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  1. - Top - End - #1
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    The Vorpal Tribble's Avatar

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    Default Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Momeh

    In the distance the rumble of pounding feet are coupled with the roars and screams that should not be able to come from the throats of the men and women who rush forward. What causes the breath to catch in the throat however is what dances atop them on a thousand legs, a shape that tugs at the loose ends of one's sanity...

    Colossal Aberration (incorporeal, psionic)
    Hit Dice: 11d8+28 (77 hp)
    Initiative: +7
    Speed: Fly 50 ft. (10 squares) (good)
    Armor Class: 15 (+6 deflection, +7 dex, -8 size), touch 15, flat-footed 8, 20% miss-chance; or 17 (+7 dex, +8 natural, -8 size), touch 9, flat-footed 10, 20% miss-chance
    Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+31
    Attack: Swarm (mental blow)
    Full Attack: Swarm (mental blow) and 2 incorporeal claws +7 touch (1d8 )
    Space/Reach: 25 ft./30 ft.
    Special Attacks: Imbibe sanity, improved grab, mental blow, psi-like abilities, swallow whole, wake of madness
    Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., born of dream, chaotic mind, fast healing 10, incorporeal traits
    Saves: Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7
    Abilities: Str -, Dex 24, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 7, Cha 22
    Skills: Concentration +16, Spot +12
    Feats: Aligned Weapon (chaos), Iron Will, Psionic Body, Psionic Fist, Weapon Finesse(B)
    Environment: Any
    Organization: Solitary
    Challenge Rating: 10
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Always Chaotic Neutral or Evil
    Advancement: 12-29 HD (Colossal)
    Level Adjustment: -

    A cloud of legs, human-like but possessed of far too many joints, and each toe tipped in a blunt hoof. They seem to weave a wild dance upon the heads of scores of drooling, screaming maniacs. Above the legs rises the unclothed body of a muscular though comely female giant of dark, sweat-streaked skin. The long-haired head is utterly unnerving, alike to a beautiful woman's, though from chin to brow is an enormous puckered hole the color and texture of an old wound. Its ragged depths extends into an impossible distance, much farther than her head could account for, disapearing only once light no longer reaches.

    Her arms appear normal, except for the vicious talons that sprout from the end of her scarred fingers.

    Momeh are creatures given form and substance through the dreams of insane beings and the psychic static generated from the excessive turmoil of their fevered minds. Only a great many like minds are capable of generating such a phenomenon, so Momehs are most commonly called into existence by patients of insane asylums. The momeh then renders their carers similiarly unbalanced and brings them all into a great mob that do the momeh's bidding. These mobs rarely last long as few are capable of providing for themselves, so a momeh is always in search of replacements.

    A momeh can understand Common, but is unable to speak.

    Combat
    A momeh often dances atop the heads of her mob, allowing them to take the brunt of any attack while she uses her powers and long-reaching arms to combat those at a distance.

    Born of Dream (Ex):
    As a being of dream, a momeh appears hazy and out of focus, such that all melee and ranged attacks are assessed a 20-percent miss chance. This 20-percent miss chance is not the same as concealment.

    Chaotic Mind (Ex):
    Creatures and characters who have an insight bonus on their attack rolls, an insight bonus to their Armor Class, or an insight bonus on skill checks or ability checks do not gain those bonuses against a Momeh.

    Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a momeh must hit a creature of any size with two claw attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. A momeh uses its dexterity modifer for grapple checks.

    Incorporeal Traits: A momeh is harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, powers, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. It has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source, except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons. It can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. Its attacks ignore natural armor, armor, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects work normally against them. An incorporeal creature always moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be.

    Mental Blow (Su): Though a momeh's attacks feel like a physical pounding, this sensation is purely psychosomatic, for the mind and its sanity is all that takes a beating. Any thinking, living creature who comes within a Momeh's space automatically take 2d4 Charisma damage as if they had entered a swarm (DC 22 Will save halves). Those who fail the save are also Confused for 1 round. If a victim's charisma is lowered to 0 they become permanently confused as if under the Insanity power. This condition can be removed by standard means of correcting insanity.
    Incorporeal creatures however also take physical damage from this pummeling, sustaining 4d6 damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

    Psi-like Abilities:
    Continuous - Catapsi; 3/day - *Mental Turmoil, *Mindfire, Psionic Keen Edge, Psionic Suggestion. Manifester level 11. Save DC's are Charisma-based.
    * Found in Complete Psionic.

