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    Default More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Greetings, all. First off, apologies if this isn't the right section for this kind of an endeavor. I don't think I've ever really seen a Let's Read outside of RPGNet, much less on GITP.

    Second off, what exactly is this thread about? Well, for that, we need a little backstory...

    How did this start?
    Last month, I decided I wished to undertake the endeavor of reading and commenting on the entirety of the over 400 page title known as the Tome of Horrors; specifically, Tome of Horrors Revised, the 3.5 update to the original 3.0 title. It started off as a blog project, but I realized after a little while that that goes against the spirit of a Let's Read, which includes discussion and interaction on the topic at hand.



    How does this work?
    Each update, I will take a handful (usually three, four, or five, but sometimes a few more if it's a sparse update) of creatures from the Tome of Horrors and emplace the basics on them and my opinion of them. After these creatures have been posted, discussion can be had amongst those in the thread (and myself) until the next set is posted; note that while most of the thread shall be in order, the demons and devils will be covered later as if they were one of the appendices due to their sheer bulk of numbers.



    What the heck is a "Tome of Horrors"?
    The Tome of Horrors, from Necromancer Games, is what I personally consider one of the greatest gifts to Dungeons and Dragons. It takes a large collection of TSR's 1st and 2nd Edition monsters (as well as a handful of original creations) and updates them to 3E rules, and emplaces them as Open Game Content, no less! I'm amazed they managed to get Wizards of the Coast to agree to such terms, but...hey, it's beneficial to us, so why pry?



    Main Contents
    Al-Mi'raj; Amphisbaena; Angel, Monadic Deva; Angel, Movanic Deva

    Animal Lord; Ant Lion; Apparition

    Archer Bush; Ascomoid; Astral Shark; Atomie; Aurumvorax; Axe Beak; Babbler; Banderlog

    Baric; Barrow Wight; Basidirond; Basilisk, Greater; Doombat & Mobat; Beetles: Giant Boring, Giant Death Watch, Giant Rhinoceros & Giant Slicer

    Belabra; Bhuta; Blindheim; Blood Hawk; Bloody Bones; Boalisk

    Bog Beast; Bog Mummy; Boggart; Bone Cobbler; Bonesnapper; Bonesucker

    Brownie; Buckawn; Bunyip; Carbuncle; Carrion Moth; Caryatid Column

    Caterwaul; Cave Cricket; Cave Fisher; Cave Moray; Cerberus; Chrystone; Clam, Giant

    Clockworks: Brain Gear, Drone, Overseer, Parasite, Scout, Swarm, Titan, Warrior

    Clubnek; Cobra Flower; Coffer Corpse; Cooshee; Crab, Monstrous; Crabman; Crayfish, Monstrous

    Crystalline Horror; Crypt Thing; Daemons: Cacodaemon, Charon, Charonodaemon, Darghodaemon, Hydrodaemon, the Oinodaemon & Piscodaemon

    Dakon; Dark Creeper & Dark Stalker; Darnoc; Death Dog; Death Worm; Decapus;

    Demiurge; Demodands: Shaggy, Slime, & Tarry

    Diger; Dire Corby; Disenchanter; Dracolisk

    Dragons: Cloud, Faerie & Mist; Dragon Horse

    Dragonfish; Dragonfly, Giant; Dragonnel; Drake (Fire, Ice and Salt)

    Draug; Drelb; Dust Digger; Eblis; Eel, Giant Moray; Elementals: Psionic & Time; Elemental Dragon; Executioner's Hood

    Eye Killer; Eye of the Deep; False Spider; Fen Witch; Fire Lizard; Fire Nymph

    Fire Snake; Firefiend; Flail Snail; Flind; Floating Eye; Flumph

    Fly, Giant; Fogwarden; Forester's Bane; Forlarren; Frog, Monstrous; Froghemoth

    Frost Man; Gambado; Gargoyle

    Ghoul-Stirge; Giants: Sand & Wood; Gloomwing

    Golems: Blood, Ice, Stone Guardian, Tallow & Wood; Gorbel

    Gorgimera; Gorgon, True; Gorilla-Bear; Grippli; Groaning Spirit (Banshee)

