What makes a monster cool? Is it the cold and boring mathematical stats it possesses OR is it the vibrant, energetic, highly descriptive and exciting back story of the monster themselves? Of course it is the back story! One of the toughest things about making a good monster is making and creating an interesting and exciting back story. Drow Elves have interesting stats but it is their back story that makes this interesting, the same way that a Beholder, Mind Flayers, Githyanki, Yuan Ti and other memorable monsters are.
So LPJ Design has decided to do is created a project/contest called Monsters by Design. In this contest, LPJ Design will supply contestants with three (3) different stat blocks of monsters to use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The contestants of the Monsters by Design Project/Contest will create the cool and interesting parts like appearance, back story, combat tactics better known as “The Fluff” for these stat blocks. Anyone is eligible to submit an idea for the Monsters by Design Project/Contest. The fans of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game will be able to vote direct in the forum thread at Paizo.com to determine the top three winners of the Monsters by Design Project/Contest.
The top three winners will have their monsters re-created with a professional layout and profession artwork and best of all LPJ Design will be paying you for winning this contest. (Not a lot of money. I remind you, we still are a small 3rd party publisher). This in turn makes the winners all officially professional published RPG Game Designers!!! If you have every wanted to be a professional RPG writer, well know is your chance!!!
Best of all, the winning three monsters will be able for sale exclusively at Paizo.com. The winning three monsters will be 100% Open Content and anyone can use in their home games or even professional products! Don’t miss the opportunity to live out your dream as a professional RPG writer.
The official start date and deadline is coming soon. Stay tuned in to this form post. Talk to you later…
Louis Porter Jr.
Louis Porter Jr. Design
www.lpjdesign.com
I am working on the three monster right now. Don't worry, this is going to be very interesting.
Are we nearing an announcement? I think this sounds like fun!
Yes we are. Just waiting for one little thing... But don't worry it will be soon.
OK HERE IT IS!!!!! This is the official start of the Monster by Design Project / Contest!! This contest will run Monday, November 9th at 5pm EST until November 30th at 5pm EST. We will not accept submissions after the end date. All submission must be placed it this messageboard forum. The "fluff" submission text should be at least 1,000 words in length but no more than 2,500 words. Don't write less or more than the stated amount or you will be eliminated from the contest. You can submit as mant times as you like to any of the three monsters. Good Luck!
MONSTER #1 -- CR 7
XP 3,200
N Huge magical beast
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +16
Defense
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +11 natural, –2 size)
hp 94 (9d10+45)
Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +4
Immune fire, cold
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +13 (3d6+9 plus grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks heat, swallow whole (2d6+9 plus 8d6 fire, AC 15, hp 9)
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +9; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 28 (can't be tripped)
Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +16
Ecology
Environment cold deserts and glaciers
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Heat (Su) Monster #1 generates heat doing 8d6 points of fire damage.
MONSTER #2 -- CR 6
XP 2,400
N Large magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +11
Defense
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 73 (7d10+35)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +5
Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d6+4), 4 claws +10 (1d4+4 plus rend)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks rend (4 claws, 1d4+6)
Statistics
Str 19, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +7; CMB +14; CMD 27
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness
Skills Climb +14, Perception +11, Stealth +5
Ecology
Environment warm forests
Organization solitary or company (5–8)
Treasure none 
MONSTER #3 -- CR 1
XP 400
CE Medium humanoid
Init –1; Senses darkvision 90 ft.; Perception +0
Aura stench (30 ft., DC 13, 10 rounds)
Defense
AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15 (–1 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +7, Ref –1, Will +0
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee club +2 (1d6+1), claw –3 (1d4), bite –3 (1d4) or2 claws +2 (1d4+1), bite +2 (1d4+1)
Ranged javelin +0 (1d6)
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 11
Feats Great Fortitude
Skills Stealth +5 (+9 in rocky areas); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth (+8 in rocky areas)
Ecology
Environment any underground
Organization solitary, pair, clutch (3–6), squad (7–12 plus 1 cleric or druid of 3rd level and 1–2 leader), or band (20–80 plus 20% noncombatants,1 chieftain of 3rd–6th level, 1–3 clerics or druids of 3rd–6th level, and 3–13 leaders)
Treasure NPC gear
It has been somewhat quiet with the entries with this contest, so I hope someone out there isn't missing their chance to become the next RPG superstar. If you want to be a RPG writer or developer, now is the time to show your skills. Good Luck!
Where are the submissions to be sent?
Right here in the forum.
Oh...didn't see this. Very interesting. Is there a specific formate for monster background?
Oh...didn't see this. Very interesting. Is there a specific formate for monster background?
Just what you have seen in the Beasitary or any other monster based product.
Oh...didn't see this. Very interesting. Is there a specific formate for monster background?Just what you have seen in the Beasitary or any other monster based product.
Mmm...yep, those humanoids are definately of interest to me :D
In this contest, LPJ Design will supply contestants with three (3) different stat blocks of monsters to use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The contestants of the Monsters by Design Project/Contest will create the cool and interesting parts like appearance, back story, combat tactics better known as “The Fluff” for these stat blocks.
So are we to assume that the fluff should be integrated into the official Pathfinder Chronicles setting? Or can it/should it be more generic?
In this contest, LPJ Design will supply contestants with three (3) different stat blocks of monsters to use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The contestants of the Monsters by Design Project/Contest will create the cool and interesting parts like appearance, back story, combat tactics better known as “The Fluff” for these stat blocks.So are we to assume that the fluff should be integrated into the official Pathfinder Chronicles setting? Or can it/should it be more generic?
GENERIC!!!!!! Nothing should be official Pathfinder Chronicles setting material or even closely related. Doing something that will get you submission automatically negated from the contest. Generic setting material only. Thanks!
OK, I will set the bar with my first effort. I challenge anyone who wants to win this contest to best me.
Northling
The creature appears human-or nearly so.
Were they merely vile and distant, Northlings would hardly concern the civilized races; but they were endowed by their maker with middling intelligence, an insatiable lust to expand their territory, and an undying hatred for their fair humanoid brethren-indeed, for all that is fair, organized, and decent.
It is said that the original stock from which the gods forged man-man, with his curiosity, ambition, indomitable spirit, and capacity for good-despite its impurities, was the rarest precious metal. The dross from the making was discarded but not destroyed, as the gods believed. The Trickster stole it and plunged it deep into the bowels of the earth, below a mountain fastness in the wild northern wastes. There, when his brothers’ eyes were turned away, he used it to fashion a race of unalloyed evil, unrivaled in wickedness, abounding in all that is base and abominable in man, a cruel mockery of its fair cousins.
Northlings bear the stamp of their hateful origin, and of The Trickster’s essay at an art beyond his ken and ambit: they may pass for human, if observed from a distance or heavily clothed, but they are always in some way misshapen or cheated of fair proportion. A nose might be set too high; a face might be horribly tiny and pinched; limbs might be just long enough to horrify.
Society
Northlings build sprawling warren cities in the mountainous, boreal north, distant from the lands of the civilized races. In these thick-aired, filth-ridden cave and tunnel complexes, which communicate in places with the upper levels of the Underdark, Northlings live in loose, extended family groups, in which incest is common. Social organization is fluid, and it contours derive largely from the presence of powerful headmen who can muster enough allies to delineate them by imposing their will upon others. Within their foul homes, Northlings practice what the civilized races would recognize as the common activities of sentient races everywhere: the arts of making, the trading of goods and services, the exploration of their world, the propagation of their kind and the rearing of young. They spend a great deal of time burrowing, either with their clawlike hands or with rude implements, to expand their domains. Northlings commonly enslave one another and any other sentients they can dominate to aid in their efforts, and they may in time push southward into human lands or delve deep enough to release Underdark horrors upon an unsuspecting surface populace.
The rudiments of religious worship exist among Northlings in the form of vile rituals honoring their earth, The Trickster, who fashioned them from refuse, and a host of lesser, wretched deities. Those among the Northlings who derive unholy power from their realm, or from the gods, are both feared and venerated above others.
