New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 60

Thread: Footsteps #1

  1. - Top - End - #1
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Footsteps #1

    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:08 PM.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Table of Contents

    Staff

    Editor-in-Chief: John "Jack Mann" Beattie
    Assistant Editor: James "Fax Celestis" Raine
    Monstrous Editor: Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader
    Cover Artist: William "Krimm Blackleaf" Limebrook


    Table of Contents
    Soapbox, by John "Jack Mann" Beattie
    Loup du Noir, by James "Fax Celestis" Raine
    Maneuvers of Madness, by John "Jack Mann" Beattie and The Logic Ninja
    Bestiary, by John "Jack Mann" Beattie

    Aberration Technology, by Callos de Terran
    All Good Things Come to an End..., by Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader
    The Last Adventure, by John "Jack Mann" Beattie
    Submission Guidelines, by James "Fax Celestis" Raine
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 09:59 PM.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Soapbox

    Welcome to the first issue of Footsteps, the unofficial 'zine for the Giant in the Playground message boards.

    Our purpose is to provide you with the best gaming content this board has to offer. In Footsteps you will find monsters, feats, prestige classes, articles, and stories. In the future, we hope to incorporate content for games besides Dungeons and Dragons.

    You may ask how we differ from the regular posting in the Gaming, Homebrew and Artwork forums. There is one advantage to our pages. Editorial oversight. There are some wonderful creations on these boards, but it can be difficult to find them among the sea of posts. We choose only the best content we receive, and then work to make it even better. When you read Footsteps, you will know even before clicking the link that it's been judged for balance, utility, and originality.

    We also hope to bring different creators together to work on projects, putting together different talents to make a greater whole, for projects that might not exist otherwise.

    And we promise to make sure that the features in every issue are primarily done by posters here on the boards. While we may occasionally have guest contributers, most of our content will come from you, our readers and friends.

    We hope that you will find this feature useful, and that many of you will make your own contributions. Remember, this is your 'zine.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:08 PM.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    Loup du Noir
    by James "Fax Celestis" Raine

    The Loup du Noir is nature's wrath personified. By donning the skins of animals, he can acquire their traits and eventually transform into them.

    They take their name from an old legend about werewolves, and indeed many of the Loup du Noir prefer the skins of wolves to other animals for their uses.

    Abilities: Strength, Charisma, and Wisdom are key scores for you, though Constitution and Dexterity will prove useful for your close-quarters combat style.

    Races: Loup du Noir come from all races, though there are more elves than others.

    Alignment: Loup du Noir can be of any alignment.

    HD: d8

    Requirements
    BAB: +5

    Abilities: One Favored Enemy

    Feats: Animal Affinity, Psionic Body, Mind Over Body

    Skills: Handle Animal 8 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 8 ranks, Knowledge (Psionics) 5 ranks

    Powers: Must be able to manifest bite of the wolf and claws of the beast

    Manifester Level: Manifester Level 3

    Special: Must possess at least one animal pelt

    Loup du Noir Progression
    {table=head] Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Manifesting
    1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Dedication, Combat Style (Natural Weapons), Ranger Abilties | -
    2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Scent | +1 level of existing manifesting class
    3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Acquisition | -
    4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Improved Combat Style (Natural Weapons) | +1 level of existing manifesting class
    5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Evasion, Camouflage | -
    6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Adaptation | +1 level of existing manifesting class
    7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Combat Style Mastery (Natural Weapons) | -
    8th | +6 | +2 | +6 | +6 | Hide in Plain Sight, Transformation | +1 level of existing manifesting class
    9th | +6 | +3 | +6 | +6 | Improved Evasion | -
    10th | +7 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Evolution | +1 level of existing manifesting class[/table]

    Class Features
    Class Skills (6 + Int): Autohypnosis, Climb, Craft, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Survival

    Proficiencies: A loup du noir gains no proficiencies.

    Manifesting: At every level indicated, a loup du noir gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if he had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that he adds the level of loup du noir to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.

    If a character had more than one manifesting class before he became a loup du noir, he must decide to which class he adds the new level of loup du noir for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

    Dedication (Su): At first level, a loup du noir chooses an animal pelt for which he has an affinity and dedicates it for his transmutative uses. The pelt must be of an Animal of no more than two sizes smaller or one size larger (so that a Medium loup du noir could use as small as a Tiny pelt or as large as a Large one), and cannot be of a creature of HD exceeding the combined total of the loup du noir's level plus his Charisma modifier. This pelt cannot be later altered (but see the Acquisition ability below). A pelt does not take up an item slot, but is drawn around the body like a cloak (if large enough) or around the forearm like a bracer (for smaller pelts).

    A number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier plus his class level, a loup du noir can don this pelt and transform into the animal for a number of minutes equal to his Charisma modifier. The pelt merges with the skin of the loup du noir, subsuming all equipment into itself if there is any in the way.

    While transformed, the loup du noir gains any (Ex) abilities that the animal may have. He also gains all racial skill bonuses, feats, natural armor bonus, ability adjustments, natural attacks, and speeds of the chosen animal. You can find a creature's racial ability adjustment by subtracting ten from its ability score. He retains his own ability scores and type, but changes size and appearance into an average creature of the correct type. He also loses any racial bonuses granted to him by his natural form.

    This ability can only be used with pelts that belong to creatures of the Animal type. Activating and deactivating this ability is a standard action. A loup du noir cannot speak other than the sounds a normal animal of that type can make while in a Dedicated form, nor can he wear armor or use weaponry. Any equipment he carries melds into the new form and becomes ineffectual. Rings and amulets remain effective while the loup du noir is in a Dedicated form.

    When a loup du noir receives extra pelts (through the Extra Pelts feat or the Acquisition class feature), this ability can be activated with any pelt. The loup du noir does not receive activations per pelt; rather, he receives a total number of activations equal to his Wisdom modifier plus his class level, divided as he chooses between his pelts.

    Combat Style (Ex): A loup du noir is so used to using natural weapons that he gains further ability with them. At 1st level, a loup du noir gains the Multiattack feat even if he doesn't qualify for it.

    This ability improves at 4th level, granting a loup du noir a single extra attack with all primary natural attacks when making a full-attack, albeit at a -2 penalty. This feature does not stack with other effects that grant extra attacks, such as haste.

    Finally, this ability reaches its apex at 7th level, granting a loup du noir iterative attacks as if he were not using natural weaponry with his primary natural attacks and a single extra attack with all secondary natural attacks when making a full-attack, albeit at a -2 penalty. This feature does not stack with other effects that grant extra attacks, such as [i]haste''.

    Ranger Abilties: Levels of loup du noir stack with levels of ranger for the purposes of determining the effects of wild empathy and the strength of his animal companion (if he has one).

    Scent (Ex): At 2nd level, a loup du noir's nose becomes a powerful sensory instrument. He gains the Scent ability. If he changes into a shape that has Scent or has Scent already, this instead improves the range of that Scent by 15'.

    Acquisition (Su): Starting at 3rd level, a loup du noir can acquire new pelts for use with his Dedication ability. He may not have more pelts Dedicated at one time than his total Wisdom modifier plus one-half his class level. Dedicating a new pelt takes four hours of solitary meditation. A loup du noir cannot Dedicate the pelt of an animal he has not assisted in slaying. Acquired pelts must follow all rules set down under the Dedication ability.

    Evasion (Ex): At 5th level, a loup du noir can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the loup du noir is currently in a Dedicated shape. A helpless loup du noir does not gain the benefit of evasion.

    Camouflage (Ex): At 5th level, a loup du noir can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.

    Adaptation (Su): At 6th level, a loup du noir can speak any language he knows while in a Dedicated form. Furthermore, any magical properties of the following types of equipment are effective while the loup du noir is in a Dedicated shape: rings, amulet, helm, boots, and goggles.

    Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): While in any sort of natural terrain, a loup du noir of 8th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

    Transformation (Su): At 8th level, a loup du noir's magical equipment remains partially effective while he is in a Dedicated shape. Any magical properties of the following types of equipment are effective while the loup du noir is in a Dedicated shape: amulet, ring, helm, boots, cloak, goggles, armor, and belt.

    Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the loup du noir still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless loup du noir does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

    Evolution (Su): At 10th level, a loup du noir can use his Dedication and Acquisition abilities with creatures of the Magical Beast type, though these count as two pelts when determining the total number of pelts held by the loup du noir.

    Loup du Noir Lore
    Knowledge (Nature) DC 10: Loup du Noir take the forms of animals to augment their psionic powers.

    Knowledge (Nature) DC 16: Loup du Noir are capable of great feats of combat both in and out of natural forms. They are also psionically capable and are frequently found in the wilds as guardians of nature.

    Knowledge (Nature) DC 22: Loup du Noir typically take the forms of animals that are native to their environments in an effort to blend in. Some stronger Loup du Noir are capable of taking the forms of beasts that are not animals. Rumors exist of Loup du Noir who take the form of dragons.

    Sample NPC
    Simon Albright
    Ranger 3/Psychic Warrior 3/Loup du Noir 2
    Medium Humanoid (Human, Psionic)
    HP 44 (8 HD)
    Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Init: -1
    AC 14; touch 9; flat-footed 14
    BAB +7; Grp +9
    Attack melee +10 flaming longsword +1 (1d8+3 plus 1d6 fire, 19-20/x2) or by alternate form (see text)
    Full-Attack melee +10/+5 flaming longsword +1 (1d8+3 plus 1d6 fire, 19-20/x2) or by alternate form (see text)
    Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
    Special Attacks Favored Enemy (Dwarves)
    Special Qualities Wild Empathy (+6), Dedication (1 pelt), Scent
    Saves Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +4
    Abilities Str 14, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16
    Feats Animal Affinity, Power Attack, Psionic Body, Combat ExpertiseB, Improved TripB, Mind Over BodyB, TrackB, EnduranceB, Rapid ShotB, MultiattackB
    Powers bite of the wolf, claws of the beast, catfall, offensive prescognition -- ML 4
    Power Points 9
    Equipment Chain shirt +1, flaming longsword +1, black bear pelt
    Challenge Rating 8

    Alternate form: As Black Bear (see MM), except replace feats with Simon's feats.

    Loup du Noir Feats

    Aberrant Dedication [Dedicated]
    Requirements: Transformation class feature, Wisdom 15+

    Benefit: One of your pelts can be that of a creature of the Aberration type. The maximum HD of this pelt cannot exceed one-half your class level + Charisma modifier - 4, and the Strong Bond feat (if you have it) does not apply here.

    Barkskin Pelt [Dedicated]
    Requirements: Transformation class feature, Wisdom 15+

    Benefit: One of your pelts can be that of a creature of the Plant type. The maximum HD of this pelt cannot exceed one-half your class level + Charisma modifier - 2, and the Strong Bond feat (if you have it) does not apply here.

    Dragonskin Pelt [Dedicated]
    Requirements: Transformation class feature, Wisdom 15+

    Benefit: One of your pelts can be that of a creature of the Dragon type. The maximum HD of this pelt cannot exceed one-half your class level + Charisma modifier - 4, and the Strong Bond feat (if you have it) does not apply here.

    Extra Dedicated Time [Dedicated]
    Requirements: Acquisition class feature, Charisma 13+

    Benefit: Whenever you enter a Dedicated shape, the duration of your transformation lasts an extra two minutes.

    Extra Pelts [Dedicated]
    Requirements: Acquisition class feature, Wisdom 15+

    Benefit: You are allowed an extra two Dedicated pelts.

    Monstrous Dedication [Dedicated]
    Requirements: Transformation class feature, Wisdom 15+

    Benefit: One of your pelts can be that of a creature of the Monstrous Humanoid type. The maximum HD of this pelt cannot exceed one-half your class level + Charisma modifier - 2, and the Strong Bond feat (if you have it) does not apply here.

    Strong Bond [Dedicated]
    Requirements: Acquisition class feature, Charisma 15+

    Benefit: You are allowed to have pelts of creatures of HD up to your class level + Cha modifier + 2.

    Normal: You are allowed to have pelts of creatures of HD up to your class level + Cha modifier.

    Verminskin Pelt [Dedicated]
    Requirements: Transformation class feature, Wisdom 15+

    Benefit: One of your pelts can be that of a creature of the Vermin type. The maximum HD of this pelt cannot exceed one-half your class level + Charisma modifier - 2, and the Strong Bond feat (if you have it) does not apply here.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 03:41 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Maneuvers of Madness

    Maneuvers of Madness
    by John "Jack Mann" Beattie and The Logic Ninja

    The universe is a stranger, crueler place than anyone imagines. Beings beyond mortal comprehension wait in the fringes, remember a time when the universe was theirs, and waiting for a time when it will be again.

    Though they have been banished from the material plane since time immemorial, their influence can still be felt. Scholars and mystics have studied these intrusions for millennia, and some few foolish individuals have attempted to tap into it for power for their own needs.

    Years ago, the monk Fayid Sulhardin visited the Far Realm to find a way to fight the forces that originated there.

    No one knows what he found, but it drove him quite mad. He muttered and gibbered about plants that grew clawed fingers, children made of knives, and eyes as large as continents that watched him in his sleep. But mad as he was, he was still able to use what he’d learned to create a new discipline integrating the horrible mysteries with weaponsplay.

    The Far Realm Discipline is a fighting style that creates weakness, bends rules, and creates havoc on the battlefield. It twists time and space to give its practitioners another advantage on the battlefield, at the cost of their own sanity.

    Knowledge (the planes) is the key skill for the Far Realm discipline. The associated weapons for the Far Realm are armor spikes, blade boot, dire flail, flail, heavy flail, spiked chain, spiked gauntlet, spiked shield, and tentacle.



    Maneuver and Stance List

    1st Level
    Distracting Harmonies: Stance—Enemies take a -4 penalty on skill and ability checks.
    Sluggish Action: Strike—Attack gives -2 penalty to reflex saves.
    Unnatural Presence: Stance—Give allies +2 to AC, -1 to will saves.
    Vicious Energy: Boost—Attacks deal an extra 2d6 to enemies, 1d6 to you.

    2nd Level
    Delaying Strike: Strike—Enemy’s initiative count goes down.
    Reminder of Frailty: Strike—Attack gives -2 penalty to fortitude saves.
    Unnatural Strike: Strike—Enemies become sickened.

    3rd Level
    Eroded Will: Strike—Attack gives -2 penalty to will saves.
    Far Reach: Counter—Take an attack of opportunity up to thirty feet away.
    Negative Inertia: Stance—Turn during a charge.
    Sap Life: Strike—Enemy takes -10 penalty to hit points, while you gain 5 temporary hit points.

    4th Level
    Lost Hope: Boost—Enemies within 30 ft. take a -2 penalty to AC.
    Strike of Gravity: Strike—Enemy becomes encumbered.
    Tabula Rasa: Strike—Enemy loses the use of one feat.

    5th Level
    Alien Mind: Counter—Throw off mental control and damage enemy’s mind.
    Mad Prophet’s Vision: Strike—Enemy must save or see the Far Realm.
    Mutation: Boost—Gain +8 to strength and dexterity in exchange for -4 to wisdom.

