A plot hook or similar in addition is optional but encouraged. Incomplete entries will be disqualified upon the deadline.
2b. Contrary to previous rules, templates are explicitly allowed in this competition, with the following limitation: a template is judged on the example creature, which must be a pure SRD NPC character and a pretransformation version of the character must be included for comparison.
3. Entries must be 3.5 edition, using the standard format listed below (not that new one seen in the Monster Manual IV-V, except for a lore section which is required for this competition only).
4. Post all entries on this thread. Do not post conversation here. Any and All Comments and discussions will take place on a separate thread here (this is a link).
5. One entry per participant. No double-teaming.
6. Entries copied from some other source (splatbook, alternate website, etc) will be disqualified. All entries must be a new creation, not one already posted. Adding class levels to an already published or posted creature does not count as a new monster. Nor does adding templates. There must be an original base creature devoid of any template added on as the actual entry. Samples of the original base creature with a template may be posted in 'addition' but will not be judged.
7. No reserving posts. Feel free to post a creature and tweak it, but you have to have the basic beast already done.
8. Please state if you do not want critiques, otherwise other participants will likely give a rundown of your build in the chat thread.
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Re: GitP Monster Competition LXIII: Rebirth
Vorpal Tribble's Guide To Making Monsters
As well, here is the standard 3.5 monster format. Only complete entries will be accepted. If there are any questions feel free to ask me or post queries in the GITP Contest Chat Thread.
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No Parsed Stat Block Code
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[FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=5]Name[/SIZE][/FONT]
<Size> <Type>
[B]Hit Dice:[/B]
[B]Initiative:[/B]
[B]Speed: [/B](# squares)
[B]Armor Class:[/B] (), touch, flat-footed
[B] Base Attack/Grapple:[/B]
[B]Attack[/B]:
[B]Full Attack[/B]:
[B]Space/Reach[/B]:
[B]Special Attacks[/B]:
[B]Special Qualities[/B]:
[B]Saves[/B]: Fort +, Ref +, Will +
[B]Abilities[/B] Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
[B]Skills:[/B]
[B]Feats:[/B]
[B]Environment:[/B]
[B]Organization:[/B]
[B]Challenge Rating:[/B]
[B]Treasure:[/B]
[B]Alignment:[/B]
[B]Advancement:[/B]
[B]Level Adjustment:[/B]
Description/background/characteristics
[B]Combat[/B]
Ability descriptions
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[B]Lore[/B]
Plot Hook/Story if any
Name
<Size> <Type>
Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed: (# squares)
Armor Class: (), touch, flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple:
Attack:
Full Attack:
Space/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves: Fort +, Ref +, Will +
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
Skills:
Feats:
Environment:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:
Level Adjustment:
Description/background/characteristics
Combat
Ability descriptions
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- Optional -
Lore
Plot Hook/Story if any
Re: GitP Monster Competition LXIII: Rebirth
Titan, Evisceration
Gargantuan Outsider (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 30d8+420 (555hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: 60ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 48 (-4 Size, +24 Natural, +5 Dex, +13 Titan Armour), touch 11, flat-footed 43
Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+74
Attack: Colossal +5 Adamantine Greatsword +58 melee (8d6+48) or Slam +58 melee (4d6+28)
Full Attack: Colossal +5 Adamantine Greatsword +58/+53/+48/+43 melee (8d6+48) or 2 Slams +48 melee (4d6+28)
Space/Reach: 20ft/20ft
Special Attacks: Seismic Smash, Eviscerating Blow
Special Qualities: DR 20/-, Frightful Presence, Immortal Warrior, Pounce, Titan's Armour, Titan's Grip, There Can Only Be One, Immunities, Regeneration 15.
Saves: Fort +35, Ref +24, Will +28
Abilities: Str 66, Dex 20, Con 38, Int 11, Wis 28, Cha 24
Skills: Balance +38, Climb +61, Intimidate +40, Jump +61, Spot +42, Survival +42, Swim +61, Tumble +38
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Shock Trooper (CW), Leap Attack (CA), Knockback (RoS), Awesome Blow (MMV), Improved Overrun, Epic Will, Epic Reflexes, Epic Fortitude, Improved Initiative.