Northlings venture above ground only occasionally, to run and fight or bring down large game with their crude implements of war. From time to time, when their burrowing brings them into contact with foreign groups of their own kind, or with denizens from the realms below, they make war. Northlings typically subsist on roots and root vegetables, fungi, and rodents, as well as snakes, snails, worms, and insects. It is said also that Northlings are masters of underground waterways, constructing watercraft which are well-suited to navigating subterranean rivers and capable of bearing them far in their quest for sightless fish and albino frogs, which they prize as delicacies. Northlings are not loathe to resort to cannibalism, even if they have other, less hideous options.
Combat
Northlings vary in their martial sophistication: there are those who wield javelins with a modicum of skill (about 10%), those who use tools of brute force (about 30-40% of encountered), and those who attack with their clawlike hands and filthy, jagged teeth. Their assaults are typically unsubtle, but not inconsiderable. Although they attain acertain acumen in moving about their rocky homes quickly and quietly, Northlings don’t typically exercise the discipline or restraint needed to put their skills to good use against their enemies. They rarely employ any sort of strategy more complex than waiting for their javelin-wielders to attack from a distance before they setting upon their mark, relying on their ferocity, their olfactory assaults, their bloodcurdling screams, and their sheer numbers to overwhelm their victims. Larger groups encountered may be led into battle by a charismatic religious leader, either a cleric or a druid.
Although their own crafters are primitive by human standards, encountered Northlings occasionally wield masterwork weapons, or even items of great power; these are perhaps recovered by chance, stolen, or seized by force from unfortunate Underdark denizens or explorers from human lands. A Northling who gains possession of such power can unite factions and rally a large number of followers to his cause, enforcing his will through intimidation and violence. Should such an assemblage near the southern limits of the boreal wastes prepare an organized assault on human lands, the consequences could be dire.
Northlings’ hide, another gift from their progenitor, is remarkably tough and horny, providing them with impressive natural defenses and serving as insulation against the cold of their northern realms. Some Northlings wear filthy furs or skins out of habit, or as ostentation, but they rarely need them to withstand the cold and do not object to going about unclothed. They rarely wear armor, even in combat.
Stench (ex): Northlings never wash, and always reek of foul meat; thrice a day, however, they can emit a particularly horrid stench as a free action. The Stench is said to resemble that of rancid butter, but most creatures with a sense of smell find it much more difficult to stomach: living creatures within 30 feet of a Northling emitting the stench must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or be sickened for 10 rounds. The save DC is constitution-based. Creatures that successfully save cannot be affected by the same Northling’s stench for 24 hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from the sickened creature. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison receive their normal bonus on saving throws. Inured as they are to living in stink and squalor, and endowed by their maker with great constitutional resistance to disease and poison, Northlings themselves are never affected by Northling Stench.
Only 15 days left! Don't miss out on your chance to win!!!
Less than two weeks left in this contest and one ONE submission so far. Looks like someone is going to get a free publishing credit from LPJ Design and become a published game writer. Are you going to miss your chance to be a published game writer?
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Less than two weeks left in this contest and one ONE submission so far. Looks like someone is going to get a free publishing credit from LPJ Design and become a published game writer. Are you going to miss your chance to be a published game writer?
I'd wager that, like Mr. Helt, people are avoiding this thread while they write their articles. You'll probably see a glut of entries right near the deadline.
(I doubt there'll be one from me, but maybe if I can find some extra time laying around.)
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My entries:
The Heatsink Horror
XP 3,200
N Huge magical beast
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +16
Defense
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +11 natural, –2 size)
hp 94 (9d10+45)
Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +4
Immune fire, cold
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +13 (3d6+9 plus grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks heat, swallow whole (2d6+9 plus 8d6 fire, AC 15, hp 9)
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +9; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 28 (can't be tripped)
Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +16
Ecology
Environment cold deserts and glaciers
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Heat (Su) Monster #1 generates heat doing 8d6 points of fire damage.
To your horror, the ground before you begins to ripple and melt, as a monstrous grey form emerges from the land below. Its smooth armored head, terrible groping arms, and gigantic mouth are followed by a series of worm-like segments, each covered with chitinous plates. It screams its unearthly cry and targets the nearest party member holding a torch or flaming weapon.
Bred to be a territorial guardian by a community of dark elves living near the surface of the tundra, the beast known as the Heatsink Horror relentlessly stalks its prey through the cold wastes and glacial regions, burrowing through the ground by melting a clear tunnel around itself. The Heatsink Horror follows its target by sensing its body heat, and attacks the warmest target first with its grappling arms and terrible bite attack. Whatever touches the Heatsink Horror finds itself quickly losing internal warmth through an amazingly efficient drain. The rapidity of the drain leaves terrible burns, just as if the target had been damaged with fire. In combat, the horror will attack the warmest target first and keep draining the heat from the target until slain or it has swallowed its opponent, at which point it retreats into the ground. It has been known to stalk a group of adventurers for miles, picking them off one at a time as its hunger grows.
Ruinwatch Stalker
XP 2,400
N Large magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +11
Defense
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 73 (7d10+35)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +5
Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d6+4), 4 claws +10 (1d4+4 plus rend)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks rend (4 claws, 1d4+6)
Statistics
Str 19, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +7; CMB +14; CMD 27
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness
Skills Climb +14, Perception +11, Stealth +5
Ecology
Environment warm forests
Organization solitary or company (5–8)
Treasure none
With absolutely no warning, a grim, black figure leaps from the trees above and onto the middle of the party! A quick glance shows a beast with a tiger-like head, but an extra set of legs on its bear-like body, which allows it to quickly stand on two legs and claw into a target, rending them with the two sets of claws not touching the ground, while biting the target. Horrifically, rather than roaring or screeching as most jungle beasts, it simply purrs in satisfaction as it tears into you, its yellow eyes filled with pleasure at the feeling of your warm blood on its claws and tongue…
The Ruinwatch Stalker began as yet another experiment by the same ancient cabal of mages that created such renowned beasts as the Owlbear. Unfortunately, the breeding of two predators into one super-predator created a beast that worked against the mage’s usual strategies for controlling its beasts. Within days, the beasts escaped their enclosures after they slew the guards and mages with ambush tactics, while retreating out of reach of spells and missiles with their superior climbing abilities. Today, the beasts stalk the forested regions of the world near the ruins of their creator’s civilization, devouring the prey that they have become accustomed to… sentient races. In combat, the beast always strikes from ambush, attempting to scatter its prey and devour the weakest of the group. It seems to enjoy the fearful reaction of its prey, and will maximize the terror for its own amusement, purring loudly as it rends men limb from limb.
Sulfurborn
XP 400
CE Medium humanoid
Init –1; Senses darkvision 90 ft.; Perception +0
Aura stench (30 ft., DC 13, 10 rounds)
Defense
AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15 (–1 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +7, Ref –1, Will +0
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee club +2 (1d6+1), claw –3 (1d4), bite –3 (1d4) or2 claws +2 (1d4+1), bite +2 (1d4+1)
Ranged javelin +0 (1d6)
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 11
Feats Great Fortitude
Skills Stealth +5 (+9 in rocky areas); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth (+8 in rocky areas)
Ecology
Environment any underground
Organization solitary, pair, clutch (3–6), squad (7–12 plus 1 cleric or druid of 3rd level and 1–2 leader), or band (20–80 plus 20% noncombatants,1 chieftain of 3rd–6th level, 1–3 clerics or druids of 3rd–6th level, and 3–13 leaders)
Treasure NPC gear
You senses are nearly overwhelmed by the terrible stench of sulfur as you go through the deep tunnel ahead… before the hail of javelins land at your feet. Hidden among the rocks are shadowy, man-shaped figures, the same color as their underground home, their eyes gleaming the color of lava as they begin to strike.
