Pharaoh had a dream, and behold... (PEACH)

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Scorchedwind Grain

Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them and the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears...



Large Undead
Hit Dice: 6d12 (39 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 0 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+4 dex, +5 natural, -1 size), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+8
Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d6+1 plus shriveling touch)
Full Attack: 7 bites +6 melee (1d6+1 plus shriveling touch)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Baren fields, constrict, improved grab, shriveling touch, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/-, darkvision 60 ft., dust to dust, tremorsense 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 19, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: -
Feats: Lifesense(B), Weapon Finesse(B)
Environment: Any Lower Plane or land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-18 HD (Large), 19-36 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -

None know where the burning east wind comes from. Is it a curse from an angered deity as punishment? When demons open portals to our world does a breath of their fetid wind emerge? Perhaps a fire burns across a field planted on unhallowed ground gives this essence of death and famine form.

Few worry about where, only how to begone of it. Overnight it grows, a tall, withered stalk of grain, burnt and thin to the point it's a wonder it can support itself. Growing all about it on dead stalks are seven blackened ears that snap at anything near it, swallowing all plants it can reach and then waiting limp and still for creatures to approach. Its roots, like worms tunneling throug a corpse, spread out as far as it can, sucking the vitality and water from the land itself until nothing can survive upon it.

Combat
Scorchwind grain is often found bent double or even lying lifeless on the ground, fooling the unsuspecting. When they approach however it seems to awaken, rising up to snap and bite. If coming close to death it crumbles into wind-laden ash and dust.

Barren Fields (Su): No edible plant can grow within 1000 feet of a scorchwind grain. As well, it constantly affects the surrounding landscape as stunt growth of the Diminish Plants spell. Even after the grain has fled or died the curse remains upon the land for seven years or until vanquished, such as with a Remove Curse spell.

Constrict (Ex): A scorchwind grain deals 1d4+2 points of damage plus 1d6 dessication with a successful grapple check.

Dust to Dust (Su): If a scorchwind grain is killed it crumbles into dust and is soaked back into the soil. Unless the locale is Hallowed it will regrow within 2d6 days to once more plague the area. A Remove Curse spell cast on the field within 1 round of its destruction or 1 flask of holy water per HD of the grain poured upon its dust keeps it from regrowing.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a scorchwind grain must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict or swallow whole.

Scorchwind (Ex): Once per day a deathstalk can disolve into dust to be carried off on a sudden wind that blazes with heat. This wind always blows in from the east, though it may change direction at random. Reguardless the grain always seeks the next nearest field where it takes 1d6 days to regrow. While in transit it cannot be touched or harmed. If the grain is successfully Turned it may leave in this fashion even if it has already done so that day.

Shriveling Touch (Su): The mere touch of a scorchwind grain deals 1d6 dessication damage (see Sandstorm, p. 15) as it pulls the vitality right from its victim's bodies. Upon a successful critical it deals 4d6 dessication damage and the victim must make a DC 12 fortitude save or be affected as the Reduce Person spell except they shrivel two size categories and take subseqent penalties as if the spell affects stacked. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A scorchwind grain can try to swallow a grabbed Tiny or smaller opponent by making a successful grapple check.

A swallowed creature takes 1d4 points of bludgeoning damage and 6 points of dessication damage per round from the stalk's innards. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 5 points of damage to the innards (AC 13). Once the creature exits, dust clogs the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

Scorchwind grain can hold 7 Tiny, or 28 Dimunitive or smaller opponents.

[Mike_Lemmer]

How many VT monsters does it take to depopulate a world?

[DMgrinder]

Things to fear in Vorpal Tribbles campaign world:

rocks
trees
ground
rivers
roads
mountains
clouds
hippopotami
small woodland animals
large woodland animals
woods (as a whole, rather then individual trees)
dreams
sleep
waking up
being awake
shadows
light
...And now dead plants

Seriously, is there nothing that can't kill your players!?

Besides you steadily removing all safehouses from the players environs, I like the idea.

[Gyrfalcon]

Here's the actual list of just Vorpal Tribble items... the mountains and road came from other people. Still, it's a long, dangerous list. :)

Updated List of Things to Fear in Vorpal Tribble's World
the breeze (during fall)
trees
lighthouses
castaways
the sea
cellars
snowstorms
crickets
underground rivers or lakes
moss
fish
dreaming
aboveground rivers or streams
the realm of dreams
nightmares
dying in your sleep
old harvest hands
moths
forests
psionic angels
giant psionic spheres of crystal
fish-creatures in the Astral Plane
wolves
giant trees (redwoods)
roses at gravesites
aliens
anywhere on land (Spirit of the Virgin Lands)
rams
christmas lights
crab-like things that bond to your nervous system
massed swarms of infants
wells
darkness
hippopotami
dead plants

Good work as always Vorpal Tribble, but your world is... dangerous. So very dangerous. *laughs*

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Besides you steadily removing all safehouses from the players environs, I like the idea.

