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The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-19, 07:54 PM
Mkichaa

Tiny Magical Beast (psionic)
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+3 dex, +3 natural, +2 size), touch 15, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+2
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d4-2 plus id drain)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d4-2 plus id drain) and 2 claws +6 melee (1d4-2)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Blind cling, id drain, improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., feral cunning, low-light vision, primal bond, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 12
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +7, Jump +11, Hide +15, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot +6
Feats: Diehard, Multiattack, Weapon Finesse(B)
Environment: Temperate and Warm Forest
Organization: Solitary or Mates
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Tiny), 7-10 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: -

A Mkichaa appears as a bristling lump of utterly crazed fur and muscle in the shape of a miniature primate. It vaguely resembles a wildly-maned marmoset covered in continuously twitching dark-brown fur with odd streaks and whirls of mahogany. Its head is overly large for its size, as are its feral, nocturnal eyes that take up most of the head. Sharp, predatory teeth protrude slightly from its misleadingly small snout.

A Mkichaa knows nothing but desire and hunger, to hunt and mate and hunt again with unquenchable appetite. More than two Mkichaas are rarely found within miles of one another for two males or females will always fight to the death. They hunt as one creature, bonded at the deepest primal level. The female Mkichaa is almost always in a pregnant state and may give birth to a dozen or more pups at once, which is well for both parents are wont to kill their entire litter in random moments of pique. They nurse for only a weak before growing into their bloodlust. To sustain their energy hungry children, and as a manner of self defense, they seek out larger prey upon which to feed, leaving their children in their tree-top bowers. When the pups reach maturity the parents carry them far away and abandon them, remaining nearby for a day to scare them off from retracking their parent's route. Mkichaa's find their mate by their maniacal, ear-splitting screeches that travels for miles, which may also attract potential rivals whom fight till the death and are then consumed by the opponent.

Mkichaas weigh some twenty-five pounds and stand a little over a foot and a half high.

Combat
Mkichaa's hunt in pairs if at all possible, circling their prey and examining it from opposite angles. One then attacks, literally draining the agressive emotions from it until it falls unconscious. The Mkichaa then switches minds and takes the body to feed its young, then switching back as they begin to feast on the comatose form.

Blind Cling (Ex):
As a move action, a mikichaa that is grappling an opponent with a head and eyes may climb up and cling to the victim's head.The succeeding round, if it remains grappled, it can cover over the eyes of its opponent if it is Medium or smaller, digging its claws in, blinding it's opponent. Every round the mikichaa gouges the opponent's eyes and face, the opponent takes 1d4 points of damage. Even if the Mkichaa is removed its victim remains blinded until the damage is healed. While clinging to an opponent's head, the mikichaa can use it's bite attack.

Feral Cunning (Ex): A mkichaas can never be caught flat-footed.

Id Drain (Su):
On a successful bite attack, a mikichaa deals 1 point of Charisma damage and gains 1 point of Strength for every point of Charisma damage dealt. This bonus to Strength lasts for 1d4 minutes past the end of the encounter. If it's opponent's Charisma is reduced to 0 with this ability, the mikichaa and it's opponent's minds switch places as the mind switch power.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Mkichaa must hit with both its claw attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity even if it would normally be too small. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can Cling. If the opponent is two sizes or more larger than the mkichaa they are not considered to be grappled, and take no impairments, but instead are 'wearing' the clutching mkichaa. A Mkichaa uses its dexterity modifier for grapple checks and gains a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks, which is already included in the statistics above.

Primal Bond (Su): A mkichaa and its mate can communicate telepathically at will, exchanging information, including scents and sounds, as long as they are within 1000 feet of one another. If both are within sight of the same location their opponents gain no benefit from flanking.

Skills: Mkichaas have a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks. Mkichaa have a +8 racial bonus on Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks. *In areas of dense forest, the Hide bonus rises to +8.

Fax Celestis
2006-07-19, 07:59 PM
GAAAH.

...why don't you give it Rabies (Ex) or something and make it Abso-BALLY-Lutely terrifying, eh?

jaqueses
2006-07-19, 07:59 PM
I have found the ultimate creature to plague my players with. Thank good sir for your continuing gifts to this community.

Sophistemon
2006-07-19, 08:03 PM
... Is that a giant squirrel?
Kssss!
Eh? AH! It's on my face!

Once again a very great job, Tribble.

Jack_Simth
2006-07-19, 08:19 PM
Mkichaa
Id Drain (Su): A Mkichaa deals 1 point of Charisma damage each time it makes a successful bite attack which it applies to its Strength score. This bonus fades 1d4 minutes after it has vanquished its enemy or been forced to flee. If its prey's Intelligence is reduced to 0 the Mkichaa and its prey's psyches exchange places as the Mind Switch power.
Huh?