Centuries ago, a small mountain tribe were taken by a series of Skum warriors for their Aboleth masters. The tribe was bred and used as slave labor by the horrid masters of the netherworld, as their treatments begin to manipulate the very bodies of these newfound slaves. Surprisingly, even these treatments did not break the tribe, who managed to escape the holding cells of the Aboleth and into the tunnels. The treatment of the aboleth had altered the tribes, however… their interrupted mutations continued to develop unchecked, transforming them. Like the troglodytes before them, they began to develop a terrific stench, which enabled them to successfully hunt the eyeless beasts of the dark reaches of the world somewhat better. Soon, this once-human tribe began to breed true and the sulfurborn were created.
I'm gonna play the opposite game.
Below is my guess on what critters these stats were pulled from.
** spoiler omitted **
You are correct! That is why you make the big bucks as a RPG writer.
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Stat-block 2; the Fer-ala, or 'Praying Panther.'
A rustling in the forest canopy, accompanied by a sound like hatchets striking wood is your first warning of danger, as a hissing creature made of equal parts tiger, praying mantis and terror leaps down upon you.
Where the scything mantis limbs attach to the body of the beast, great chitinous plates, usually pale brown or dark green in color, armor the back of the creature, and extend all the way to the pate of its skull. Unlike a traditional great cat, the fer-ala also has cleft feet, giving it unusual gripping power as one toe has a pair of claws and another thicker but shorter toe has three claws. Perhaps as a result of this unusual foot structure, the fer-ala is a far more adept climber than most great cats, and, by using it’s mantid limbs to push against the ground, can easily match the ground speed of a tiger or lion, despite its ungainly build. Due to the armored chitin adorning its back, and its short hind legs, the fer-ala cannot bring its hind legs to bear meaningfully against a target it has bitten, clawed or stuck with its mantid forelimbs, although it can certainly inflict enough harm with those natural weapons that the beast does not appear to suffer from this restriction.
The face of the fer-ala resembles that of a great cat, save for the armored forehead, and a small pair of mandibles that extend from the side of its mouth when it opens, but are otherwise concealed. These mandibles appear to be too small to do more than help keep food in the beast’s mouth, and twitch madly as it tears and swallows at a meal. Regardless of coloration, its eyes are always solid black, with no visible pupil or iris. In the dark, sometimes those glistening black eyes will reflect the light of a campfire or torch, throwing back a golden, green or reddish hue, but the eyes themselves appear to be devoid of color. Unlike many great cats, the fer-ala typically produces only a loud hissing noise, instead of a growl or roar, but it can also emit a bone-chilling scream that sounds more like a human than a predatory beast. It rarely does so when hunting or fighting, only screaming as part of a threat display, preferring to fight in eerie silence.
Fer-ala appear to mate much like tigers, but the female then retreats high into the forest canopy, taking advantage of their powerful climbing ability, and there gives birth to a single egg, which is pale green and sticky to the touch. The female quickly covers that egg with leaves, forest litter and small branches, to camouflage it from sight. In the week before laying her egg, the female hunts extra prey, leaving bodies secured in the tree she has chosen, and spends most of her time in that tree, defending the ripening catch from opportunistic scavengers (the bolder or more foolish of which get added to her ‘larder’). She spends the next week within sight of her egg, feeding only on the meat she has stored (and any scavengers that grew too bold, or careless), until the egg hatches. The young fer-ala is able to eat meat within hours of emerging from the egg, and clings to the top of the tree, often retreating to within the ‘nest’ made from the remains of its egg for safety, while its mother brings it fresh kills for the first two weeks of its life. At this point, its mother stops bringing food to it, forcing it to descend from the safety of its nest and join her on hunts, where the female allows her cub the first taste of any kill, only eating what remains when its hunger is sated. This stage only lasts two months, after which the female stops allowing her offspring to feed from her kills, and hunger drives the young creature to begin making its own kills, at which point its mother abandons it.
On the fringes of the forest, fer-ala are solitary and territorial creatures, engaging in complex dances meant to intimidate each other upon encountering another of their kind, circling warily and hissing, stabbing their mantid limbs into the ground and tearing up the earth in displays of strength, only rarely coming to actual blows. Deeper within the forest, in places the natives call haunted or cursed, ancient ruins crumble amid the foliage, and fer-ala travel in packs, with strict, and apparently, instinctual, hierarchies in place. These packs of five to eight fer-ala are called ‘missions’ or ‘congregations’ by the same explorers who first referred to them as praying panthers, and have many white-furred or light-furred members among them as well. More strikingly, their chitinous mantid limbs and backplates are brightly colored, always in multiple tones, with crimson and dull gold being one combination, and dark blue and bright green being another common sight. Rumors of other color combinations remain unconfirmed, but it has been noted that the gold-and-crimson fer-ala are always the dominant members of a pack, with the others, regardless of gender, following that creature’s lead. The beasts patrol the ruins within the jungle, almost as if guarding them, and the natives claim that the dull-colored solitary beasts but serve as scouts and a form of ‘border watch’ for their more colorful kin, with the territorial display-dances being a means of communicating information, and not merely some threat-display.
Naturally, such superstitions are dismissed by scholarly researchers, and it is accepted that, regardless of their coloration or organizational types, praying panthers are no smarter than lions and could not possibly have any sort of agenda, or means of understanding, let alone communicating, such advanced concepts.
Stat block 1; the Stenskarr
An enormous worm, bristling with a thousand tiny twitching metallic spines that glow white-hot, launches forward in a burst of steam from the glacial wall before you, scissoring open its many gleaming scythe-bladed mandibles and lunges towards you.
Always hungry, the stenskarr can sense the vibrations of nearby prey, and bursts from the ice or earth to devour any organic prey, using its flesh as fuel and any metallic objects carried to replenish the constant wear on its metallic spines and mandibles. The beast has eight scythe-like mandibles as hard as steel surrounding its gaping maw, each merging with the rows of metal spines that spiral down its twisting body.
The creatures hunger for both metal and flesh consumes its waking moments, and in some rare cases, the beast cannot discern between the two needs, gorging itself on a rich vein of metal, while it’s body is ravaged by pangs of hunger, due to lack of living nutrients. It continues tearing away at the vein of metal, excreting excess ore as refined metal, effectively smelted by its furnace-like inner metabolism, only to grow weaker and weaker, feverish from hunger and ever less likely to recognize its dilemma. Dwarven explorers sometimes stumble upon such creatures, and regard them as a blessing from their gods, as the beasts have transformed a troublesome vein of raw ore into piles of smelted metal, just lying in the middle of a tunnel, waiting to be carried away. Those who grow too greedy will find the beast at the end of its tunnel, and become the living sustenance it needs to regain its strength, however, although there are reports that some dwarven mining concerns have managed to domesticate a stenskarr found in this predicament.
It should be noted that while stenskarr can burrow through stone, they do so at a much reduced pace, taking a hour or more to tear through the a distance that would take them mere seconds in ice.
To sate their hunger for flesh, deep in the arctic reaches, large game such as polar bears or caribou are choice prey, but every stenskarr dreams of finding an untouched field of ancient frozen bodies, buried deep within the ice, remnants of an unknown age, and all fodder for their hunger. Again, their gluttonous nature can prove to be their undoing, as a stenskarr that finds such a treasure trove may consume vast quantities of frozen flesh, only to grow so lacking in replacement metals to find itself unable to burrow forward, its spines and mandibles grown soft and weak, trapping it in this distant ice-field to starve, surrounded by meat that it can no longer reach.
Stenskarr reproduce asexually, and are not known to engage in any sort of mating or courtship behavior, gathering only infrequently to communicate with each other through rumbling calls and a strange clattering the create by clashing their spines. As a stenskarr grows, a bulbous growth forms at the end of their tail, and with sufficient feeding, detaches into another smaller stenskarr, which then promptly goes in another direction, apparently repulsed by the scent of its ‘parent.’ For their part, the mature stenskarr seems to be eager to be rid of this growth, regarding it as an inconvenience and occasionally attempting to scrape it off.