    Imbibe Sanity (Ex): A creature successfully grappled by a Momeh is brought to the gaping hole within the face of the beast which converts the victim to being of pure mental energy unless they succeed on a DC 22 will save. If they are converted they are sucked down the horrible orifice to suffer until the Momeh has completely consumed the last of their essence. This conversion does not technically kill its victim, but becomes yet another facet of the momeh's madness. As the victim is not dead, Ressurection and Revivify does not effect it, though Psychic Chirurgery, Miracle, Wish, and other high-level powers can seperate the psyches and reform the body. If the momeh is killed the spirit is released and may be ressurected normally as if the body had died at the moment the Momeh did. The save DC is Charisma-based.

    Wake of Madness (Su): A momeh is continuously surrounded by a horde of utterly insane beings. This mob is often the inmates of asylums, though it is also composed of quite a few formerly sane beings whoes minds have been broken as well. Their movements and actions are directed by the Momeh who has domination over the minds of her wake.

    If the momeh is killed, the Wake slumps into a coma from the results of their nonexistent charisma score.

    Wake of Madness (Mob of Insane Humans): CR 9; Gargantuan Humanoid (mob of Medium insane humans); HD 30d8; 135 hp; Init +4, Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 6, touch 6, flat-footed 6; Base Atk +22; Grp +34; Melee mob (5d6+1 bludgeoning); Space/Reach 20 ft./0 ft.; SA expert grappler, trample 2d6; SQ mob anatomy; AL CN; SV Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +16; Str 12, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha -;
    Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Spot +4; Chaotic Mind(B), Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush(B), Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun(B)

    Expert Grappler: A wake of madness can maintain a grapple without penalty and still make attacks against other targets. A wake of madness is never considered flat-footed while grappling.
    Trample (Ex): A mob that simply moves over a creature and doesn't end its movement with that creature in one of its occupied squares can trample trample the creature. A trampled creature takes damage equal to 2d6 points. The victim can either make an attack of opportunity against the Wake or make a Reflex save (DC 26) to take half damage.
    Mob Anatomy (Ex): See DMG II, p. 60.

  2. - Top - End - #2
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Wow! You really hafta stop eating cheese before you go to bed, that's truly nightmarish. I mean Far Realm-level shuddersome. I must use it ASAP! ;D

    About the Wake of Madness. Won't the Colossal-sized 'footprint' of the creature itself completely overlay the Gargantuan-sized mob? Or is that entirely the point? The mob swarms opponents, then the Momeh cherrypicks them from above...

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    The Vorpal Tribble's Avatar

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    About the Wake of Madness. Won't the Colossal-sized 'footprint' of the creature itself completely overlay the Gargantuan-sized mob? Or is that entirely the point? The mob swarms opponents, then the Momeh cherrypicks them from above...
    Basically, yup ;)

    So in reality players have to face the mob damage plus the Charisma damage, all the while the Momeh is attacking from above.

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Wow...where did the inspiration for this come from? This might rival The Blob in my nightmares.
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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Wow. That is just ugly. Only CR 10?

    Your monsters are much scarier than the MM monsters...

    Edit: scary-flavor, not scary-damage potential
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    The Vorpal Tribble's Avatar

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by dragonseth
    Wow...where did the inspiration for this come from? This might rival The Blob in my nightmares.
    Well, I've had it in my mind to make a sort of invisible psychic 'tree', a creature who roots itself in the psyches of an entire town... however, I didn't much have any inspiration on how to make it an actual creature. More like the start of a quest than anything.

    Then I remembered a book about a fellow with psychic ability who hid out in an abandoned insane asylum. He went temporarily insane as well as the mental energy absorbed within wreaked havoc with his mind. So I just kind of mixed together the two concepts.


    Wow. That is just ugly. Only CR 10?
    Well, its HP isn't much for a 10 CR creature, and its AC is abysmal. This is partially made up by having fast healing and being incorporeal, but not enough to increase its CR much more.

    Also, its mob does not count towards its CR. They have their own.

  7. - Top - End - #7
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    The Vorpal Tribble's Avatar

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Was seeing if I can find someone to sketch this out... had one guy who said he'd try, but after several weeks and heard nothing back... ::)

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Troll in the Playground
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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    *adds thread to his My Folders > Critters folder*

    I should really just rename it the Vorpal Tribble folder, though... :D

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    Abd al-Azrad's Avatar

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Awesome. That's a really scary, weird monster. Even for you, VT.

    Some points I'd like to see cleared up. First, the discrepancy in the creatures' speeds: the Momeh flies at 50', but the mob can only surge around at 20'. Can the Momeh fly away from the mob, or is it linked to them (as the description suggests)?