Environment: Any
Organization: Single, or Warband (2-20)
Challenge Rating: 27
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Any chaotic evil-aligned plane
Advancement: 31-40HD (Gargantuan), 41HD+ (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: -
The ground shakes like the gods themselves were walking across it, and in the distance you can see a sword the size and width of a river being thrown through the air like it was a twig. At once you see a creature, all muscle, stomping into view. It's faceless visage peers at you like you were cockroaches on its food, and it inhales enough breath to bend the few trees in the area. It speaks.
"ARE YOU READY TO DIE, MORTAL?!"
Offshoots of normal Titans, Evisceration Titans are the offspring of a legendary Titan Barbarian who was blessed by his divine patron never to die, and have inherited his gift of immortality. They tower over most beings at around 60ft high, and weigh around 125 tonnes. Their upper torso seems almost too big for its weedy legs and lower torso, and their bodies bulge with too many muscles for their already gargantuan frame. Their faces are without facial parts bar a mouth filled with spear-like teeth, although this has no effect on the titan's senses. Evisceration Titans are unruly and savage, with a genocidal blood lust that can last centuries and the strength to back it up. Their name stems from this bloodlust, and from an Evisceration Titan's favourite thing to do with any creature it might have taken as a "toy".
Evisceration Titans speak Common, Abyssal, and Infernal.
Combat
An Evisceration Titan is no scholar, which is expressed in their tactics. They normally start by charging their opponent to activate their Frightful Presence, before using a combination of Power Attack, Jump Attack, Shock Trooper, Knockback and Awesome Blow to lay waste to whoever is unlucky to be their first victim. After this, they use their Seismic Smash after landing, and their Bonebreaker Blow on their target to squeeze the last of the life out from their victim. After this, rthey turn their attentions to the now-terrified remainder of their opponents, repeating the whole bloody process again.
Seismic Smash (Ex): When an Eviscoration Titan janps after making a successful Jump Check, an effect identical to an Earthquake spell (CL 20), only when a Reflex Save would be needed to be made by someone affected by the spell, the DC is 48. This ability is Str based.
Eviscerating Blow (Ex): When an Evisceration Titan would successfully strike an opponent at least twice during a full attack, the victim automatically takes 1d8 points of Con Damage (no save).
Frightful Presence (Ex): The sight of an Evisceration Titan is terrifying, and can make even the most seasoned hero run away like a scared child. An Evisceration Titan's frightful presence ability, takes effect automatically when they charge a foe. All creatures that can see the Evisceration Titan must make a successful Will save (DC 32) or become panicked for 1d4 rounds. Creatures with more hit dice than the Evisceration Titan are simply shaken for 1d4 rounds on a failed save instead. Success indicates that the target is immune to that particular Evisceration Titan’s frightful presence for one day. This save's DC is Charisma-based.
Immortal Warrior (Ex): As per the blessings of the nameless god, all of The First One's children spit in the face of death. If an Evisceration Titan would be killed, then 24 hours after its death the titan is brought back to life (as per True Ressurection) in the place of its death, fully healed and free of all detrimental effects. If the Evisceration Titan's body was destroyed when it died, then this process takes one week instead. An Evisceration Titan that died because of factors related to its place of death (i.e a lava pool) is instead brought back to life in a random (but safe) place in the plane of its death.
Pounce (Ex): When an Eviceration Titan makes a charge, it can follow up the charge with a full attack.
Titan's Armour: All Evisceration Titans wear armour plating and chains made by closely guarded processes which function as +5 Adamantine Full Plate, but because it magically fuses to the Evisceration Titan's flesh, it does not impose any penalties (I.e Arcane Spell Failure, Armour Check Penalties) on the Evisceration Titan. The armour still takes up the armour slot, however.
Titan's Grip (Ex): An Evisceration Titan is used to wielding weapons that are larger than even it should be able to handle, and so can wield any Colossal Greatsword weapon without penalty.
There Can Only Be One (Su): If there is one thing Evisceration Titans are good for, it is killing other Evisceration Titans, as per the clause made by The First One many years ago. An Evisceration Titan that is killed by one of its fellows, or by a sword formerly owned by one of its brethren does not come back to life, it's Immortal Warrior ability negated and the titan dead for good.
Immunities (Ex): An Evisceration Titan is immune to all ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, being stunned or dazed, fear effects and mind-affecting effects. An Evisceration Titan also has a continual Freedom of Movement effect on its person at all times.
Regeneration (Ex): Force Damage deals normal damage to an Evisceration Titan. If an Evisceration Titan loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 3d6 minutes. The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.
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Lore
Coming soon!