While surface dwellers tend to dismiss stenskarr as mindless menaces, the creatures possess a dim intellect of sorts, and believe themselves to have gained power from feasting on the flesh of a deific entity of flame buried beneath the frozen wastes or to have feasted upon the buried magical artifacts of a long-forgotten civilization. The two theories are in conflict, and stenskarr of one philosophy are violently opposed to the other, with the ‘Eaters of Fire’ faction being more common in a particular region, where they believe the body of the fallen, and the birthplace of their species, originated, while the second faction, the ‘New Sons,’ is more likely to explore, seeking new arcane items to devour, as they believe that they will grow ever more powerful and be granted new awareness and insights in the consumption of items of arcane magic (and arcane practitioners). While most of the older Eaters of Fire faction are content to remain in their ancestral territories, believing that leaving that region would drain them of their might and connection to the divine, some younger members, perhaps influenced by the beliefs of the other faction, believe that they must devour more divine essence to grow even more powerful, and are likely to target divine casters for consumption, if they can readily identify them. As a result, depending on the faction encountered, a stenskarr may break off combat to attempt to devour an arcane caster or divine caster in preference over any other individual present, although, in absence of that distinction, they are most likely to try to swallow targets with large concentrations of metal on their person (such as heavily armored individuals).
The only thing more terrible than the creatures themselves, is the thought that either of these origin stories could have any truth to them, although scholars who have successfully communicated with a stenskarr, through the use of magic, either charitably describe them as ‘possessed of an alien intelligence,’ or, less charitably, as ‘unbelievably obtuse, like arguing mathematics with a troll.’
A third and lesser known group of stenskarr exists deep within the earth, never coming near the arctic surface, or their more widely-known kin, and have discovered an entirely new source of sustenance, which they greedily keep secret from those above. While the stenskarr dwelling nearer to the surface have glistening silvery mandibles and spines, and dull black hide, those who dwell only in the depths of the earth have metallic greenish (or violet) mandibles that contrast brightly against hides of a glossy midnight blue, and glow even brighter with emerald (or amethyst) fire when the beast is enraged. There are rumors, never confirmed, that the dwellers below grow even larger, have advanced intellects, and may possess divine or arcane spellcasting abilities, either as Sorcerers or Adepts. Such beasts, the rumors say, function as holy emissaries, leading sects of twisted humanoids in service to unknowable entities in strange ruined civilizations deep within the earth’s crust. In such tales, this faction is referred to as ‘Those Below,’ suggesting that if they are of advanced intellect, it is only in comparison to their arctic kin.
Stat block 3; the Hurulu
This hulking humanoid looks like a deformed ape, and its misshapen flesh is studded with lumps of metal that appear to have been branded and burned into the tissue, like some sort of horrible armor. It rattles a six foot javelin of glistening steel at you, before hurling its weapon and charging with a howl.
Their natures are not much more advanced than those of apes, and are far less wholesome. The hurulu are visibly degenerate in appearance, with twitching behaviors, uncontrollable tempers and indiscriminate appetites all pointing to their decay not merely being of the body, but also to have touched their minds. Their pale grey-white flesh is usually riddled with tumors and growths, which sometimes grow necrotic and teem with maggots or blossom with fungal growths. Being disposed to eat anything they can fit within their mouths, the ‘deep apes,’ are prone to pick at these growths and devour them directly from their own bodies (or those of others), vermin, fungus, and all.
Dwelling in ancient forgotten kingdoms found deep underground, the hurulu consider themselves the descendents of the builders of these ruined alien cities, and regard the swirling script and glyphs on the stones of these ruins as their own written language. Their own translations of the glyphs have little or no bearing on their true meaning, but do indeed represent a language all their own, cobbled together from the script left behind by an even more ancient race.
The source of the hurulu’s degenerate condition is unclear, but may have something to do with a foul reeking oily liquid always found near the ruins they inhabit, often concentrated in pools that they dig up from the ground. The oil has an overwhelmingly foul odor of decay, which the creatures seem to mind not at all, and the hurulu slather it onto their hides, as it seems to numb whatever discomfort their ravaged flesh experiences. As an added ‘bonus’ to these unfussy eaters, the rotting flesh scent of the oil also attracts vermin, which they eagerly snatch from the air (or their flesh) and devour. When spread upon the skin, the oil tends to soak in fairly quickly, and soothe the inflammation and redness that often surrounds the hurulu’s implanted metal ‘armor.’ While the liquid, concentrated in pools, has a slight aura of necromantic magic, it loses its potency within moments of application, and a hurulu does not radiate any particular aura of magic.
While the bulk of their nutrition comes from bats, enormous cave vermin and their favored food, blind cave eels, supplemented by fungus when meat supplies are low, the only meat that they will not hungrily devour is that of each other. This particular taboo does not appear to involve any sort of respect for the dead, as their questionable diets render them very prone to dying from a form of parasitic infestation that literally starves the creature, as the weight of parasites squirming in its gut requires more sustenance than it can provide, and the worms devour too much of its blood for it to remain alive. The hurulu have learned to recognize the signs of this infection in each other, and eagerly await the death of the infested individual, gathering around and raising a great commotion of hooting and stamping their feet when their tribesman finally falls still. As the body cools, worms begin squirming out from the mouth, attempting to escape the corpse, and the hurulu snatch them up greedily and sear them on hot stones, before devouring them as a delicacy. Once the first worm has appeared in the corpse’s mouth, that is the signal that the soul has left the body, and the body is torn open to reveal the many other writhing worms, which are similarly plucked forth and prepared for the feast. Inevitably, one or more hurulu grow careless in their excitement, or fail to cook their meal long enough, and end up with a new infestation, which soon enough will provide another feast for their more-fortunate kin. Generally, hurulu do not bother to prepare or cook food in this manner, reserving the touch of flame (which they regard as sacred and purifying in nature) for food that has proven dangerous if not cooked, such as gut-worms or green slime (which is heavily salted *and* burned to a blackened crisp, before eating as a crunchy treat).
Once a body has provided a feast of worms, it is generally then disposed of by throwing it into the water supply that provides the creatures with eels and similar prey, or dismembered and scatted into nearby fungus patches, where hurulu wait to see what sort of vermin are attracted to this ‘bait.’
The hurulu have existed in this desperate manner for centuries, at least, if not millennia, but in recent generations have found a higher purpose, as servants to creatures they regard as gods from above. These ‘gods’ are great worm-like creatures, who lack the primitive intellect of the hurulu, but retain enough simple cunning to opportunistically accept the worship of these degenerates, and provide warmth and protection against larger predators of the endless dark, as well as providing cast off spines of steel which the hurulu use as javelins, in return for sacrifices of flesh and metal. In tribes that benefit from such a patron, the bodies of their dead are instead given over to the stenskarr to devour, and the hurulu believe that the deceased has become one with the god, and now lives on within its magnificent body.
The hurulu favored with such a patron shower it with gifts of food (both flesh and metal), and massage its hide with the same foul-smelling oil that they use to produce their own defensive stench. While, in theory, this would provide a stenskarr with the benefits of the hurulu aura of stench, the body of a stenskarr grows to such an intense heat when it is angered or excited that the oil burns off in a single instant, often with a faint display of blue, green or violet flames.
Upsetting the perception of hurulu as being nearly mindless degenerates, every community of the creatures has at least one skilled in the druidic arts, who trains others in the knack of beast-training, with a form of albino cave lizard, often growing to the size of crocodiles, as their preferred hunting beast. Even rarer, some communities have clerical leaders, who interact most closely with a stenskarr, and, it can only be assumed, are quite aware that the stenskarr are not gods of any sort, perhaps regarding them as ‘holy beasts’ or emissaries from some greater power they serve. Whatever dark patron answers the hooting pleas of the hurulu remains unnamed, for now, but its clerics have access to the Domains of Chaos, Evil, Knowledge and Magic, an unlikely seeming combination for creatures so far fallen from the graces of civilization.
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The material the stats are pulled from are pretty easy to deduce. The fun part is assigning a whole new monster to roughly the same abilities.