    Gryph; Guardian Daemon; Hangman Tree; Haunt; Hellmoth; Hippocampus

    Hoar Fox; Huecuva; Inphidian, Common; Iron Cobra; Jack-o'-Lantern

    Jaculi; Jellyfish, Monstrous; Jupiter Bloodsucker; Kamadan; Kampfult; Kech

    Kelp Devil; Kelpie; Khargra

    Killmoulis; Korred

    Land Lamprey; Lava Child

    Leech, Giant; Leprechaun; Livestone; Lurker Above

    Magnesium Spirit; Mandragora; Mantari

    Marble Snake; Medusa, Greater

    Midnight Peddler; Mihstu; Mite

    Mongrelman

    Moon Dog; Muckdweller; Mudman; Mummy of the Deep

    Mustard Jelly; Necrophidius

    Nereid; Nilbog

    Obsidian Minotaur; Ogre, Half-; Ogrillion

    Oliphant; Oozes: Crystal, Magma, Mercury & Undead

    Ooze, Vampiric; Orog

    Pech; Phantom Stalker; Phycomid

    Poltergeist; Protector; Puddings: Brown, Dun & White

    Pyrolisk; Quasi-Elemental, Lightning; Quickling

    Quickwood; Rats: Brain, Ethereal, and Shadow

    Rock Reptile; Sandling; Sandman

    Scarecrow; Screaming Devilkin

    Scythe Tree; Shadow, Lesser; Shedu

    Slime Crawler; Slithering Tracker; Slug, Giant

    Soul Eater

    Soul Nibbler; Spriggan; Sprite

    Squealer; Stegocentipede

    Stench Kow; Stone Roper; Stormwarden

    Strangle Weed; Stunjelly; Stymphalian Bird

    Tabaxi; Taer; Tenebrous Worm

    Tentamort; Thorny; Thunder Beast

    Tick, Giant; Transposer; Trapper

    Tri-Flower Frond; Trolls: Cave and Ice

    Trolls: Rock, Swamp, and Two-Headed

    Tsathar; Tunnel Worm; Ubue

    Vampire Rose; Vegepygmy; Vilstrak; Volt

    Vulchling; Wind Walker; Witherstench; Witherweed; Wizard's Shackle

    Wolves: Ghoul and Shadow; Wolf-in-Sheep's-Clothing; Wolf-Spider

    Yellow Musk Creeper; Yeti; Zombie, Brine



    Templates Appendix Contents
    Abomination; Beast of Chaos

    Bleeding Horror; Dire Animal

    Foo Creature; Skeleton Warrior

    Slime Zombie; Spectral Troll

    Therianthrope; Thessalmonster

    Zombies: Juju and Yellow Musk



    Hazards Appendix Contents
    Bookworm; Ear Seeker; Gas Spore

    Hound of Ill Omen; Memory Moss; Olive Slime

    Phantom; Piercer; Purple Moss

    Rot Grub; Russet Mold; Spinal Leech

    Symbiotic Jelly; Throat Leech; Twilight Mushroom



    Animals Appendix
    Barracuda; Caribe, Giant; Deer (post also contains a note on the Snakes appendix)

    Eel, Electric; Fox; Hamster, Giant

    Hippopotamus; Lizard, Giant Rock-Horned, Marmoset, Giant

    Moose; Quipper; Sheep

    Skunk; Tiger Barb, Giant; Turtle, Giant Snapping



    Demons and Devils
    Demons: Aeshma, Alu-, and Baphomet

    Demons: Beluiri the Temptress, Cambion, and Dagon

    Demons: Corruptor Demons, Daraka, and Fraz-Urb'luu

    Demons: Gharros, Jubilex the Faceless Lord, and Kostchtchie

    Demons: Maphistal, Nabasu, and Nerizo

    Demons: Orcus, Pazuzu, and Shadow Demon

    Demons: Sonechard, Stirge Demon, and Tsathogga

    Demonic Knight, Devils: Amon and Baaphel

    Devils: Bael, Geryon, and Ghaddar

    Devils: Gorson, Hutijin, and Lucifer

    Devils: Moloch, Nupperibo, Titivilus, and Tormentor Devil



    That's about it for what you need to know, so prepare yourselves for a collection of creepy, kooky, and sometimes downright nonsensical beasts. Get out your masterwork blades and armors, because here there be monsters. And here's the first batch now!

    ---------------------------------

    Adherer
    Our very first monster, and we're already at a weirdy. The adherer is a strange CR 3 Aberration that resembles nothing so much as a wet mummy. Then you realize that it's not a bandaged corpse; it's a very living thing with rolls of loose-skin wrinkles coated in a copious adhesive slime (ewww indeed). These freaky fiends like to hang out in temperate-weather forests, coating their sticky body with detritus to camouflage themselves before waiting for whatever happens to come along. Now, as odd as they are, I actually like the adherer. They're an interesting concept in that they're a monster that actively uses their strange abilities and environment to their advantage, and they also provide a challenge to melee combatants due to their adhesive skin folds. They are also damaged by boiling water, which is an interesting anecdote, if a bit silly as a weakness. Overall, a solid B+ monster in my book, and pretty creative for what is basically a low-level melee brute.