Re: GitP Monster Competition LXIII: Rebirth
Aenjahko
"The majesty of an Aenjahko is apparent in both the serenity of its movements and the unbound wrath that it can bring to bear against those it designates as a foe. More enduring than the greatest of mountains and more relentless than the passage of time, is it any wonder that these creatures are champions of life itself?"
Aenjahko, more commonly addressed as "Life Elementals" by mortals, are elemental creatures native to The Beastlands. Spawned from the very essence of the plane itself, they exist as both guardians for the realm and as champions for the very concept of life ever lasting. Unlike the Marrut, who shares a similar mission, the Aenjahko isn't an unfeeling agent for the balance of life but for the sanctity of the concept.
An Aenjahko encountered away from its home plane is most often acting on some mission of import towards its calling (such as working to stop the sacrifice of an entire city for a despot's bid for godhood or the destruction of an unnaturally large grouping of undead). Though an Aenjahko will generally act alone, it is not so brash, prideful or stupid to be above finding aid amongst the denizens of the plane it finds itself currently upon. Generally the Aenjahko will seek out those who are heroes of great moral merit or who would have a vested interest in the cause the Aenjahko. Only the most dire of calamities will ever see more than one Aenjahko and woe be he who does not take the interests of these allied elementals to mind and heart.
The natural form of the Aenjahko is a massive, undulating form of green material (the shade of fresh grown grass) with a giant, golden orb situated in its center. This leads to the misconception that the Aenjahko is an unintelligent ooze, an advantage the creature is not above using. The Aenjahko rarely appears in its natural form when dealing with mortals though, knowing that it invokes fear, mistrust and even violence. The average Aenjahko measures 15 feet across, is 3 feet at its thickest point and weighs 20,000 pounds.
Aenjahko speak Celestial, Common, Giant and two other languages (one being of the mortal races and one being of the planes).
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar, Good)
Hit Dice: 17d8+60 (136 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 feet, Climb 20 feet
Armor Class: 15 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+26
Attack: Slam +16 (3d6+9 plus Touch of Vitality)
Full Attack: Slam +16 (3d6+9 plus Touch of Vitality)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Touch of Vitality
Special Qualities: Alternate Form, Blindsense 60 ft, Champion of Life, Damage Reduction 10/Evil, Elemental Traits, Ooze Traits, Regeneration 2 (Evil or Negative Energy)
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities Str 22, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +11, Gather Information +19, Diplomacy +22, Knowledge (Nature) +12, Knowledge (The Planes) +12, Listen +12, Search +11, Spellcraft +11, Spot +11
Feats: Ability Focus (Touch of Vitality), Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (Slam), Improved Toughness, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Diplomacy)
Environment: The Beastlands
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral Good
Advancement: By Character class
Level Adjustment: -
Combat
When an Aenjahko enters combat it will generally ensure that its opponents are always with in melee range. It favors usage of both the Power Attack feat and its Touch of Vitality special attack for the greatest impact but only takes a negotiable penalty from the feat. An Aenjahko will only fight to the death if it believes that doing so is in the best interest of its mission, otherwise it will retreat as quickly as possible and using any method to ensure that it can plan another attempt.
Alternate Form (Su)
An Aenjahko can assume the form of any humanoid or giant of small size up to its own size category as a standard action. It retains all of its special abilities in this altered form but gains the natural attacks and extraordinary special attacks of its new form, as well as proficiency with all simple and martial weapons. It remains in this form until it chooses to assume another. A slain Aenjahko reverts to its natural form on the following round.
Champion of Life (Su)
An Aenjahko is chocked full of the energies of life, making it particularly resilient. It is immune to all death spells, magical death effects and energy drain. An Aenjahko does not gain temporary hit points as a result of a major positive dominant plane (and thus is not at risk from exploding on such planes) but gains any other positive effects from the plane.
If an Aenjahko is slain in combat, it may immediately make a level check (DC 27). If successful it returns to life on the following round at one quarter its total health and is cured of/has removed any negative effects it suffered prior to death. The Aenjahko receives a +1 bonus to this check for every living creature of at least medium size category within 100 feet of it. The DC is permanently increase by 2 for every subsequent death the Aenjahko suffers. If the Aenjahko fails the check it is slain and can only be returned to life through a Miracle or Wish spell or similar effect.
Touch of Vitality (Su)
An Aenjahko's touch holds the scales of life, able to take away as readily as it can give.
