SOMEbody is flying to Dallas Thursday morning on a surprise visit!
::Does happy dance::
Does this somebody like to draw pictures?
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*Turns over the cushions in the thread, looking for spare change* I don't think we're going to hear anything. In fact, LMJ may have died of chronic apoplexy aggravated by gout brought on by sluggish humours due to a lack of general motion resulting from the paralyzing stiffening of the muscles attributed to ghoul fever, poor fellow. We must go on without him.
Oh, Sarth, that avatar picture is just so wrong for the emperor of Vajhoi. Or should I say, former emperor.HAHAHA That's why I chose that pic. HAHAHA I thought it was kind of funny looking. The drunken, angry, ex emperor. I couldn't find an avatar that was even close to what Sarth looked like. Wow, the drunken homeless guy in the painted crown and flea-bitten fleece that's been hanging around the square outside the gates of the royal palace and spitting out prophecies of doom and condemnation of the Antors is actually Sarth? He survived after all? Of course once everyone realizes who he is, he'll disappear again.
I'm impressed with the creativity I've seen in this contest. I'm glad to have learned of it so I could participate. ICELAPPER VERMITONGUE (MONSTER #1) -- CR 7 A gaping hole opens in the glacier wall with a shattering of ice and sizzling clouds of steam. A giant pale tongue, disturbingly human-like, slides out and stretches for the nearest prey. A long, vertical mouth of spiny teeth opens up the middle of the tongue as it attempts to coil about the nearest prey and force it inside its mouth. The tongue reddens as intense heat radiates from the creature, causing water to sizzle and steam off its surface. The base of the tongue attaches to a maggot-like body, blushing with burning heat. Protruding from the sides and back of the body are three rows of pick-like feet that anchor it onto the glacier. ICELAPPER VERMITONGUE
Defense
Offense
Statistics
Ecology
Heat (SU) A vermitongue can generate such heat that anything touching its body takes 8d6 points of fire damage. Striking the worm with unarmed or natural attacks subjects the attacker to this damage. Striking the worm with weapons subjects the weapon to this damage, potentially melting or burning the weapon unless the weapon makes a DC19 Fortitude save. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Scholars believe that vermitongues entered the ancient world thanks to goblins that worshipped Lingumultumus, an amorphous demon prince of a thousand mouths and tongues, the lord of evil speech, who never ceased speaking a cacophony of blasphemy, slander, perjury and foul curses. The demon could cause any listener to burst into flame with the speech of only one of its tongues and its many tongues could inflame an army. It is said that the terrible demon ruled a layer of the Abyss filled with volcanic mountains of flesh, covered in orifices that spewed sickly bile. The vermitongues were worms that lived in the tunnels that perforated the flesh mountains and slithered out of the countless mouths to devour the dretches that dwelt on the plane. The vermitongues that have long dwelt on the material plane are now quite adapted to a variety of environments and are native to the plane. (They are not now evil outsiders, nor do they have the demon subtype, as they are not now true demons, whatever the truth of their origin.) However, some say that there remains a portal deep in the earth that opens periodically to allow outsider vermitongues to come through to the material plane. Adding weight to the theory that the vermitongues originated in the Abyss is their unnatural appearance, which has something of the macabre about it, and also their intelligence. Though low, it is far superior to most other worms that inhabit the material plane. Among the variations of vermitongues that are now native to this world is a terror of icy realms known as the icelapper vermitongue. Feared not only for its ferocious heat and appetite, it has an appearance that most creatures find abhorrent. A smaller version of the subterranean acidic stonelapper, the icelapper vermitongue dwells inside the ice of glaciers, frozen lakes or deep, compacted snow where it burrows tunnels for protection and ambushing prey. It slides effortlessly through its ice tunnels leaving behind clouds of steam and lairs inside a burrowed cave where it coils to rest. The vermitongue’s ability to generate intense heat means it has an accelerated metabolism during combat and seeks to eat voraciously when food is available. It loves to make a meal of multiple medium-sized humanoids or animals and will pursue very aggressively, though it is loathe to leave the safety of the ice. Having greater intelligence than typical worms, the vermitongue likes to grab and swallow a foe and retreat back into the ice for protection. If its prey seems easily overcome, it will continue its attack swallowing as many as 4 medium sized opponents before retreating. If the vermitongue takes damage in excess of half its hit points, it becomes enraged and attacks without concern for its safety. The forward tongue-like portion of the worm’s body can stretch, flatten, loop and coil like a prehensile tongue and is typically 15 feet in length. It is flesh-colored and reddens as it generates heat. The main body of the worm is 4 feet in diameter and 15 feet in length, pale to red in color. Three rows of sharp feet run the length of its main body and propel it over the ice. A ring of dark spots where the tongue-like part joins the main body provides the creature its low-light vision and darkvision. Its epidermis is extremely sensitive to vibrations in