    Aerial Servant
    This creature, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. The aerial servant is a CR 11 Elemental whose soul purpose is basically to act as a private slave for spellcasters (specifically Clerics, according to the fluff). These lesser genie-like beings of the air have phenomenal Strength (noted as being why they are often summoned for heavy labor), a constricting grapple with their oversized hands, some basic "I blow you over" wind powers, and a constant mental link with its summoner. Now, on its own, I'd give the aerial sla...er...servant a C for being a spellcaster footstool and nothing more, but then I think about the possibilities for the fluff behind it. What makes the aerial servants so tied to servitude? They aren't unintelligent like golems (sure, they are Intelligence 4, lower than even an ogre, but it's still higher than animal Int), they have a physical appearance a bit too close to genies for comfort, and they are compelled to obey. Perhaps they are genies transformed as some sort of penance (a magical community service, if you will), or they may be an even older progenitor race the djinn displaced and geas'd into servitude. The gears turn in my head oh so pleasantly...



    Algoid
    Algoids, algoids, algoids. What can I say about you that you don't already know? You're a CR 4 Plant type, freaky, you're smelly, you're a freaking humanoid-shaped clump of algae animated by mental energy. But seriously, the algoids are a fun but weird critter. You have this shambling hulk of swamp mulch who has developed a colonial intellect that allows it to perform a MIND CRUSH!! attack (okay, so it's a stunning mental scrambler rather than an utter devastation attack....I still had to make that reference. It's in my contract, I believe) as well as perform some very minor psionics. I wonder what kind of society a species of semi-intelligent (strangely enough, like both the adherer and aerial servant, the algoid also had Intelligence 4...huh) walking algae have? I'd vouch for shamanistic nature-worshipers that revere the "Gracious Swamp", myself. This one's a B-; odd and kinda hard to use, but fun in my honest opinion. I also give kudos to Necromancer Games for what they did with the algoid and every other psionic monster in this title. Any time you find a psionic monster in the Tome of Horrors, you'll find a sidebar detailing spells that you can replace the psionics with if you aren't in a psi-focused campaign. How thoughtful!



    Welp, that's it for our first installment, so get some discussion started on these critters. Coming up next time: strange blink bunnies, a twin-headed serpent, and two members of the angelic armies.
    Last edited by Rappy; 2010-10-18 at 04:45 PM.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    What? Tome of Horrors got rid of the Aerial Servant's iconic RAGEQUIT! get-out clause? What a crock!

    (For the record: "IF thwarted in mission THEN return to summoner and kill his fleshbag self")

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    So does it say how to summon the Aerial Servant? That would help.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rappy View Post
    I wonder what kind of society a species of semi-intelligent (strangely enough, like both the adherer and aerial servant, the algoid also had Intelligence 4...huh) walking algae have? I'd vouch for shamanistic nature-worshipers that revere the "Gracious Swamp", myself.
    Hmmm. Maybe they're like some kind of pseudo-illithids. You know, some algae, of course, grows on the surface of the mind flayers' mind pools, and the illithids generally just scrape it off and throw it away. But that algae has been tainted by its birth place. It grows into twisted mockeries of the illithids, struggling to emulate their horrible societies. In the end, though, it's just algae, so maybe it uses its psionic powers to capture people, but is then unable to actually enslave them, although the algoids fail to consider that, and so they are able to just walk out, admittedly into a dangerous locale. Could be a good basis for a low-level "get back to civilization" style adventure.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    I misread the thread title as Tomb of Horrors, and was therefore extremely confused for a good deal of the post.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Olo Demonsbane View Post
    I misread the thread title as Tomb of Horrors, and was therefore extremely confused for a good deal of the post.
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    You all are a terrible species. I'm going back to my fortress of misanthropy now.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Likewise - I kept thinking: 'There's no flumphs in the Tomb of Horrors...only ability damage and suffering...'
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by bosssmiley View Post
    What? Tome of Horrors got rid of the Aerial Servant's iconic RAGEQUIT! get-out clause? What a crock!

    (For the record: "IF thwarted in mission THEN return to summoner and kill his fleshbag self")
    Looking closer, it does have that clause still in it. It's just kinda sandwiched...the formatting of the aerial servant's paragraphs is smushed together for whatever reason (possibly to keep the entire entry on one page).

    Quote Originally Posted by Starbuck_II View Post
    So does it say how to summon the Aerial Servant? That would help.
    Greater planar ally and greater planar binding, specifically. Sorry about that; these posts were originally written for a not necessarily 3E-familiar audience, so they sometimes seem a little redundant or silly. I'll try to keep that in mind when we reach the posts that aren't prewritten.