Well, see, thats the point ;)

I probably won't use a fiftieth of the critters I make, but others can, and who knows what environ they'd like some critters for.

Here's the actual list of just Vorpal Tribble items... the mountains and road came from other people. Still, it's a long, dangerous list.

Ah, well, see, thats because I haven't posted the majority of my monsters here. I have a few roaming mountains and I've been puzzling a colossal creature I dreamt the other day that looked like it was made entirely of woven roads.

[Gyrfalcon]

You.... haven't posted the majority of your monsters here?

So.... everything in your world is potentially dangerous. How does anyone make it through a day there? o_O

[Jack_Simth]

You.... haven't posted the majority of your monsters here?

So.... everything in your world is potentially dangerous. How does anyone make it through a day there? o_O

Rod of Security.

[InaVegt]

Beholf for the tribble's guide to horrors of beyond imagination will come to stores june 2007 (exact date may differ and can be changed to date's outside of june 2007)

Oh and that list should include cows, fix that

[Gyrfalcon]

I went through the list of monsters in the 'From the Boards' compilation, and I didn't see any cows from Vorpal Tribble. Care to link them? :)

[InaVegt]

[glow=blue,2,300]Blue Heifer[/glow]

[The Vorpal Tribble]

You.... haven't posted the majority of your monsters here?

Most of them are over at Wizards.com. I've only been posting them here since maybe around the beginning of the year.

So.... everything in your world is potentially dangerous. How does anyone make it through a day there? o_O

Because most of them aren't in my worlds :P

Oh and that list should include cows, fix that

Once JackMann updates the list it will, but I think the folk here are overwhelming him ;)

[Skyserpent]

I need to play a character in a VT world... that would be so much fun...

P1: AAAAAAH!!!!!
P2: What's wrong!?
P1: A STRAY ROCK!
P2 AAAAAAAH!!!!!

[Steward]

Here's the actual list of just Vorpal Tribble items... the mountains and road came from other people. Still, it's a long, dangerous list. Smiley

To be fair, not everything is evil and/or hostile.

[Gralamin]

Vorpal You are a bit cruel to noobies I say ;D

[The Vorpal Tribble]

To be fair, not everything is evil and/or hostile.

Aye, I have quite a few mainly pacifistic and good-aligned creatures.

Some examples:
Alatessa
Amberward of Salpa
Cricketman
Dreamcatcher
Odaiusey
Pureborn Beast
Wellspring Newt

[Delcan]

Y'know, I have to admit after the first half dozen or so of your creatures, I stopped paying attention to the crunchy bits. They're very good and all, but your flavor text is what I love to read most.

These things would be a horrible, incomprehensible nightmare to everyday farmers. Forget putting fear into PCs, just imagine what NPCs would feel when one of these things shows up...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

These things would be a horrible, incomprehensible nightmare to everyday farmers. Forget putting fear into PCs, just imagine what NPCs would feel when one of these things shows up...

Oh, exactly. But then of course that'd be a hook to bring the players into it... and it flees, and infests the next field. And the next, and the next... I can quite imagine the folks around getting ticked at the adventurers who're, to their mind, merely spreading the misery around.

[Herbert_West]

Monster looks great, every farmers nightmare.

old harvest hands

moths

christmas lights

I think I read about about most of the VTs monsters, but would some one please explain these ones?

[Gyrfalcon]

Monster looks great, every farmers nightmare.
I think I read about about most of the VTs monsters, but would some one please explain these ones?

Sure!

John Barleycorn

Lady of the Harvest Moon

Tangled Christmas Lights Golem

[Herbert_West]

.......
wow.
*goes to reread all of the other monster posts*

[Abd al-Azrad]

Wow, I've almost made it a habit of replying to VT's monster posts. Anyways, the Scorchedwind Grain is yet another monster I'd love to use to flesh out a game. Its name, however, is nigh impossible to type out on the first try, for some reason... then again, I'm having trouble typing words like, "words" without accidentally throwing in a "k."