An Aenjahko's touch does one of the following:
- A Living, willing, creature heals 1d10+5 hit points, gains Fast Healing 5 for 1d6+5 rounds and can make a new save against a negative effect it is under at the original DC. This ability can only affect the same creature once per hour. The creature gains temporary hit points for the duration of the ability if the healing granted would exceed their maximum hit points. This ability is a standard action to use and invokes an attack of opportunity.
- A Living, unwilling, creature takes 5d10 damage and is unable to benefit from any form of healing (magical or otherwise) for 24 hours. If the affected creature succeeds on a Will save (DC DC 10+1/2 the Aenjahko's total Hit Dice+the Aenjahko's Constitution modifier), it takes half damage and gains half benefits from healing instead for the duration.
- An Undead creature takes 5d12 damage and is frightened for as long as it is in the Aenjahko's presence and for 1 hour afterwards. Undead are not immune to the condition inflicted by this ability. If If the affected creature succeeds on a Will save (DC DC 10+1/2 the Aenjahko's total Hit Dice+the Aenjahko's Constitution modifier), it takes half damage and is shaken instead of frightened. For every 2 hit dice the creature possesses above the Aenjahko's, it receives a +4 bonus to save against this ability.
A creature who successfully saves against an Aenjahko's Touch of Vitality is immune to the effects of that Aenjahko's touch for 24 hours.
Re: GitP Monster Competition LXIII: Rebirth
Medium Humanoid (Evil)
Hit Dice: 9d8+54 (86 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +2 leather armor, +2 natural armor bonus), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+11
Attack: Short sword +12 melee (1d6+5; 19-20/x2)
Full Attack: Short sword +12 melee (1d6+5; 19-20/x2)
Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Sneak Attack +1d6
Special Qualities: Aura of Terror, Darkvision 60 ft., Evil Never Sleeps, Horrible Features, Immunities (Fear, Critical Hits),Nowhere to Run, Regeneration 3/-, Scent, Sometimes They Come Back, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key
Saves: Fort + 9, Ref +4, Will +8
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills: Escape Artist +3, Hide +7, Intimidate +6, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Open Lock +3, Sense Motive +3, Spot +5, Survival +3
Feats: Diehard (B), Endurance (B), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Stealthy, Weapon Focus (Short Sword)
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 15
Treasure: None
Alignment: Any Evil
Advancement: 10-18 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -
Something wicked lurches out of the darkness; a veritable giant, it’s hard to tell whether or not the figure is male or female. Leather armor stained with blood encases the figure’s body. In its right hand it holds a gore-covered short sword, and in its left, what appears to be a freshly severed head. The figure notices you, and stares you in the eye. Horror consumes you, for the look in those eyes was not malice or hunger or even hate, but the purest expression of evil. You turn and begin to run, only to hear the figure come chasing after you…
What evil lurks in the hearts of man? How does the darkness of mortal souls boil forth? The ways are countless. Some men sit back and watch the world burn, laughing all the while. Others raise the banners of corruption and greed, consuming far beyond their satiation. And some people… well some people were just born rotten, beings of evil as dark as any undead or fiend from the bleakest Hells. And one day, at the behest of some dark, unseen signal, they snap, and a Craven Slasher is born.
The Craven Slashers, also known as Slashers or giallo more properly, are a phenomenon of evil humanoids with a propensity towards slaughter. While known to arise in all humanoid races, human giallo are by far the most common. These creatures are born into the world from a mother and father like any mortal being. However, there is something in their past or upbringing that warps them, altering them as they age. From abusive homesteads to ancient curses, the explanations for the birth of a giallo are countless, but none are entirely proven. The most horrifying Slashers simply begin killing one day; ordinary men and women with perfectly healthy families and lives that just go insane. For most giallo, however, there is a trigger to their metamorphosis. This usually takes the form of an experience that should have otherwise killed them, maims them beyond disfigurement, or calls forth repressed urges and memories.
From that moment on, the giallo is a killer. Within a matter of hours, its body has transformed into a veritable force of nature, unstoppable, relentless in its pursuit of carnage. All it seeks to do is kill and torture without mercy or restraint. Interestingly, Craven Slashers are prone to selecting targets and focusing on those individuals. Exactly why a giallo chooses a target is unknown, but once they begin pursuing an individual, they become unstoppable. Mountains, fortresses, deserts, frozen tundra, even open sea; there is nowhere that a Slasher won’t pursue its prey. On the hunt for its target, the giallo will kill everything its victim holds dear, slaughter every friend, murder every family member, burn entire towns to ash, and then kill the family dog out of spite. And all the while they move with a dark, focused energy, a well of blackness in their hearts as deep as the sea and cold as death itself.