    6th Level
    Alien Geometry: Stance—Move through obstacles or in the air.
    Drain Life: Strike—Enemy takes -20 penalty to hit points, while you gain 10 temporary hit points.
    Stunning Revelation: Counter—Stun enemy for one round.

    7th Level
    Incomprehensible Force: Strike—Deal 1d8 wisdom damage and possibly render enemy mute.
    Pain of Failure: Strike—Enemy takes damage for failed rolls.

    8th Level
    Memento Mori: Strike—Enemy takes -30 penalty to hit points, while you gain 15 temporary hit points.
    Unnatural Weaponry: Stance—Gain two tentacle attacks.

    9th Level
    Metacosmic Exile: Strike—Enemy must save or be sent to the Far Realm.


    Distracting Harmonies
    Far Realm (Stance) [Mind-Affecting]
    Level: Far Realm 1
    Initiation Action:: 1 swift action
    Range: 30 ft
    Area: 30 ft radius centered on you
    Duration: Stance

    You hum loudly, an unsettling tune that makes it difficult for your foes to concentrate.

    Your opponents take a -4 penalty to all skill and ability checks while in range.

    This stance is a supernatural ability.


    Sluggish Action
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 1
    Initiation Action:: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: One minute

    The air seems to ripple unnaturally in your weapon’s wake. As you strike your enemy, they seem to move almost unnoticeably slower.

    You must make a melee attack as part of this maneuver. If it hits, you create ripples in time around your enemy, slowing their timing. They take a -2 entropic penalty to reflex saving throws for one minute.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Unnatural Presence
    Far Realm (Stance)
    Level: Far Realm 1
    Initiation Action:: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance

    There is something subtly wrong with the way you move, the way you talk, the way your footsteps seem to come a half-second before or after your feet touch the ground. This strange aura helps steel your allies against attack, but leaches their will over time.

    While you are in this stance, all allies adjacent to you get a +2 morale bonus to their armor class, but suffer a -1 penalty to will saving throws.

    This stance is a supernatural ability.


    Vicious Energy
    Far Realm (Boost)
    Level: Far Realm 1
    Initiation Action:: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn

    A hissing, sparkling energy colors your flail, dancing out from the tip, and back to your hand. Your face is a rictus of pain and triumph as it arcs out at your enemies.

    You channel energy from the Far Realm into your weapon. With every strike, it damages your opponent, but also recoils back at you. Until the end of your turn, your weapon gains the vicious quality. If it already has the vicious quality, it deals 4d6 dammage

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Delaying Strike
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 2
    Prerequisite:: One Far Realm maneuver
    Initiation Action:: 1 full round action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature

    You smile unnervingly as you attack your enemy. They fall back half a step and hesitate a second, before finally making their move.

    You are adept at making enemies hesitate in combat. As part of this maneuver, you must make a melee attack. If your attack hits, the target’s initiative is decreased by 5.


    Reminder of Frailty
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 2
    Initiation Action:: Standard
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: 1 minute

    As your attack hits your enemy, your weapon takes on a dark gleam, which spreads to their body on contact. They remain standing, but seem… weaker, somehow.

    You make a melee attack as part of this maneuver. If it hits, their bodies become slightly more frail from the terrible energies you channel. They take a -2 entropic penalty to fortitude saving throws for one minute.

    This maneuver is a supernatural bility.


    Unnatural Strike
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 2
    Prerequisite:: One Far Realm maneuver
    Initiation Action:: Standard
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: 1 minute
    Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

    Your weapon hardly marks your enemy, scraping against his skin rather than cutting through. But he falls back, a sheen of sweat on his face, suddenly more tired than he seemed a moment ago.

    You must make a melee attack as part of this maneuver. In lieu of damage, you force the target to make a fortitude save (DC 12 + your Cha modifier) or become sickened for one minute.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Eroded Will
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 3
    Prerequisite:: One Far Realm maneuver
    Initiation Action:: Standard
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One Creature
    Duration: 1 minute

    The light plays strangely on the spikes of your gauntlet as you punch. The light vanishes as you hit, leaving your enemy looking confused.

    The strange energy that surrounds you can make your enemies more susceptible. You make a melee attack as part of this maneuver. If it hits, they take a -2 entropic penalty to will saving throws for one minute.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Far Reach
    Far Realm (Counter) [Teleport]
    Level: Far Realm 3
    Prerequisite:: One Far Realm maneuver
    Range: 30 ft
    Target: One Creature

    Out of the corner of your eye, you see an enemy attempting to move past you, outside of your reach. With a flash, you swing your heavy flail into the air in front of you. The heads vanish, only to reappear in your enemy’s face.

    As an immediate action, you make an attack of opportunity to one opponent who has moved out of a square within thirty feet of you.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Negative Inertia
    Far Realm (Stance)
    Level: Far Realm 3
    Prerequisite:: One Far Realm maneuver
    Initiation Action:: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance

    With pantherish grace, you rush forward, your weapon held high overhead. Mid-step, you turn to the right without slowing or even leaning, as though the world had turned around you.

    While in this stance, you are able to stop or speed up instantly. You can turn in any direction while charging, and you do not incur the usual -2 penalty to AC for charging.

    This stance is a supernatural ability.


    Sap Life
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 3
    Prerequisite:: 1 Far Realm maneuver
    Initiation Action:: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee Attack
    Target: One Creature
    Duration: One Hour

    As your weapon strikes home, a gleam of light travels up your weapon to your arm. A strange shadow seems to linger on the wound.

    When you use this strike, you toughen your body at your opponent’s expense. As part of this maneuver, you must make a successful melee attack. The target takes a -10 penalty to hit points, which lasts for one hour. You gain 5 temporary hit points that disappear after one hour.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Lost Hope
    Far Realm (Boost) [Mind Effecting] [Fear]
    Level: Far Realm 4
    Prerequisite:: Two Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: Opponents within thirty feet
    Duration: One Round
    Saving Throw: None

    You throw back your head and laugh. Though the room is small, your voice echoes back as though from a great distance.

    You are adept at creating doubt and terror in your enemies. When you initiate this maneuver, enemies within thirty feet of you feel despair, giving them a -2 morale penalty to armor class.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Strike of Gravity
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 4
    Prerequisite:: Two Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: One minute
    Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

    As you strike your enemy, he staggers, as though a sudden weight had been placed on his shoulders. His weapon dips down slightly, and he struggles to keep it at ready.

    As a standard action, you can make a single melee attack. If it hits, it deals an extra 3d6 points of damage and the target must also make a fortitude save (DC 14+your Cha modifier) or they are put into the next level of encumbrance.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Tabula Rasa
    Far Realm (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
    Level: Far Realm 4
    Prerequisite:: 2 Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: Standard
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: One minute
    Saving Throw: Will negates

    Your shield makes a buzzing sound just before its spikes strike home against your enemy’s head. As he recovers, he looks slightly distracted, as though he has forgotten something important and cannot quite remember it.

    With this strike, you can attack your opponent’s memory as well as his body. As part of this maneuver, you make a melee attack against one creature. It must make a will saving throw (DC 14+your charisma modifier) or lose the use of their most recently gained feat. If they gained more than one feat at that time, then they may choose which feat they lose. This lasts for one minute.

    This does not remove access to class levels or other feats that use the lost feat as a Prerequisite:.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Alien Mind
    Far Realm (Counter)
    Level: Far Realm 5
    Prerequisite:: Two Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 immediate action
    Range: See text
    Target: See text
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Saving Throw: See text

    You scream against this new intrusion into your mind. Your tortured psyche lashes out, using the horrors that have marked you as a weapon against your attacker.

    As an immediate action, you can throw off any attempt at mental control. In doing so, you show the controlling creature a glimpse of the tangled pathways of your mind. It must make a will saving throw (DC 15+your Cha modifier) or take 1d6 points of wisdom damage.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Mad Prophet’s Vision
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 5
    Prerequisite:: Two Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: One minute
    Saving Throw: Will Negates

    Your weapon seems to twist around as it strikes your enemy. His eyes vanish, and he stumbles back, away from horrors only he can see.

    By warping the fabric of reality around your opponent, granting him a glimpse into another, more distant world. After you strike your enemy with a melee attack, he must make a will saving throw (DC 15+your Cha modifier) or he is unable to see the prime material for one minute. Instead, he sees into the Far Realm. This causes 4 points of wisdom damage. While this lasts, he is effectively blinded.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Mutation
    Far Realm (Boost)
    Level Far Realm 5
    Prerequisite:: Two Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: Self
    Duration: One round

    You clench your fist in pain, as your muscles swell and twist unnaturally. A part of your mind protests this unnatural transformation, but then is silenced.

    Your exposure to the Far Realm allows you to undergo a brief, but startling transformation. You take a -4 penalty to your wisdom score, but gain a +8 bonus to strength and dexterity for one round.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Alien Geometry
    Far Realm (Stance)
    Level: Far Realm 6
    Prerequisite:: Two Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance

    You walk across the open chasm as easily as if there were a bridge. Strangely, you cast a shadow on the air, as though on solid ground.

    While in this stance, you are able to bend space, moving between dimensions. You can move through objects as though they were not there, as well as walk on air as though you were under the effects of the air walk spell. You can still be attacked. You must end your movement in an unoccupied square you had line of sight to when you began your movement. At the end of your turn, you are no longer between dimensions, and are treated by gravity accordingly.

    This stance is a supernatural ability.


    Drain Life
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 6
    Prerequisite:: Two Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: 1 hour
    Saving Throw: None

    Your spiked chain bites deeply into your enemy as it wraps around his arm. As you draw it back, light pulses into you, while shadows play over your foe.

    Your attack leaves your opponent drained. Make a melee attack. In addition to your normal damage, you give your opponent a -20 penalty to hit points that lasts for one hour. You gain 10 temporary hit points which disappear after one hour.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Stunning Revelation
    Far Realm (Counter) [Mind-Affecting]
    Level: Far Realm 6
    Prerequisite:: Two Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 immediate action
    Range: Same plane
    Target: One creature
    Duration: 1 round
    Saving Throw: Will negates

    As the wizard finishes her spell, you are able to use her focus on you to reach her mind, showing her a brief glimpse into the true nature of reality.

    When you are the target of an attack or a spell, you can open your mind, sharing the terrible secrets you have been privy to. The attacker must make a will saving throw (DC 16+your Cha modifier) or be stunned for one round.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Incomprehensible Force
    Far Realm (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
    Level: Far Realm 7
    Prerequisite:: Three Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: Standard
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Saving Throw: Will partial; see text

    You summon strange, crackling energies that surround your weapon. Reality seems to tear around your edges, and terrible things can be seen beyond. As you strike, your enemy is given a clear look.

    You summon energies beyond mortal ken around your weapon before attacking. With a successful melee attack, you force your enemy to make a will saving throw (DC 17+your Cha modifier). If they fail, you deal 1d8 wisdom damage and they cannot speak for one minute as their mind tries to comprehend the horror it has seen. Success negates their inability to speak and halves the wisdom damage.


    Pain of Failure
    Far Realm (Strike) [Fear]
    Level: Far Realm 7
    Prerequisite:: Three Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: Standard
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: One minute
    Saving Throw: None

    You strike your opponent solidly, and a dark energy surrounds him. For a moment, it seems harmless, but as he misses, it constricts, causing him obvious pain.

    Your touch creates a painful doubt, which consumes your victim’s energy with every set-back. As part of this maneuver, make a successful melee attack. For the next minute, every failed roll your opponent makes (attack roll, saving throw, skill check, ability check) results in 2d6 damage. Any failure also renders them shaken.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Memento Mori
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 8
    Prerequisite:: Three Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Duration: 1 hour
    Saving Throw: None

    As your weapon hits, a darkness covers your enemy, as though he were standing in deep shadow. Light flows up your weapon to your arm, giving you new confidence.

    With a single blow, you give your opponent a painful reminder of his death. As part of this maneuver, you make a melee attack. If it hits, your enemy takes a -30 penalty to hit points. You gain 15 temporary hit points that disappear after one hour.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Unnatural Weaponry
    Far Realm (Stance)
    Level: Far Realm 8
    Prerequisite:: Three Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance

    Your long exposure to the Far Realm shows more plainly as two tentacles sprout from your shoulders, just above your arms. As you swing your weapon, they follow, adding their own strength to the fight.

    While using this stance, you grow two tentacles. Anytime you make a melee attack (including a standard attack, full attack, or even a strike), you can make two additional attacks at your highest attack action. These attacks deal bludgeoning damage based on the following table, plus ˝ your strength bonus. All attacks you make this round take a -2 penalty.


    {table=head]Size|Damage

    Fine|1d2
    Diminutive|1d3
    Tiny|1d4
    Small|1d6
    Medium|1d8
    Large|2d6
    Huge|3d6
    Gargantuan|4d6
    Colossal|6d6[/table]

    This stance is a supernatural ability.


    Metacosmic Exile
    Far Realm (Strike)
    Level: Far Realm 9
    Prerequisite:: Four Far Realm maneuvers
    Initiation Action:: Standard
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One Creature
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Saving Throw: Will Negates

    As you swing your weapon, the very air screams as you cut at reality itself. A great rent in space appears around your enemy, and beyond, the terrible landscape of the Far Realm can be seen. Your enemy screams once as he is drawn within, and then the hole in space closes.

    As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it lands, in addition to taking regular damage, the target must make a will saving throw (DC 19+your Cha modifier). If it fails, they are instantly sent to a random point in the Far Realm, as though transported via Plane Shift.

    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


    Far Realm Feats

    Terrible Secrets [General]
    Prerequisite:: First level. Must be a martial adept..
    Through careful study and training, you have gained insight into the true inner workings of the universe. It has come at the cross of other disciplines and your sanity, but it has given you terrible power.

    Benefit: You can give up normal access to one martial discipline your class grants (if you belong to two martial adept classes, choose one for this purpose). You can instead choose Far Realm maneuvers. Knowledge (the planes) is a class skill for your first martial adept class, instead of the key skill for the discipline you've given up. You cannot be confused, and are immune to effects that function by causing confusion, insanity, or madness. You have already stared into the cold, uncaring heart of the universe and it has left its mark on you.

    Normal: Martial adept classes grant martial maneuvers from disciplines outlined in their entries.


    Passionate Intensity [Tactical]

    Those who study the Far Plane find that their minds and souls swell with something that is as far beyond madness as madness is beyond reason. It guides them when they are lost and drives them on when all else has failed.

