Weeping Angels

[Craig1234]

I've been putting together a couple modules of my own to use with my hearty adventurers and for one would like to recreate the effect of the Weeping Angels from the Doctor Who series, but I have no idea how I would achieve that. Anyone care to share ideas on how to make it happen?

[Joana]

There's a sidebar on them as a variant gargoyle in ... Classic Monsters Revisited, maybe? One of the Revisiteds.

EDIT: Classic Horrors Revisited.

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

The real question is why did no one simply bludgeon them into little pieces while watching non-blinking to keep them in their frozen stone form?

Your adventurers will do this given half a chance.

[Craig1234]

Tiny Coffee Golem said wrote:

Your adventurers will do this given half a chance.

Hmm, I'm guessing you don't know my adventurers, lol

[Craig1234]

Just downloaded the book, now I just have to figure out how to make it really work. These guys should be terrifying, but it would be really easy in game to just whack away at them if it isn't handled properly.

[Jaelithe]

Tiny Coffee Golem wrote:

The real question is why did no one simply bludgeon them into little pieces while watching non-blinking to keep them in their frozen stone form?

Your adventurers will do this given half a chance.

I don't much like Dr. Who and thus don't watch it much, but ... didn't the writers get around that by saying that when the Weeping Angels weren't moving, they were in some sort of "quantum lock" that rendered them essentially invulnerable?

I mean, unless you're Superman, the Hulk or Thor, I doubt hitting something in a "quantum lock" is going to do much.

[Craig1234]

Nah, the quantum lock just froze them, had nothing to do with vulnerability. Would have made more sense though if it did make them harder to destroy.

[LazarX]

Craig1234 wrote:

I've been putting together a couple modules of my own to use with my hearty adventurers and for one would like to recreate the effect of the Weeping Angels from the Doctor Who series, but I have no idea how I would achieve that. Anyone care to share ideas on how to make it happen?

The real problem with the Weeping Angels is that the impact pretty much relies on the visual cut shooting used in the scenes they appear. It's really hard to bring the same effect through narration alone. It's also worthwhile to remember that Dr. Who monsters generally work on the "one hit you're dead" principle, not exactly a good fit within the D20 wagame paradigm.

[Jaelithe]

Craig1234 wrote:

Nah, the quantum lock just froze them, had nothing to do with vulnerability. Would have made more sense though if it did make them harder to destroy.

From the Wikipedia article, which I glanced at after reading your response:

"The Weeping Angels ... when they are being observed ... become 'quantum-locked', occupying a single position in space and becoming stone. In this state, they are frozen and difficult to destroy."

I'm assuming they mean more "difficult" than regular stone, or they really wouldn't be that much of a threat, to be honest. You'd just keep your eyes open and keep shoving them over until they broke.

[Imbicatus]

Since magic is available, I would cast transmute rock to mud on them while looking at them, that will mess anything that is petrified up.

[FavoredEnemy]

I would so use weeping angels in my group if for nothing else than the fact that it would creep the hell out of my wife.

[Jaelithe]

Imbicatus wrote:

Since magic is available, I would cast transmute rock to mud on them while looking at them, that will mess anything that is petrified up.

Hmm. I'd rule that "quantum lock" laughs at Transmute Rock to Mud, but that's just this DM.

Still, it'd certainly be something intelligent to try.

[Chris P. Bacon]

They should have ghost touch, and the ability to see invisible creatures, just in case anyone gets cute and tries to cast Blink.

[BaronBytes]

The general Weeping Angels Tactic seemed to be show you one obvious Angel to keep you looking at it while 3-4 were catching you in the back. They also tended to isolate one prey... hum character and go after that one. To be scary they would need to just have to touch you, no saves before sending you in the past. They use darkness and numbers rather than being invulnerable.

I don't think they'd translate well to Pathfinder, they would lose part of what makes them scary I think.

[Matt Thomason]

Jaelithe wrote:

Imbicatus wrote:

Since magic is available, I would cast transmute rock to mud on them while looking at them, that will mess anything that is petrified up.

Hmm. I'd rule that "quantum lock" laughs at Transmute Rock to Mud, but that's just this DM.

Still, it'd certainly be something intelligent to try.

I'd be tempted to go with having them then transmuted into quantum-locked mud, still solid and pretty much invulnerable...

...until nobody is looking, at which point they get to move but collapse into a pile of the floor.

It's worth remembering hey do appear to have a pretty good regeneration ability (turning from ruined, worn statues to their normal form quite rapidly), accelerated by exposure to radiation - maybe magic, in a Pathfinder game? If they "feed off magic" that would likely cause more than a few worries in the party.

[Dosgamer]

The biggest issue I would have with the weeping angels is that there is no facing in Pathfinder. Players are, in effect, watching in all directions. Hard to have your back turned to them when you don't have a "back" facing. They are neat Dr Who monsters, though. I really enjoyed that episode.

[Galnörag]

I could see you bringing some of this to effect in a limited way, but only for Whovians, and only as a nod.

The key is a dungeon that you are going to be moving back and forth through a common space often, and with combat in that space.

The first encounter in that space, perhaps just navigating the space and falling for/detecting a trap, when you draw it on the battle mat, make a point of drawing out, or using props for furniture, crypts, coffins, etc. Including statues. Use some gargoyles, or caryatid Columns.

The next encounter in that room, hopefully 1-2 encounters later, meticulously set the scene again, but move one statue, a little bit.

If accused, deny it.

one or two encounters later, reset the statues, but with more moved, again not more then a square, but clustering, and looming a little closer. Make a point about facing the statues so they don't look haphazard. If your lucky this is on a different night and the players forget the exactness making deniability easier.

Forth time, the statues are gone...

IF questioned, deny deny deny

During this forth fight, maybe with a tiefling, have him throw down darkness.

When the darkness is dispelled, uh oh they are back and they attack.

Make them gargoyles with a negative energy, or chilling dex damaging attack.

That is the best I can imagine in pathfinder, works best in a module like Haunting of Harrowstone, or other spooky haunt situation.

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

Could be interesting for an immortal character to Get touched only to Show up as a much older version of themselves.

The history buff among them may even enjoy it to a degree.