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View Full Version : Qiqirn [Monster][Crossroads: The New World][P.E.A.C.H.]



SuperDave
2013-06-25, 08:10 PM
Qiqirn (KEE-kurn)
Designed for Crossroads: The New World (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=269334)
(also known as Ke'lets, Qiqion, or Quiquern)


http://www.mythicalcreatureslist.com/images/gallery/image654.jpg

This large dog is almost completely hairless, except for patches of fur on its feet and ears, around its mouth, and on the tip of its tail. Despite this apparent lack of insulation, it seems unaffected by the cold. As it approaches, your mouth begins to fill with the taste of copper, and a hot, hard pain begins to pound somewhere behind your eyes.


A qiqirn is a hulking, doglike monster which prowls the lonely wastes of Tuniitaq. Though they are primarily scavengers, they will seek out live prey when carrion is not readily available. Though they are strong, they are renowned for their slinking, cowardly ways: they never enter battle where the odds are not clearly in their favor, and flee as soon as it becomes clear that their prey has gained the upper hand. However, they will often follow their wounded prey at a distance, harrying their quarry until they are too weak to fight back.

Approaching a qiqirn can cause violent seizures in any intelligent creature, though for some unknown reason this ability also extends to dogs as well (curiously, they do not seem to have any effect on wolves, foxes, coyotes, or even feral dogs). No one is certain why the qiqirn’s ability affects only domesticated canines, but in a land where one’s mobility and survival often depends upon sled-dogs, this phenomenon can be extremely dangerous.

Qiqirn have the following traits:

Large Size - as large creatures, qiqirn take a -1 penalty to attack bonus and Armor Class, gain +4 to grapple, and take a -4 penalty on Hide checks.
Magical Beast traits.
Cold Subtype - qiqirn are immune to cold damage, but they have a vulnerability to fire; they take half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.




Size/Type:
Large Magical Beast (Cold)


Hit Dice:
6d10+18 (51 HP)


Initiative:
+2


Speed:
50 ft. (10 squares)


Armor Class:
14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12


Base Attack Bonus/Grapple:
+6/+17


Attack:
Bite +12 melee (1d8+10)


Full Attack:
Bite +12 melee (1d8+10)


Space/Reach:
10 ft./5 ft.


Special Attacks:
Trip


Special Qualities:
Immunity to cold, Vulnerability to sonic, Vulnerability to fire


Saves:
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +1


Abilities:
Str 25 (+7), Dex 15 (+2), Con 17 (+3), Int 7 (-2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 10 (+0)


Skills:
Hide +5, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Spot +9, Survival +6 (+10 to track by scent), Swim +7 (total skill points: 27)


Feats:
Alertness, Run, TrackB, Weapon Focus (bite)


Environment:
Cold plains


Organization:
Solitary or pack (5-8)


Challenge Rating:
5


Treasure:
None


Alignment:
Always Neutral


Advancement:
7-18 HD (Large)


Level Adjustment:
—



An adult qiqirn is about 12 ft. long from nose to rump, and weighs between 850 and 1000 lbs.

A qiqirn does not speak or understand any languages.

Combat
Qiqirn typically hunt alone, though in lean times they have been known to band together for mutual benefit. These packs are typically led by the strongest male, and tend to disintegrate as soon as their prey becomes more plentiful.

Aura of Convulsion (Su) - Any creature that comes within 50 feet of a qiqirn must succeed on a Will save (DC 14) or enter a convulsion fit. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same qiqirn’s ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Wisdom-based.

A character having convulsions falls prone, drops anything they are holding, and convulses wildly for 2d4 rounds. The character also automatically fails any physical test they were performing. A convulsing character deals themselves an amount of nonlethal damage each equal to 1d6 plus their Strength modifier every round they convulse. There is no save to prevent this damage, and it overcomes damage reduction. A conscious character may prevent another character from dealing this damage to themselves by restraining them; this requires a successful grapple check against the subject (who is considered prone but not helpless), and a successful contested Strength check at the start of each round the subject convulses.

After their convulsions are over, the character becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for 3d10 minutes, or until a heal spell is cast on them.