Deals Charisma damage, somehow applies it to it's strength score, and switches with it's enemy when it's Intelligence gets down to 0? I'm confused. Any chance you can re-word that?

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-19, 08:23 PM
Huh?

Deals Charisma damage, somehow applies it to it's strength score, and switches with it's enemy when it's Intelligence gets down to 0? I'm confused. Any chance you can re-word that?
Whoops, I meant to say when its 'Charisma' gets down to 0. Adjusted.

Basically it drains the inner 'id', or the primal desires, of a person, which increases its frenzy. Sort of triggers an extended Rage.

Zeal
2006-07-19, 08:54 PM
That is the most terrifying thing I have ever read.

The Demented One
2006-07-19, 08:58 PM
Mind-switching...squirrels? Dear gods, Tribble, your players must be nervous wrecks. What exactly does it do after it gets some other guy's body?

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-19, 09:01 PM
Mind-switching...squirrels? Dear gods, Tribble, your players must be nervous wrecks. What exactly does it do after it gets some other guy's body?
Naw, a mind switching monkey ;)

Basically it takes the body to the nest to feed the babies and then gets its mind out of it QUICK. As the other guy's mind then comes back, still at 0 charisma and comatose, he is eaten alive.

Gyrfalcon
2006-07-19, 09:14 PM
So... evil mind-control monkeys.

*adds monkeys to his list of things to fear*

Excellent work as always, Vorpal Tribble. :)

InaVegt
2006-07-19, 09:18 PM
Will you ever publish a book filled with your critters VT, that would be worth the money

PhoeKun
2006-07-19, 10:04 PM
There are two things that make me excited in the gaming boards, or rather one combination of things.

Vorpal Tribble and PEACH. I don't usually comment on your work, but I should. This is witty, original, and downright terrifying.

I love it.

ziratha
2006-07-19, 10:15 PM
good lord... You know, whenever I come to these boards I always look for your posts, vt. This is why. If I ever were to be a DM... **insert evil grin here**

SpiderBrigade
2006-07-19, 10:31 PM
These definitely fall under the category of "you're not expecting them to be as lethal as they actually are." Which is one of the scariest genres of scary monster, personally. Unless your DM somehow "telegraphs" the impending badness, but with VT you never know if he's actually getting ready to spring something, or if he's just describing the monkeys to mess with your head...

One thing, though.
The female Mkichaa is almost always in a pregnate state and may give birth to a dozen or more pups at once, which is well for both parents are wont to kill their entire litter in random moments of pique.

Peregrine
2006-07-19, 11:13 PM
When I read this...


...a bristling lump of utterly crazed fur and muscle...
...I thought you'd gone and statted your furry sharp-toothed namesake. ;D Then I reached the 'in the shape of a miniature primate' part... and it just got scarier from there.

But then I realised: if it has an Int of 2, it's game for Handle Animal checks... rear a Mkichaa yourself? Better yet, rear a whole pack? After all, they breed fast, and the parents can't kill the offspring if the handler carefully separates them... I need to build me a Mkichaa Wrangler character now.

Oh, and just to join in the pedantry (we're giving you free editing to help get that book published ;)):

they seek out larger prey upon which to feed, leaving their children in their tree-top boughers.
I think you mixed up bough and bower. Also you've got the plural as 'Mkichaa's' a couple of times, and under Feral Cunning you say 'a mkichaas'.

Ryshan Ynrith
2006-07-19, 11:15 PM
You scare me, VT. I swear, if I were in your campaign, I'd kill everything, just in case it was alive and hostile. Which it probably is. Nice work, as always. ;)

Herbert_West
2006-07-19, 11:24 PM
I'm trying to decide which would be worse to have fall on your head, this or the dropbear you made awhile ago.
*looks up to check for angry furry things*

The Demented One
2006-07-19, 11:43 PM
I see. Tribble, do you use Sanity mechanics in your games?

Phasm
2006-07-20, 01:31 AM
Omigoodness. :o

I knew monkeys were evil!


If I were in your campaign, I'd kill everything, just in case it was alive and hostile. Which it probably is.That would work up until the point where you encounter VT's psionic dream-celestials...

jaqueses
2006-07-20, 01:32 AM
Or he decides to make psionic inevitables. :P That actually sounds like a good thing.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-20, 08:55 AM
Will you ever publish a book filled with your critters VT, that would be worth the money
Gonna see if Dragon Magazine is interested in any. If not I might make the attempt to put them in a book.