    Quote Originally Posted by Thane of Fife View Post
    Hmmm. Maybe they're like some kind of pseudo-illithids. You know, some algae, of course, grows on the surface of the mind flayers' mind pools, and the illithids generally just scrape it off and throw it away. But that algae has been tainted by its birth place. It grows into twisted mockeries of the illithids, struggling to emulate their horrible societies. In the end, though, it's just algae, so maybe it uses its psionic powers to capture people, but is then unable to actually enslave them, although the algoids fail to consider that, and so they are able to just walk out, admittedly into a dangerous locale. Could be a good basis for a low-level "get back to civilization" style adventure.
    This. This is a great idea. I never thought to tie the algoids to one of the Big Minds in psionic monsters, but it's a good idea; it's also not unprecedented when you consider creatures like the illithidae (illithid-dogs, etc.).

    Also, to those who mistook this for the infamous Tomb: yeah, I think that's what the TOH's name is a pun of. It actually does have some Tomb of Horrors-related monsters later, but that's not for a ways now.

    ---------------------------------

    Al-Mi'raj
    The curious and quirky al-mi'raj is a little CR 1 Magical Beast that resembles a woolly, unicorn-horned rabbit. They are sort of a one-trick pony, with their prime ability being teleportation and dimension-shifting in addition to an immunity to poison and a Spell Resistance rating of 16; it's actually an interesting idea, and one that makes sense for a magically-charged ecosystem to produce as a defense against predators. They are also capable of dealing the same damage as a knife with their horn, which isn't too shabby when you consider that it's a rabbit we're talking about. Also provided are stats for the heftier CR 2 psionic al-mi'raj, which is essentially a slightly heftier al-mi'raj with some basic telekinetic and weather-controlling powers. Fun fact for this entry: al-mi'raj fur comes in white, yellow, green, and pink! Designer al-mi'raj at wizard pet shows, anyone? They also happen to be from Arabic poetry rather than a TSR whole-cloth oddity, believe it or not.



    Amphisbaena
    Here we have a CR 4 Magical Beast based on Greek mythology; it's a snake with a second head instead of a tail. It works exactly how you'd expect it to for the most part, so....meh. It does have an interesting feature in that it can survive being cut in half, with each half surviving the ordeal (if they aren't killed with their halved hit point count) and rejoining in a day or two. The creature becomes more interesting if you look at its origin story in Greek mythology, wherein it is stated that the amphisbaena were spawned from the blood that fell to the earth from the decapitated head of Medusa. Perhaps amphisbaena are kept as sacred animals by D&Dverse medusae and used in some sort of arcane ritual by them?



    Angel, Monadic Deva
    These dark-skinned winged musclemen are the ground troop leaders of the angelic armies, and at a Challenge Rating of 12, these Outsiders are nothing to sneeze at. Monadic devas carry a large arsenal of holy magic, a Spell Resistance rank of 28, and wield a mighty adamantine mace that deals utterly decimating damage to Outsiders and Constructs. Outsiders I can understand, demons and devils alike being of that creature type, but...why Constructs? The fluff doesn't explain this, but I'm guessing it's for things like dread golems from Ravenloft or Inevitables. Other than this odd note, they're rather standard "I smash teh ebuls!" celestials, so...they're okay, but not anything great.



    Angel, Movanic Deva
    If the monadics are the officers of the angelic choirs, then the silvery-sheened movanics are the footsoldiers. These CR 10 Outsiders deal directly with strong mortals such as Paladins in order to snuff out evil. They have similar spells to the monadic deva, but their Spell Resistance is a slightly weaker 26 and their weapon of choice is a good ol' fashioned fiery greatsword. They also have an aura that prevents animals and plants from willingly attacking them, presumably as a side-effect of the fact that they are the direct interactors between the mortal and celestial planes and it'd be rather embarrassing if movanic devas were being constantly chased by guard dogs.

    ---------------------------------

    Up next time, we have our first two unique creatures in the Animal Lords, as well as a big bug and a scary spirit.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Animal Lord
    The Animal Lords are, as their title implies, Outsiders that are the lords of animals. Two are presented here; the CR 15 Cat Lord and the CR 13 Mouse Lord. Both animal lords have telepathy and the ability to speak the tongue of their animal wards, damage reduction surpassed by magic and cold iron, spell resistance (at 28 and 26 rankage respectively), thematic spell-like abilities (sneakery for the Mouse Lord, speed and agility for the Cat Lord). near immortality, immunity to mind-affecting powers, the ability to command and pacify their chosen animal, and shapeshifting from human to beast form. The Cat Lord has vicious claws and a blinding spittle attack to up his specific powers, while the Mouse Lord augments her ability with plague-spreading.