    Prerequisite: Terrible Secrets, base attack bonus +6, two Far Realm manevuers.
    Benefit: The Passionate Intensity feat enables the use of three tactical options.
    Things Fall Apart: To use this option, you must affect an opponent with a Far Realm maneuver that causes a saving throw, attribute, or ability check penalty while the opponent is already under the effect of such a maneuver. The penalty from each such strike, including the one that triggers the use of this tactical option, increases by 1.
    Widening Gyre: To use this option, you must make a successful attack against an opponent outside of your threatened area. Your next melee attack may be made against this opponent, regardless of range.
    Blood-Dimmed Tide: To use this option, you must reduce a foe below 0 hit points with a Far Realm strike. As a swift action before the end of your next turn, you may recover that maneuver. If you are a Crusader, this maneuver is immediately granted to you.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-28 at 12:38 AM.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Bestiary

    I have traveled this world (and many others) for decades. During it, I have met the demons, the gith, the mind flayers... All of the monsters you are familiar with. I have eaten with dragons and fought with minotaurs. I and my companions once fought the Tarrasque to a stand-still (though we were unable to kill the beast).

    But there are other monsters out there, ones the likes of which you have never heard of. I have decided to publish my notes on certain other creatures. I hope this collection will prove useful to other scholars and adventurers whose work takes them to places off of the map.

    --Dervis Calvi, Scholar.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:00 PM.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Calaca

    Calaca
    By Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader


    Calaca
    Large Outsider (extraplanar, good)
    Hit Dice: 13d8+13 (71 hp)
    Initiative: +8
    Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
    Armor Class: 25 (+4 dex, +12 natural, -1 size), touch 13, flat-footed 21
    Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+20
    Attack: Slam +15 melee (1d6+3)
    Full Attack: 2 slams +15 melee (1d6+3)
    Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
    Special Attacks: Grim fandango, high spirits, spell-like abilities, turn undead
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., death ward, immunity to cold, no constitution, outsider traits, tongues
    Saves: Fort +8, Ref +12, Will +14
    Abilities: Str 16, Dex 19, Con -, Int 13, Wis 23, Cha 19
    Skills: Diplomacy +20, Gather Information +20, Heal +22, Knowledge (religion) +17, Knowledge (the planes) +17, Listen +22, Perform (dance) +20, Perform (oratory) +20, Sense Motive +22
    Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative(B), Improved Toughness, Run, Sidestep Charge, Stunning Fist
    Environment: Any good-aligned plane
    Organization: Solitary
    Challenge Rating: 10
    Treasure: No coins; double goods; standard items
    Alignment: Always neutral good
    Advancement: 14-29 HD (Large)
    Level Adjustment: +9

    A giant skeleton dances in the village square. Its garish clothing, lively eyes, and golden inlays give it a strangely festive air. The villagers, rather than panicking, shout happily and begin to dance around the skeleton.

    Strategies and Tactics
    A calaca is rarely a willing combatant, but if pressed will usually summon several spirits of the dead to aid it before using its spell-like abilities to deter would-be opponents. If this is not sufficient it begins a dance to bring forth its allies, converting them into a fighting force of chilling appearance.

    Death Ward (Sp): A calaca is continuously affected as by the Death Ward spell (caster level equal to calaca's Hit Dice), which extends out 10 feet from it.

    Grim Fandango (Su): Once per day, if threatened, a calaca can begin an eerie dance that is both beautiful and horribly unnerving. All allies of the calaca must be able to see the calaca dance. They are enticed to join in, though there is no true enchantment. Those that do find themselves filled with a fierce joy. With their last breath their skin and organs slough away and crumble into dust.

    They gain immunity to mind-affecting spells and abilities, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, extra damage from critical hits, non-lethal damage, death from massive damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, damage to physical ability scores, and any effect requiring a Fortitude save unless it is harmless or affects objects.
    They do not need to breathe, eat or sleep.
    The opposite of undead, they are damage by inflict spells, and healed by cure spells, and can be affected by energy drain.
    They are not subject to critical hits, non-lethal damage, or ability drain.

    Those affected do not actually gain any new type from this ability, which lasts for as long as the ally sees the calaca dance and for 5 rounds thereafter. At any time and of those affected may choose to no longer join in. Once the effect ends or one leaves the dance their flesh regrows .

    High Spirits (Su): A calaca can summon a number of sacred watchers* per day whose CR added together is equal to twice the calaca's CR. An individually summoned creature cannot have a higher CR than the calaca. The remnants of the being to summon must be able to be sensed with Deathwatch. The calaca has no specific control over the spirits, but does gain a +10 bonus to charisma-based checks when dealing with those summoned. These spirits may return to the afterlife at any time, and may only remain summoned for 24 hours.

    *See the Book of Exalted Deeds

    No Constitution: A calaca is immune to poison, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage to its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage.

    Spell-like Abilities: Caster level 13th. Save DC's are Charisma-based.
    At Will - Deathwatch, Good Hope, Speak With Dead (DC 17), Spectral Hand
    3/day - Irresistable Dance (DC 22), Life Story, Plane Shift, *Vision of Heaven (DC 15)
    1/month - True Resurrection

    * Found in the Book of Exalted Deeds, p. 111.

    Tongues (Sp): A calaca can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to calaca's Hit Dice). This ability is always active.

    Turn Undead (Su): A calaca can turn undead as a Cleric equal to its HD. Calacas gain a +4 bonus to their turning checks.

    Calaca Lore
    Characters with ranks in Knowledge (the planes/religion) can learn more about calacas. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
    {table=head]DC|Information revealed

    DC 15|This immense skeletal creature is not dead at all, but a semi-living creature that shares many traits with the unliving. This result reveals all outsider traits, their lack of constitution, and immunty to cold.
    DC 20|This creature is a Calaca, a being of the heavens that represent the positive aspects of death, such as eternal reward and the end of pain and suffering. However, it is said that the calaca can guard against death. This reveals the good subtype and the deathward ability.
    DC 25|A calaca has control over spirits and may call forth souls from heaven to help it defend their loved ones. They can sense the dying and the remains of the dead, and can speak with them whenever they wish.
    DC 30|A calaca is said to be able to perform a dance that temporarily brings a waking death to goodly folk, freeing them of their fears and flesh to come closer to the spirit. This allows them to help fight for the calaca, though this condition is easily reversed.[/table]

    Ecology
    Despite their macabre appearance, Calacas are goodly creatures. They are as they seem, beings of death, but of it's joyful side. For the calaca do not consider death to be the worst thing that can happen to one if they led decent lives. It is merely the way through which a being comes home to their reward. As such the calaca spread comfort to the grieving, telling them of the heavens and the happiness of the loved one who has ascended. It often aids with the preparation of the dead and speaks at funerals, telling of their life and their accomplishments and what made them good and worthy beings in life.
    Environment: Calacas are to be found on any good-aligned plane, though most often upon the Blessed Fields of Elysium. They are often found outside the plane however. Locales where sorrow is especially rampant, where plague or disaster have struck and mourning is deep. Other times it appears at anniversaries of dire occurances, sparking festivities to honor the deceased and express joy at them finding peace. In this way the calaca turns others away from despair and converts it to happiness.
    Typical Physical Characteristics: A calaca usually resembles an extremely tall humanoid skeleton dressed in extravagant, festive clothing of many bright colors. It wears a necklace of braided marigold leaves and blossoms that almost glow with life. Golden etchings have been set into its bones with such artistic skill that they at first appear as mere decoration, but if one peers close they see that they form entire passages in celestial in minute detail. Despite seeming as a skeleton, a large pair of very lively eyes peer out from the wide sockets of its skull. A calaca's exact shape alters depending on who it goes to visit, appearing as a large skeletal shape of whatever race it visits (though its stats do not change).
    Alignment: Calacas are exceptionally empathic and caring beings who devote their life to bringing hope to the grieving. They honor the dead and speak of how they truly were, hiding nothing, but showing both the good and evil in their lives. Respect for the ancestors and friends they whole heartedly promote. Often the leaders, both religious and political, will try to drive out the calaca, especially if they are the cause of much of the grief for if such the calaca becomes their enemy. This does nothing but encourage a calaca who do what is right regardless of those about them. Calacas are always neutral good.

    Society
    Calacas do not often meet aside from friendships amongst themselves. Each seeks their own deeds and only come together to celebrate within the in fantastically momentous ocassions. The gardens of the Calaca are the only place they are known to frequently be seen in large numbers, tending such growths as ferns, lilies, and especially marigolds. All sorts of flora typically associated with departed souls can be found there, and with each passing of a being another may be planted.

    Typical Treasure
    Calacas often possess gifts for families they go to visit, though only rarely of great value. Many are items of the deceased that have only value to the family and were though to have been long lost or destroyed.
    The flowers they wear do not fade and may be replanted. A wreath gifted to a family is worth 100 gp.
    They have half-standard treasure for their Challenge Rating.

    Life Story
    Divination
    Level: Brd 4, Clr 6, Sorc/Wiz 6
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: One standard action
    Range: Touch
    Target: One corpse
    Duration: Instantaneous

    You gain knowledge of the history of this being's life from the time before their death. You instantly learn their loves and hates, deeds and misdeeds, all knowledge of past doings as they remember it. This information may be clear or vague as if the caster were remembering it from years past, just as the deceased had.

    This grants you a permanent bonus to Knowledge (local) checks in areas the deceased knew well equal to their number of ranks in the skill (minimum +1). Multiple castings can increase this knowledge check in the same locale, but only if the knowledge ranks acquired exceed those gained from previous castings.

    If the deceased is brought back to life you gain a +4 bonus to all Charisma-based checks with this being.

    Sample Sacred Watchers

    Powers
    Sacred Watchers summoned by a Calaca can select from the following abilities, in addition to those presented in the Book of Exalted Deeds.

    Bond (Su): Once per round, an ethereal Sacred Watcher may bond with another willing creature into one being. This ability is similar to a fusion power (manifester level 10th or the sacred watcher's Hit Dice, whichever is higher) except the fused being has the mental stats of whichever of the two beings is highest, but retains physical stats of the other creature.

    While the Sacred Watcher is in control of the fused creature the body changes to resemble the living form of the Watcher.

    Cry of Victory (Su): A sacred watch can let out a cry of victory as a standard action. All living opponents within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic, holy, mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the cry cannot be affected by the same watcher’s cry for 24 hours.

    Gaze of Disgrace (Su): A Sacred Watcher can make one relive all their most horrible deeds at a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. Creatures that meet the ghost’s gaze must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 2d10 points of damage and 1d4 points of Charisma damage.

    Magnificent Appearance (Su): Any living opponent within 60 feet that views a Sacred Watcher must succeed on a Fortitude save or immediately take 1d4 points of Strength damage, 1d4 points of Dexterity damage, and 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same watcher’s magnificent appearance for 24 hours.

    Telekinesis (Su): A sacred watcher can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the watcher’s HD, whichever is higher). When a sacred watcher uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again.

    Vision of Heaven (Su): A Sacred Watcher that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack may choose to momentarily cause their target to experience a vision of the afterlife. Good aligned creatures gain a +1 morale bonus on saves and skill checks for a minute. Evil creatures must succeed on a Will save or be rendered Dazed for 1 round.

    Jonn Lank

    Sacred Watcher Human Fighter 1
    Medium Deathless (incorporeal)
    Hit Dice: 1d12 (6 hp)
    Initiative: +0
    Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares) (perfect)
    Armor Class: 11 (+1 deflection), touch 11, flat-footed 11; or 12 (+2 leather armor)
    Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
    Attack: Incorporeal touch +3 melee (1d6) or Longspear +1 melee against ethereal foes (1d8+2)
    Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +3 melee (1d6) or Longspear +1 melee against ethereal foes (1d8+2)
    Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with spear)
    Special Attacks: Bond, vision of heaven, telekinesis
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., deathless traits, incorporeal traits, manifestation, turn resistance +4
    Saves: Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0
    Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con -, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 13
    Skills: Hide +8, Listen +10, Search +7, Spot +10
    Feats: Improved Sunder, Power Attack
    Environment: Any
    Organization: Solitary
    Challenge Rating: 3
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Lawful Good
    Advancement: By character class
    Level Adjustment: +5

    This young man has close-cropped brown hair with a determined expression, the only hardness to a pleasant, kind face and deep green eyes. He appears transparent and otherworldly, but his form seems lit with a warm glow as if the sun were shining down upon it through thick clouds.

    Jonn was only sixteen when he volunteered for the town guard against raiders and was crushed below a horse as he impaled its rider who was one of the scouts for the invaders. He was a brave soul and sorely missed by his sister and grandmother who had raised him, not to mention several of the town's young women.

    Jonn speaks Celestial and Common.

    Combat
    Jonn will protect the people of his town with as much effort as he did in life, though now is more able to take on his enemies with his touch that scorns the flesh of evil.

    Bond (Su): Once per round, Jonn may bond with another willing creature into one being. This ability is similar to a fusion power (manifester level 10th) except the fused being has the mental stats of whichever of the two beings is highest, but retains physical stats of the other creature.

    While Jonn is in control of the fused creature the body changes to resemble his once living form.

    Vision of Heaven (Su): If Jonn hits a living target with his incorporeal touch attack may choose to momentarily cause their target to experience a vision of the afterlife. Good aligned creatures gain a +1 morale bonus on saves and skill checks for a minute. Evil creatures must succeed on a DC 11 Will save or be rendered Dazed for 1 round.

    Manifestation (Su): Jonn dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, he cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When he manifests, he partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and his own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with his touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where he is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. Jonn's incorporeality helps protect him from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.

    A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes.

    Telekinesis (Su): Jonn can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th). When it uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again.

    Turn Resistance (Ex): Jonn has +4 turn resistance.


    Clydes

    Sacred Watcher Centaur
    Large Deathless (incorporeal)
    Hit Dice: 4d12 (26 hp)
    Initiative: +2
    Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), fly 30 ft. (perfect)
    Armor Class: 13 (+2 deflection, +2 dexterity, -1 size), touch 13, flat-footed 11; or 14 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12
    Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+12
    Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (draining touch) or Longsword +7 melee (2d6+6/19–20) or composite longbow (+4 Str bonus) +5 ranged (2d6+4/x3)
    Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (draining touch); or Longsword +7 melee (2d6+6/19–20) and 2 hooves +3 melee against ethereal foes (1d6+2); or composite longbow (+4 Str bonus) +5 ranged against ethereal foes (2d6+4/x3)
    Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
    Special Attacks: Gaze of disgrace
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., deathless traits, incorporeal traits, manifestations, turn resistance
    Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +5
    Abilities: Str 18 (- to non-ethereal), Dex 14, Con -, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 15
    Skills: Hide +10, Listen +11, Move Silently +4, Search +7, Spot +11, Survival +2
    Feats: Dodge, Weapon Focus (hoof)
    Environment: Temperate forests
    Organization: Solitary, company (5–8), troop (8–18 plus 1 leader of 2nd–5th level), or tribe (20–150 plus 30% noncombatants plus 10 3rd-level sergeants, 5 5th-level lieutenants, and 1 leader of 5th–9th level)
    Challenge Rating: 5
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Neutral Good
    Advancement: By character class
    Level Adjustment: +7

    Clydes is a great strapping being with the brown-furred body of an enormous horse with wide hooves draped with loose hair. He seens solid in the sunlight, but as he steps into shade his body seems to melt away into hardly more than a shadowy outline.