    Second, the mind-consumption works when the Momeh successfully grapples an opponent. Obviously, the key is not to get into grapple range, but if you do, it makes a touch attack, starts a grapple, and instantly has you making Will saves. I feel, at least, the creature should have to take an action to establish a Pin, before it can consume your mind- especially since it instantly, almost irreversably destroyes the PC.

    Third is the obvious problem that incorporeal creatures don't have physical bodies with which to grapple. It looks like you're just ignoring that here purposefully, which is fine, but should be stated explicitly- or, as in the case of the Spectral Lurker, give the Momeh an ability to use its hands as Ghost Touch weapons as it wishes.

    Fourth, can True Seeing or other magics get around its Born of Dream ability?
    That is not dead which can eternal lie
    And with strange aeons even death may die.

    Expand for quotes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sophismata View Post
    You are a bad, bad man, Abd.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lycanthromancer View Post
    'Psionics' is just tapping into the core of magic within yourself, whereas the mumbo-jumbo dancing, gibbering, and flinging around esoteric material components is like trying to paint-by-numbers when the guy next to you is rendering works from Picasso by memory alone.

    Abd's contribution to the Animate/End A World project.

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    The Vorpal Tribble's Avatar

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Abd al-Azrad

    Some points I'd like to see cleared up. First, the discrepancy in the creatures' speeds: the Momeh flies at 50', but the mob can only surge around at 20'. Can the Momeh fly away from the mob, or is it linked to them (as the description suggests)?
    The mob is linked to the Momeh, but not the Momeh to the mob. It basically just uses them as a shield, though it can go where it wish.

    Second, the mind-consumption works when the Momeh successfully grapples an opponent. Obviously, the key is not to get into grapple range, but if you do, it makes a touch attack, starts a grapple, and instantly has you making Will saves. I feel, at least, the creature should have to take an action to establish a Pin, before it can consume your mind- especially since it instantly, almost irreversably destroyes the PC.
    Maybe, but then again there are dozens of monsters who have instant kill abilities at much lower levels than this and they don't even have to be grappled. Just an attack or a look is enough.

    Third is the obvious problem that incorporeal creatures don't have physical bodies with which to grapple. It looks like you're just ignoring that here purposefully, which is fine, but should be stated explicitly- or, as in the case of the Spectral Lurker, give the Momeh an ability to use its hands as Ghost Touch weapons as it wishes.
    Well, its not so much grabbing the body as its essence and mind that is intertwined with the body. Thats why it uses its dexterity modifiers. This isn't without precedent as Spirit Animals from Frostburn for example are incorporeal creatures with grappling abilities.

    Fourth, can True Seeing or other magics get around its Born of Dream ability?
    Its basically a displacement effect, so most likely it would.

  11. - Top - End - #11
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    Abd al-Azrad's Avatar

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Whoa, I just noticed you originally posted this guy half a month ago. I'm surprised I missed it back then- it's one of the crazier monsters I've ever seen.

    Maybe, but then again there are dozens of monsters who have instant kill abilities at much lower levels than this and they don't even have to be grappled. Just an attack or a look is enough.
    You're right, and this guy allows a Will DC 22 save every round until the character dies. I think my only problem with it is that you need really weird spells to recover the victim. On that note- what happens to any people the Momeh has devoured on the event of its death?

    Oh- what are the various save DCs based on? The Mental Blow has a DC 21 Will and the Imbibe Sanity is DC 22.

    Sorry to give you a hard time, I just like your monsters being perfect. After all, it's pretty much what we expect from you now, considering how good you are. ;)
    That is not dead which can eternal lie
    And with strange aeons even death may die.

    Expand for quotes.

    Spoiler
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sophismata View Post
    You are a bad, bad man, Abd.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lycanthromancer View Post
    'Psionics' is just tapping into the core of magic within yourself, whereas the mumbo-jumbo dancing, gibbering, and flinging around esoteric material components is like trying to paint-by-numbers when the guy next to you is rendering works from Picasso by memory alone.

    Abd's contribution to the Animate/End A World project.

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    The Vorpal Tribble's Avatar

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    Default Re: Dancing upon the swells of madness... (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Abd al-Azrad
    You're right, and this guy allows a Will DC 22 save every round until the character dies. I think my only problem with it is that you need really weird spells to recover the victim. On that note- what happens to any people the Momeh has devoured on the event of its death?
    Man, must have been half-asleep when I made this. Gave the DC's explanation and mentioned what happens when it dies to those its 'eaten'.

    Sorry to give you a hard time, I just like your monsters being perfect.
    I very much appreciate it. This is exactly the kind of feedback I'm going for.

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