    The lords do not interfere with the general nature of things, but will step in if there is the thread of mass or even localized annihilation of their subjects; thus, the Animal Lords are unlikely to be encountered unless you are traveling to their planes or you've started beating up animals left and right. I'm somewhat disappointed that the two chosen Animal Lords were of such generic creatures, but I guess I can't get my wish for things like Rhino Lords and Crocodile Lords just because I'm an odd person.



    Ant Lion
    This CR 6 vermin is, unsurprisingly, a giant version of the ant lion. For those of you that don't know, ant lions are the larval form of a species of lacewing; they are chubby little grubs with nasty tweezer-jaws that snap up ants like candy. They dig pits designed to cause an ant or similar small insect to slip and trip right into their waiting maws. As a result, the giant ant lion takes the same concept and upscales it for monstrous vermin...and unfortunate humanoids. I imagine these would be fun to use as an alternate to the standard "it's a sandworm!" desert encounters.



    Apparition
    Haha, our first undead of the book, and quite the nasty one at that. Apparitions are a hearty CR 7 that, on first gaze, is your typical "can't go out in the daylight, creates spawn, meh" undead; on second look, however, you'll see that it distinguishes itself from other incorporeal spirits in several ways. First is that its unnatural aura scares animals witless, which plays into the whole idea that ghosts get dogs, cats, horses, etc. riled up when they are present. Second is that it knows where every living thing in a 100-foot radius is, and just how lively it is. Third, and most shockingly unpleasant, is that it can implant a mental seed of fear that requires a victim to make a Fortitude save or immediately die of a heart attack! Now that's what I call a nasty monster, friends. While it's definitely an interesting spirit, I can't help but think it might be a bit overkill, and I can't honestly say I would rather use these than the more versatile ghosts, since they can be applied to many creatures of different levels rather than a single static critter. They also don't give people heart attacks. >_>;

    ----------------------------------

    Alrighty, here's your next set of targets, folks. Next time, we'll be looking at two peculiar plants, a freaky fish, and a finicky fey.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    How would you run an encounter with an ant lion? My players don't tend to dive in as their first action when I say "pit".

    Related unrelated question, would the players get experience if in a large spanning desert they found an ant lion pit and walked around it? I'm in two minds. They didn't actually face a challenge (they could have done it just as easily at level 1 then as level 6), so they shouldn't get exp, but I don't want to discourage being cautious either.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Nich_Critic View Post
    How would you run an encounter with an ant lion? My players don't tend to dive in as their first action when I say "pit".

    Related unrelated question, would the players get experience if in a large spanning desert they found an ant lion pit and walked around it? I'm in two minds. They didn't actually face a challenge (they could have done it just as easily at level 1 then as level 6), so they shouldn't get exp, but I don't want to discourage being cautious either.
    Depends on Party Objective: you get Exp for achieving goals. Bypassing an obstacle to that goal = exp.
    If monsters not related to goal than not affecting Exp if bypass (fighting it my make achgiving goal harder so Exp).
    DMG example, sneaking pass a troll guarding a passage = full EXP.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Nich_Critic View Post
    How would you run an encounter with an ant lion? My players don't tend to dive in as their first action when I say "pit".

    Related unrelated question, would the players get experience if in a large spanning desert they found an ant lion pit and walked around it? I'm in two minds. They didn't actually face a challenge (they could have done it just as easily at level 1 then as level 6), so they shouldn't get exp, but I don't want to discourage being cautious either.
    Real ant lions flick sand at insects that traverse the rims of their pits to make them fall down faster. How exactly you'd replicate this in D&D, I'm not sure...breath weapon, maybe?

    Hey, maybe give it the Monstrous Beast template from Savage Species and have a fire-breathing uber-predator giant ant lion!
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rappy View Post
    Real ant lions flick sand at insects that traverse the rims of their pits to make them fall down faster. How exactly you'd replicate this in D&D, I'm not sure...breath weapon, maybe?

    Hey, maybe give it the Monstrous Beast template from Savage Species and have a fire-breathing uber-predator giant ant lion!
    You could make the antlion's pit more of a sinkhole type of trap that a large animal could unintentionally stumble into, instead of an obvious, conical pit.

    Explain it however you like. Like, it creates a cavity in the sand, holding the walls in place with some sort of secreted substance. The solidified goop normally keeps the cavity stable, until a large enough creature walks on it. Or maybe the antlion senses the vibrations of approaching creatures, and deliberately collapses the sinkhole beneath it when something is overhead.