    Clydes was once a centaur who had the simple life of a trapper and carer for sick animals. His wife was particularly beautiful, causing much jealousy amongst a number of other males. He was killed by a rival one night with a poisoned blade and his body hidden within a tunnel dug out of a cellar.

    Clydes speak Celestial, Sylvan and Elven.

    Combat
    Clydes uses his draining touch to siphon the energy from those who would threaten his village or the Calaca that allowed him to see his home once more.

    Gaze of Disgrace (Su): Clydes can make one relive all their most horrible deeds at a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. Creatures that meet his gaze must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or take 2d10 points of damage and 1d4 points of Charisma damage.

    Manifestation (Su): Clydes dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, he cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When he manifests, he partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and his own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with his touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where he is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. Clydes' incorporeality helps protect him from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.

    Turn Resistance (Ex): Clyde has +4 turn resistance.


    Tamni Leylow

    Sacred Watcher Maenad Wilder 8
    Medium Deathless (incorporeal, psionic)
    Hit Dice: 8d12 (52 hp)
    Initiative: +3
    Speed: Fly 30 ft. (perfect)
    Armor Class: 17 (+4 deflection, +3 dex), touch 17, flat-footed 14; or 17 (+4 chain shirt, +3 dex), touch 17, flat-footed 14
    Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+5
    Attack: Deepcrystal dagger +9 melee (1d4-1)
    Full Attack: Deepcrystal dagger +9/+5 melee (1d4-1)
    Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
    Special Attacks: Cry of victory, outburst, psi-like ability, psionics, surging euphoria, telekinesis, wild surge
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., deathless traits, elude touch, incorporeal traits, manifestation, naturally psionic, turn resistance +4
    Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +7
    Abilities: Str 8 (- against nonethereal), Dex 16, Con -, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18
    Skills: Autohypnosis +12, Concentration +11, Hide +11, Intimidate +15, Listen +20, Search +10, Sense Motive +12, Spot +20
    Feats: Ghost Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse
    Environment: Any
    Organization: Solitary
    Challenge Rating: 10
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Chaotic Good
    Advancement: By character class
    Level Adjustment: +5

    This beautiful woman appears young at first, very slight in height and build, but as one comes close they see lines of pain and suffering on her face of one much more aged. She posseses a deathly pallor and her eyes are hidden in darkness. Her brilliant auburn hair hangs just above her shoulders and is raggedly cut. She wears a simple brown robe, frayed and ancient seeming, barely staying together.

    Tamni is a murderer. Her victims number only a few, but she was born with a temper that knew few bounds, an anger that she rarely could control. It was in the throes of passionate fury that she did these deeds, and was just as devestated afterwards. Only her obvious love and aid in her calm times kept her from being executed. She was thus banished while in the height of youth, forced to lived a life of isolation and meditation, trying to control her emotions. She died an old woman, wasting away with none to care for her as she grew frail and sick.

    Tamni speaks Celestial, Common and Maenad.

    Combat
    Tamni enters combat only if provoked considerably or when the weak are threatened. She then becomes a different person entirely, the shadows about her eyes being filled with an enraged fire and she launches forward, knives in hand, with a scream of utter rage that shakes the very ground.

    If not yet brought to anger, she lets forth a moan of feeling so deep and ominous that it frightens all from her.

    Elude Touch (Ex): Tamni gains a bonus to Armor Class against all touch attacks equal to her Charisma bonus; however, her touch AC can never exceed her Armor Class against normal attacks.

    Cry of Victory (Su): Tamni can let out a cry of victory as a standard action. All living opponents within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic, holy, mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the cry cannot be affected by Tamni's cry for 24 hours.

    Naturally Psionic: Tamni gain 2 bonus power points at 1st level.

    Outburst (Ex): Once per day, for up to 4 rounds, Tamni can subjugate her mentality to gain a boost of raw physical power. When she does so, she takes a -2 penalty to Intelligence and Wisdom but gains a +2 bonus to Strength.

    Psi-Like Ability: 1/day-energy ray (DC 15, 8d6-8 sonic). Tamni can deal only sonic damage with this ability. It is accompanied by a tremendous scream of rage. Manifester level 4th. The save DC is Charisma-based.

    Psionics: Manifester level 8th. (Power Points per day = 68; Save DC 14 + power level):
    1st - Mind Thrust, Vigor
    2nd - Ego Whip
    3rd - Body Adjustment
    4th - Aura Sight

    Manifestation (Su): Tamni dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, she cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When he manifests, he partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and her own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with her touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where she is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. Tamni's incorporeality helps protect her from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.

    Surging Euphoria (Ex): When Tamni uses her wild surge ability, she gains a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws for a number of rounds equal to the intensity of her wild surge.
    If a wilder is overcome by psychic enervation following her wild surge, she does not gain the morale bonus for this use of her wild surge ability.

    Telekinesis (Su): Tamni can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th). When Tamni uses this power, she must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again.

    Turn Resistance (Ex): Tamni has +4 turn resistance.

    Wild Surge (Su): Tamni can let her passion and emotion rise to the surface in a wild surge when she manifests a power. During a wild surge, she gains phenomenal psionic strength, but may harm herself by the reckless use of her power (see Psychic Enervation, below).
    She can choose to invoke a wild surge whenever she manifests a power. When she does so, she gains +1 to +3 to her manifester level with that manifestation of the power. The manifester level boost gives her the ability to augment her powers to a higher degree than she otherwise could; however, she pays no extra power point for this wild surge. Instead, the additional 1-3 power points that would normally be required to augment the power is effectively supplied by the wild surge.
    Level-dependent power effects are also improved, depending on the power a wilder manifests with her wild surge.
    This improvement in manifester level does not grant her any other benefits (psicrystal abilities do not advance, she does not gain higher-level class abilities, and so on).


    Derraszcel

    Sacred Watcher Young Bronze Dragon
    Medium Deathless (incorporeal)
    Hit Dice: 12d12 (78 hp)
    Initiative: +4
    Speed: Fly 150 ft. (perfect)
    Armor Class: 13 (+3 deflection), touch 13, flat-footed 13; 21 (+11 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21
    Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+12
    Attack: -; Bite +15 melee against ethereal foes (1d8+3)
    Full Attack: -; Bite +15 melee (1d8+3) and 2 claws +13 melee (1d6+1) and 2 wings +13 melee against ethereal foes (1d4+1)
    Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
    Special Attacks: Bond, breath weapon, magnificent appearance
    Special Qualities: Alternate form, blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., deathless traits, immunity to electricity, incorporeal traits, manifestation, speak with animals, turn resistance +4
    Saves: Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +11
    Abilities: Str 17 (- against non-ethereal), Dex 10, Con -, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 16
    Skills: Disable Device +18, Handle Animal +18, Hide +23, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (nature) +20, Listen +26, Search +26, Spot +26, Survival +20 (+22 follow tracks)
    Feats: Ability Focus (malevolence), Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Track
    Environment: Temperate Hills
    Organization: Solitary
    Challenge Rating: 9
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Lawful Good
    Advancement: -
    Level Adjustment: +11

    Derraszcel is a rather frightening appearing dragon, bones showing through charred skin and smoke-dulled scales. What appears as flickering flame still glows about his body.

    Derraszcel once roamed the hilly highlands and moors, sleeping beneath the sparce tree cover or digging burrows beneath the hills. He was a young dragon, too young to have any great ambition, though within his caves he would sometimes leave amber he collected. His great love were for the beasts, and would often spend the day flying with geese or running with the antelope. He would often find cruel traps with metal teeth and bend them out of shape so that they could not snare and cause pain. Word of his doings spread and men tracked him to where he slept in his lair. They hid a trap made just for he, an enormous thing of serrated edges and a chain as thick as his tail. He emerged, smelling the scent of men when he was caught. They set the grass on fire around him and allowed it to close in around. Derraszcel was quickly enveloped and died in agony.

    Derraszcel speaks Celestial and Draconic

    Combat
    Derraszcel uses his repulsion gas to be rid of opponents, though if it sees animals or other harmless creatures being harmed it literally flies into fury, it's horrible appearance becoming all the more horrifying as their vitality seems to drain out of them.

    Alternate Form (Su): Derraszcel can assume any animal or humanoid form of Medium size or smaller as a standard action three times per day. He can remain in his animal or humanoid form until he chooses to assume a new one or return to his natural form.

    Breath Weapon (Su): Derraszcel has two types of breath weapon, a line of lightening and a cone of repulsion gas.
    Line of lightning 60 feet long, once every 1d4 rounds, damage 6d6 electricity, Reflex DC 16 half. The save DC is Constitution-based.
    Cone of repulsion gas 30 feet long. Creatures within the cone must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be compelled to do nothing but move away from the dragon for 1d6+3rounds. This is a mind-affecting compulsion enchantment effect.

    Bond (Su): Once per round, Derraszcel may bond with another willing creature into one being. This ability is similar to a fusion power (manifester level 12th) except the fused being has the mental stats of whichever of the two beings is highest, but retains physical stats of the other creature.

    While Derraszcel is in control of the fused creature the body changes to resemble the once living form of Derraszcel.

    Magnificent Appearance (Su): Any living opponent within 60 feet that views Derraszcel must succeed on a DC 19 Fortitude save or immediately take 1d4 points of Strength damage, 1d4 points of Dexterity damage, and 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by Derraszcel's magnificent appearance for 24 hours.

    Keen Senses (Ex): Derraszcel sees four times as well a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 120 feet.

    Manifestation (Su): Derraszcel dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, he cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When he manifests, he partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and his own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with his touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where he is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. Derraszcel's incorporeality helps protect him from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.

    Spell-Like Abilities: At will — Speak With Animals.

    Turn Resistance (Ex): Derraszcel has +4 turn resistance.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:01 PM.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default The Far Ones

    The Far Ones
    By John "Jack Mann" Beattie and Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader


    The Far Realm has always been a place that held terrible threats. From the dark cloakers, the once-human kaorti, to the mad flayers of Thoon, it has always been a source of nightmares. However, until recently, there were no organized incursions.

    That changed when the Far Ones came.

    At first, these incursions seemed quiet enough. A traveler here and there would disappear, or would tell stories of strange monsters; what of it? This was nothing new. But then settlements began to disappear. Caravans vanished. Tribes of goblins began a mass migration, like rats leaving a sinking ship.

    The stories became more coherant. They talked of little monsters hidden in light, two-mouthed monstrosities, and three-armed warriors who cut a bloody swath through any resistance. But whenever anyone looked for them, they were already gone, as though they had never been.

    It was only when a lone mage witnessed such an attack that their origin became clear. These creatures were from beyond the borderlands of sanity, far from the fields we know. These reavers of madness came from the Far Realm, and no one knew what they might do next.

    What are the goals of the Far Ones?

    These can be anything from simple raids to a full-scale invasion of the Prime Material. The threat could be local and immediate, or looming and grandiose. It can be whatever your campaign demands.

    You don't really need to reveal what the Far Ones hope to accomplish in the long run. They are designed to be inscrutable. The players only need to be able to stop them.


    Far One Traits
    Alien Mind (Ex): Far One thinking is entirely alien to all normal races. Spells that would normally allow one to communicate with them automatically fail.
    Hostile Environment (Ex): Far Ones are unable to exist for great periods of time on the Prime Material plane. After two hours, they begin to unravel, becoming less and less real until they fade away.
    Whichside Other (Ex): The exact dimensions of the <subtype> are impossible to determine, the creature occupying other realms of existence and reaching into undiscovered branches of reality unknown to most.

    As such they cannot be used for shapeshifting and polymorph purposes unless by another being with the subtype. A creature that attempts to do so can mimic their outward appearance, but cannot gain their abilities, extraordinary or supernatural, even if they would normally be allowed to do so.

    Even uses of True Seeing cannot allow one to fully encompass what they are.

    Karzuz Fighter 1st
    Small Aberration (Far One)
    Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (6 hp)
    Initiative: +3
    Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size), touch 14, flat-footed 14
    Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-4
    Attack: Claw +5 (1d3+3) or Shortsword +5 (1d4+3 19-20)
    Full Attack: Shortsword +5 (1d4+3 19-20) and 1 claw +0 (1d3+2);
    or 2 claws +5 melee (1d3+2)
    Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
    Special Attacks: Maneuvers
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., stability, Far One traits
    Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +1
    Abilities: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 9
    Skills: Hide +15*, Tumble +11*
    Feats: Weapon Finesse (B), Shadow Blade
    Maneuvers and Stances Known (IL 1st)
    Stances—Child of Shadows (1st)
    Maneuvers—Clinging Shadow Strike (1st), Shadow Blade Technique (1st)
    Environment: Any
    Organization: Solitary, pair, team (5–10), horde (50-100)
    Challenge Rating: 1
    Treasure: Standard
    Alignment: Always lawful evil
    Advancement: By character class
    Level Adjustment: --
    This creature has a humanoid torso over a bulbous abdomen with a dozen thin legs. Plates of black chitin seem to float on slimy, pallid flesh. Though it stands in bright light, strange shadows play across its surface. It holds a pair of short swords. At the end of its long neck you see your own face.

    The karzuz are the foot soldiers of the Far Ones. They were the first encountered, making small hit-and-run raids on isolated settlements. Karzuz are small, cunning, and cruel. They’re a hideous mix of slug and insect, but perhaps their most terrible feature is their face. While a Karzuz is alive, its true face cannot be seen. Anyone looking at it sees their own instead. Only when it dies is its true slug-like face revealed.

    Strategies and Tactics
    The Karzuz seem to prefer to fight when they have a numeric advantage. They rarely fight alone, and are usually found in groups of at least five. If possible, they will attack from hiding, and then use flanking tactics, surrounding the most dangerous of their opponents.
    Martial Maneuvers (Su): A Karzuz knows several martial maneuvers and stances. It recovers maneuvers by resting and concentrating for five minutes. It can use each maneuver once per combat.
    Stability (Ex): A Karzuz’s many legs make it very difficult to knock over. It gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).

    *A Karzuz has a +4 racial bonus to hide checks.
    *A Karzuz has a +4 circumstance bonus on tumble checks, thanks to its many legs


    Karzuz Lore
    Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) can learn more about karzuz. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. A characters who has ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can attempt this check, but the DCs increase by 5.


    Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
    {table=head]DC|Result

    11|This is a Karzuz, a strange aberration from the Far Realm. Anyone who looks at one sees their own face.
    16|Karzuz are scouts for the Far Ones who are able to use shadows as weapons. They have some connection to the Shadow Hand discipline (this also reveals the general Far One traits).
    21|Only when a karzuz is killed is its true face revealed.[/table]

    Ecology
    Little is known about karzuz ecology, beyond what is generally known of the Far Realm.
    Environment: Karzuz seem to prefer fighting in darkness, leading many scholars to conclude that they are nocturnal. However, they suffer no particular dehabilitation in sunlight. They seem able to breathe the same air as humanoids do. However, like all Far Ones, they cannot remain on the Prime Material for more than a few hours before dissolving.
    Typical Physical Characteristics: A karzuz stands about three feet tall on its twelve spindly legs, and weighs eighty pounds. Their flesh is covered in a thick mucus, like a worm, but parts are covered in a black shell.
    Alignment: Karzuz are quick to kill anything they come across, often using inventively cruel methods. However, they serve without question the corhydrons and triciqes that accompany them, often sacrificing themselves for their masters. They are always lawful evil.