Very true. Two of them were obvious to me at a glance, because of their special abilities, but the monkey was a stumper until I noticed its number of attacks. I probably was slowed down by my grognard-ness, as I don't immediately think of beasties introduced later the way I do classic beasties from the 1st edition Monster Manual.
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RPG Superstar 2013
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-- CR 1
XP 400
CE Medium humanoid
Init –1; Senses darkvision 90 ft.; Perception +0
Aura stench (30 ft., DC 13, 10 rounds)
Defense
AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15 (–1 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +7, Ref –1, Will +0
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee club +2 (1d6+1), claw –3 (1d4), bite –3 (1d4) or2 claws +2 (1d4+1), bite +2 (1d4+1)
Ranged javelin +0 (1d6)
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 11
Feats Great Fortitude
Skills Stealth +5 (+9 in rocky areas); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth (+8 in rocky areas)
Ecology
Environment any underground
Organization solitary, pair, clutch (3–6), squad (7–12 plus 1 cleric or druid of 3rd level and 1–2 leader), or band (20–80 plus 20% noncombatants,1 chieftain of 3rd–6th level, 1–3 clerics or druids of 3rd–6th level, and 3–13 leaders)
Treasure NPC gear
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Stench (Ex) Stinkmen release a powerful pheromone that offends nearly every creature that can smell it. The odor comes from thick oils secreted by the creature’s front carapace, so by lying in wait, the odor subsides after several minutes, then resumes when they stand again to fight. Creatures within 30 feet of an active stinkman must succeed at a Fortitude save or be sickened. The stench has no affect onc reatures that have no olfactory sense or are immune to poison.
Skills In rocky areas, stinkmen are easily mistaken for rock formations, boulders, or escarpments. They gain a +4 racial bonus to Stealth checks when in rocky terrain and not moving.
As you survey the crowded escarpment, a number of large boulders appear to lift themselves up on four legs. An awful odor erupts from your assailants as strange bug-men, each with a wooden club and a stony carapace advance on your party.
Stinkmen are an unusual race of humanoids native to mountains and wooded foothills. They are a cruel, primitive race, relying on local terrain and their natural camouflage to aid them in hunting. Among their neighbors, they are known for savage violence and for the powerful odor that signals their presence.
Stinkmen stand 4-5 feet tall when walking on their back four legs, and weigh about 180 pounds. They are armored by a thick carapace that strongly resembles jagged gray stone on the back, and a red-brown exoskeleton on their underside.
Stinkmen speak their own, simple language, which consists of a combination of pheromone releases and rapid clicks.
Combat
Stinkmen attack with wood or stone clubs, or with their natural weapons. If they attack with a melee weapon, they treat their natural weapons as secondary attacks.
Stinkmen characters
Stinkmen with class levels are the leaders of their kind. Stinkmen are not religious people, but they do occasionally manifest powers related to nature and the elements. Stinkmen may choose druid or barbarian for their favored class.
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RPG Superstar 2013
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-- CR 6
XP 2,400
N Large magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +11
Defense
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 73 (7d10+35)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +5
Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d6+4), 4 claws +10 (1d4+4 plus rend)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks rend (4 claws, 1d4+6)
Statistics
Str 19, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +7; CMB +14; CMD 27
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness
Skills Climb +14, Perception +11, Stealth +5
Ecology
Environment warm forests
Organization solitary or company (5–8)
Treasure none
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Rend (Ex) If the stiltworm hits a flat-tooted creature with its bite attack, it automatically hits with its four claws for 1d4+6 damage each. These automatic attacks occur even during a surprise round, so long as the creature surprises its prey and does not move in addition to attacking.
Tree Stride (Sp) Once per day, a stiltworm can enter one Large or larger plant and exit another within one mile per hit die. This effect is otherwise identical to the tree stride spell. Stiltworms usually do this to flee a tough fight or to separate once their mating season is over.
The bizarre beast ahead of you resembles a giant, furred larva with long, stilted legs that could easily pass for bamboo timber if it held still. Wicked barbs reach up from the thing’s legs, threatening to skewer anyone on the ground as it walks by.
Also called yu qiau in oriental cultures, the deadly stiltworm is a cunning predator disguised as a copse of bamboo trees or even a pile of deadfall. The tree-like legs of the monster connect to a central maw and a tuberous lower body.
Stiltworms grow additional legs as they age, becoming more convincing in their camouflage and more dangerous to their neighbors (though they do not possess the faculties to coordinate more than four claw attacks regardless of increased size or extra legs). An adult yu qiau is eight feet long and weighs 400 pounds.
Combat
Stiltworms commonly lie in wait until a suitable morsel comes within range of its bite attack. It’s claws point from the ground up to facilitate easy shredding of its prey once the creature surprises its prey.
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RPG Superstar 2013
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-- CR 7
XP 3,200
N Huge magical beast
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +16
Defense
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +11 natural, –2 size)
hp 94 (9d10+45)
Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +4
Immune fire, cold
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +13 (3d6+9 plus grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks heat, swallow whole (2d6+9 plus 8d6 fire, AC 15, hp 9)
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +9; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 28 (can't be tripped)
Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +16
Ecology
Environment cold deserts and glaciers
Organization solitary
Treasure none
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Swallow Whole (Ex) When a Purusha wyrm bull rushes a target, it opens its mouth for a single bite attack. If the bite attack hits and the bull rush attempt is a success, the monster swallows its prey whole and deals normal bite damage. If the bull rush is successful, but the bite attack misses, the target is moved normally. A swallowed creature can attempt to cut its way out of the wyrm by dealing 9 points of damage with a light piercing or slashing weapon. The monster’s gizzard is AC 15.
Heat (Su) Despite being an arctic creature, the Purusha wyrm produces an incredible amount of internal heat. Creatures trapped inside the beast take 8d6 points of fire damage per round at the start of their turn.
A shower of steam and shattered ice explodes from the ground to reveal a magnificent beast. A glowing orange hide bears the black stains of scorched stone. A bizarre head features several manlike faces, all of which share a single, enormous mouth. The creature has hundreds of small clawed legs, which burn with intense heat. Ice from the glacier you stand on melts instantly and drains away to fill the hole created by the monster’s sudden arrival.
The formidable Purusha wyrm is an ancient beast, said to be born from the corpse of a godlike titan at the creation of the world. The chill of divine death mixed with the fires of creation to birth many of these dangerous predators.
Purusha wyrms are often the subject of organized tribal hunts in cold climates. When feeding or defending itself, the monster attacks with a disturbing maw that features an interior human jaw with tremendous strength. Often this jaw penetrates one creature to attack another behind it. When moving, a Purusha wyrm often burrows into the frozen ground, replacing the stone and ice behind it with a rapidly cooling blend of the ground it digs through. The trail behind a Purusha wyrm is often marked with scorched and flash-frozen remains, and sometimes colored glass that carries a high trade value among tundra tribes.
It is unkown how many such creature were spawned from the many-legged, many-headed body of the primordial ice god, but most of the wyrms encountered are about 30 feet long and weigh up to 25,000 pounds. Burrowing for the creature is accomplished by eating through rocks and ice and superheating the material until it is expelled at the wyrm’s tail end.
Combat
Purusha wyrms are aggressive and merciless hunters. They can lie in wait for hours waiting to ambush surface prey, or they can follow their quarry dozens of feet below the ground, bursting through the ice and stone to abduct a meal and then retreat to the ground below where it can finish eating undisturbed.
Tribal wisemen tell of truly magnificent wyrms that consume whole countrysides and threaten to reshape entire glaciers with their burrowing. Such a beast has never been verified by more objective sources, but legends tell of at least one Purusha wyrm more than fifty feet long.
Just a heads up, there is only ONE WEEK LEFT!!!!! Don't miss out on this excellent chance to be a published RPG writer!!!!
This exercise was a lot of fun. I invite critiques or questions, assuming that's ok with our host.
On to more monster building!