    Added bonus if the adventurers falling into the pit have a chance of being immobilized or even buried by the ensuing mini-avalanche of sand.
    Last edited by HenryHankovitch; 2010-03-11 at 02:48 PM.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Olo Demonsbane View Post
    I misread the thread title as Tomb of Horrors, and was therefore extremely confused for a good deal of the post.
    I thought he had a typo all through OP. Thanks for clarification :D

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Hmm...

    Amphisbaena
    Does it mention that they move by biting their neck and rolling like a wheel? Because that was always my favorite part about Amphisbaenas.

    Devas
    In the 2e Planescape MC, Monadic Devas are the ones sent to the Elemental Planes, and their weapons do extra damage against "solid creatures (for example, those made of stone) and metal-armored opponents." Perhaps this was translated into extra damage against constructs?

    Apparition
    Does it say anything about what causes the creation of apparitions?

    And since we got them both together, one wonders what kind of effect apparitions have on animal lords.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by ozgun92 View Post
    I thought he had a typo all through OP. Thanks for clarification :D
    She, if you meant my opening post. But 'tis a minor quibble due to how small the gender icon is.

    Quote Originally Posted by Thane of Fife View Post
    Does it mention that they move by biting their neck and rolling like a wheel? Because that was always my favorite part about Amphisbaenas.
    That it does, it's the last of the three (yes, only three) fluff sentences given to the amphisbaena, the others being one that mentions its length and one that says that it likes to live in dark, damp places or near water.

    In the 2e Planescape MC, Monadic Devas are the ones sent to the Elemental Planes, and their weapons do extra damage against "solid creatures (for example, those made of stone) and metal-armored opponents." Perhaps this was translated into extra damage against constructs?
    That would explain it, yes. Thanks!

    Does it say anything about what causes the creation of apparitions?

    And since we got them both together, one wonders what kind of effect apparitions have on animal lords.
    They're spirits "driven to evil" because they died prematurely in an accident. Seriously.

    Also, since the apparition's heart attack-induction power is listed as a suggestion-based ability, the Animal Lords are immune to them. Of course, even if they were and somehow saved their Fortitude save, their soul just reforms on the Astral Plane over 9 days.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rappy View Post
    Angel, Movanic Deva
    If the monadics are the officers of the angelic choirs, then the silvery-sheened movanics are the footsoldiers. These CR 10 Outsiders deal directly with strong mortals such as Paladins in order to snuff out evil. They have similar spells to the monadic deva, but their Spell Resistance is a slightly weaker 26 and their weapon of choice is a good ol' fashioned fiery greatsword. They also have an aura that prevents animals and plants from willingly attacking them, presumably as a side-effect of the fact that they are the direct interactors between the mortal and celestial planes and it'd be rather embarrassing if movanic devas were being constantly chased by guard dogs.
    They seriously nerfed the poor thing. Not only it's it's CR higher than the original (foot soldiers at CR 10?), it lost it's main special ability that made it a quite usefull monster instead of just another flying girl with SLAs and random auras.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Animal lords! Man, why haven't I found this book a year back when I needed a cat lord. Too bad they didn't bring the Lizard Lord back, he always looked cool.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Eldan View Post
    Animal lords! Man, why haven't I found this book a year back when I needed a cat lord. Too bad they didn't bring the Lizard Lord back, he always looked cool.
    I hear you there. I only found it last year, after I'd already been converted into a d20 Modern fangirl. That's not to say that it isn't convertible to that system, though...

    Also, this time, we have a double-dose. Why? Mostly because I felt like it, and a few of the monsters this time are rather lackluster.

    ---------------------------------

    Archer Bush
    The archer bush is a CR 2 Plant whose appearance is that of a slowly shambling pile of leaves and thorny sticks; think a shambling mound, only sucky. The archer bush's sole claim to fame is that it can launch a barrage of projectile needles that deals the same damage as a strike with a longsword (!) and forces the target to remove the spines or be forced to fight impeded. This would be rather interesting...if it weren't for the fact that the attack only has a range of 20 feet. This means that any spellcaster or ranged fighter makes this already rather poor critter even more pathetic. The only way I can see the archer bush being more than a Fighter-fumbler is if you play it as a stealthy ambush predator, hiding itself amongst normal bushes and waiting for its prey to get close.