    Society
    Little is known of how the Far Ones treat one another. However, they seem to be able to communicate, perhaps on a level normal humanoids cannot comprehend.

    Typical Treasure
    Karzuz pick up items as they creep along. They have typical treasure for their challenge rating.


    Corhydron
    Medium Aberration (Far One)
    Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
    Initiative: +2
    Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
    Armor Class: 18 (+2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 16
    Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
    Attack: Bite +7 (1d6+3)
    Full Attack: 2 bites +7 (1d6+3)
    Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
    Special Attacks: Double Bite, Slippery
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Far One traits
    Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5
    Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 10
    Skills: Climb +1, Jump +2, Spot +3
    Feats: Weapon Focus (bite), Combat Reflexes
    Environment: Any
    Organization: Solitary, pair, team (3–10), horde (50-100)
    Challenge Rating: 3
    Treasure: Standard
    Alignment: Always lawful evil
    Advancement: 5-8 HD Medium, 9-14 HD Large, or by character class
    Level Adjustment: --
    Barely humanoid, this creature’s grey-black skin constantly oozes an oily slime that coats the ground around it. It stands on two legs than bend twice in the wrong direction. A long tail balances its forward-leaning body. It wears armor that looks like raw meat over much of its torso. Its single tentacle writhes around, as though to grasp at something unseen. Two eyes, one set above the other, stare blankly where its throat should be. Two long necks lead to a pair of mouths that dart forward and back, tasting the air.

    Corhydrons are the shock troops of the Far Ones, forming the bulk of their raiding parties.

    Strategies and Tactics
    Corhydrons are disgusting, but canny attackers. Their oily secretions constantly drip from their bodies, making it difficult for opponents to move around them. Their snapping mouths are a great threat in their own right. They are the lowest tier of soldiers seen so far to wear the fleshcraft armor that has marked the troops of the Far Ones. Advanced Corhydrons are sometimes issued weapons (clubs, typically) which they grasp in their tentacle.

    Double Bite (Ex): The Corhydron can attack with both mouths as a standard action, as well as when it makes a charge or gets an attack of opportunity.

    Slippery (Ex): The Corhydron’s body continually secretes oils around it. Any creature except for another Corhydron who attempts that enters a square adjacent to the corhydron must make a DC 14 Reflex save or fall. The save must be repeated each round the creature remains adjacent to the corhydron. A creature can walk within or through the area at half speed with a DC 10 balance check. Failure means it can’t move (and then must make a reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls. The reflex save DC is Con-based.


    Corhydron Lore
    Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) can learn more about corhydrons. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. A characters who has ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can attempt this check, but the DCs increase by 5.


    Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
    {table=head]DC|Result
    14|This is a Corhydron. It is a monster from the Far Realm that creates a grease slick around itself, making it difficult for creatures to maneuver around them.
    19|Corhydrons are the basic troops of a monstrous group of aberrations known as the Far Ones (this also reveals the general Far One traits).
    24|It can bite with both mouths at once, even when it charges.[/table]

    Ecology
    Corhydrons have never been observed for a long enough time to learn a great deal about their habits.
    Environment: Corhydrons are only seen in battle and immediately afterwards. They do not share the karzuz's preference for darkness, but nor are they particularly hampered by it. They can breath the air, and seem to enjoy eating the meat of creatures from the Prime Material, but like the other Far Ones, disintegrate if they remain to long on this plane.
    Typical Physical Characteristics: Corhyrdons are slightly bipedal, though their legs bend backwards, twice. They stand four to five feet tall and weigh roughly three hundred pounds. Their body leans far forward, balanced by a long tail with short, bony knobs along the top. They have no arms or head. Instead, a single tentacle sprouts from their chest, and two long necks rise from where its shoulders would be, leading to a pair of snapping mouths. Its skin is a rotten green color with a very smooth, oily texture. They constantly ooze a slick, greasy slime.
    Alignment: Corhydrons are intelligent, bloody engines of destruction. They seem to live for slaughter. They seem to follow at behest of the triciqes, whom they unthinkingly sacrifice themselves for. Their alignment is always Lawful Evil.

    Society
    Little is known of how the Far Ones treat one another. However, they seem to be able to communicate, perhaps on a level normal humanoids cannot comprehend.

    Typical Treasure
    Corhydrons are acquisitive, and are able to make use of any items they are able to find. They have standard treasure for their challenge rating.


    Triciqe

    Medium Aberration (Far One)
    Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp)
    Initiative: -1
    Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
    Armor Class: 20 (-1 dex, +11 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 20
    Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+8
    Attack: Smilisosli +8 melee (1d10+4/18-20x2)
    Full Attack: Smilisosli +8/+3 melee (1d10+4/18-20x2)
    Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
    Special Attacks: Absorb the lesser, internal portal, mouth from afar
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., telepathy, Far One traits
    Saves: Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +7
    Abilities: Str 15, Dex 8, Con 17, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 15
    Skills: Climb +13, Jump +13, Listen +12, Search +14, Spot +12
    Feats: Ability Focus (mouth from afar), Endurance, Great Fortitude
    Environment: Any
    Organization: Solitary or Gnid (Triciqe plus two corhydrons and five karkarzi)
    Challenge Rating: 6
    Treasure: Standard
    Alignment: Always lawful evil
    Advancement: By character class
    Level Adjustment: -

    The creature at the head of the formation turns one of its eyestalks to stare at you. It stands a cylindrical body on six thick, powerful legs, set in three groups of two. Three arms near the top hold a single long, curved blade. Its body is covered in the same raw-meat armor you’ve seen on the other monsters. There is an eye beneath each arm, giving it a full view of its surroundings. One of these eyes is looking at you with alien malice. At the “waist” of the creature is a hole covered by a membrane. Something churns within, and the membrane tears open, disgorging one of the two-mouthed creatures you saw before. The membrane seals back up.

    Triciqes seem to be the officers of the Far Ones, as well as their primary means of reaching the Material Plane.

    Strategies and Tactics
    A triciqe will typically bring several other Far Ones through the portal before engaging in any mission. They are only very rarely found alone. When a fight begins, they will typically wade forward to their enemy, while their minions work to keep the attacker occupied. Once in range, they lay about with their weapons, slashing out at them with fearless abandon. If they don't immediately achieve victory, they will typically absorb one of their weaker minions to bolster their physical defense.

    Absorb the Lesser (Su): A triciqe may bodily absorb any Far One as a full-round action, gaining a +2 bonus to Strength and 5 temporary hit points per HD of the absorbed creature. For example, a 2 HD creature would grant a +4 strength bonus and +10 temporary hit points. This may increase the triciqe's hit points past its full total. If it absorbs another Far One the strength bonus and hit points overlap the old. These benefits last for 1 minute.
    A far one will not resist the triciqe's absorbtion.

    Internal Portal (Su): A triciqe can exude a Far One whose CR is no greater than half its own. This requires one round for every hit die of the new Far One. This is a Calling effect.

    Mouth From Afar (Su): Once per day when a triciqe is reduced to half hit points or lower it may open numerous pores about it's body. Living creatures within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 19 fortitude save or become infected with a strange malady that is nevertheless not a disease.

    A horrible orifice alike to the triciqe's immediately begins to develope upon them. It continues to grow to take up much of the victim, and every hour after infection the victim must make another save or take 1 point of Wisdom damage. If reduced to 0 wisdom they go insane and the victim inverts and is sucked within, transporting to the Far Realm. A new triciqe emerges simultaneously and the orifice is its own. This condition can be cured with a remove curse spell. The save DC is Constitution-based.

    Telepathy (Su): A triciqe can communicate telepathically with any other Far One within 100 feet.

    Triciqe Lore
    Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) can learn more about triciqes. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. A characters who has ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can attempt this check, but the DCs increase by 5.

    Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
    {table=head]DC|Result
    18|The creature before you is a triciqe. It is a monster from the Far Realm that has a portal built into its body that it can use to call forth other monsters.
    23|Triciqes seem to act as "officers" for the Far Ones, invaders from the Far Realm, controlling and even absorbing other Far Ones for missions that are only poorly understood (this also reveals the general Far One traits).
    28|When a triciqe is seriously injured, it can impose a terrible disease on those near it, creating portals in their flesh that ultimately consume them.[/table]

    Ecology
    Triciqes come from the Far Realm. Beyond that, little is known of their origins.
    Environment: Like all Far Ones, triciqes can live on the Prime Material only a short time before unraveling. If they do not return to the Far Realm in that time, they are destroyed.
    Typical Physical Characteristics: Triciqes stand seven feet tall and weigh nearly five hundred pounds. They have large, cylindrical bodies that stand on six legs grouped into three groups of three. A large hole on one side contains a portal to the Far Realm, covered by a thin membrane. At the top of their bodies are three arms. Under each arm is an eye. Its skin is a leathery brown.
    Alignment: Triciqes are utterly without mercy or pity. They kill passionlessly, with no more thought than a child crushing an insect. They seem to follow a greater plan, though no one knows what that plan might be. Triciqes are always lawful evil.

    Society
    Triciqes are the most powerful of the Far Ones encountered thus far. They seem to be in utter control of the lesser Far Ones, bringing them through the portal and then using them to fuel their own abilities. They seem to be able to communicate with their minions, but no mortal agency has discovered how.

    Typical Treasure
    Triciqes take items from lesser Far Ones, apparently as tribute. They have standard treasure for their challenge rating.


    Far One Items

    Smilisosli
    This appears as three sword blades overlapping one another and connecting to three hilts spaced enough for proper grasping. When stabbed forward the left and right hilt is made to be able to be pulled to the side to slice open the wound wider.
    Code:
    Cost   Damage(S) Damage(M) Critical  Range Incr.  Weight   Type
    100 gp *1d8      *1d10     18-20x2   -            10 lbs.  Piercing
    
    * 2x strength, 3x power attack.

    Fleshcraft Armor
    Fleshcraft armor works the same as more mundane armors (including armor check penalty and arcane spell failure), but provide a natural armor bonus instead of an armor bonus. Any enhancement bonus on the armor provides an enhancement to natural armor. It is used by both Corhydrons and Triciqes. It can only be used by Far Ones, and therefore does not count against the creature's treasure (though it might affect the challenge rating of the encounter).
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:01 PM.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Gremlins

    Gremlins
    By Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader


    Gremlin
    Tiny Fey
    Hit Dice: 6d6+12 (33 hp)
    Initiative: +6
    Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Armor Class: 24 (+6 dex, +6 natural, +2 size), touch 18, flat-footed 18
    Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+2
    Attack: Slam +11 melee (1d2+3)
    Full Attack: 2 slams +11 melee (1d2+3)
    Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft./5 ft.
    Special Attacks: Deactivate, knack, spell-like abilities, weak point
    Special Qualities: Between the gears, damage reduction 10/cold iron and magic, fast healing 2, low-light vision, resistance to acid and fire 5, trapfinding, trap sense, unknown error
    Saves: Fort +4, Ref +11, Will +5
    Abilities: Str 16, Dex 22, Con 14, Int 19, Wis 7, Cha 9
    Skills: Climb +15, Disable Device +19, Hide +23, Jump +15, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +13, Listen +8, Open Lock +15, Search +13, Spot +8, Use Magic Device +14
    Feats: Improved Grapple, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse(B)
    Environment: Urban
    Organization: Solitary, Pair, Glitch (3-5), Malfunction (6-12), Failure (13-19), Fubar (20+)
    Challenge Rating: 6
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
    Advancement: By character class
    Level Adjustment: +4
    Gears and springs litter the bottom of the clock tower. Occasionally, some other mechanism will work its way free. As you examine the clockwork more closely, you notice small, grease-stained figures, almost like goblins, jumping from gear to gear, grinning with mischief.

    No one is quite certain where gremlins originated, only that they showed up soon after the first complicated machines were constructed. Many think they were once fairies of a kind whose lands gave way to civilizations. They originally set out to destroy the intruder's slaves of wood and metal, but became fascinated with the intricacies of machinery and could never bring themselves to return to the wilderness. The more complicated and subtle the machine the more attractive it is to a gremlin, who though fascinated by these objects they have no urge to build, but only to take apart and destroy. It is their joy and their vindication. Flying machines in particular hold special delight to a gremlin, who are said to have long ago lost their wings to the gears of the contraptions and whose future generations were born without.

    They have sense spread from town to town, causing continuous grief to all that live there. Though precious few care for gremlins, Inevitables in particular are a gremlin's enemy, killing them with no compunction wherever they can be found. Despite this many have unknowingly carted gremlins within themselves back to Mechanus where their mischief may soon become of planar scale.

    Gremlins speak gnome.

    Strategies and Tactics
    Gremlins will only in the most dire needs fight openly. Instead they prefer to sabotage and dismantle so that their opponent harms himself. The only exception are constructs which they take great joy in destroying, but even then they do so craftily and hardly put themselves intentionally in harm's way.

    A gremlin's natural attacks and any weapons it wields is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

    Between the Gears (Su): A gremlin is considered to continuously be under the affects of the Freedom of Movement spell, though do not gain any special benefits underwater.

    Deactivate (Ex): A gremlin can figure out just how to strike a construct to disrupt its functions. It may attempt a DC 15 Disable Device check as a free action to deal 1d6 extra damage to each creature it attacks with the construct type. For every 5 points by which he succeeds on the check it can deal another 1d6 damage.

    As well, a gremlin adds his intelligence modifier to damage rolls against objects and constructs.

    Knack (Ex): A gremlin adds its dexterity modifier to Disable Device and Use Magic Device checks. As well, they do not require tools to use these skills, nor for using the Open Lock skill, and take no penalties for doing so. Finally, a gremlin may use a Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check in place of a Knowledge (arcane) check regarding constructs.

    Spell-like Abilities: Caster level 10th. Save DC's are Intelligence-based.
    At Will - Mending
    3/day - Analyze Dweomer (objects only), Grease, Knock, Feather Fall

    Trapfinding (Ex): Gremlins can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
    They can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
    A gremlin who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with any others) without disarming it.

    Trap Sense (Ex): Gremlins have an intuitive sense that alerts them to danger from traps, giving them a +4 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +4 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps.

    Weak Point (Ex): A gremlin gains a +10 bonus on any Strength checks to break inanimate, immobile objects.

    Unknown Error (Ex): A gremlin is undetectable by divination spells and abilities.

    Skills: A gremlin uses their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks.

    Gremlin Lore
    Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (nature) can learn more about gremlins. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. A characters who has ranks in Knowledge (the architecture and engineering) can attempt this check, but the DCs increase by 10.

