[Creature] Spring is in the air...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Can't shake the feeling that there is just something missing to this gal, but can't lay a finger on it. Suggestions welcome.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-


Honeydew



Medium Fey
Hit Dice: 8d6+24 (52 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 12 (+2 dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+4
Attack: Staff +6 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Staff +6 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Ehlonna's breath, golden cloud, spell-like abilities, spells, wild empathy
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron, immunity to poison and disease, nectar of the mother, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +12
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 11, Wis 23, Cha 17
Skills: Concentration +10, Diplomacy +14, Handle Animal +11, Heal +17, Knowledge (nature) +11, Listen +15, Spot +15
Feats: Diehard, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse(B)
Environment: Any temperate land
Organization: Solitary or Sisterhood (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +8

This appears as a heart-breakingly beautiful woman seemingly in the mid-stages of pregnancy. Her skin is a lush golden tan with strange markings in blood upon her wide hips. Her dreadlocked hair is long and tangled with bright yellow pollen that drifts as she walks. Bees and butterflies crawl along or alight along the locks, the former often flying into and out of her mouth.

A honeydew, sometimes referred to as a nectar nymph or Ehlonna's Daughters, is often revered by some peoples as a fertility spirit. If properly recieved she will visit frequently, blessing the crops and aiding in the births of a village. Often in payment for her efforts a honeydew will entice a villager to get her with child which becomes another honeydew in time. This child, once old enough to walk, is abandoned beside a honeytree where she calls down a queen bee to inhabit her.

Others though prefer to keep to areas untouched by man, reveling particularly in fields of wildflowers or wild orchards which they protect fiercely.

During the winter months a honeydew hibernates, awakening with the first flowers to sprout from the frosty ground.

A honeydew speaks Common, Fey, and may speak with pollinating creatures such as bees, butterflies and ants. She is roughly as tall and heavy as an expecting female human.

Combat
Honeydews often try to discourage attackers by filling the air with a choking pollen, and fleeing while they are unable to persue. If forced to fight or guard they fill the area with bees, enlarging a number to great size.

Ehlonna's Breath (Ex): As a full-round action the honeydew can release a swarm of bees from within her belly and excite them to attack. She may exhale up to 3 swarms per day. If a honeydew is killed all swarms simultaneously attack the nearest creatures in sight.

Golden Cloud (Ex): As a standard action a nectar nymph can shake out her hair, forming a thick cloud of pollen 20 feet wide and 15 feet high. Those who breathe within it must succeed on a DC 17 fortitude save each round or spend a full round action sneezing and choking (are considered stunned) and take 1d4 constitution damage. This damage can only be taken once while within the cloud, no matter how many times it is breathed within, though stunning can occur each round spent within. Those who leave and re-enter the cloud however must save or take additional damage. This cloud lasts for 1d6+3 rounds.

A moderate wind (11+ mph), such as from a gust of wind spell, disperses the cloud in 4 rounds. A strong wind (21+ mph) disperses cloud in 1 round.

Nectar of the Mother (Ex): A honeydew may dip her hair into water, converting up to 1 cubic foot into pure honey as a standard action. This honey is incredibly healthy, giving those who drink a cup of it the equivalent of a delay poison spell for 1 hour.

Spell-like Abilities:
At will - Plant Growth. 3/day - Charm, Giant Vermin (bees only). 1/week - Control Weather. Caster level 8th. Save DC's are Charisma-based.

Spells: A honeydew casts divine spells as a 10th-level druid.
Typical Druid Spells Prepared (6/5/5/4/3/2, save DC 15 + spell level):

0 - create water, cure minor wounds, guidance, light, purify food and drink, resistance
1st - cure light wounds, goodberry, entangle, longstrider, pass without trace
2nd - barkskin, gust of wind, lesser restoration, summon swarm, tree shape
3rd - cure moderate wounds, daylight, remove disease, speak with plants
4th - cure serious wounds, reincarnate, repel vermin
5th - commune with nature, wall of thorns

Wild Empathy (Ex): This power works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature, except that a honeydew has a +6 racial bonus on the check and can also effect vermin. Bees will never harm a honeydew unless under a supernatural directive.

[Rift_Wolf]

I'm vaguely interested as to where you got the idea, as I've never heard of a myth relating to such a creature, and the thought that you got the idea purely from the photograph is somewhat unnerving.
As per the creature entry, sounds good though I'm not sure how a pregnant woman full of bees would fit in a campaign.

[Fizban]

It may just be that I'm posting at nearly 1 am, but the girl in the picture looks a little sinister to me.....And a pregnant woman full of bees? Kinda creepy if you don't already know of her good deeds.

