Man on Fire
2012-04-13, 06:26 AM
For some time I have an idea of creating D&D monster based on cartoon creature that was my haunting my childhood nightmares - The Groke, but I'm not very good with D&D mechanics, so I would appriciate if anybody could help me stat this creature to make it balanced and yet still challenging ecounter. Below is describtion of what I'm aiming for:
First something to get you in the mood:
With gusts and howl I wither field
An eerie shudder splits wood and bark
Looking back on frost and fog
Night as day in eternal watch
Golden frost tears
Towards the light I drift
But all embers die
Where I rest my burden
Always alone
No one is able to walk with me
Eternal winter is what I am
You're afraid when I am near
The soul is seeking eternal warmth
All it has is lonely rage
Growth of the soil forever desolate
Where I leave my track
My sorrow is greater than words
--Arcturus, Hufsa (The Groke), as translated by youtube user oraknes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMbHqe2F-RM&list=FLaeoX3CApple3apt_n02XTA&index=24&feature=plpp_video)
and a picture:
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/254/0/9/the_groke_by_rehnstam-d48uf21.jpg
The Describtion
Legends of the north tells of a terrifing monster feared by many races. Called many names in many languages, this creature is commonly know a Groke. It looks like a giant rock that moves, with a large nose, pale eyes and terrifing grin on it's face. These rare creatures usually lives in caves or wanders the world, bringing cold whenever they appears. Where Groke walks, earth freezes and where it stands for too long nothing will ever growth again. Nobody has even seen a groke in usually warm places if it wasn't the time of the winter, leading many to belive that they affect the weather, brining the cold season whenever they walks.
Grokes are attracted to pretty and shiny objects, which they often collects intheir caves and leave unprotected, as they wander. But if anything is stolen from Groke's treasury, she will feel it and go there immiediately, then follow the thief's smeel, trying to get back her propherty, but can be bribed with other treasures and will leave the thief alone if he'll give back what he had stolen. They aren't agressive and terirotrial, but once provoked they attack with fury.
Rumors says that Grokes eat living creatures, but it's unconfirmed. However, other rumors describes them as quite social, often approaching other beings in seek of companionship, and even quite friendly, sometimes saving people who were nice to them. Most of Grokes long for companion and warmth, but cannot get either - most creatures run away from them and they freeze all beings and objects they touch and put down any fire they come in contact with. Some villages even have a stories about how a Groke put down a forest fire or saved burning building by charging into it, desperately trying to warm itself. What is interesting is that they avoid other Grokes, almost like they could feel each other's pressence and steer their path away from them and whenever they ecounter a creature or object that is colder than they, they seems to be afraid of it.
Some rumors mentions larger and more powerful breeds of Grokes, who apparently have tails and can fly, but they're unconfirmed.
Info that should be reflected in stats
* Groke is Immune to cold, but, unusually for cold subtype monsters, is also immune to fire. In fact, Groke is attracted to fire and warmth and will seek it out, but is so cold that every nonmagical fire that comes in contact with it will be put out immiediately
* Groke has an aura of cold - the colser you are to it, the colder it becomes, being too close it starts dealing you cold damage. Ground Groke walks on freezes and if it's standing in one place for too long, nothing will ever grow on it again.
* Any object that comes into contact with the Groke freezes and any person who comes in contact with it is dealt cold damage. If a person happen to touch the object that touches the Groke and freezes, that person is dealt cold damage equal 1/4 of what it would be dealt by touching Groke directly.
* During the winter or in cold climate Groke becomes enlarged - it's size increases by one.
* Groke is much slower than a normal being, unable of jumping and has pretty weak dexterity score. However, it has pretty good grapple and is more willing to
* Groke has pretty good smell, allowing it to chase it's target for a long time.
* It doesn't sleep and eat.
* Groke terrifies other creatures. It's however peaceful and won't attack until provoked and even then can be reasoned with.
* Whatever languages Groke knows, it usually doesn't speak them - it can read and understand in them, but the only sound it makes are moans and can say no more than few words and that's with trouble.
First something to get you in the mood:
With gusts and howl I wither field
An eerie shudder splits wood and bark
Looking back on frost and fog
Night as day in eternal watch
Golden frost tears
Towards the light I drift
But all embers die
Where I rest my burden
Always alone
No one is able to walk with me
Eternal winter is what I am
You're afraid when I am near
The soul is seeking eternal warmth
All it has is lonely rage
Growth of the soil forever desolate
Where I leave my track
My sorrow is greater than words
--Arcturus, Hufsa (The Groke), as translated by youtube user oraknes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMbHqe2F-RM&list=FLaeoX3CApple3apt_n02XTA&index=24&feature=plpp_video)
and a picture:
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/254/0/9/the_groke_by_rehnstam-d48uf21.jpg
The Describtion
Legends of the north tells of a terrifing monster feared by many races. Called many names in many languages, this creature is commonly know a Groke. It looks like a giant rock that moves, with a large nose, pale eyes and terrifing grin on it's face. These rare creatures usually lives in caves or wanders the world, bringing cold whenever they appears. Where Groke walks, earth freezes and where it stands for too long nothing will ever growth again. Nobody has even seen a groke in usually warm places if it wasn't the time of the winter, leading many to belive that they affect the weather, brining the cold season whenever they walks.
Grokes are attracted to pretty and shiny objects, which they often collects intheir caves and leave unprotected, as they wander. But if anything is stolen from Groke's treasury, she will feel it and go there immiediately, then follow the thief's smeel, trying to get back her propherty, but can be bribed with other treasures and will leave the thief alone if he'll give back what he had stolen. They aren't agressive and terirotrial, but once provoked they attack with fury.
Rumors says that Grokes eat living creatures, but it's unconfirmed. However, other rumors describes them as quite social, often approaching other beings in seek of companionship, and even quite friendly, sometimes saving people who were nice to them. Most of Grokes long for companion and warmth, but cannot get either - most creatures run away from them and they freeze all beings and objects they touch and put down any fire they come in contact with. Some villages even have a stories about how a Groke put down a forest fire or saved burning building by charging into it, desperately trying to warm itself. What is interesting is that they avoid other Grokes, almost like they could feel each other's pressence and steer their path away from them and whenever they ecounter a creature or object that is colder than they, they seems to be afraid of it.
Some rumors mentions larger and more powerful breeds of Grokes, who apparently have tails and can fly, but they're unconfirmed.
Info that should be reflected in stats
* Groke is Immune to cold, but, unusually for cold subtype monsters, is also immune to fire. In fact, Groke is attracted to fire and warmth and will seek it out, but is so cold that every nonmagical fire that comes in contact with it will be put out immiediately
* Groke has an aura of cold - the colser you are to it, the colder it becomes, being too close it starts dealing you cold damage. Ground Groke walks on freezes and if it's standing in one place for too long, nothing will ever grow on it again.
* Any object that comes into contact with the Groke freezes and any person who comes in contact with it is dealt cold damage. If a person happen to touch the object that touches the Groke and freezes, that person is dealt cold damage equal 1/4 of what it would be dealt by touching Groke directly.
* During the winter or in cold climate Groke becomes enlarged - it's size increases by one.
* Groke is much slower than a normal being, unable of jumping and has pretty weak dexterity score. However, it has pretty good grapple and is more willing to
* Groke has pretty good smell, allowing it to chase it's target for a long time.
* It doesn't sleep and eat.
* Groke terrifies other creatures. It's however peaceful and won't attack until provoked and even then can be reasoned with.
* Whatever languages Groke knows, it usually doesn't speak them - it can read and understand in them, but the only sound it makes are moans and can say no more than few words and that's with trouble.