But then I realised: if it has an Int of 2, it's game for Handle Animal checks... rear a Mkichaa yourself? Better yet, rear a whole pack? After all, they breed fast, and the parents can't kill the offspring if the handler carefully separates them... I need to build me a Mkichaa Wrangler character now.
Ermmm... I guess you 'could' make the attempt... but I honestly don't see it being trainable. Everything inside it wants to attack anything not its mate.


I swear, if I were in your campaign, I'd kill everything, just in case it was alive and hostile. Which it probably is.
Naw, I have plenty of very unhostile creatures, pacifistic even.


I see. Tribble, do you use Sanity mechanics in your games?
Some of them ;)

bruceski
2006-07-20, 10:56 AM
Gonna see if Dragon Magazine is interested in any. If not I might make the attempt to put them in a book.




If they do make it into Dragon, let us know when we can see them. I want to be able to show it to my friends and say "you should have seen what was too sadistic to get in."

warmachine
2006-07-20, 11:13 AM
Vicious! There are a few things.

1. I kinda doubt their Wisdom can be 16 if they kill their young on random occasions. They're clearly not mentally stable.
2. Shouldn't those in full helmets with face plates and eye slits receive a bonus?
3. Once it's on someone's face, shouldn't the victim receive a bonus to grab it, even when blinded? The victim knows precisely where it is: on his face. Eyes aren't needed for kinesthetic sense. The creature can't dodge much: it needs its legs to cling on to the head whilst its arms and mouth do the attacking.
4. No saving throws? That's nasty. Surely 'tis unusual for magical, malevolant effects to not have saves. Otherwise they can rip apart high level characters.

NullAshton
2006-07-20, 11:18 AM
I want one of these as a familiar. Right after the pseudodragon.

Oeryn
2006-07-20, 11:43 AM
Sweet Fancy Moses, man! I gotta stop reading these things you keep posting...

Y'know, the main reason I applied to join your game is that I read a few of these, and thought, "Wow, this guy's a genius." Only later did it occur to me that I might actually run into a few of these things...

So, is it gonna be a problem if Anya stays in the tavern for the rest of the campaign? ;)

The Glyphstone
2006-07-20, 12:22 PM
And watch him proceed to design a Colossal creature, (sorta like a cross between a mimic and a lantern fish), that feeds off adventurers by disguising itself as a tavern. :D The bartender is its tongue. :D

Oeryn
2006-07-20, 12:26 PM
THAT wasn't right....^^

Although now that you mention it, the tavern IS called "The Gaping Maw", and looks a lot like a mouth...

Guh.

Fax Celestis
2006-07-20, 12:39 PM
THAT wasn't right....^^

Although now that you mention it, the tavern IS called "The Gaping Maw", and looks a lot like a mouth...

Guh.
RUN IT"S AN ADVANCED FORM OF MIMIC!!!

*ahem*

I mean. Yes.

Abd al-Azrad
2006-07-20, 01:41 PM
I had one of these in a game. An advanced mimic in the city of Sigil that disguised itself as a magic item shop. There was a small wooden bench across the street, upon which sat three weak demons- I think two vrocks and a succubus. Whenever someone entered the shop, the demons did the wave.

Fax Celestis
2006-07-20, 01:44 PM
I had one of these in a game. An advanced mimic in the city of Sigil that disguised itself as a magic item shop. There was a small wooden bench across the street, upon which sat three weak demons- I think two vrocks and a succubus. Whenever someone entered the shop, the demons did the wave.
YES!

The Glyphstone
2006-07-20, 01:45 PM
Why the vrocks? Why not just three succubi? ;D

Abd al-Azrad
2006-07-20, 01:47 PM
Why the vrocks? Why not just three succubi? ;D

I believe demons would basically draw straws (or kill each other) for a chance to sit outside the 'shop.' Heck, it was a one-shot joke. The specifics were largely unnecessary. ;)

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-20, 02:18 PM
1. I kinda doubt their Wisdom can be 16 if they kill their young on random occasions. They're clearly not mentally stable.
They are wise in that they are extremely in tune with their surroundings. Paranoid in fact.


2. Shouldn't those in full helmets with face plates and eye slits receive a bonus?
Aye, but there are alot of creatures who do damage that really shouldn't be doable to those in specific armors and the like. Flocks of crows that can pluck out eyeballs shouldn't be able to get to folks either but... thats D&D for you ::)


3. Once it's on someone's face, shouldn't the victim receive a bonus to grab it, even when blinded? The victim knows precisely where it is: on his face. Eyes aren't needed for kinesthetic sense. The creature can't dodge much: it needs its legs to cling on to the head whilst its arms and mouth do the attacking.
Well, when you are being grappled normally you would probably know exactly where they were to hit. And it could just grabbing on with the hands (hence the damage) while its flopping all over the head. Again, I could add additional rules, but it would be weakened while like creatures wouldn't be.