I'm assuming you meant for the name to be nectar of the mother, but it says gods in the stat block. And doesn't she need more feats? Anyway, another one of your look twice kind of monsters, always good.

[Demented]

Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Bees and butterflies crawl along or alight along the locks, the former often flying into and out of her mouth.

Emphasis mine.

I was immediately concerned at the rather interesting mental image of a docile pregnant woman wandering around with flaming bees and butterflies in her hair. It was admittedly more unexpected to me than any of the supposedly shocking tentacle things that most writers come up with.

Alas that it's a typo.

[Maroon]

Originally Posted by Demented

Emphasis mine.

I was immediately concerned at the rather interesting mental image of a docile pregnant woman wandering around with flaming bees and butterflies in her hair. It was admittedly more unexpected to me than any of the supposedly shocking tentacle things that most writers come up with.

Alas that it's a typo.

It's actually not a typo. 'Alight' can also mean such things as 'to come down and settle, as after flight' and 'dismount'. I'm guessing it's the former.

Still, quite... remarkable?

[Inyssius Tor]

Awesome (and disturbing). I really like the "alien" vibe; D&D needs more humanoid fey. A few things, though:

For some reason, the link to your Swarm of Bees tunnels through the official WoTC forums; I find this amusing, but I can't figure out why.
Also, it seems to me as if the "organization" part of the statblock should include bee-swarms; again, I can't think of any specifics. Finally: does the Golden Cloud ability cover a 20-foot radius?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Originally Posted by Rift_Wolf

I'm vaguely interested as to where you got the idea, as I've never heard of a myth relating to such a creature, and the thought that you got the idea purely from the photograph is somewhat unnerving.

It just came to me. I actually looked for the picture after I made her and somehow found a perfect one.

As per the creature entry, sounds good though I'm not sure how a pregnant woman full of bees would fit in a campaign.

And a normal nymph would?

It may just be that I'm posting at nearly 1 am, but the girl in the picture looks a little sinister to me.....And a pregnant woman full of bees? Kinda creepy if you don't already know of her good deeds.

Can always use a non-good version. Perhaps one who takes advantage of those who use her as a fertility spirit, perhaps requiring sacrifices.

But yeah, going for creepy as even the nicest fey are supposed to still be quite inhuman.

And doesn't she need more feats?

Not a clue where those went to... fixed.

It's actually not a typo. 'Alight' can also mean such things as 'to come down and settle, as after flight' and 'dismount'. I'm guessing it's the former.

What he/she said.

For some reason, the link to your Swarm of Bees tunnels through the official WoTC forums; I find this amusing, but I can't figure out why.

What the freakin'...

Also, it seems to me as if the "organization" part of the statblock should include bee-swarms

There are various other creatures vaguely siimiliar to this in having a creature upon them but they aren't listed as the tag-alongs are still considered part of the main creature.

Finally: does the Golden Cloud ability cover a 20-foot radius?

Basically. Got the wording from a spell.

[Rift_Wolf]

Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

It just came to me. I actually looked for the picture after I made her and somehow found a perfect one.

That's even MORE disturbing! As for where a nymph would fit, I guess you have a point. Usually feys role in games like Baldurs Gate and NWN is damsel in distress (Frigging Dryads and their wimpy attitude to being captured...).

[Haruspex]

This is a rather disturbing creature, but you're right that fey should be outlandish. What happens to the bee swarms after she exhales them? Do they just disappear, stick around, or go back in?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Originally Posted by Haruspex

This is a rather disturbing creature, but you're right that fey should be outlandish. What happens to the bee swarms after she exhales them? Do they just disappear, stick around, or go back in?

Basically she's got the hive inside. They'll hover around or go back in, whichever she prefers.

[Icewalker]

I like it, quite creepy, good creature. I really like the nectar power, very interesting. The whole bees in her thing is indeed quite creepy/wierd, but I like it.

[Starsinger]

Is she really pregnant? And if not, does she attempt to bluff that she is? Because I'd strike my PCs down with the Wrath of Vecna for striking a pregnant woman, fey or not.

[Demented]

She's got bees in da belly!

Though, it doesn't involve a womb. Otherwise, Ehlonna's Breath is all sorts of wrong.

Besides,

Often in payment for her efforts a honeydew will entice a villager to get her with child which becomes another honeydew in time.

Apparently, honeydews can get pregnant. Exactly how do they find all that room in their abdomen? Elasticity as an extraordinary ability?

[Icewalker]

Damnit, stop putting disturbing images in my mind!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Originally Posted by Starsinger

Is she really pregnant? And if not, does she attempt to bluff that she is?

Well, she could be. But then again, being a 'fertility spirit' she is always 'pregnant with life' though not neccessarily with an actual child.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

First day of spring bump!