The dessicating touch, which shrinks enemies on a successful crit, sounds fantastic to pull on a player who thinks he's so tough. Aside from that, this monster has a misleadingly high potential damage output (1d6+1? That's nothing... wait...) and is an utter terror in melee, from what I can tell (kind of poor attack bonus, but at seven grappling attacks a round, it's bound to destroy PCs).

Mechanically, it works almost exclusively from ambush, and beyond taking opponents by surprise, it's essentially a sitting duck. And given its nonintelligence, I think it needs some mechanic printed in its stat block to make it at least somewhat difficult to notice before it begins its attack routine- after all, we want players to come close to investigate. Something specific to play off the line in its Combat entry: "Scorchwind grain is often found bent double or even lying lifeless on the ground, fooling the unsuspecting."

Just trying to help. ;)

[Mike_Lemmer]

Vorpal, the only thing you haven't made a monster of yet is the planet itself.

[Don Beegles]

Oh, god, Mike canm't you see what you;ve done...YOU'VE GIVEN HIM AN IDEA. Run for the hills!! Oh god know, the hills are alive, and not wiht the sound of Music. We're all doomed!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Mechanically, it works almost exclusively from ambush, and beyond taking opponents by surprise, it's essentially a sitting duck. And given its nonintelligence, I think it needs some mechanic printed in its stat block to make it at least somewhat difficult to notice before it begins its attack routine- after all, we want players to come close to investigate. Something specific to play off the line in its Combat entry: "Scorchwind grain is often found bent double or even lying lifeless on the ground, fooling the unsuspecting."

Hrmmm, could possibly, though assassin vines for example don't have any bonus to disguise, but it does require you to make a special spot check to notice it.

However, this is most likely to be the only thing standing and therefore easily visible. Thing is, if the DM even mentions its existence most PC's are going to go 'ah ha!'

Once had the players come across a rafflesia (a harmless gigantic flower in south america that smells like rotting meat and grows like a fungus on big tree roots and logs) and because I made mention of it in the area description they immediately tried to avoid it and cast at it ::)

Oh god know, the hills are alive

Actually, that was one of the first things I did when I started monster making ;)

Torcrab

[Aidan305]

Notes down stats and going off to plague Arcadia.


My players should have fun with this one.

I know I will. Mwahahaha!

[The Demented One]

Vorpal Tribble, have you ever seen that episode of...X-Files, I think it was, but it could've been Doctor Who...where anything some guy imagined came into existence? I really, really hope that never happens with you.

[Azrael]

You.... haven't posted the majority of your monsters here?

'Cause I'm a stalker, here are VT's creations from over on wizards. Although I'm not sure how complete his list is.

[Telonius]

Another awesome monster, VT! One question though. If this thing is successfully targeted with a Greater Turning, a Disintegrate, or some other effect that would annihilate the Grain, does Dust to Dust still apply?

[Abd al-Azrad]

Hrmmm, could possibly, though assassin vines for example don't have any bonus to disguise, but it does require you to make a special spot check to notice it.

Precisely the sort of thing I was thinking. Well, obviously not exactly, but you get the idea.

SRD of Assassin Vine's Camoflage ability:

Camouflage (Ex): Since an assassin vine looks like a normal plant when at rest, it takes a DC 20 Spot check to notice it before it attacks.
Anyone with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can use one of those skills instead of Spot to notice the plant.

I think this sort of ability works quite well with sneaky plantlife. Given that this is an Undead, any creatures with the ability to detect undead would have an easy time, and maybe you could throw in something like, "No regular animal will willingly approach a Scorchedwind Grain, and if forced, they will panic."

However, this is most likely to be the only thing standing and therefore easily visible. Thing is, if the DM even mentions its existence most PC's are going to go 'ah ha!'

Once had the players come across a rafflesia (a harmless gigantic flower in south america that smells like rotting meat and grows like a fungus on big tree roots and logs) and because I made mention of it in the area description they immediately tried to avoid it and cast at it ::)

You must know the Gazebo story.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Another awesome monster, VT! One question though. If this thing is successfully targeted with a Greater Turning, a Disintegrate, or some other effect that would annihilate the Grain, does Dust to Dust still apply?

Hrmmmm, the latter, probably, the former... really not sure. I'd say destroying it with a turn attack would probably do it, but... I'll have to think on it.

Given that this is an Undead, any creatures with the ability to detect undead would have an easy time

Well... thats assuming they think to use detect undead on it.

You must know the Gazebo story.

Hehehehe, ooooh yeah. Its even been animated.