And perhaps that is the Craven Slasher’s greatest strength. Not even death can keep the giallo down. Bury them in holy ground, burn the bodies and spread the ashes to the wind, throw them into an elemental vortex; whatever the method, the giallo always comes back. It always returns from death, changed and stronger than it was before. Each death brings a new feature, a new surprise to throw the giallo’s victims off guard. The unknown is what frightens mortals more than anything, and now the Slasher is a living avatar of that fear. The Slasher can only be halted, never destroyed. It can be trapped, but not confined. The only hope to see a giallo die permanently is to keep killing it, keep fighting it, exhausting the monster’s hold on the material plane. But there will always be Slashers in the world. There will always be inhuman beasts that wear the skins of the mundane until it is too late. All they have to do is wait, and their time will come.
Combat
The methods of combat for Slashers are surprisingly diverse, and perhaps one of their most fascinating features. Some giallo spend hours luring a single victim into a false sense of security, posing as a mundane member of a humanoid race before capturing their prey and torturing them for days. In that same amount of time, another Craven Slasher may have run through a community like a hurricane, not so much ‘killing’ as ‘destroying’ everything in sight. In any case, Slashers often become known for a signature weapon, common examples including axes, knives, saws, and all manner of short swords. In combat, the giallo will focus on opponents that match its particular code or prerequisites for victimization at the moment, those specifics varying from Slasher to Slasher.
Aura of Terror (Su): The giallo has a palpable presence of terror around it that terrifies other beings. Any creature within twenty feet of the Craven Slasher must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or become panicked. Creatures that make their Will save are immune to the giallo's Aura of Terror for twenty four hours. This save is Charisma based.
Bonus Feats: The Craven Slasher gains the Diehard and Endurance feats as racial bonus feats.
Darkvision (Ex): The Craven Slasher can see in total darkness up to 60 feet.
Evil Never Sleeps (Su): The Craven Slasher is unrelenting, unstoppable, a monster not bound by physical limitations. The giallo does not require sleep and is immune to the effects of fatigue. In addition, the Slasher’s good save from the Humanoid type is Fortitude instead of Reflex.
Horrible Feature (Su, Sp): A Craven Slasher begins play with on randomly rolled Horrible Feature. It rerolls this Horrible Feature every time it resurrects with the Sometimes They Come Back ability.
Table: Horrible Features
{table=head]1d20|Horrible Feature|Details
1|Sometimes, Dead is Better|The giallo’s tenuous grasp on life finally snaps. It resurrects directly, walking the earth as a living corpse. The Craven Slasher’s type changes from Humanoid to Undead.|
2|From Hell|The forces of the netherworld have watched the Craven Slasher from afar, and are pleased with his work. The demons, daemons, and devils of the Lower Planes send the giallo back to the Material Plane as one of their own to wreak havoc on mortals. The Craven Slasher’s type changes from Humanoid to Outsider. If this Horrible Feature is rolled a second time, then the giallo has become more than a tool for the Lower Planes; it is now their emissary on the mortal coil. The Slasher gains the Half-Fiend template if this Horrible Feature is rerolled.|
3|The Crawling Chaos|The giallo’s soul travelled far beyond the afterlife, unable to find entrance to even the Hells. In that dark void beyond the planes, the Slasher was changed into something alien. The Craven Slasher’s type changes from Humanoid to Aberration. If this Horrible Feature is rolled again, the creatures beyond the planes have taken a more active interest in the giallo, and send something else back with it. The Craven Slasher gains the Half-Far Spawn template (Lords of Madness) if this Horrible Feature is rerolled.|
4|Eyes Without A Face|The Craven Slasher bears a hideous mask to hide its true face. This macabre décor increases the Will save DC on the giallo’s Aura of Terror by +2. In addition, the Slasher is now effectively immune to Divination effects and spells used to determine its identity.|
5|Signature Weapon|The giallo’s tool has become as iconic as the killer itself. As a standard action, the Craven Slasher may summon one type of non-magical weapon of its choice. In addition, the Slasher gains Greater Weapon Focus with this weapon as a bonus feat.|
6|Carnival of Souls|The Slasher is no longer alone in his quest for death. Perhaps mad cultists that raised him from the dead, perhaps the Slasher’s own inbred and deranged family, or even imitation murderers and fanatics; whatever the case, the giallo is now legion. The Craven Slasher gains Leadership as a bonus feat.|