air and ice. When it is generating heat, water will sizzle off its surface but its brain is quite adapted to this and distinguishes between the sizzle and other sounds and vibrations. When lying in ambush, the worm is cold and only generates heat when it attacks, bursting forth from its icy cover. Most vermitongues live a solitary existence and this is especially true of icelappers. Indeed a mated pair has never been reported. Small, presumably young, icelappers have been seen and appear as solitary as the adults. Some theorize that adults abandon an egg after it is deposited in the ice along with a frozen cache of burned, half-digested corpses that the parent must regurgitate for the young worm’s food. Young vermitongues feed on the frozen cache of flesh until it is completely consumed and by that time they are large enough to begin hunting small animals. Though solitary, icelapper vermitongues survive very well since the only creatures that could threaten them have both a healthy respect for their generated heat and view them as disgusting things. Yet at least one creature has incorporated the icelapper into its coming-of-age rituals. Some frost giant tribes consider it a great honor for their young warriors to be burned by an icelapper. They call the resulting burn scar the icelapper’s kiss. The icelapper is but a variant in the vermitongue family of worms. The large siltlapper is an aquatic variety having electro-sensitive skin at the tip of its tongue-portion that can sense the nervous systems of other creatures. It ambushes from the sea floor using electricity to stun and overpower swallowed foe. The huge sandlapper roams beneath the dunes of arid places and can vibrate its whole body to produce a sonic ‘cry’ that both shifts the sands causing prey to sink and damages them with sonic energy. The gargantuan, sickly-green stonelapper dwells in the subterranean world. Horrific acids hang from this vermitongue like viscous drool and enable it to burrow through stone or melt flesh as easily as wax.
You make some good points and ask a great question. The ammunition rules appear to be more for game balance at the sacrifice of logical consistency. For example, if you put fletching on a magical spear and shot it from a giant's longbow, would it vanish upon striking its target? As many have suggested, some useful house rules would be most helpful here. Some ideas for house rules: 1. Give players the option of purchasing 50 at the regular price that are destroyed when they strike or only a few (say 3 or 5) that are as durable as any other magical item and can be used again and again. That is, 8,300 gp for 50 one-shot arrows, or 8,300 gp for 3 permanent arrows. 2. It does not make good sence that a crooked non-magical arrow shot from a magical bow would be equal to a finely crafted magical arrow in accuracy. In archery you need both a quality bow and a quality arrow to shoot with accuracy. Therefore, another possible house rule would be to allow the bonuses of magical ammunition to stack with the bonuses of the magical weapon. For balance you could say that ammunition can't be enchanted above an effective +2 or +3 bonus. Certainly, if the bonuses could stack it would provide the incentive for players to buy magical ammunition which would address one of your concerns. 3. A third idea that does not require modification of the rules is simply to have vendors of magical equipment sell ammunition at a rate of 1 for 1/50 cost. It would be natural that vendors would do this. An enchanter crafts 50 +1 flame arrows but sells them for 166 gp each. He might even sell them for 176 each and make more in the long run. Players may enjoy the option of being able to buy a couple of arrows without having to drop 8300 gp. Vendors could have a selection of energy types available for purchase. Don't know if any of these will help you but thanks for your post. It is an issue that has bothered me as well.
I see many good suggestions, though I think it could be a otyugh/glabrezu combo.
Wow. That's fantastic news...but I wonder what that will mean for those of us who pre-ordered them through other venues. Has a second run already been determined? It is fantastic news. I hope their sales go through the roof. If they need additional paper for more print runs, I'm certain there are many unsold 4E books that can be shredded and turned into pulp for recycling.
Of course! If this works it will be like you live next door. Now let me just find my astrolabe. Ok, ready. Here I come.
Aztrucomon led his students into the field, the night seeming to darken as the lights of the university receded. He addressed his students, "Who can show me Orion?" "Is it there," said a young boy, "its something like three stars." Aztrucomon stooped to look up the length of the boy's arm. "I think you point at Taurus. Look, there." A beam of light shot from the wizard's finger and he continued. "That is Orion. See the red star. It's quite red. That is Betelgeuse, and then past the belt, in the sword. Can you see it? It is like a cloud, a bit of haze." "What is it?" a student asked. "Why, that it is a conflux of aether, like a storm, but in one of the outer spheres. Aether can glow when excited, the medium's celestial qualities..." A sudden bang startled the youngsters and lightning crackled from a point above their heads. Children ran screaming toward the school. A voice thundered, "Aztrucomon! Can you hear me?" "Wait!" yelled the teacher after his fleeing students, but it was useless. "Really, Mairkurion," said the teacher with a shake of his head, "A whispering wind would have been sufficient without sending them fluttering like a flock of quail. How shall I ever get their courage back up? Yes, I hear you." |