4. No saving throws? That's nasty. Surely 'tis unusual for magical, malevolant effects to not have saves. Otherwise they can rip apart high level characters.
There are quite a number of creatures that when they bite they do automatic damage. A Phthisic (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicMonsters.html#phthisic) for example deals 1d4 intelligence damage with each bite, and its not even listed as a supernatural ability, but an extraordinary one. Its only a CR 6.

I mean, you bring up some very good points, but unless D&D updates their stuff theirs just not much I can do and still use D&D rules. In the mentioned circumstances its generally up to the DM to apply common sense.



Although now that you mention it, the tavern IS called "The Gaping Maw", and looks a lot like a mouth...
*looks around innocently*

Oeryn
2006-07-20, 02:50 PM
Aw, man... ^^

Seriously, though. These are really cool. Nice job!

Azrael
2006-07-20, 02:55 PM
*looks around innocently*


Yeah, right. The original fuzzy ball of toothly-death looks around innocently?

Abd al-Azrad
2006-07-20, 03:44 PM
By the way, I'd probably have thrown in some comments about the monster, but I think everything I would say has already been covered. It's well balanced and cleverly designed around a solid concept- hideous little balls of fur and teeth that cling to your face. I'm not really sure about the idea of a monster with animal intelligence successfully navigating its prey's body via Mind Switch, as it seems a bit of a difficult task, but you can chalk a lot up to instinct. And they are very clever for monsters of animal intelligence. Regardless, I like the idea, as it makes dragging large prey back to your lair remarkably easy.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-23, 09:19 PM
I'm not really sure about the idea of a monster with animal intelligence successfully navigating its prey's body via Mind Switch, as it seems a bit of a difficult task, but you can chalk a lot up to instinct.
Well, I mean, you got mindless creatures with psionics in the books, so animal intelligence isn't stretching nearly so bad.

A good example being the Ectoplasmic Swarm which are mindless magical beasts. Then there is the Crystal Golem as well.

Karu
2006-07-25, 04:12 PM
One should think about making a new monster subtype: "Dribble".

Creatures with the Dribble subtype automatically shake everything in a campaign world radius, without saving throw.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-10-31, 10:36 AM
Halloween bump!

Jack_Simth
2006-10-31, 05:21 PM
Hey, Vorpal:

They can't grapple. Not against Medium PC's, anyway:

From the SRD:


Step 3: Hold. Make an opposed grapple check as a free action. If you succeed, you and your target are now grappling, and you deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike.

If you lose, you fail to start the grapple. You automatically lose an attempt to hold if the target is two or more size categories larger than you are.

In case of a tie, the combatant with the higher grapple check modifier wins. If this is a tie, roll again to break the tie.(Emphasis added)

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-11-01, 09:24 AM
Its not 'truley' grappling the big creature. Just clinging on. Elaborated.

Shazzbaa
2006-11-01, 11:03 PM
Dude, these guys are fabulously horrifying.



Oh, and just to join in the pedantry (we're giving you free editing to help get that book published ;)):

I think you mixed up bough and bower. Also you've got the plural as 'Mkichaa's' a couple of times, and under Feral Cunning you say 'a mkichaas'.

Wait, wait, does this mean I can let loose my inner grammar freak? I've been holding my tongue on those "whom"s and "it's"s for a while... :smalltongue:

On a less nitpicky note, they're "mikichaa" in a couple of places in Blind Cling, which, while more pronouncable, appears to be incorrect. ^^;

Jack Mann
2006-11-01, 11:13 PM
I've told Vorpal the key to who/whom. At this point, the only way he'll learn is with our help.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-11-02, 10:26 AM
I've told Vorpal the key to who/whom. At this point, the only way he'll learn is with our help.
I'm doing better. Just haven't editted all my past posts ;)

Evil_Pacifist
2006-11-03, 10:05 AM
Gack. You are very scary. Monkeys + evil = terrifying.

BelkarIsAGod
2007-08-12, 05:01 PM
I salute you, sir. You are one of the most evil people ever... Well done.
(Brain controlling monkeys... That's new.)

Zeta Kai
2007-08-13, 06:46 AM
I salute you, sir. You are one of the most evil people ever... Well done.
(Brain controlling monkeys... That's new.)

Actually, it's over a year old now, but I won't hold that against you. Brain-draining, face-hugging squirrels are still hilariously cruel. They're worse than stirges.

Maximum Yoinkage.