7|The Bad Seed|One should never mistake children for angels, especially those who have faced the Craven Slasher. The giallo is reborn as a humanoid child, usually from someone close to a previous victim or current target, similar to the reincarnate spell. However, the child is automatically Evil and has the special abilities of the giallo.|
8|Child’s Play|By dark magic, an accident of reincarnation, or a foul trap, the Craven Slasher’s soul is transplanted into a seemingly innocent object. From dolls to vehicles to pieces of furniture, the giallo can now hide in plain sight. The Craven Slasher’s stats are now essentially those of an animated object of appropriate size, with the Slasher’s memories and mental scores.|
9|I Know What You Did Last Summer|The giallo never forgets, and it never forgives. The Craven Slasher remembers all those who were present and responsible for its most recent death. It is able to detect these individuals as per the detect location spell at will.|
10|Ju-on|Killed in the midst of intense bloodlust, the Craven Slasher doesn’t entirely move on. Its paraphernalia, weapons, or even nearby objects become receptacles for the giallo’s murderous spirit. The Slasher’s soul is placed inside an object and is capable of possessing those that handle the object, as per the magic jar spell.|
11|All the Colors of the Dark|That which doesn’t kill you only makes you stranger. The giallo has learned from this lesson, and grown from it. Upon gaining this Horrible Feature, the Slasher gains immunity to an energy of the DM’s choosing, or Damage Resistance 10/-.|
12|A Dark and Stormy Night|The natural world bends to the Craven Slasher’s will. The giallo is able to manipulate the weather as he sees fit, producing storms, drought, or whatever else might aid it. Once per week, the Slasher may cast control weather as a druid of level equal to the giallo’s Hit Die.|
13|Cannibal Holocaust|The giallo has very particular tastes; living flesh, for instance. The Craven Slasher may consume the body and life-force of its victims. The giallo must first grapple and pin its target. It may then bite into the pinned target, dealing 1d4 damage. The damage done is transferred to the Slasher as hit points. If the giallo is already at full health, these become bonus hit points. A Slasher may have up to twice its normal amount of hit points. A giallo consuming dead or rotten meat only gains half as many hit points as it normally would.|
14|The Hour of the Wolf|The giallo is a creature of the night, and darkness emboldens the predator among its prey. During the night, or whenever not exposed to direct sunlight, the Craven Slasher gains a +2 bonus its attacks, damage from weapons, and physical ability scores, as well as increasing the DC for its Aura of Terror by +2. However, when exposed to direct sunlight, this bonus becomes a penalty of -2.|
15|Poltergeist|Something went wrong with the Slasher’s resurrection. It has returned to the mortal coil, but not alive. Its body gone or destroyed, only its angry spirit remains for now. The Slasher returns to life with the Ghost template.|
16|Portrait of a Serial Killer|It’s always the quiet ones that turn out to be the real monsters. The Slasher becomes capable of blending in with regular society, passing as a normal individual for as long as they need. The giallo gains an inherent +10 bonus to its Bluff and Disguise checks in regards to hiding its identity.|
17|Bogeyman|The Craven Slasher becomes why people fear the dark, why nightmares turn deadly, and why not even the planes are safe. As a full round action, the giallo may cast Shadow Walk as a cleric of level equal to the Slasher’s Hit Die at will. |
18|Splatterhouse|‘Slasher’ isn’t just a name. It’s an art, and the giallo is a master with his tool. When the Craven Slasher is done with its work, not even its victims’ mothers would recognize the mangled piles of gore as anything that may have ever been alive. If the giallo wields a slashing weapon, that weapon automatically gains the Vorpal quality. If using a blunt or piercing weapon, then that weapon is considered a +5 weapon. In addition, the Craven Slasher gains Cleave as a bonus feat.|
19|That Hideous Strength|Like an engine burning with the fires of Hell itself, the giallo becomes an unstoppable juggernaut of carnage. The Craven Slasher gains a +4 inherent bonus to its Strength score, and is considered to be of Large size whenever it would be beneficial.|
20|Urban Legend|The Craven Slasher has ascended to the ranks of legend, its hideous nature forever scarred into cultural memory. Perhaps a demon of the night, perhaps a hushed memory that everyone tries to forget, or perhaps even an antihero that slew the decadent and unrighteous; whatever the case, the giallo and its horrible features are firmly embedded into the hearts and minds of the people. When the Craven Slasher dies, whatever Horrible Feature it died with becomes permanent, and remains with the Slasher through all future incarnations.|
[/table]
Immunities (Ex): The Craven Slasher is not subject to critical hits or fear effects.