    Ascomoid
    Fear the mighty giant puffball! No, seriously, the CR 5 Plant known as the ascomoid is a 10-foot wide sphere of fungal fluff. What makes this amusing creature frightening is that it is both deceptively fast (40-foot base speed for a 'shroom ball? Dang!), resistant to most damage you can throw at it, and can both run over opponents and fire grenade-like explosive spores that deal 2d6 points of Constitution damage. Even more unpleasant is what the ascomoid does with its adventurer quarry; anything slain by the power-puff has its vital liquids suctioned out for sustenance, leaving them as a desiccated husk. I imagine the ascomoid works best as an atmospheric encounter. Imagine a cavern, littered with shriveled corpses coated in a fine powder. What did this? Certainly not any undead, the odd powder and lack of any spawn goes against that idea. Then, all of the sudden, a rumble from higher up in the cavern as an ominous cloud of choking spores fills the air... As a side note, this creature also has 3E stats in Dungeonscape, which was written by someone you are all probably familiar with...you know, considering we're on his website an' all.



    Astral Shark
    CR 6 Outsiders that are...well...sharks of the astral plane. Not much to say beyond "Wait, what?" and "holy crap they have an insta-death attack". Yes, dear readers, the astral shark can, on a successful critical hit, sever an astral traveler's silver cord (the tether that keeps an astral projector's mind connected to their physical body, according to popular occult lore) and immediately both dissipate their astral projection and kill their material body. Meh...



    Atomie
    The miniscule atomie are your typical mischievous fey race; they're tiny, they're "whimsical", and they're annoying. These CR 1 tiny terrors have Spell Resistance 16 and damage reduction 5/cold iron, so even if you do hit the flightly little suckers you probably won't hurt them that much anyway. They also have the standard "fey array" of spell-like abilities: invisibility, entangling plant spells, communication with animals, the like. They do, however, at least have some interesting fluff to work on. It is stated that an atomie family stakes the claim to the entirety of a single tree, in spite of their handheld size. This could be worked on with a refluffing of less whimsical prankster and more classic fae; the atomie may be part of the Trooping Faeries, their warbands stalking the forest floor in search of intruders. These atomies fight fiercely with each other as well, defending their sacred family trees with zealotrous rage. But that's just my take on it, your results may vary.



    Aurumvorax
    The CR 9 aurumvorax, or "golden gorger", is an eight-legged weasel-like creature with a golden pelt and a vicious temper. Their unpleasant temper, combined with a sweet tooth for gold and gold ores, makes the aurumvorax a key enemy of the dwarves they share the forest-side hills and mountains with. I imagine, however, that a tamed aurumvorax might make a key ally to a dwarven fortress. Since they are primarily carnivorous, all you'd need to do was train it to not eat the deposits it sniffs out and give it a little bit of the gold as a treat now and then. It could also make a good guard "dog" with its Damage Reduction 10 and further Fire Resistance 10. Other than that, there's not much to say, since the aurumvorax is the standard melee tank beyond its odd metallivorous habits.



    Axe Beak
    These unpleasant animals resemble nothing so much as ostriches on steroids. With thick bodies, powerful legs, and a razor-sharp beak, these CR 2 plains-dwellers are more or less the lions of Lost World environments. They are also extremely vicious and their flocks of 3 to 6 individuals will race after fleeing prey with frightening speed and determination; considering they are as fast a horse, one can imagine how this is a very bad thing. As a fun aside, the fluff states that the mother lays 1d4 eggs, and both the eggs and the hatchlings fetch anywhere from 50 to 80 gold pieces. Why exactly you'd want a vicious murder-bird unless you are running a gladiatorial arena or want a very odd mount, I dunno.



    Babbler
    Take an allosaur. Stretch its body out like a sausage. Give it stumpy little legs. A weird allegory or metaphor? No, that's simply the appearance of CR 3 Magical Beast known as the babbler. This quirky reptile is not only of human intelligence, but also is a Chaotic Evil anthropophage (who savors dwarven, elven, and human meat above all else) and has a +2d6 sneak attack! Its name comes from its crude, burbling language, if you were curious. I....have little more to say, really. It's weird.



    Banderlog
    Banderlogs are another sapient beastfolk, this time CR 3 baboon-people of the deep jungles. They travel in groups of 2 to 26 individuals, browsing through the forest for both small animals, fruits, and nuts, under the command of the largest banderlog of the tribe. Their language consists of typical monkey sounds and a form of hand signalling when hunting or hiding...hmm, interesting. According to the Tome, banderlogs typically coexist with other tribes of their kind, but will get testy during times of scarce food.

    I say pshh to this! They are baboon-people who wield clubs and projectile coconuts and have Barbarian as their favored class, make those suckers territorial warring tribes that often engage in raids for food. Baboons are by far one of the most unpleasant primates I've had the misfortune to be around, and I'd say that the banderlog, like the orcs they share an Intelligence score ranking with, should be equally unpleasant.