Since no one else has mentioned it to you, I will: All of your entries are below the 1000 word entry minimum. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you are working on more entries, you will want to note:
The "fluff" submission text should be at least 1,000 words in length but no more than 2,500 words. Don't write less or more than the stated amount or you will be eliminated from the contest. You can submit as mant times as you like to any of the three monsters. Good Luck!
HA! I totally missed that! And it completely is the opposite of the usual rules!
Well,what do you think, Mr. Porter? Can I resubmit within the correct word limit, or do I need to submit brand new monsters?
You can resubmit with the correct word limit. Or You can sumbit new monsters if you like. I will leave it up to you. See it is good to be the boss sometimes.
This exercise was a lot of fun. I invite critiques or questions, assuming that's ok with our host.
On to more monster building!
Since no one else has mentioned it to you, I will: All of your entries are below the 1000 word entry minimum. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you are working on more entries, you will want to note:
The "fluff" submission text should be at least 1,000 words in length but no more than 2,500 words. Don't write less or more than the stated amount or you will be eliminated from the contest. You can submit as mant times as you like to any of the three monsters. Good Luck!
Thanks for the warning, but mine clocks in at 1056 in Word, so I should be fine. My understanding is that I can do one 1000+ word monster, and I picked #3.
Thanks for the warning, but mine clocks in at 1056 in Word, so I should be fine. My understanding is that I can do one 1000+ word monster, and I picked #3.This exercise was a lot of fun. I invite critiques or questions, assuming that's ok with our host.
On to more monster building!
Since no one else has mentioned it to you, I will: All of your entries are below the 1000 word entry minimum. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you are working on more entries, you will want to note:
The "fluff" submission text should be at least 1,000 words in length but no more than 2,500 words. Don't write less or more than the stated amount or you will be eliminated from the contest. You can submit as mant times as you like to any of the three monsters. Good Luck!
Jocund, my post was directed at Helt, who had placed multiple submissions under the word count. As I understand it, contestants are free to submit any number of entries, even multiple entries for the same monster, as long as they are between 1000 and 2500 words. No red flags for you. :)
Here is my submission for Monster #1:
SMOAT
(Monster #1)
“The digestive organs of the smoat are most curious, primarily consisting of a series of stone-like bladders containing sulfurous acid. These stones are housed within a meshwork of mucous and greasy membranes, which in turn are surrounded by constantly-regenerating dry pulp, which is extremely combustible. We've been unable to work out exactly where in this system nutrients break down, mostly due to a startling variety of the arrangement of these structures from one smoat to another. The most acceptable theory at the present time is that the mucosa intermediate in the digestive structure are the site of nutrient breakdown and absorption. Most researchers generally accept the theory that the pulp acts as kindling for the intense heat generation that takes place within the gullet and which can be expelled through the creature's vents; although novel dissenting theories about the function of pulp have been advanced, they are generally discounted as they do not account for the combustion that happens within the creature.”
--Pilar Esuve, researcher, quoted from her Treatise on Smoats and Their Variations
Overview
Ranging from twenty to thirty feet in length, these huge plated worms are ravenous omnivores that plague cold desert wastes, tundras, and glaciers. Even when domesticated as mounts by the most fearsome barbarians, in the chaos of pitched battle a smoat is as likely to eat its rider as it would his opponent.
A smoat is covered in thick segments of tissue, hardened by callouses, burns, and scars into wildly cracked plates and scales. At the base of its fanged orifice, two sets of steaming vents hiss and crackle with the sulfuric combustion of its digestive tract. Every so often, these circular and rectangular openings in the worm's crusty hide give forth belches of flame, steam, and sulfuric gas. When a terrible sight breaks forth ominously from frozen and quaking ground, bringing with it the stink of brimstone, wise adventurers steel themselves against the onslaught that is to come.
Smoats are not native to glacial regions, needing access to sulfurous depths of earth in order to reproduce; however, they are at times found in glacial areas. Whether these glacial-dwelling smoats are a variant of the species or have somehow wandered from tundras onto glaciers is a subject that has yet to be resolved. In civilized areas bordering glacial regions, research scholars are willing to pay handsome sums for intact smoat cadavers.
Smoat eggs are prized by wild sorcerers of tundras and deserts, being used to brew oily elixirs of fire-breathing. Shamans prefer to capture the larvae, which they roast and consume in proud rituals, claiming that this magical food builds their vitality and induces a clarity of mind which continues for up to two weeks. Of course, both the eggs and larvae are fiercely defended by the parent smoat. In the hands of a skilled enchanter, the sulfurous stones of a smoat's innards can be used to craft acidic blades as well as prized flametongue swords.
There are tales of smoats being subdued and used as mounts. Oral traditions of desert and tundra warrior cultures carry the knowledge of how to do this: vulnerable points exist at the intersection of a worm's plates. A certain technique of applying pressure can be learned that allows a skilled rider to goad the smoat over land. A subdued smoat, as has been noted above, is likely to turn on its rider and attempt to make a meal out of her at the first opportunity. Smoats must be mounted at the fourth segment or beyond; any closer than that to the creature's orifice and steam vents puts the rider at serious risk for being steamed alive.
Ecology
Smoats are solitary creatures. Hermaphrodites, they reproduce by laying a half dozen fertilized eggs annually. Eggs are nested deep underground in sulfurous springs, where the parent keeps a lair to guard them until, two weeks after they have been laid, the young reach the larval stage. During the larval stage, the creatures are highly vulnerable and function as a colony which resembles a cluster of tentacles grouped around a central sac. The sac collects and condenses minerals from the surrounding water into a steady stream of food for the grubs. During this time, the parent smoat continues to guard its offspring, but ventures to the surface more and more frequently to satisfy its returning appetite, which is dormant during the initial two-week nesting period. The larval stage lasts three weeks, after which the parent abandons the grubs. The grubs separate themselves from the nutrient-rich sac, which dissolves into the surrounding spring while the metamorphosing young burrow into the mineral-rich floor of the pool to complete their development. A smoat reaches full maturity some three months after burrowing. At that time, it emerges as a huge worm and first seeks the surface, where it begins to hunt.
Smoats thrive on a varied diet of minerals (they are especially fond of copper and basalt, although the latter is difficult to find in their usual terrains), mammals, and vegetation. Some have observed smoats vocalizing disturbing sounds as they crunch on a creature's bones, as if they are particularly enjoying this experience. When satiated, a smoat burrows deep underground, creating a temporary lair where it will sleep for one to two days before needing to feed again.
Combat
Upon sensing movement above, a smoat burrows upward, attempting to break through the ground directly under a creature. Rocketing upward with its huge maw stretched open, its talon-like teeth close upon its prey, grinding it to a pulp and attempting to swallow the unfortunate target whole. Aside from its intended target, any creature within twenty feet of the rupture caused by an ascending smoat is likely knocked aside or sent flying, affected by the worm's improved bull rush. Characters tossed into the air this way rise 5 to 20 feet (5d4) in the air and are subject to falling damage. A character who has been swallowed whole is subject to heat damage from the burning sulfur that flares inside the worm's gullet.
Large heat vents ring the two segments just behind the smoat's fanged orifice. Any character climbing onto these segments of the creature is subject to its heat attack. These vents serve to melt ice and soften frozen sands as the creature traverses underground areas. Unless a smoat has stuffed itself to capacity (50 HD) with its prey, it has complete voluntary control over the emissions from these vents. A fully distended smoat loses control of these heat vents, which discharge 5-8 (1d4+4) times at random (check every round; 50% chance each round until completely vented). When burrowing at less than 10' deep, there is a chance that an involuntary explosion could cause a surface rupture, sending solid ground and characters flying up to 10' in the air. Characters in the area directly over the burrowing smoat may be subject to falling damage or damage from flying debris. Also, it is not uncommon for a smoat to have learned of the effectiveness of this approach, and to work this explosive strategy against its prey before surfacing. Generally, a smoat's great hunger drives it to surface quickly and attempt to swallow a creature whole, rather than spend much time toying with its prey from underneath in this way.