Fearsome Howl (Su) - Three times per day, a qiqirn can infuse its howl with the properties of a Fear (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fear.htm) spell. Any creature that can hear its howl must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or act as if affected by the spell for a number of rounds equal to the qiqirn’s hit dice.

Trackless Step (Ex) - A qiqirn leaves no trail in snow or ice, unless it chooses to.

Trip (Ex) - A qiqirn that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+11 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the qiqirn.

Vulnerability to Fire
A qiqirn has vulnerability to fire damage, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire effects, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

Vulnerability to Sound
A qiqirn has vulnerability to sonic damage, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from sonic effects, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

Skills
A qiqirn has a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Move Silently, and Spot checks, and a +4 to Listen checks. It also has a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

-----------------

Disclaimer: I'm not trying to belittle or make light of anyone who suffers from seizures. I'm just trying to accurately represent a creature from Inuit folklore (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/q/qiqirn.html), as well as the very real effect that grand mal seizures have on the human body.

-----------------

Well, here we go with my third homebrewed monster! It's based on an oddity from Inuit folklore; accounts vary as to its size and number of legs, so I had to combine a few different accounts to make a cohesive beast.

I'm not really sure how long the "Aura of Convulsion" should last. Should it just continue indefinitely until you save, last a number of rounds equal to the qiqirn's hit dice, or what?

Also, how many times should it be able to use the Fearsome Howl ability? At-will, or a certain number of times per day? If so, how many times?

Any other thoughts? Comments? Balancing issues?

SuperDave
2013-06-27, 07:29 PM
OK, so I fixed some of the stuff that I realized was wrong or missing: I slapped a portrait on the entry, added the part about its' traits, fixed its bonus on Hide checks to account for its' Large size penalty, raised the CR by a point, and added the "Trackless Step" ability.

I also knocked it down from ten legs to four. I only heard about that facet of its anatomy from one source, which I can't find anymore.

----------

I'm really not certain about how to handle the seizures it inflicts. I've read that grand mal (whole-body) seizures are utterly exhausting, and that it can take a long time to think clearly again after they're over. I don't think that just being "fatigued" covers it (unless the fatigue remains in place until they get a full night's sleep).

Actually, now that I think about it, instead of dealing themselves 1d4 damage for each turn of unrestrained convulsion, they should probably deal themselves an amount of damage equal to their Strength modifier every turn. That way the damage it scales with character level, and strong characters could really do a number on themselves. (That's not an unfair advantage for the qiqirn, is it?)

SuperDave
2014-01-13, 12:57 PM
I changed the damage for "Aura of Convulsion" to say "A convulsing character deals themselves an amount of nonlethal damage each equal to 1d6 plus their Strength modifier every round they convulse". That way it's actually a reasonable amount of nonlethal damage per turn, without being excessive, and it scales with level a little better.

Debihuman
2014-01-15, 05:25 AM
I like it. Just a couple of things. Darkvision is missing from stat block.

Aura of Convulsions could be worded a little better. Be consistent in names and number. You switch from singular to plural. You should probably add that restraining a convulsing creature can be aided by another. Because there is a grapple check AND a strength check needed aiding another needs to be spelled out.

Aura of Convulsion (Su): Any creature that comes within 50 feet of a qiqirn must succeed on a Will save (DC 14) or enter a convulsive fit. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same qiqirn’s ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Wisdom-based.

A creature having convulsions falls prone, drops anything held, and convulses wildly for 2d4 rounds. The creature also automatically fails to complete any physical action it was taking. A convulsing creature takes nonlethal damage equal to 1d6 plus its Strength modifier each round. There is no save to prevent this damage, and it overcomes damage reduction.

A conscious character may prevent the convulsing creature from taking the nonlethal damage by restraining the convulsing character. This requires a successful grapple check against the subject (who is considered prone but not helpless), and a successful contested Strength check at the start of each round the subject convulses. Restraining the convulsing character can be aided by another. Each additional character adds +2 to the grapple check and adds half his or her Strength modifier to the Strength check.

After the convulsions are over, the creature becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for 3d10 minutes, or until a heal spell is cast.

Debby