    Knowledge (Nature)
    {table=head]DC|Result
    16|This creature is a gremlin, an irritating little monster that destroys machinery.
    19|Gremlins are naturally destructive little fey that live in machinery, continually tearing it apart (this result also reveals all fey traits).
    24|Gremlins are particularly hated by inevitables, who kill them without mercy.[/table]

    Ecology
    No one is quite certain where these destructive little creatures originated, only that they showed up wherever complicated machines are constructed. Many think they were once fairies of a kind whose lands gave way to civilizations. They originally set out to destroy the intruder's slaves of wood and metal, but became fascinated with the intricacies of machinery, and could never bring themselves to return to the wilderness. The more complicated and subtle the machine the more attractive it is to a gremlin, while though fascinated by these objects, they have no urge to build, but only to take apart and examine. It is their joy and their vindication. Gremlins have taken to eating the foods of whatever is around them, and are thus not choosy, anything from what is leftover by builders to wheat and grain in a mill.
    Environment: Gremlins are only to be found in urban areas, or any locale that happens to have machinery. The larger and more interesting the machinery the more there tend to be. A windmill may have only individuals while a clock tower could hold thousands. Flying machines in particular hold special delight to a gremlin, who are said to have long ago lost their wings to the gears of the contraptions and whose future generations were born without.
    Typical Physical Characteristics: A gremlin appears as a minuscule, goblinish creature just over a foot high and weigh no more than a couple pounds. They have a lanky build and lean, powerful muscles. They possesses extremely long arms for their size with beefy palms and long, sensitive fingers. Their large, slanted eyes blaze with delighted mischief and curiosity. Large, mobile ears billow out, able to lie flat against the head when moving through tight spaces.
    Alignment: Gremlins are above all mischievous and unthinking about their behavior. They don't spend a single thought on how their actions might affect others nor what damage their meddling could do. A gremlin rarely set out to harm others, and only then when provoked or endangered, but when they are they don't think twice about causing a fatal accident. Gremlins are usually chaotic neutral.

    Society
    Gremlins share their machines often with many of their kind, breeding quickly when in a home of their liking. When not to their liking they often remain solitary, but seem not to mind, too absorbed in their mischief to experience loneliness.

    They care for their children in only the most basic way, as they are quite self sufficient within only a couple days of birth and grow rapidly to maturity. Mostly the young ones follow and observe and beg information and food off the elders until they can fend for themselves.

    Once grown however they are fond of riddles and dares, games and sports. Most of these tie into the destruction of machinery and jokes on those that operate them. These can be quite elaborate, though are often as dangerous to the gremlins as their victim who think little about repercussions even to themselves.

    Adventurous gremlins will leave their home machinery and set off to look for another, often bringing one of the opposite gender with them, by force if necessary.

    Typical Treasure
    Gremlins rarely possess anything of value, their delight being only in machinery which rarely lasts long before being taken apart. Magical items however that is too strong for them to destroy they find particularly fascinating, going back time and again, determined to find out how it functions.
    They have standard magical items and goods for their Challenge Rating, but no coins.


    Gremlin Woes
    Conjuration (creation)
    Level: Druid 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5
    Components: V, S, M
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Touch
    Target: Machine or construct touched
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Saving Throw: Will Negates
    Spell Resistance: No

    You cause an object with moving parts to spontaneously begin to birth a gremlin. It matures in 2d4 minutes at which point it immediately begins to wreak havoc. This machine must be at least small-sized or larger. Anything from a wagon and mill to clocks and inevitables will suffice, though constructs without moving parts, such as a flesh golem, are unaffected.
    A gremlin within a construct-type creature can be expelled with a Remove Curse or Remove Disease spell, placing it in the next nearest space to the construct.

    Arcane Material Component: A broken gear, an iron nut, and a bottle of grease.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-26 at 10:46 AM.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Horrid Earwigs

    Horrid Earwigs
    By Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader


    Horrid Earwig Swarm
    Dimunitive Magical Beast (swarm)
    Hit Dice: 7d10 (38 hp)
    Initiative: +2
    Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
    Armor Class: 17 (+3 dex, +4 size), touch 17, flat-footed 14
    Base Attack/Grapple: +7/-
    Attack: Swarm (2d6)
    Full Attack: Swarm (2d6)
    Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
    Special Attacks: Distraction, divide and conquer, ear burrow, whispers
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., swarm traits
    Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +5
    Abilities: Str 3, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 15
    Skills: Bluff +6, Climb +11, Listen +6, Spot +6
    Feats: Ability Focus (Distraction), Alertness, Iron Will
    Environment: Temperate forest or swamp
    Organization: Solitary
    Challenge Rating: 5
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Usually neutral evil
    Advancement: -
    Level Adjustment: -

    On the other side of the door, you can hear rustling and scuttling, a horrid insect sound. As you open the door, the smell of old leaves and sweat washes over you. The room inside is covered in overlarge insects, crawling on every available surface. In the middle of the room, a man sits, clutching his head, covered from head to toe. Blood drips from his ears, and he looks up at you with terror on his face. "Help me," he pleads. "I can't hear anything, but I can still hear them!"

    Horrid earwigs are vile creatures who make raids on the lands of large groups of people, eating and destroying the citizens while keeping just enough alive to spawn the next generation. Some earwigs purposely keep their hosts alive for lengthy periods to search out new locations of food or other errands beneficial to the swarm.
    Swarms not hungered will often wreak havoc with populations, spreading lies and rumors through the lips of their hosts until it turns on itself. Why they do this is unknown unless it is simply for entertainment.


    Strategies and Tactics

    Horrid earwigs prefer small groups, swarming and eating away at the majority, while leaving one to become infested.
    Horrid earwigs prefer small groups, swarming and eating away at the majority, while leaving one to become infested.

    Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a horrid earwig swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

    Divide and Conquer (Ex): A horrid earwig swarm may fragment themselves into a number of individual units. As a move action the swarm may split into two identical swarms, each with half of the original’s current hit points (round down). The split swarm appears in an adjacent square. Each swarm may continue to split. A swarm with 5 hit points or less cannot be further split and is destroyed if reduced to 0 hit points.

    A horrid earwig swarm with 5 hit dice or less has their swarm damage reduced to 1d6.

    Ear Burrow (Ex): Each round the horrid earwig swarm deals damage to a creature of Tiny-sized or larger, there is a 20% chance that they burrow into the victim's ear and ruptures the eardrum, deafening it permanently. A remove blindness/deafness spell does not replace the lost drum or cure the deafness. A healing spell restores both the eardrum and hearing.
    The earwigs remain within unless a DC 15 heal check is made to remove it. If the check fails by 5 the creature is still removed but deals an additional 1 point of damage to the victim.
    If not removed eggs may be laid at anytime within the victim's ear and hatch 2d6 days later. The larvae burrow towards the brain, dealing 1 point of intelligence and wisdom drain per day. A Repel Vermin, Remove Disease, or any other ability that cures disease destroys the larvae.
    A Giant Vermin spell cast upon the victim causes the earwig to grow and burst out, dealing 2d6 points of damage to the victim and dislodging the earwig.
    The earwig's twitching cerci just within the victim's ear can be noticed with a DC 15 spot or search check. One with 4 or more ranks in Heal gains a +5 bonus to their check to notice.

    Whispers (Su): An earwig that dwells within one's ear continuously whispers evil suggestions directly into it's mind. This bypasses the victim's deafness. The victim acts as if under the influence of the Charm spell, though believes it is it's own voice it is listening to. The first suggestion the earwig gives is for the victim to not check its ears and threfore not notice the earwig within. This is a mind-affecting effect.

    Skills: A horrid earwig swarm has +8 racial bonus on Climb checks, and uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Climb checks. A horrid earwig swarm can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

    -=-=-=-=-=-

    Horrid Earwig

    Dimunitive Magical Beast
    Hit Dice: 1/4d10 (1 hp)
    Initiative: +2
    Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
    Armor Class: 17 (+3 dex, +4 size), touch 17, flat-footed 14
    Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+0
    Attack: Bite +8 melee (1 non-lethal) or Touch +8 melee (ear burrow)
    Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1 non-lethal) or Touch +8 melee (ear burrow)
    Space/Reach: 0 ft./0 ft.
    Special Attacks: Ear burrow, whispers
    Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft.
    Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1
    Abilities: Str 3, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 15
    Skills: Bluff +6, Climb +11, Listen +3, Spot +3
    Feats: Iron Will, Weapon Finesse(B)
    Environment: Temperate forest or swamp
    Organization: Solitary or Swarm
    Challenge Rating: 1/4
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Usually neutral evil
    Advancement: -
    Level Adjustment: -

    Strategies and Tactics
    Horrid earwigs prefer small groups, swarming and eating away at the majority, while leaving one to become infested.

    Ear Burrow (Ex): If an earwig hits with a touch attack, it uses its six legs to latch onto the opponent’s body. An attached earwig is effectively grappling its victim. A horrid earwig has a +15 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above). An attached earwig can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached earwig through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the earwig.

    While grappling an earwig may attempt to move into its victim's ear with another successful grapple check. Once within it may remain there without causing damage, or it may burrow into the victim's ear and rupture the eardrum, deafening it permanently in that ear, causing a -5 penalty to listen checks. If both eardrums are ruptured the victim becomes completely deaf. A remove blindness/deafness spell does not replace the lost drum or cure the deafness. A healing spell restores both the eardrum and hearing.
    The earwig remains within unless a DC 15 heal check is made to remove it. If the check fails by 5 the creature is still removed but deals an additional 1 point of damage to the victim.
    If not removed, eggs may be laid at anytime within the victim's ear and hatches 2d6 days later. The larvae burrow towards the brain, dealing 1 point of intelligence and wisdom drain per day. A Repel Vermin, Remove Disease, or any other ability that cures disease destroys the larvae.
    A Giant Vermin spell cast upon the victim causes the earwig to grow and burst out, dealing 2d6 points of damage to the victim and dislodging the earwig.
    The earwig's twitching cerci just within the victim's ear can be noticed with a DC 15 spot or search check. One with 4 or more ranks in Heal gains a +5 bonus to their check to notice.

    Whispers (Su): An earwig that dwells within one's ear continuously whispers evil suggestions directly into it's mind. This bypasses the victim's deafness. The victim acts as if under the influence of the Charm spell, though believes it is it's own voice it is listening to. The first suggestion the earwig gives is for the victim to not check its ears and threfore not notice the earwig within. This is a mind-affecting effect.

    Skills: A horrid earwig has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks, and uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Climb checks. A horrid earwig can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

    Horrid Earwig Lore
    Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) can learn more about horrid earwigs. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

    {table=head]DC|Result

    7|This little creature appears to be a large earwig, a horrible little creature that burrows into one's ear, deafening them and laying eggs inside.
    12|This is a horrid earwig, an intelligent creature that is capable of whispering into it's victim's ear to talk them into committing evil deeds. This result reveals it as a magical beast.
    17|Horrid earwigs often come in swarms, eating and deafening their prey in large numbers.
    22|Horrid earwig swarms are said to split off into multiple smaller swarms to pursue their own goals and then return to the main mass later.
    27|Horrid earwigs will usually leave one alive to serve as a host for breeding and carrying out their will.[/table]

    Ecology
    Horrid earwigs were originally created by a circle of evil druids to clear out small villages and reclaim them for the forest. They were successful, but afterwards lost control of their creations. The horrid earwigs bred true, and have spread through the world ever since.
    Environment: Horrid earwigs prefer temperate forests with thick underbrush. They seek out humanoid settlements to seek new victims to act as hosts for the next generation.
    Typical Physical Characteristics: A horrid earwig appears much as an overly large earwig with lengthy cerci twitching and writhing behind them energetically. The movements of horrid earwig swarms seem coordinated and intelligent.
    Alignment: Horrid earwigs enjoy killing, and do so far more than they need to survive. They are organized, but only loosely. They are neutral evil.

    Society
    Horrid earwigs act in groups to overwhelm their prey. They are organized into loose swarms that split when they have enough members.

    Typical Treasure
    Horrid earwigs have no use for treasure. However, they often have their hosts carry baubles to attract other humanoids. They have standard treasure for their challenge rating.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:04 PM.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default ...As Fast as You Can

    ...As Fast as you Can
    By Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader

    Sometimes, the best defense is distance.

    Wary

    Wary creatures are common peoples and beast that have lived so long in the terrifying shadow of supernatural beings that they have evolved extraordinarily sharp instincts and been passed down skills to survive.

    Wary creatures may be found within or on the outskirts of strange forests, nearby a vampire or lich's keep, or have a long history of invasions by horrible creatures for unknown reasons. Constant fear and dread is the norm, and stories and special training have been taught while drills continuously prepare for whatever may prey upon them.

    Wild wary creatures have had to hone their instincts to a razor edge to survive and compete with the paranormal inhabitants with which they share the land.

    Johnson
    Wary Human Commoner 2
    Medium Humanoid (human)
    Hit Dice: 2d4 (5 hp)
    Initiative: +5
    Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
    Armor Class: 11 (+1 dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10
    Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+4
    Attack: Sickle +4 melee (1d6+3)
    Full Attack: Sickle +4 melee (1d6+3)
    Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
    Special Attacks: -
    Special Qualities: Fear innured, flighty, low-light vision, source of terror, wive's tale
    Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +1
    Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 8
    Skills: Handle Animal +4, Hide +5, Move Silently +5, Profession (farmer) +6, Spellcraft +3
    Feats: Darkstalker*, Improved Initiative, Open Minded**
    Environment: Temperate Plains
    Organization: Village
    Challenge Rating: 1
    Treasure: Standard
    Alignment: Lawful Neutral
    Advancement: By character class
    Level Adjustment: +2
    *Lords of Madness
    **Expanded Psionics Handbook
    The man's eyes flicker from place to place, his weapon glinting in the darkness. A twig snaps, causing his entire body to jerk, like a puppet with its strings snapped. A zombie shuffles forward out of the mist. "I told ye this place was cursed!" the man's shout echoes behind him, as he runs back towards the village with a speed that rivals' the fastest horse.

    Johnson's family has lived on this bit of land on the far outskirts of the village for hundreds of years. A sturdy fence is built within a hundred feet of the nearby forest that overlooks his fields. Strange things have happened to folk who went exploring more than a mile or two within, and several times a year theirs a moaning or singing followed by the disappearances of a number of his livestock.

    His granny told him many a story of the inscribed stones out there, and the beings who put them there. To die she said would not be the end of it, for many a body got up and was seen walking about after disappearing for weeks in them woods, fungus and slime molds growing on their graying skins.
    He'd tried to sneak in with his friends, curious, and it was a night of terror that'd claimed half their number. Johnson remembers the grain sickle he'd taken with him, slashing at the shadows that fought. The ichor that'd been left on it wouldn't wash off and eventually dissolved the blade.
    Since then he'd been cursed they said, and it was hardly a night he could sleep with peace without the windows rustling or dreams plaguing him.

    Johnson speaks Common.

    Strategies and Tactics
    Anything that comes upon Johnson in the dark after that night in the woods risks being cut first and asked questions after. If snuck up on however he's likely to launch himself forward without looking back.