A smoat will continue to attack and eat until it has consumed 50 HD of creatures. In the event that it is overwhelmed in combat and fails morale, it will make one last desperate power attack before burrowing back into the sands or ice.
Jocund, my post was directed at Helt, who had placed multiple submissions under the word count. As I understand it, contestants are free to submit any number of entries, even multiple entries for the same monster, as long as they are between 1000 and 2500 words. No red flags for you. :)Thanks for the warning, but mine clocks in at 1056 in Word, so I should be fine. My understanding is that I can do one 1000+ word monster, and I picked #3.This exercise was a lot of fun. I invite critiques or questions, assuming that's ok with our host.
On to more monster building!
Since no one else has mentioned it to you, I will: All of your entries are below the 1000 word entry minimum. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you are working on more entries, you will want to note:
The "fluff" submission text should be at least 1,000 words in length but no more than 2,500 words. Don't write less or more than the stated amount or you will be eliminated from the contest. You can submit as mant times as you like to any of the three monsters. Good Luck!
OK, thanks anyway. I was just reading quickly and thought that that 'all of your' meant 'everyone's.' In case anyone else missed (I just saw it yesterday, and there is only 1 week left to enter), KQ is also running a monster design contest, stat blocks and text.
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MONSTER #1
I got nothing.
MONSTER #2
A blood-chilling deep 'whuff' draws your attention to a looming blue-black mass of muscle and rank coarse hair, nearly close enough above you to touch upon the teakwood trunk. It seems the full-grown bole ought to bend under its massive bulk, but it grips firmly with six sets of curved orange claws. It appraises you with deadly calm from a row of four lambent eyes.
XP 2,400
N Large magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +11
Defense
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 73 (7d10+35)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +5
Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d6+4), 4 claws +10 (1d4+4 plus rend)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks rend (4 claws, 1d4+6)
Statistics
Str 19, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +7; CMB +14; CMD 27
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness
Skills Climb +14, Perception +11, Stealth +5
Ecology
Environment warm forests
Organization solitary or company (5–8)
Treasure none
A nightmare stalks the deepest jungles, depopulating the villages of humans and elves and exterminating the treetop nests of kech and grippli. With cruelty seemingly beyond a mere beast, the krang kela slays many more than it devours, as if ensuring that few remain to take revenge. The name translates as "death of hope". Other races call it the despoiler, the wave of silence or the inescapable one.
The krang kela prefers to hunt on moonless or rainy nights in pitch darkness. After scouting all around its target, it attacks sentries and lone wanderers one by one, killing them and dragging them away as quietly as it can. An older, more cunning beast may destroy all but one means of escape, where it positions itself to slay all who try to flee. Once a general alarm is raised, a krang kela abandons stealth and hurls itself into combat, lashing out all around to cripple as many victims as possible, which it can finish off later at its leisure.
In their morose, black-hearted way, several krang kela sometimes conspire to raid a difficult but rich food source together. Though they abide each other's presence and may even fight cooperatively on such a foray, two or more are never found together in a lair.
Though the aftermath of its misdeeds is well known, different legends describe it in varying ways. Some say that the krang kela is like an enormous black centipede or earwig, others that it is a giant-sized monstrous head with greasy black hair, dragon-wings for ears and toothed intestines coiling from its neck, yet others that it is a vine the size of a great python with a clawed talon at each end and eyes along its length - for of a hundred men who tell stories about the krang kela, not one has seen it and lived to talk about it.
Unlike ordinary animals, a juvenile krang kela emerges from a tough, fibrous plant mass of overlapping dark green leaves that grows over several years on a high tree branch. If cut or pierced, the bulb-like structure bleeds with the same maroon-colored blood as a krang kela adult. Krang kela gouge into trees, implanting seeds that grow under their claws after they become fertile when soaked in blood. As a result, a number of young krang kela often emerge close to a raided site and continue to prey on luckless inhabitants of the district.
MONSTER #3
Lanky, brownish creatures clamber in an erratic wave over the rocky massif, their segmented bodies tilted at odd angles as their heads swivel to fix you with multiple tiny eyes and eagerly clattering jaws. A horrid chemical reek spreading before them assails your eyes and the back of your throat.
XP 400
CE Medium humanoid
Init –1; Senses darkvision 90 ft.; Perception +0
Aura stench (30 ft., DC 13, 10 rounds)
Defense
AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15 (–1 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +7, Ref –1, Will +0
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee club +2 (1d6+1), claw –3 (1d4), bite –3 (1d4) or2 claws +2 (1d4+1), bite +2 (1d4+1)
Ranged javelin +0 (1d6)
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 11
Feats Great Fortitude
Skills Stealth +5 (+9 in rocky areas); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth (+8 in rocky areas)
Ecology
Environment any underground
Organization solitary, pair, clutch (3–6), squad (7–12 plus 1 cleric or druid of 3rd level and 1–2 leader), or band (20–80 plus 20% noncombatants,1 chieftain of 3rd–6th level, 1–3 clerics or druids of 3rd–6th level, and 3–13 leaders)
Treasure NPC gear
A scorpidan's barrel-like body, divided in a series of rounded segments down to an abdomen shaped like an inverted bell, shows dull patches of brown and dark ochre under a sparse covering of stiff pale-colored bristles, breaking its outline against similarly-colored rocks and inspiring its alternative name, the pied crawler. It has two widely-splayed, bent-kneed legs and two narrow, toothy, two-foot-long pincers, equipped with mobile spurs at the wrist that can crudely grip simple tools such as rocks and branches. Four smaller grasping claws between the major limb pairs lack the strength to injure or secure humanoid-sized prey, thus the scorpidan uses them only to hold meat chunks while eating. Its face is peculiarly ugly - flat and shield-like, with six tiny globular black eyes above flesh-cutting mandibles. A scorpidan stands about seven feet tall.
As it attacks, or when intensely hungry, angry or frustrated, a scorpidan exudes copious flows of tarry black liquid from a large pore above the first joint of each limb, emitting a choking, acrid stink smelling of crushed wasps and creosote.
Aeons ago, scorpidans were merely voracious predators that took lone human hunters and unwary women and children in the rocks at the fringes of the fertile lands. Then the first of the gods inspired humankind to make war upon their natural enemies. In a great extermination, the barbarian tribes drove what remained of the scorpidans into the pitiless depths of the mountains, where they grew bitterly cunning and hateful.
The last of the scorpidans perceived that their enemies drew purpose from their gods and resolved that they, too, should have a deity to strengthen them - a fitting god for their suffering, a demon of hatred and slaughter. Constructing a great idol of bones in a hidden rift of the earth, they sought life-forces to feed their god and bring it to life. The scorpidans fell upon an enclave of small folk who inhabited a wondrous cavern, piling up a hecatomb of their corpses and defiling the beauties of stone and crystal that were granted to the ur-gnomes by their gentle and ingenious patron spirits. This dread place of murder, the Skull-Walled Cavern, sank through the very fabric of space as a howling rift into the Abyss, swelling and bursting forth within the evil plane as a vile excrudescence of bones and bloody slime that birthed the new god-thing Irodaemon, the Boneclaw Marquis.
Though at first a vassal of Orcus (a suspected instigator of the scorpidans' horrid plan) and later of Demogorgon, and possibly behind the corruption of thri-kreen bands in the Badlands of Skathe under a different alias, the later doings of this obscure Abyssal entity have otherwise attracted little interest beyond the scorpidans themselves.
Scorpidans sacrifice captured gnomes, by preference, to sustain the vitality and attention of their demon lord. Dwarves and halflings also are acceptable, though the scorpidans consider a steady diet of such offerings might taint the god-spirit's energies, making the band heavy and slow, or weak and soft. Humans they torture to death in long-anticipated vengeance, while they make elves squeak and squirm for sheer enjoyment. A witch-doctor's secret niche-shrine mounts many little flat-browed skulls along its walls that seem to gaze inwards with eerie intensity at a small heap of the band's valuables in the centre.