Last House on the Left (Su): There are few things that can stop a giallo, but they do exist. Much like the undead or fiends they have been known to mimic, Craven Slashers cannot enter holy ground. If an area is made holy, as by the consecration cleric spell, then the Craven Slasher must make a Will save to enter the area. The Slasher must continue to make Will saves for every round it spends on the holy ground, with a cumulative -1 penalty to its Will save for each round. If the Slasher fails the Will save while it is on the holy area, then it drops to the ground unconscious and paralyzed. It remains in this state indefinitely or until the area ceases to be holy.
Alternatively, the giallo's trigger from the Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key ability might be an area. Treat the trigger-area as for the rules for holy ground above, combined with normal penalties for a trigger.
Nowhere to Run (Su): There is nowhere the Slasher won’t go in pursuit of its prey. The giallo may move through difficult terrain without suffering damage or any other kind of impairment.
Sneak Attack (Ex): The Slasher’s attack deals extra damage anytime its target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the giallo flanks its opponent.
Sometimes They Come Back (Su): After being reduced to -10 hit points, the Craven Slasher stays dead for a period of 1d10 years. After that period of time, the Slasher returns from the dead with full hit points. The resurrected Slasher also returns with one Horrible Feature, determined randomly on the Horrible Features table. The Craven Slasher can return from the dead a number of times equal to its Hit Die. Not even powerful spells such as Wish or Miracle can prevent a giallo from returning from the dead.
A Craven Slasher can return much faster, however. While a Horrible Feature can take years to acquire, the giallo is ready to return to life within a matter of hours. A Slasher may rise from the dead as soon as 1d12 minutes after it is killed. If the giallo rises before a year has passed, then this resurrection still counts towards the total number of resurrections a Craven Slasher is capable and does not grant the Slasher a new Horrible Feature, however.
Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (Ex): Everyone has a weakness, even the coldest and most ruthless of killers. Be it a person, place, or thing, every giallo has a trigger that can disable their monstrous front,even if only for a moment. When first confronted by this trigger, the Craven Slasher is paralyzed for 1d4 rounds by a mix of shock, rage, sorrow, or even fear. After 1d4 rounds, the Slasher must make a DC 25 Will Save. If it succeeds on the Will save, then the giallo regains mobility but takes a -6 penalty to attacks, saves, and skill checks while the trigger is still within 60 feet of the Slasher. If it fails this Will save, then the Craven Slasher remains paralyzed until the trigger is out of the giallo's sight.
Lore
Knowledge: Local
{table=head]DC|Lore
15|There are some humanoids in this world that are evil simply because it is their nature. These wolves-in-sheep's-clothing kill without mercy, and for all intents and purposes resemble normal humanoids. These creatures are the giallo.
20|Giallo are gifted with incredible strength and fortitude. They are relentless hunters, and nearly impossible to kill. Even those that have been witnessed to die in the most devastating ways imaginable have returned time and time again. The Slasher's special qualities and attacks are revealed.
25|Death only seems to embolden Craven Slashers. As they return, they resurrect with incredible and terrible powers, making them unpredictable opponents. The giallo's Horrible Features and Sometimes They Come Back abilities are revealed.
30|The Craven Slasher was not always a monster. At some point in the past, they were normal humanoids. Something in them was twisted, though, and that corruption has burst to the surface.
35|The Slasher's personal history is revealed.[/table]
Plot Hooks
+ The Classic: A Craven Slasher starts murdering the rambunctious and hormonal youth of a quiet town.
+ The Thriller: A string of mysterious murders plague a major city. The killer leaves behind enigmatic clues but no witnesses... or at least no survivors.
+ One Bad Day: You just happened to be there at the same time as a giallo.
+ Monster Mash: Two (or more!) Slashers arrive in the same town at the same time.
Re: GitP Monster Competition LXIII: Rebirth
The competition is closed for the month. Because of my limited involvement this week, a one day adjustment period applies to entries.
As normal, voting closes on the 7th.