    Fear Inured (Ex): Johnson has lived so long in constant dread that it is second nature to him. He gains a +4 bonus to saves against fear effects.

    Flighty (Ex): During a surprise round Johnson, even if he would be caught flat-footed, may still roll for initiative. On his turn he may use the run action to flee at top speed that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but may not perform any other action until the surprise round is over. Johnson may run at 5 times his base speed on these occasions. Once he stops running he is fatigued for a full minute.

    Low-Light Vision (Ex): Johnson can see twice as far as a human normally would in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination.

    Source of Terror (Ex): Johnson gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against Aberrations and Undead. He also gains a +4 bonus on all appropriate Knowledge checks to identify and gauge the abilities of creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 dodge bonus to AC against such beings.

    Wive's Tales (Ex): Johnson gains a +5 competence bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering/religion) to identify and learn special powers or vulnerabilities of aberrations and undead. This Knowledge skill is considered trained for the purpose of this ability.

    Skills: Johnson gains a +4 competence bonus on Hide, Move Silently and Spellcraft checks. These are considered trained skills.

    Wary Lore
    Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (local) can learn more about phantoms. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. Facts about the base creature can be learned only by using the skill appropriate to the base creature's type and Challenge Rating.

    Knowledge (local)
    {table=head]DC|Result
    15+CR|This poor wretch has been changed by years of terror.
    20+CR|Wary creatures are faster and more perceptive than their ordinary cousins.[/table]


    Creating A Wary Creature

    "Wary" is a template that can be acquired or inherited and added to any animal or humanoid with no racial supernatural abilities, hereafter referred to as the base creature.

    Size and Type: Creature type is unchanged. Size is unchanged.
    Speed: All of a wary creature's speeds increase by 10 ft.
    Special Qualities: A wary creature retains all qualities of the base creature plus the following qualities.
    Fear Inured (Ex): A wary creature has lived so long in constant dread that it is second nature to them. They gain a +4 bonus to saves against fear effects.
    Flighty (Ex): During a surprise round a wary creature, even if they would be caught flat-footed, may still roll for initiative. On their turn they may use the run action to flee at top speed that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but may not perform any other action until the surprise round is over. The wary creature may run at 5 times their base speed on these occasions. Once they stop running they are fatigued for a full minute (minus a number of rounds equal to the wary creature's Constitution modifier. Minimum 1 round.).
    Improved Scent (Ex): A wary creature with the scent ability has its range of smell doubled and can pinpoint the exact location of creatures of its source of terror at 15 feet.
    Low-Light Vision (Ex): A wary creature can see twice as far as a human normally would in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. The wary creature retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. If the creature already has low-light vision the range of this vision increase by one half.
    Source of Terror (Ex): A wary creature may select up to two types of beings that has caused its wariness (these creature types are drawn from the Ranger's favored enemy table plus Mage, which covers any creature type with levels in a spell using or psionic using class). The wary creature gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against beings of this type. These bonuses stack with any gained from a Ranger's favored enemy. They also gain a +4 bonus on all appropriate Knowledge checks to identify and gauge the abilities of their chosen source of terror. Likewise, the wary creature gets a +2 dodge bonus to AC against such beings.
    If a specific creature falls into more than one category of source of terror, the wary creature’s bonuses do not stack.
    Wive's Tales (Ex): An intelligent wary creature gains a +5 competence bonus on Knowledge checks to identify and learn special powers or vulnerabilities of creature that fall under the source of their terror. This Knowledge skill is considered trained for the purpose of this ability.

    For example a wary creature with Monstrous Humanoids as their source of terror would be able to make a Knowledge (nature) check as a trained skill with a +5 bonus to identify a hag and recall her powers or vulnerabilities.

    Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +2, Wis +2.
    Skills: A wary creature gains a +4 competence bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. Sentient wary creatures also gain a +4 bonus on Spellcraft checks and consider it a trained skill.
    Feats: A wary creature gains Darkstalker and Improved Initiative as bonus feats. Otherwise same as base creature.
    Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature.
    Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +2.


    Running Feats

    Distance Runner
    You can run longer than most.
    Prerequisites: Con 15, Endurance, Run
    Benefit: While unencumbered you can use the run action for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution score, but after that you must make a DC 10 Constitution check to continue running. You must check again each minute in which you continue to run, and the DC of this check increases by 1 for each check you have made. When you fail this check, you must stop running.
    Normal: You can run a number of rounds equal to your Constitution score and must make another check each round.

    Soul of Pheidippides
    You can run tirelessly.
    Prerequisites: Con 17, Distance Runner, Endurance, Run
    Benefit: While unencumbered you can use the run action for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier, but after that you must make a DC 15 Constitution check to continue running each hour. You must check again each hour in which you continue to run, and the DC of this check increases by 5 for each check you have made. When you fail this check, you must stop running and become exhausted, taking 1d6 points of damage for every extra hour past your constitution modifier that you ran.
    Normal: You can run a number of rounds equal to your Constitution score and must make another check each round.


    Flee!

    Flee
    Enchantment (Compulsion, Fear, Mind-Affecting)
    Level: Brd 3, Clr 5, Drd 5, Sorc/Wiz 5
    Components: V, S, F/DF
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
    Target: One living creature
    Duration: 1 min/level
    Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
    Spell Resistance: Yes

    This spell causes its target to become panicked. Once no longer threatened the target is no longer panicked, however it finds it cannot force itself to stop fleeing.

    The target must continue to run for the spell's duration. Once the target fails a check to continue running it doesn't stop but instead takes 1d4 points of Constitution damage each time it fails the check as the spell forces them onwards.

    At any time the target is threatened they must succeed on a new will save or become panicked again. Those that make their save must still try to run, but they do not cower and if kept from fleeing may fight only so long as it allows them to escape.

    If difficult terrain or some other effect keeps the target from running they must still move as fast as they can, and then run as soon as they are able.

    Focus: A pair of masterwork boots.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:05 PM.

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Aberration Technology

    Aberration Technology
    by Callos de Terran

    Aberrations are strange, beyond all human comprehension. They do not think as we do, and neither do they perform tasks in quite the same way. Their technology is no exception to this approach. They do not always work with metal, nor with stone. For many aberrations, life itself is a tool to be sculpted into horrifying new forms.

    Here we have several items created by aberrations, suitable for placement into your next campaign.

    Spewer:
    Spewers are small creatures that most humanoid creatures would mostly closely link with familiars or animal companions. In the fact they almost physically bonded with their master and come in different varieties. In a way they much resemble large bloated frogs that wrap around the forearm instead of having legs. Spewers come in three different varieties. Spewers are exotic weapons and require the feat Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bio-weapons) to use properly. A spewer must wait 1d3 rounds between each firing. The Green and Black spewers require ranged touch attacks to hit.

    Red Spewer: 4d4 points of fire damage. (15 ft. cone)

    Green Spewer: Poison (First Damage: Paralyzation 1d4 minutes, Secondary: None.) DC: 14

    Black Spewer: 2d4 points of acid damage. Half of the original damage on the following round.

    Minor Evocation; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, burning hands (red), hold person (green), acid arrow (black); Price 7,500 gp; weight 5 lb.

    Grandi Megi Slug:
    Large custom grown slugs by the tsochari for mind flayer use, these mighty but stupid slugs hold a mighty destructive power deep in their stomachs. By focusing the material of their recent meals in a disgusting process through its seven stomachs a Grandi Megi can expel the now volatile and large substance at a considerable distance and at high velocities. Unfortunately the slugs only have enough energy in them to force out such a blast once per day. And after 5 such uses, the final 6th blast rips it to pieces from the inside.Targets inside of a 30 ft. radius of the focal point take 10d12 of force damage (Ref save for half). These fine slugs are prime examples of our ingenious technology for wiping out the more "resilient" scourge abominations.
    Moderate Psychokinesis; ML 9th; Craft Universal Item, energy blast; Price 12,000 gp; weight 5 lb.

    Memory Taker/Implanter:
    Various creatures can be placed inside of this large vats of a greenish solution capable of sustaining life. One inside, various tentacles with bone needles on their tips burrow into the victim's skull and begin to suck the memories from them. Aberrations with the proper codes can view and play back the visual and audio memories of the trapped creature or if in a fit of rage (or hunger) they may decide to terminate the subject. Once finished, the contents are divided into two separate containers. One for the aberration to use as it wishes, the other shipped off to factories in order too help power aberration weaponry against the fell undead plague. Also with the proper control and a steady hand one can actually falsify memories inside of the subjects mind, just in case the subject frees itself.
    Strong Enchantment; CL 17th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, modify memory; Price 120,000 gp; weight 1,500 lb.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:05 PM.

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default All Good Things Come to an End...

    All Good Things Come to an End...
    by Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader

    Ever had a day when it seemed luck was plotting against you? It might not have been your imagination...


    Hare's Foot
    This appears as the long hind foot of a black hare attached to a thin silver chain. Its possessor gains a +10 bonus to all checks, as well as a +10 luck bonus to Armor Class. Three times per day the possessor may choose to roll a natural 20 on any check.
    The one exception to this bonus is when one rolls a Search or Spot check to notice the foot being taken by some method, usually Sleight of Hand, or being Disarmed. In these circumstances no bonus is applied to the roll, and they take a -4 penalty in addition.

    If one loses possession of the hare's foot they automatically lose all bonuses and in addition take a -10 penalty to all checks, as well as a -10 penalty to Armor Class. There is a cumulative 5% chance each day that one who has lost possession of the foot dies in a freak accident, anything from tripping and impaling themselves upon their own weapon to choking on their meal. The penalty does not apply to these rolls.

    If one loses the foot, but later regains it, the conditions reverse, once again granting exceptional luck and dispersing the chance of dying. Loss of the foot yet again starts the chance of dying at the base 5%.

    The only way to break this curse is to burn the foot within a Hallowed area.

    -=-=-=-=-

    Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) can learn more about the artifact. When a character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including information from lower DC's.

    DC 20 - The hare's foot is said to be a cursed item that brings exceptional good luck to those that wield it and horrible bad luck if one loses it.

    DC 25 - Those that lose the hare's foot always seem to die soon afterwards from a freak accident.

    DC 30 - The hare's foot is said to have been created by a powerful hag in an unhallowed locale under a full moon on friday the 13th.

    DC 35 - The curse of the hare's foot may only be broken by its burning in a Hallowed locale.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:06 PM.

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default The Last Adventure

    The Last Adventure
    by John "Jack Mann" Beattie

    Deep in the Heartwoods, the Taleev Exploration Society set up their camp in a small clearing. The colors of their tents, green and yellow, blended in nicely with the scenery.

    They were older than the last time they'd adventured, with a few more grey hairs, but for the most part, they were in high spirits.

    "It's good to just relax in the wilderness," said Vilker, the head of the Society. An accomplished wizard, he'd spread out a bit in the middle since he'd first taken up his robes, and there were laugh lines around his mouth, but he still carried himself with a sense of dignity and purpose.

    "Hmmph." Vantin snorted. The short, spry man looked at the trees with distrust. "I would have preferred staying in the city. If I wanted to get lost in the middle of nowhere, I'd still be in the business. Isn't this why we retired?"

    "Don't be such a worrywart," said Elva. She was a hunter by trade, and enjoyed the outdoors. Just being in the woods seemed to take ten years off her. "Besides," she said with a smirk, "you agreed to go on this retreat with the rest of us."

    "That's when I thought we were going to Iskanderun, or Etchaim, or somewhere civilized," Vantin said. "A trip to the middle of a gods-forsaken forest is not my idea of a holiday."

    "Well, next year you can choose the destination," said Horlson, slapping his back genially. Vantin glared at the tall swordsman, but didn't say anything. Horlson had kept him alive too many times for him to take any real offense. Besides, Horlson had often helped him play jokes on the rest of the group, back in younger, more innocent days.

    Instead, he said, "I see you brought those idiot boots of yours. Planning on flitting about?"

    "I thought it'd be fun, since we've got plenty of room around," said Horlson. Of all of them, he had kept himself in the best shape. His broad shoulders were kept firm with regular practice with the city guard. He clicked his heels, and the white wings on his boots fluttered a bit, lifting him off the ground. "I see you brought your ring."

    "Hmmph. I remember the last time we came through these woods. That giant worm almost killed us. Oh, they say the woods are safe these days, but I'm not taking any chances. Something comes at us, I'm hiding. The rest of you lot wanted to come out here, you can deal with it." Vantin twisted the ring idly, his body going transparent for a second, then back to solidity.

    "Say!" said Horlson. "I never thought of that. Vilker, you don't suppose we might get attacked by something, do you? I didn't think to bring my sword."

    "Don't worry," said Elva. "If there was anything dangerous nearby, I'd know. And nothing is going to get near camp without picking up a few arrows for its trouble." She tapped her bow on the ground for emphasis.

    "I wouldn't be too sure," said Vilker. "They say the Beast of Ersho still hunts these woods."

    "That's just an old legend," Horlson said dismissively. "Even I know that's not real."

    "I don't know," Vilker said. "A lot of people have disappeared in these woods. Who knows why?" His eyes glittered with mischief, and he added, "They say it tears its prey apart before eating it, like a scorpion."

    Vantin tried to look casual, but he couldn't keep from glancing at the edge of the woods. He fingered the knife at his belt like a sacred talisman. He'd once seen a giant scorpion eating a horse.

    "If trouble comes, we'll deal with it," said Terlin. The dour gnome was setting up a small shrine to the spirits of the rock. He was wearing a simple brown habit, a more comfortable version of his usual ceremonial robe. The silver pickaxe he wore around his neck was clean as always. "We always have."

    "I'll keep my dagger close, all the same," Vantin said firmly. He was sure Vilker was just winding them up, but there were real dangerous animals around. Bears, and wolves, and giant insects.

    "You just hate sleeping on the ground," Horlson said, chuckling.

    "No one sane likes sleeping on the ground," Vantin said, secretly glad to change the subject. "Take that as you will."

    They soon had their campsite prepared. Vilker and Elva shared a tent, with the excuse that she'd forgotten hers. They had never been discreet. Vantin would have preferred to sleep alone, but he'd sold his adventuring gear years ago, and was forced to share Horlson's tent, with a borrowed sleeping pad. Terlin had his own tent.

    They cooked rabbit over the fire, which recalled fond memories for most of them, as did the complaints Vantin made about the charred meat.

    "Just like old times," Horlson said.

    "Am I the only one who really remembers the old times?" Vantin asked. "The constant danger, the privation, the cold nights and hungry days... What is there to like about all of that?"

    "It could have been worse," Terlin said, shrugging. "At least we lived through it."

    "Barely," Vantin said softly.

    "Come on, Vantin," Horlson said, putting a friendly arm around his friend's shoulders. "Sure, you got torn up a couple of times, but Terlin healed you up as good as new."

    "Sure," Vantin said. "Good as new." He very carefully refrained from touching the scars.