Scorpidans gnaw the flesh from the rest of the prey's body, rolling the bones of several victims together into a tightly-interlocked ball, which they bury. They gorge in conjunction with a sacrifice or torture-session on much more prey than they need to satisfy their hunger.
They cuff and terrorize captives not eaten immediately, particularly the likes of kobolds and mites, into making more complex tools such as choppers and throwing-spears for the band's occasional use. Since scorpidans casually torment and devour these slaves as their whims move them, little work gets done and the scorpidans' supply of such items is meagre.
Cave of Visions
This lost site where the first gods instructed the first humans to make war upon their enemies contains many rock paintings of animals, running and speared, and in another section, of scorpidans lurking behind rocks, then falling to spears and cordons of fire, their egg-cases smashed and carapaces piled up in middens. Insightful humans and demi-humans perceive a faint sacred presence (a one-time primal blessing granting a +2 bonus to the next Survival or Stealth check, or saving throw, for a human who prays or regains divine spells in the cave).
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RPG Superstar 2013
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A shower of steam and shattered ice explodes from the ground to reveal a magnificent beast. A glowing orange hide bears the black stains of scorched stone. A bizarre head features several manlike faces, all of which share a single, enormous mouth, lined with adamantine teeth. The creature has hundreds of small clawed legs, which burn with intense heat. Ice from the glacier you stand on melts instantly and drains away to fill the hole created by the monster’s sudden arrival.
Purusha Wyrm CR 7
XP 3,200
N Huge magical beast
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +16
Defense
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +11 natural, –2 size)
hp 94 (9d10+45)
Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +4
Immune fire, cold
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +13 (3d6+9 plus grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks heat, swallow whole (2d6+9 plus 8d6 fire, AC 15, hp 9)
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +9; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 28 (can't be tripped)
Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +16
Ecology
Environment cold deserts and glaciers
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Swallow Whole (Ex) When a Purusha wyrm bull rushes a target, it opens its mouth for a single bite attack. If the bite attack hits and the bull rush attempt is a success, the monster swallows its prey whole and deals normal bite damage. If the bull rush is successful, but the bite attack misses, the target is moved normally. A swallowed creature can attempt to cut its way out of the wyrm by dealing 9 points of damage with a light piercing or slashing weapon. The monster’s gizzard is AC 15. Note that if the wyrm fells it first target and cleaves into any prey behind it, it can swallow up to two Medium creatures in one attack.
Heat (Su) Despite being an arctic creature, the Purusha wyrm produces an incredible amount of body heat. Creatures trapped inside the beast take 8d6 points of fire damage per round at the start of their turn. Creatures striking a Purusha wyrm with natural or unarmed attacks are subject to this damage, but creatures striking with melee weapons are not. Any weapon that strikes the wyrm’s gizzard must succeed at a DC 18 Fortitiude save to avoid destruction. The save DC is Constitution-based.
The formidable Purusha wyrm is an ancient beast, said to be born from the corpse of a godlike titan at the creation of the world. The chill of divine death mixed with the fires of creation to birth these dangerous predators, each bearing many faces and many legs like its purported father. It is unknown how many such creature were spawned from the colossal body of the primordial ice god, but most of the wyrms encountered are about 30 feet long and weigh up to 25,000 pounds.
Burrowing for the creature is accomplished by eating through rocks and ice and superheating the material until it is expelled at the wyrm’s tail end. The trail behind a Purusha wyrm is often marked with scorched and flash-frozen remains, and sometimes colored glass that carries a high trade value among tundra tribes.
Purusha wyrms are often the subject of organized tribal hunts in cold climates, whether as a rite of passage for a new generation of leaders or to protect a settlement from significant danger. When feeding or defending itself, the monster attacks with a disturbing maw that features a separate, interior human jaw with tremendous strength. It is said this jaw can penetrate one creature to attack another behind it. When moving, a Purusha wyrm often burrows into the frozen ground, replacing the stone and ice behind it with a rapidly cooling blend of the ground it digs through. The trail behind a Purusha wyrm is often marked with scorched and flash-frozen remains, and sometimes colored glass that carries a high trade value among tundra tribes.
Combat
Purusha wyrms are aggressive and merciless hunters. They can lie in wait for hours waiting to ambush surface prey, or they can follow their quarry, completely unnoticed, from dozens of feet below the ground. The wyrm waits for the prey to stop moving and bursts through the ice and stone to abduct a meal then retreat to the ground below where it can finish eating undisturbed.
These bizarre monsters have no natural enemies in the traditional sense, but for some reason, Purusha wyrms have a special hatred of (or taste for) outsiders and dragons. The few scholars who study the wyrms agree there is some sense of rivalry with other creatures of divine ancestry.
Great Titan Purusha Wyrms
Purusha wyrms are already mighty and, thankfully, rarely encountered. However, older and larger versions have reportedly been responsible for the destruction of whole communities of humanoids and other civilizations. In every few generations, tribal scouts report sighting a truly magnificent specimen of the mythical beasts. Such wyrms are Colossal in size and a menace to entire wilderness regions. Occasionally, icebergs broken off from their glaciers reveal wide tunnels where perhaps this monster of legend laid dormant between meals. Perhaps even more terrifying, shaman theorize that this massive wyrm might still be the original offspring from the corpse of Purusha himself, and might well possess significant divine power. While some tribes might join together to rid themselves of such a menace, others refuse to act against a possible spawn of divine origin.
Knowledge of Purusha Wyrms
The following table allows players to assess their knowledge of the Purusha wyrm with a successful bardic knowledge or Knowledge (Arcana) check. Such information might be gained from the wise members of local tribes, or from sages or libraries that catalog such esoteric lore.
DC Result
10 There are several titanic, wormlike creatures that prey on the indigent life near glaciers and snow-covered tundra. Among those are the remorhaz, and the mythical Purusha wyrm.
15 Purusha wyrms lie in wait for their victim and attack from underground. Sometimes they take their prey below the earth with them to eat more slowly, but they usually devour their meals whole and go looking for more.
20 Natives of the terrain where Purusha wyrms are known to hunt carry large stones with them. To ward off a potential attack from below, they travel in groups and are sure to keep moving. When they suspect an attack, they move single file and throw a rock off their path, hoping to goad the wyrm into attack the immobile target. Most native cultures that deal with Purusha wyrm attacks have dances and tactics handed down from generations past just for a Purusha hunt.
25 Most Purusha wyrms are the size of large houses, but sages, surveyors and tribal elders have all documented truly enormous specimens, the largest of which is said to be over a hundred feet long. The immense creatures are given unique names by northern tribes and the passing of one is said to be an omen of a severe winter.
30 Tribal lore suggests that the Purusha wyrm is named for the ice titan central to their creation myth. The fires of creation burst through Purusha, and the wyrms were born out of his demise. It is said that Purusha was then reborn when magma and water cooled inside his corpse, and he emerged again as a god of ice, fire and stone.
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
XP 3,200
N Huge magical beast
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +16
Defense
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +11 natural, –2 size)
hp 94 (9d10+45)
Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +4
Immune fire, cold
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +13 (3d6+9 plus grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks heat, swallow whole (2d6+9 plus 8d6 fire, AC 15, hp 9)
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +9; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 28 (can't be tripped)
Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +16
Ecology
Environment cold deserts and glaciers
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Special Abilities
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.
The contact of the vermitongue’s heated body with ice produces steam and fog in the area around it. This has the effect of an Obscuring Mist spell centered on the worm that persists as long as the worm’s heated body remains in the area and for 5 minutes after it leaves the area. The fog can be dispersed by wind as the spell but will regenerate on the next round if the worm’s heated body is still present. When the worm travels through its tunnels or burrows creating fresh tunnels, it leaves fog in its wake that persists for 5 minutes.
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.
Some great reads, guys.
Louis, is there a set date for announcements regarding this contest?
*bump*
Some great reads, guys.
Louis, is there a set date for announcements regarding this contest?
I plan to look at these next week and start make the top three choices.
Thanks! Will it be the top one from each category or just the top three over all?