Monsters that Multiply

[Threadnaught]

Okay, first of all, I am aware of another thread where the creator asked for exactly the same thing, but later changes their mind without editing the original post in any way whatsoever, difference here is that I'm giving exactly what I want right now. And I don't have easy access to any MM content that isn't part of the srd or Stormwrack, so keep in mind that a suggestion for anything out of those books should be something that can challenge the PCs at higher levels.
Okay, so I'm planning to, in the Eberron Campaign I'm running (for two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235823) players (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13605675)), introduce a few infestations. Which I want to use, so I can teach them the meaning of the word, FEAR. :smallamused:


The first thing I planned to introduce, was a Ghoul infestation, but since the PCs are level 1 Tier 3 Drow it seems very risky. Instead I think I'll use a mutation of Filth Fever as an infection that creates regular (Diseased) Zombies, then drop a couple of Diseased Zombies in some city somewhere. I'm thinking Wroat, as the PCs are currently in Sharn about to travel north. I think every few generations I'll go through the Fast, Hunting and Unkillable Templates.
Okay, no major issue with Zombies, only issue with Ghouls is that my players may die before they knew they're fighting Undead... Or even before they know they're fighting. :smallamused:

Next problem I want to introduce for my players, is those Evil Druids. Awakened Squirrel Druids (use Rat as base), in the Gloaming. Since I've been toying with Lord of the Rings in this campaign, the first and most powerful generation of Squirrel Druids, will be made up of nine Squirrels. The leader will be called Sauron the Black (at least level 17 for Shadow Landscape), the other eight will be [Angmar/Gollum/Gothkins/Lurtz/Morgoth/Nut-tongue/Sour-Squirrel/Ugluk] the Gray (probably should make these guys level 12-13). Other generations will be Red.
Maybe they should be awakened by a Green Dragon called Smug the cocky. Who Sauron and co immediately betray in murderlicious backstabbery. :smallbiggrin:

Okay, now I have an Undead Infestation planned, and a Animal/Vermin/PC Class Infestation, both seem rather scary for their characters, especially since the Druidic Infestation is at least CR9 per propagating creature.

They're near the Howling Peaks, but I'd rather not set an Elder Evil on such novice players. So barring these and Ghouls, who I don't want to send my players against until they're at least capable of taking on Ghasts.
Please, suggest some additional infestation I could use and where in Eberron it'd benefit more from.

It doesn't have to be subtle, though I would appreciate some variety in creature Type. And I'm not actually going to do the creatures in any specific order, other than Zombies first. Don't worry if it's not as powerful as Evil Squirrel Druids with Animal Companions.
Also, if anyone wants to stat up the nine Squirrels, feel free. I'm gonna stat them up myself, but if others post something better, I'll discard my own.

Edit: No more suggestions please guys. Thank you for the ones given, the following infestations are what will definitely be used. Along with the areas I plan to introduce them to the setting, once all locations have been decided on this list will be filled and the thread will have served it's purpose.


Chaos Beasts -
Green Slime -
Lycanthropes -
Squirrels - The Gloaming, Eldeen Reaches
Vargoules -
Warforged - Cyre/Mournland (where else?), they'll move outside of Cyre for raids.
Zombies/Ghouls/Wights - Wroat/Sharn, Breland


This last part is included as a sort of competition between myself and posters.

Fenrir the Devourer

Werewolf

Sauron the Black

Angmar the Gray

Gollum the Gray

Gothkins the Gray

Lurtz the Gray

Morgoth the Gray

Nut-tongue the Gray

Sour-Squirrel the Gray

Ugluk the Gray

Guardian

Scout

Shocktrooper

Zombie

Hunting Zombie

Unkillable Zombie

Hunting Unkillable Zombie

Fast Zombie

Hunting Fast Zombie

Fast Unkillable Zombie

Fast Hunting Unkillable Zombie

The Scourge of Sharn

[holywhippet]

Doesn't quite work so well in 3rd edition, but crawling claws are undead in other editions (2nd and 4th) and there was some fluff suggesting they hack the hands off dead adventurers to increase their numbers. In 3rd edition they are a construct IIRC but you might be able to make it work somehow. They aren't very strong, but you they can well have weight of numbers on their side.

[weckar]

Well... if you're willing to dig into homebrew there's the Manure Golem :P


In all seriousness, though, most occult creatures can multiply at a scary rate... Anything from lycanthropes or vampires to plaguebearers.

[(Un)Inspired]

Wights. There's a reason why they're the monster of choice for the apocalypse.

[Venger]

Doesn't quite work so well in 3rd edition, but crawling claws are undead in other editions (2nd and 4th) and there was some fluff suggesting they hack the hands off dead adventurers to increase their numbers. In 3rd edition they are a construct IIRC but you might be able to make it work somehow. They aren't very strong, but you they can well have weight of numbers on their side.

crawling claws do exist in 3.5. they're in monsters of faerun. they are indeed constructs, and you make more by casting a spell over the corpse of a creature, given in their writeup on page 30

a group of those is actually just about right for a lvl 1 party

[Jeff the Green]

For the diseased zombies, you can steal Expedition to Castle Ravenloft's. (Since it sounds like you don't have access to it, they're zombies except they spread disease (initial damage sickened, secondary damage sickened, incubation 1 round) that transforms an infected humanoid union their death, get a full round of actions but can't charge, and frequently come with arbitrary amounts of HD, unlike the MM zombies.

Since you're in Eberron, a group of Lord of Blades supporters that have gotten ahold of a Creation Forge and made some modifications would work.

Vargouilles are freaking scary, particularly if you pair them with other creatures that cause paralysis.

[Particle_Man]

Chaos Beasts are fun for this.