    Finally, a fun fact: the banderlogs get their name from the Bandar-Log, the monkey tribe of Rudyard Kipling's famous tome, The Jungle Book. I must admit that the Bandar-Log have, as a result, colored my perception of how I treat the banderlog in my use of them.

    ---------------------------------

    Up next time, we have polybrachial pack-hunting platypi, barrow-dwelling bodies, psychotropic plants, big basilisks, bats, and beetles.
    Last edited by Rappy; 2010-03-11 at 05:13 PM.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    So, I'm just gonna go ahead and ask: What the HELL is a Hufflepuff Flindbar?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xyk View Post
    I've always considered breakfast to be evil. Looking at me with it's bacon-smile, and it's sunny-side-up eyes. I know it's plotting something.
    Quote Originally Posted by tyckspoon View Post
    ..thank you, Deth Muncher. My life is richer for being aware of this. And weirder. ("You destroyed my friends! I will have my vengeance! Face the fury of my pelvic thrusts!" "Oh yeah? LAZOR!")
    Quote Originally Posted by golentan View Post
    You all are a terrible species. I'm going back to my fortress of misanthropy now.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Deth Muncher View Post
    So, I'm just gonna go ahead and ask: What the HELL is a Hufflepuff Flindbar?
    Flindbars are weapons wielded by the flind, which are sort of like the gnoll equivalent of hobgoblins. We won't see them for a while, but no one ever said I was a woman of consistency.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rappy View Post
    Flindbars are weapons wielded by the flind, which are sort of like the gnoll equivalent of hobgoblins. We won't see them for a while, but no one ever said I was a woman of consistency.
    Oh. Well, carry on then.
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    I've always considered breakfast to be evil. Looking at me with it's bacon-smile, and it's sunny-side-up eyes. I know it's plotting something.
    Quote Originally Posted by tyckspoon View Post
    ..thank you, Deth Muncher. My life is richer for being aware of this. And weirder. ("You destroyed my friends! I will have my vengeance! Face the fury of my pelvic thrusts!" "Oh yeah? LAZOR!")
    Quote Originally Posted by golentan View Post
    You all are a terrible species. I'm going back to my fortress of misanthropy now.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rappy View Post
    Flindbars are weapons wielded by the flind, which are sort of like the gnoll equivalent of hobgoblins. We won't see them for a while, but no one ever said I was a woman of consistency.
    You are aware that a good number of these creatures have been printed by WotC, including the Flind (who are awesome, btw), right?

    Also, this is entertaining to read, do continue.

    All that I say applies only to myself. You author your own actions and choices. I cannot and will not be responsible for you, nor are you for me, regardless of situation or circumstance.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by arguskos View Post
    You are aware that a good number of these creatures have been printed by WotC, including the Flind (who are awesome, btw), right?

    Also, this is entertaining to read, do continue.
    Correct, they have. Necromancer Games got specific permission to utilize them for the Tome of Horrors; otherwise, they'd be in so much hot water I doubt even their bones would be left.

    I'm not complaining, though, since that means that publications like Pathfinder can legally use such creatures due to their appearance in the Tome.

    But I digress...
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Deth Muncher View Post
    So, I'm just gonna go ahead and ask: What the HELL is a Hufflepuff Flindbar?
    A Exotic Nunchaku used by Gnolls. No seriously, they just Nunchakus that don't suck.
    They are what the nunchaku should have been in the PHB.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by Starbuck_II View Post
    A Exotic Nunchaku used by Gnolls. No seriously, they just Nunchakus that don't suck.
    They are what the nunchaku should have been in the PHB.
    Conveniently, along with korred shears (again, stuff we won't be getting to in a while, but yeah...), flindbars are printed with OGL stats in this title. Those are the only weapons in this title besides the artifact called (IIRC) the "Axe of Blood", though, unless I missed some.

    But I'm again getting off of the topic of the current creatures, silly me.
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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    This might be totally off topic or spot on, since I can't remember the source...remember a critter called an 'Aleaxx' ? It was a critter sent after you by a God, it had your exact gear and stats but I think it also had regen. Anyone remember? I'd like to see a 3.x version of that.

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Didn't they reprint the Aleaxx in BoED?

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    Quote Originally Posted by The_Glyphstone View Post
    Didn't they reprint the Aleaxx in BoED?
    LOL, I don't know did they?

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    Default Re: More flumphs than you can shake a flindbar at: Let's Read the Tome of Horrors!

    They did, yes.


    Hmm. Anyone know where the Astral Shark is originally from? Because I seem to faintly remember Planescape mentioning that only Dreadnoughts and Silver swords can cut cords.
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