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The Vorpal Tribble
2007-05-06, 10:10 PM
Fevercramp Flies

A young boy murmurs incoherently, rolling back and forth on his cot in the throes of a fever. A dark, roiling cloud starts to rise over the cot, forming from his sweaty forehead. Within this cloud fly thousands of minuscule creatures...

Fine Magical Beast (extraplanar, swarm)
Hit Dice: 3d10+9 (25 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 5 ft. (1 square), fly 20 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 22 (+4 dex, +8 size), touch 22, flat-footed 18; 20% miss chance
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/-
Attack: Swarm (1d6 + 1d4 plus disease)
Full attack: Swarm (1d6 + 1d4 plus disease)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, distraction, fever aura, festering
Special Qualities: Born of dream, darkvision 60 ft., illness embodiment, immune to weapon damage, swarm traits
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will -1
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 19, Con 17, Int -, Wis 6, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Region of Dreams
Organization: Swarm
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: --
Level Adjustment: --

Fevercramp swarms are always within a large, dark cloud smelling strongly of sweat and sickness. What flies within is difficult to make out, but on close examination appears to be thousands of creatures vaguely resembling biting gnats.

Fevercramp flies are called into existence by the incoherent, disconnected dreams of those in the throes of horrible illness. With all the disease in the world it is unknown why certain individuals produce these creatures, though generally psionic creatures or beings with strong ties to dreams are most often the cause.

Combat
Fevercramp swarms seek out those nearest to them to infect as many as possible.

Disease (Ex): Fevercramp - swarm attack, Fortitude DC 14, incubation period 1d8 days.
Those whom contract fevercramp from the bites of the swarm are wracked with such intense cramps and fever that they take 1 point of constitution damage and 1d4 wisdom damage every day and are sickened and exhausted for the duration of the disease. A fevercramp victim must drink at least four times the amount of water one of their race would normally require or become dehydrated. Once the infected fall unconscious from wisdom damage they become permanently insane, rolling and lolling about, suffering horrible, confusing dreams, producing a new fevercramp swarm.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm’s damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 14) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.

Born of Dream (Ex): Fevercramp flies appear hazy and out of focus, such that all melee and ranged attacks against them are assessed a 20 percent miss chance. This 20-percent miss chance is not the same as concealment.

Fever Aura (Su): All those within 10 feet of a fevercramp swarm must succeed on a DC 14 will save or become Dazed for as long as they remain within range. Every round a new roll can be made to resist the dazing. If a successful save is made the target becomes immune to the fever aura for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Festering (Ex): The damage delivered by the swarm's bites open into agonizing lesions that deal an additional 1d4 damage to the victim every round unless treated by a DC 15 Heal check. Festering damage from multiple bites do not stack. These festering sores are so agonizing that the victim must succeed on a DC 14 fortitude save each time they take the extra damage or become nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Illness Embodiment (Ex): Fevercramp swarms that fail the save are instantly killed by any spells or abilities that completely cure disease, such as Heal. If the focus of a Contagion spell the fevercramp swarm takes an ability increase instead of a decrease (except mindfire, which does not affect the swarm either way).

Rowanomicon
2007-05-06, 10:57 PM
Amazing as always.
Those are some nasty special abilities.
When I start running a game (which will probably be soon) I'll most likely use almost every homebrew of yours on this board.
Of course I'll let you know how each goes.

DracoDei
2007-05-07, 12:54 AM
Born of Dream (Ex): Fevercramp flies appear hazy and out of focus, such that all melee and ranged attacks against them are assessed a 20 percent miss chance. This 20-percent miss chance is not the same as concealment and does not preclude the possibility of effective sneak attacks.


Ok, I KNOW that had to just be some boiler-plate you copied and pasted in there or something, but now I have this image of 10,000 1/256th HD micro-Lantern Archeon's (probably dedicated to the goddess of medicine or something), each with a level in rogue, flying up to within 30' of these insects and blasting away with PRECISELY TARGETED lightrays.

Does this mean if you try to hit the swarm with alchemist's fire that it has a 20% flat miss chance?

The Vorpal Tribble
2007-05-10, 08:39 AM
Ok, I KNOW that had to just be some boiler-plate you copied and pasted in there or something, but now I have this image of 10,000 1/256th HD micro-Lantern Archeon's (probably dedicated to the goddess of medicine or something), each with a level in rogue, flying up to within 30' of these insects and blasting away with PRECISELY TARGETED lightrays.

Does this mean if you try to hit the swarm with alchemist's fire that it has a 20% flat miss chance?
Yup, pretty much I think. The swarm is not ever quite where you think it is.

Dvandemon
2010-06-04, 07:26 PM
I'm imagining entire cities destroyed by this excellent. I already have an idea for an encounter, something like a Psion (Nomad) party member gets really sick and produces a swarm
@V:No, just no :smallannoyed: some prefer 3.5 but I guess 4e could be in a different thread

@DracoDei::smalleek: I did not notice the date :smallfrown::smallredface:

Chainsaw Hobbit
2010-06-04, 07:32 PM
Sorta off topic but I've seen a lot of your 3.5 monsters and it would be easier to understand if your upgraded them to the MM4 / MM5 format.

DracoDei
2010-06-05, 12:34 PM
Dvandemon: Mass threadomancy much? Also, josha actually didn't say anything about changing the edition. MM4 and MM5 were 3.5 books.

Josha: Well, he really prefers the original format, and, in fact, still specifically requires it in all his monster contests. I don't think he would object to someone creating a "I am just the translator, everything here is Vorpal Tribble's." thread with various of his monsters in a different format though (so ask him).