Lycanthropes are a slow way of doing this.

Technically some oozes and green slime (in the sense of adding to their mass). In fact, some oozes literally multiply if you cut them up, although that may not be the sense of multiplication you are going for.

And of course there is "one slaad, two slaad, red slaad, blue slaad" for fans of Dr. Seuss (and really, who isn't a fan?).

Spawn of Kyuss if you want more undead in your soup.

And for an oddball choice: Dragonborn (assuming someone charismatic enough to convince more and more people to also follow Bahamut and go through the ritual - it is a little pricey for Pete the Peasant, though).

[Edit: Oops, Eberron - well that is why God invented reskinning, right?] :smallbiggrin:

[Threadnaught]

Wights. There's a reason why they're the monster of choice for the apocalypse.

That's just cruel... I'd have to introduce them at above 6th level.


For the diseased zombies, you can steal Expedition to Castle Ravenloft's.

Nice, but that Spawning technique makes them look suspiciously similar to Wights. Something I have ready access to, and when it comes to a number of unnamed Commoners turning, I can always take the lazy route for their stats.


Since you're in Eberron, a group of Lord of Blades supporters that have gotten ahold of a Creation Forge and made some modifications would work.

Excellent, I'll definitely have to look into this. Thanks for thinking outside the box and using the setting's fluff. This'll have to be a recurring threat.


Vargouilles are freaking scary, particularly if you pair them with other creatures that cause paralysis.

But where in Eberron would these guys work best, Sharn?

Edit: More response.

Chaos Beasts are fun for this.

I knew I missed an obvious Outsider somewhere, discounting Abyssal Ghouls/Bloodfiends. Yes, I'll give these guys a look, probably be ironic if I put them somewhere in Thane. And the guy playing the Warrior Poet, Vehk, knows how much I enjoy irony.


Lycanthropes are a slow way of doing this.

So are Ghouls and the Zombies I'm using. The Squirrel Druids are even slower. I'm still gonna use these, no matter how long it takes to jump to the next generation. Lycans seem like they'll do some major damage in the less developed parts of Eberron.


Technically some oozes and green slime (in the sense of adding to their mass). In fact, some oozes literally multiply if you cut them up, although that may not be the sense of multiplication you are going for.

If it's a problem (for N/PCs), then I can throw it at my players. If it's a problem that increases in size, danger and importance, all the better. It counts, even if it isn't actually a monster, thanks for reminding me of Brown Mold.


And of course there is "one slaad, two slaad, red slaad, blue slaad" for fans of Dr. Seuss (and really, who isn't a fan?).

Dr. Who? Oh, the Doctor? Yeah, I'm a fan of his.


Spawn of Kyuss if you want more undead in your soup.

They're in MM2, right?
It's at the bottom of the Monster Manuals on my to buy list, it'll be the last one I get besides MM1. Though I do love me some Undead, these guys are probably gonna fear the Zombies more than Druidic Squirrels. :smallamused:


And for an oddball choice: Dragonborn
...
[Edit: Oops, Eberron - well that is why God invented reskinning, right?] :smallbiggrin:

Races of the Dragon, page 20, Dragonborn in Eberron sidebar. Already refluffed. I'm really unsure how to make Dragonborn a threat to the PCs, since they're not evil and haven't done anything evil either. The closest thing to evil in the party is the Invisible Guardian, CN alignment. No incidents as of yet.

[ksbsnowowl]

Nyth from Monsters of Faerun. They are sort of like Wil-o'-wisps, but can fire a magic missile every two rounds or so.
A typical one has 31 hit points. Fire and Electricity heal them, and they gain extra healing above their normal max as temporary hit points. When their total HP (temp HP + normal) hit 60, they explode in a magical burst (all within 30 feet hit by 1d3 magic missiles, or something like that), and there are two 31 HP Nyth that result.

[Particle_Man]

Have vegepygmies/russet mold been updated to 3rd edition yet?

[NotScaryBats]

Mockery Bugs, from MMV, are CR 14 (Queen, that makes em) and 9 (the drones).

Best in a small town the PCs pass through, I think, kinda like Resident Evil IV.

Cool undead abound in Libris Mortis, but you may find the Skulking Cyst interesting, at CR 4. It implants victims with a cyst, that then allows their master to use hardcore spells on them, like the level 3 no save no sr 1d6 damage / CL Necrotic Bloat, or level 4 Dominate Person.

So, if the PCs were to uncover a gross, cyst-loving necromancer, he could lead them through a sewer-maze full of traps and Skulking Cysts. The PCs could get infected, and then he could use his powers fully upon them. Afterwards, there's the fun of clean up; you need to have surgery to remove it, DC 20 heal check -- failure means death.

[ksbsnowowl]

Bleakborn from Libris Mortis are pretty cool. A CR 7 undead that simply can't be killed by HP damage. It can be knocked below 0 and made inert, but if any living creature comes within 30 feet, it starts to heal again. They can spawn normal zombies.

If you wanted to adapt something from d20 Modern, there is a great template from d20 Apocalypse - the Viral Deathspawn. Basically a "28 Days Later" style zombie (they aren't slowed down, their bite infects you, etc.)

[Threadnaught]

You guys are so evil, thanks for the five additional infestations I will be using. I think it's now less about what multiplies, but where does it multiply?

The seven infestations I'll be using are going to be edited into the original post. Right under the whole Squirrel stats thing. I'll need a little help figuring out where best to utilize the infestations, any ideas are welcome.

Wroat and Sharn (and the road between them), the Gloaming in the Eldeen Reaches and the Mournland/Cyre. Those three areas are reserved for an infestation and it'd feel wrong to have two competing with each other for resources, I'd rather they fight the PCs than each other.