    "So, what is this Beast of Ersho?" asked Terlin, sounding bored. "I don't think I've ever heard of it."

    "It's a local legend," Vilker said. "Supposedly, it was created a few hundred years ago by Ersho, a wizard whose tower isn't very far from here. It was an experiment into the creation of life, and it went terribly wrong."

    "I think I've heard this one before," Vantin said sourly. He didn't want to hear anymore about monsters. He just wanted to go to sleep and get this ordeal over with.

    "One day, the creature escaped. It killed Ersho, and it's said that it's haunted these woods ever since. They say that if you listen, you can hear its howl on the wind." Vilker cupped his ear dramatically.

    "Aw, you're just trying to scare me," Horlson said. "No one's seen it in hundreds of years. It's bound to be dead by now."

    "I wouldn't be so sure," Vilker said. "A wizard's creations can live unnaturally long spans. And these are big woods. The creature could hide anywhere. Just... anywhere."

    "Hmmph." Vantin stretched. "If you're done telling fairy stories, I'm going to sleep."

    "I suppose it's as good a time as any to turn in," said Vilker. He stood up and walked over to his tent, holding it open for Elva. Terlin made his ablutions at the small shrine, and then got into hsi small tent.

    "Don't be too down," said Horlson, as he banked the fire for the evening. "We'll go swimming at the lake tomorrow, and you'll feel better."

    "Probably be leeches," Vantin said, but his mind wasn't on the lake. He kept stealing glances at the wood line.

    It was several hours before he finally fell to sleep.



    He was awakened by a high-pitched scream, like the sound of a dying rabbit, but louder. Vantin tore himself from the bedroll, rolling to his knees and grabbing his dagger. It was still full dark outside.

    Horlson groped blindly for the sword that wasn't there, finally gave up and ran out of the tent.

    Vantin turned his ring on his finger, and then followed more cautiously. As he left the tent, he nearly retched.

    The remains of Terlin's tent were scattered across the field. So were the remains of Terlin.

    "Oh gods," said Vilker, as he and Elva got out of their tent. They were both fully-dressed.

    "Look!" Elva said, pointing across the field, where a dark shape was disappearing into the forest. It was four-footed, and at least ten feet tall, but beyond that, Vantin couldn't tell much about it.

    "Follow it!" snapped Vilker, as he pulled his wand from his belt.

    "But Terlin..." Horlson said, staring at the scattered pieces of the gnome.

    "We can't help him," said Elva gently. "All we can do is kill his murderer, and let him rest in the next world. Now's the time for revenge."

    Horlson nodded fiercely, and they ran into the woods after the creature.

    Vantin stayed behind. He should have followed, he knew. He should have helped. Once he would have. But that was before the dragon.

    He could still feel its claws ripping across him, ripping him open like a fish. He still remembered seeing his guts spilling out, and trying to stuff them back in. He stared at poor Terlin, who had saved him, now ripped into pieces. He choked back a sob of fear.

    He had almost died once, and that was too many times for him. He walked quietly to the middle of their camp, and sat down with the fire to his back, making certain that he was still invisible.

    He huddled there for a time, waiting for the others to come back, when a tree fell down near the edge of the clearing.

    Something large entered the field. As it entered the light, it resolved into an animalistic shape. It looked like a wolf with the head of a baboon, with a pair of sharp, wicked-looking pincers rising from its shoulders. Its back was covered by a gleaming black shell like a beetle's. Its mouth was red with blood.

    Vantin held very still, hoping the thing wouldn't hear him, that maybe it would leave him alone.

    The creature padded into the camp, its pincers darting forward and snapping at the air. It bent its head down and began to sniff the ground. It looked around, and then sniffed again. It began to move, heading directly for Vantin's position.

    He sat there, frozen with fear. He couldn't think, except about those terrible claws. It got closer and closer, and stopped just ten feet away.

    It seemed to move with an unnatural grace, hardly disturbing the grass it trod on. The pincers clacked open and closed, and it snorted noisily. The eyes glowed red. There was something wrong with its shadow, but Vantin couldn't sort it out.

    Then the creature looked directly in Vantin's direction and roared, a strangely human sound.

    An arrow thudded into its shoulder. It swung its head around, and there was Elva and Vilker.

    Vilker was surrounded by a bubble of translucent magic. He strode confidently toward the monster. "I'll deal with this," he said.

    He lifted his arms to cast a spell when the monster pounced. It tore through the bubble of magic like it was made of paper. The mage gasped, and then changed his spell. He started to rise up above the ground, buoyed by his magic. For a moment, Vantin thought the mage would be safe.

    Then shell on the creature's back opened up, and two veined wings unfolded. With a terrible, droning buzz, the creature flew up and caught the mage in its pincers. Vilker screamed briefly, and then his body was torn in two. One half was thrown into the trees, and the other half into the fire, which mercifully didn't go out. The creature swung around to face Elva.

    "Run!" she yelled, and for a moment, he wondered if she could somehow see him. Then he realized that she was talking to Horlson, who stood at the edge of the field. The fighter stood there for a moment longer, and then turned and fled.

    Vantin finally got control of himself and followed. He didn't know what the warrior could do without a weapon, but two were surely more secure than one alone.

    He had the advantage of moving more nimbly over the underbrush than the warrior, and soon caught up. His friend was already turning around, looking as though he might run back. "Horlson!" he said.

    "Vantin? Is that you?" Horlson asked, looking around.

    "Yes, it's me. I'm invisible. Look, we've got to get away," Vantin said, touching his friend's elbow.

    "Get away? We need to kill that thing," Horlson said. "We have to, I don't know, trap it or something."

    "With what?" Vantin asked. "We don't have time. We need to get away now. Look, we can come back and kill it."

    "Maybe Elva will think of something," Horlson said stubbornly, setting his jaw.

    Vantin badly wanted to leave, but he could tell his old friend wasn't going to budge. "All right, all right, but let's try to hide. She can find us, I'm sure."

    Horlson seemed ready to argue for a moment, and then looked back the way they'd come. He paled, and said, "Okay. We can get into that tree there. I bet she can see us there." He pointed to a particularly tall pine, bare of branches up to fifteen feet.

    "Good, good," said Vantin, with more confidence than he felt. Height was no obstacle to a creature with wings.

    Horlson used his boots to reach the branches. Vantin got foot- and finger-holds in the bark, scrambling up like a squirrel. Tree or wizard's tower, he could climb anything.

    "Now what?" he asked.

    "We wait for Elva," said Horlson.

    Vantin huddled on a branch, and wondered wildly if maybe Elva could kill the creature before it found them.

    Several minutes later, they heard her scream, which cut off abruptly.

    "No!" said Horlson, almost falling from his perch.

    "Now we've got to get out of here," said Vantin, on the verge of panic.

    "How?" Horlson demanded. "It can fly, and fly fast. My boots can't get away from that thing." He glanced at the branch that bowed down by the invisible thief. "Maybe you could sneak away..?"

    "No, no," Vantin said. "It can track! It almost had me at the campsite. That won't work!"

    "Well, think of something, Vantin. You're the clever one. You always come up with the plans." Horlson looked as scared as Vantin felt.

    He thought for a moment. It could track on the ground, and it could fly through the air. Neither the boots nor the ring could get them to safety.

    Then a plan occurred to him. He looked at his friend, and fingered his knife.


    Several hours later, just after the sun had risen, Vantin finally arrived back at the inn where they had stayed on their way to the forest. It was a large inn situated on the crossroads, supported by passing merchants and adventurers.

    He sat in the common room and bought an ale. Then he softly began to cry.

    "I told you we'd find them here," said a familiar, impossible voice.

    He looked up, and there was Vilker, Elva, and Terlin, looking as they had the previous morning.

    "What in Iskander's name?" he asked, staring in amazement. "I saw you die!"

    Vilker laughed, his belly shaking. "And a good death it was, wasn't it?"

    "Stop bragging," said Elva, elbowing him in the ribs. "You overacted, you big ham."

    "It was a joke," Terlin said, cracking a rare smile.

    "A joke?" Vantin asked weakly. His stomach began to churn.

    "We knew you and Horlson would be easy to scare," Vilker explained. "We've been preparing this for the last month. I just cast the right illusions, and we followed the script."

    "No. No..." Vantin said, his eyes widening with terrible realization.

    "Oh, don't be so cross," Elva said. "It was only payback for all the tricks you used to pull on us."

    Vantin only stared down at the boots on his feet, with the wings stained red-brown.

    "By the way," Vilker said, looking around. "Where's Horlson?"
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 10:06 PM.

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Submission Guidelines

    Submission Guidelines

    Here at Footprints, we're going to be looking for submissions on nearly a constant basis. We'd like to get a number of designers straight from these boards to showcase their material here, but that means we need you to send it in to [email protected] We'd like to have a fair share of mechanics (monsters, classes, feats, spells, races, etc.) as well as articles on game design and DM philosophy, stories, and original artwork. If you've got something above and beyond that, we may be able to fit you in: check with us and we'll see what we can do.

    If you're not designing--or are stuck between designs--but still want to help, let us know. A few of us on the editorial end of things might need aid with their own pet projects. If you ask to do this, though, you'd better be dedicated, because it's not just your idea being built now: it's someone else's too.

    Content should follow the board rules, and should also be properly formatted for 3.5 D&D (or for whichever game it's designed for). Anything I've got to work to format correctly is probably not going to make it in unless it's stunningly masterful. Unlike most publications, we don't have a length limit--at least, not one beyond "be reasonable". We prefer that you submit material that hasn't been shown before elsewhere. We will, however, have a theme for each issue, and we won't be telling you what it is: that'd ruin the surprise. Do know, however, that your material is more likely to make it in if it does fit the theme than if it doesn't.

    If your work isn't accepted, don't worry and try again. We'll be perfectly willing to look at a different submission. Just don't spam us with the same submissions over and over, otherwise we'll be forced to devour your soul.

    Next issue should hit board the first week of December, so y'know.
    Last edited by Jack Mann; 2007-10-25 at 11:31 PM.

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Banned
     
    Lord Iames Osari's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Up in the sky
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    *waits for Stuff to appear in placeholders*

    Oooooooooo...

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Banned
     
    AssassinGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Soapbox

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Mann View Post
    We hope that you will find this feature useful, and that many of you will make your own contributions. Remember, this is your 'zine.
    Filthy commie!

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Matthew's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Kanagawa, Japan
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    Heh, this reminds me of the AD&D Ezine over on Dragonsfoot, 'Footprints'. Was this intentional or accidental? Interesting idea, though; I hope it eventually becomes a PDF of the same quality. Good luck with it!
    Last edited by Matthew; 2007-10-25 at 03:25 PM.
    It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after one’s own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.

    – Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350), Tsurezure-Gusa (1340)

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Banned
     
    Lord Iames Osari's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Up in the sky
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    Hm. Regarding the Loup du Noir - it looks good. I personally find it easier to figure out a class when the table is placed above the detailing of the abilities, but that's a formatting issue, not a game issue.

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Iames Osari View Post
    Hm. Regarding the Loup du Noir - it looks good. I personally find it easier to figure out a class when the table is placed above the detailing of the abilities, but that's a formatting issue, not a game issue.
    Better now, I hope?
    I am a poor man, some say I’m half crazy,
    son of the sword and the knife
    Lady I pledge you my sword and my honor,
    my heart and my pride and my life
    --Bella Dońa, by Joe Bethancourt
    Spoiler
    Show


    Alas, poor Draknir. By Mephibosheth

    Owl-atar by KingGolem
    You will be missed, dear 'stache...

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Jasdoif's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Oregon, USA

    Default Re: Maneuvers of Madness

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Mann View Post
    He muttered and gibbered about plants that grew claws fingers, children made of knives, and eyes as large as continents that watched him in his sleep.
    I imagine you mean "clawed fingers"?
    Feytouched Banana eldritch disciple avatar by...me!

    The Index of the Giant's Comments VI―Making Dogma from Zapped Bananas

  22. - Top - End - #22
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    NinjaGuy

    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Boston
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Table of Contents

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Mann View Post
    Editor-in-Chief: John "Jack Mann" Beattie
    Assistant Editor: James "Fax Celestis" Raine
    Monstrous Editor: Josh "The Vorpal Tribble" Schrader
    You guys have names?

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Banned
     
    The Vorpal Tribble's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    The Mindfields
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: Table of Contents

    Quote Originally Posted by brian c View Post
    You guys have names?
    We may be NPC's, but at least we're named NPC's.
    Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2007-10-25 at 04:15 PM.

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Fairfield, CA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Table of Contents

    Quote Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble View Post
    We may be NPC's, but at least we're named NPC's.
    I dunno what you're talking about. I have class levels.

  25. - Top - End - #25
    Troll in the Playground
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Bellingham, WA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    I prefer the term 'Mini-Boss'.
    My Deviantart, Please enjoy it.
    Invincible Maiden Avatar by GryffonDurime.

    Spoiler
    Show



    Homebrew by Krimm Blackleaf


  26. - Top - End - #26
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Karma Guard's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2007

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    oo oo how can we contribute?

    I'd love to help whenever you decide to do an Astral issue :9

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Fairfield, CA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    Quote Originally Posted by Karma Guard View Post
    oo oo how can we contribute?

    I'd love to help whenever you decide to do an Astral issue :9
    Jack should be posting contribution guidelines shortly.

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    Quote Originally Posted by Matthew View Post
    Heh, this reminds me of the AD&D Ezine over on Dragonsfoot, 'Footprints'. Was this intentional or accidental? Interesting idea, though; I hope it eventually becomes a PDF of the same quality. Good luck with it!
    Now that I'm no longer being driven to distraction by my laptop's performance, connection to my neighbor's wireless, or the board's own speed, I can finally address this. No, I've never heard of Footprints, so this is accidental. I was referencing the motif of the boards, as well as the hope that this will be the first step on a new path. And we'll just have to see where it takes us.
    I am a poor man, some say I’m half crazy,
    son of the sword and the knife
    Lady I pledge you my sword and my honor,
    my heart and my pride and my life
    --Bella Dońa, by Joe Bethancourt
    Spoiler
    Show


    Alas, poor Draknir. By Mephibosheth

    Owl-atar by KingGolem
    You will be missed, dear 'stache...

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Banned
     
    Lord Iames Osari's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Up in the sky
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    Overall, very creepy. Fitting, for an October issue.

    On the Grandi Megi Slugs, I think you made a teensy tiny error with the crafting requirements.

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Jack Mann's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2006

    Default Re: Footsteps #1

    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Iames Osari View Post
    On the Grandi Megi Slugs, I think you made a teensy tiny error with the crafting requirements.
    Fixed. My error.
    I am a poor man, some say I’m half crazy,
    son of the sword and the knife
    Lady I pledge you my sword and my honor,
    my heart and my pride and my life
    --Bella Dońa, by Joe Bethancourt
    Spoiler
    Show


    Alas, poor Draknir. By Mephibosheth

    Owl-atar by KingGolem
    You will be missed, dear 'stache...

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •