Fun with mimic time!

[John Longarrow]

OK, share your funnies / best stories about mimics in game!

For myself, I ran a small encounter where the party tracked... SOMETHING... down into the basement of an abandoned shack. Down there they find nothing in the first room but see a door at the back of the basement. Party sends their trapfinder up to check the door out.. Door them proceeds to try and EAT the gnome poking around for traps!

Friend of mine had the party hunting around in the stronghold of a BBEG. After a nasty fight they fell back and decided to hold up in what looked like a guest bedroom. As they get ready to rest up and heal after some nasty fights, one of the casters decides to get some sleep on this nice comfy looking bed.

About three hours later the BED decides to eat the caster!

Any other fun stories?

[Long_shanks]

Mimic welcome mat... I hated my DM for a while. It's still a running joke to this day.

[Inevitability]

I did the good old mimic doorframe. Once one PC is through, it shifts to fill the opening completely, then just focuses on dodging attacks while the isolated PC is attacked by whatever horrible monsters the next room holds.

[Segev]

Y'know, if you could keep them all fed, having all the doors and windowframes in your home being mimics would be an interesting way to have great convenience. They open and close as you approach or ask. And security: they eat intruders.

[John Longarrow]

Hmm... Now I'm thinking of a mimic that turns into a boat.. Wait till the party gets part way across a lake before it decides its hungry....

[Segev]

Hmm... Now I'm thinking of a mimic that turns into a boat.. Wait till the party gets part way across a lake before it decides its hungry....

It'd have to be a rowboat or canoe; larger boats probably are out of its complexity and size range.

[John Longarrow]

10x10 raft a foot and a half thick would work... Bigger if I switched to a huge mimic with 11HD.

Could be really fun. Mimic is sleeping on the shore in "boat" form (to avoid getting messed with). Wakes up in the middle of the lake with people on it. Boat yawns and shudders... watch the faces on the players.

[Segev]

A huge mimic could also be the explanation for the dread gazebo actually being a threat.

[John Longarrow]

That would still leave the grassy gnoll to explain...

[Mr Adventurer]

I once played a game with a ridiculously advanced, enormous Mimic that was the entire staircase up to a temple.

We flew over it.

[ellindsey]

I had a Mimic that was a bed once. The party was robbing the fortress home of a recurring plot villain. Due to reasons, the villain knew that someone was going to rob them, and had gone through and placed traps everywhere, including replacing the master bedroom bed with a large Mimic.

The fight against the Mimic went a bit off the rails. One of the players cast Sanctuary. The Mimic tried to attack them, and rolled a 1 on its Will save to do so. I described the mimic becoming confused and babbling to itself (in Common, people forget that mimics can speak) about what was going on and why couldn't it attack? At that point the party Rogue stepped forward and told the Mimic that they had been sent by the fortress's owner to check that it was doing a good job. She rolled a 20 on Bluff. The Mimic believed her, and let them all go once they promised to submit a good report to its employer.

I gave them all full XP for that encounter, because that was far more entertaining than merely fighting it.

[Segev]

That would still leave the grassy gnoll to explain...

Topiary Guardian template?

[Inevitability]

That would still leave the grassy gnoll to explain...

Apply the Woodling template to it? :smalltongue:

[Darrin]

My last campaign featured a Celestial Mimic NPC named Davenport (inspired by the KoDT strip "Lair of the Gazebo").

My initial problem was I was going to throw a bunch of gricks at a small group of low-level PCs, and I was worried all those full attacks would tear them apart, so I put in a "covert agent" to help even the odds. I added the Celestial template because I forgot to account for the gricks having DR/10 magic and I needed to explain how his slams could bypass the DR. After that, Davenport kept showing up in most of the major encounters, usually disguised as a table. In fact, he kept showing up often enough that every time I put out a map or started sketching out rooms on the battle-mat, the PCs would try to guess where he was hiding.

[Vaern]

I happened to be dead and waiting for my next character to be introduced the only time I've actually encountered a mimic in-game.
We were in the Underdark, and while creating my new character I was thumbing through the monster manuals looking for races I might be able to play that would make sense for the party to encounter in the underground setting. I happened to notice that the mimic was an aberration, a creature type relatively common in the Underdark, and around our group's challenge rating at the time, so I was expecting it.
Unfortunately I was the only one who was half-expecting a mimic, and being dead I was not able to make any knowledge checks or otherwise warn the rest of the group when they encountered a painting on a wall that didn't quite match the style of the rest of the room's artwork. One of the elves detected a secret door hidden behind it, but when he tried moving it aside he found that he had become stuck to the strange painting...

[Mr Adventurer]

My last campaign featured a Celestial Mimic NPC named Davenport (inspired by the KoDT strip "Lair of the Gazebo").

My initial problem was I was going to throw a bunch of gricks at a small group of low-level PCs, and I was worried all those full attacks would tear them apart, so I put in a "covert agent" to help even the odds. I added the Celestial template because I forgot to account for the gricks having DR/10 magic and I needed to explain how his slams could bypass the DR. After that, Davenport kept showing up in most of the major encounters, usually disguised as a table. In fact, he kept showing up often enough that every time I put out a map or started sketching out rooms on the battle-mat, the PCs would try to guess where he was hiding.

I love this. No reason a Mimic couldn't take class levels too! They've got racial bonuses of Str +8, Dex + 2, Con +6, and Wis +2. Screw it, make him a Beguiler. Basically a nonhuman Odo from Deep Space 9.

[Afgncaap5]

Not too long ago I had a stereotypical obsidian tower in the middle of a flaming lake. There was a long, winding, narrow bridge of rock leading up to it with a heavy gate in an archway midway through the bridge. Naturally, the mimic was the gate (holding the lock and resting within the arch).

The party Fighter and Barbarian both got it into their heads to charge the gate and destroy the lock with their great axe/great sword. So they run, and both get taken off guard when the gate gets an attack of opportunity.

Now, it's admittedly a pretty typical Mimic fight from that moment, with players being surprised by the adhesive and such. The Mimic tried throwing them over the ledge into lava a few times, but apart from that it was typical.

What really makes it memorable to me is the fact that about three of the players have a lot more experience with video games than tabletop games. After the fight, one of the players who knows what's happening mentions that it's a mimic and at least two of the other players react by saying "Wait... Mimics can look like things OTHER THAN TREASURE CHESTS?"

Honestly, that bit of player reaction made it more memorable to me than anything about the fight itself.

[John Longarrow]

Hmm... Rat Bastard DM in me says "Should have had the mimic be the 10x10 in front of the door. Think how the players would feel getting AoOed while trying to GET to the door.

Player: What attacked us?
DM: The path your WALKING ON.

[Thurbane]

I'm planning on having a Mimic as a "Dungeon Boss (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?507903-3-5-Monster-Build-Advice)" at some point in the near future.

[flappeercraft]

I don't know if I will do it yet but I'm thinking of having a mimic wear that item from LoM that reduces any creatures size by 2 size categories IIRC (although it might be 1 which could mess this up) and then have it become a perfect replica of the party sorcerers spell component pouch and have the BBEG change them overnight the day before they plan to ambush him if they do. That or a bag of devouring. When that happens, hilarity ensues.

Edit: I checked thereduction item from LoM, its only 1 size so I don't think it could be done with a spell component pouch as I could be pretty sure spell component pouches are not medium size. But the concept can still be done, replace their gear with a mimic. Like replace the fighter's full plate with a mimic or something similar.

[Inevitability]

I don't know if I will do it yet but I'm thinking of having a mimic wear that item from LoM that reduces any creatures size by 2 size categories IIRC (although it might be 1 which could mess this up) and then have it become a perfect replica of the party sorcerers spell component pouch and have the BBEG change them overnight the day before they plan to ambush him if they do. That or a bag of devouring. When that happens, hilarity ensues.

Edit: I checked thereduction item from LoM, its only 1 size so I don't think it could be done with a spell component pouch as I could be pretty sure spell component pouches are not medium size. But the concept can still be done, replace their gear with a mimic. Like replace the fighter's full plate with a mimic or something similar.

Give the mimic an item of continuous augmented Compression to decrease its size by two?

[Mr Adventurer]

Can the Dungeonbred template be applied to Aberrations? I think that reduces size by 1 category. Even with that item, though, it's still a Small creature - way too big to be a pouch.

[Mr Adventurer]

Hmm... Rat Bastard DM in me says "Should have had the mimic be the 10x10 in front of the door. Think how the players would feel getting AoOed while trying to GET to the door.

Player: What attacked us?
DM: The path your WALKING ON.

...over a spiked pit trap, ofc.

[Darrin]

Edit: I checked thereduction item from LoM, its only 1 size so I don't think it could be done with a spell component pouch as I could be pretty sure spell component pouches are not medium size. But the concept can still be done, replace their gear with a mimic. Like replace the fighter's full plate with a mimic or something similar.

Shrink Collar (10000 GP, AE&G p. 80) will drop the mimic's size down to small. However, I'm not sure what size a spell component pouch is... small might work. Of course, Skin of the Proteus (84000 GP, XPH) might work better, but then the creature wouldn't necessarily have to be a mimic.

[Inevitability]

Can the Dungeonbred template be applied to Aberrations? I think that reduces size by 1 category. Even with that item, though, it's still a Small creature - way too big to be a pouch.

Good news: it can.

Bad news: the aberration in question must be Large or bigger.

[John Longarrow]

Good news! Mimic is a Large Aberration (Shapechanger)!

[Inevitability]

Good news! Mimic is a Large Aberration (Shapechanger)!

Then it can be made Medium at best with the template, still not enough for a pouch.

[flappeercraft]

Give the mimic an item of continuous augmented Compression to decrease its size by two?

For the mimic pouch it would probably have to be this with a Dungeonbred mimic. It would be a tiny sized mimic which would probably be enough for this to work. But at that point one is better off just sending a bag of devouring instead of working so much for getting one of these.

[FocusWolf413]

I love this. No reason a Mimic couldn't take class levels too! They've got racial bonuses of Str +8, Dex + 2, Con +6, and Wis +2. Screw it, make him a Beguiler. Basically a nonhuman Odo from Deep Space 9.

Why is he a beguiler?

[Fizban]

Dungeonbred to medium, Ring of Reduction to small. Dimensions are undefined, but if we assume 1/2 on each shrinking that brings the mimic down to 1.25' x 1.25' x 1.5' from its original given dimensions, small enough for a backpack at least (and not so small it can't count as the Small size in its stat block, since that's a block volume before extending legs for height). If they wear multiple pouches or bandoleers on the same belts it could become all of those. And the "hard, rough" texture might pass for leather.

A 20,000gp ring is enough for a CR 15 monster if you ignore the Mimic's 50% goods line (what? how does the classic *treasure chest* monster give *less* than full treasure?), or an 11th level NPC with an effective CR of 15 with an associated class. The HD/levels can be used to offset the grapple penalties and keep it threatening against the party. Or you can count the ring as half value vendor trash if the party won't keep it, for CR 13 or 9th level NPC, which is still fairly high but at least a bit lower.

Not counting the ring as treasure because it's a gimmick encounter? Preposterous, that's how we get people selling adamantine doors.

[Darrin]

Why is he a beguiler?

I dunno... because he's so charming?

However, it brings up an important question... which class or prestige class would work best on a mimic?

As far as Beguiler goes... Wizard/Master Transmogrifist feels a little closer to the mimic's wheelhouse, if we're looking at spellcasting. Wildshape Ranger 5/Master of Many Forms 10 builds on the whole alternate form idea. I also love the idea of a Drunken Master mimic ("The table just hit me with a table!"). But if we're really going to capitalize on the whole "attack people with furniture" concept, then I think there's only one way to go: Cabinet Trickster. Unfortunately, there's the whole racial requirement thing... but I think I may have a way around that.

Mimic 7/Duskblade 1/Shaper of Form 1/Cabinet Trickster 10

Although I've never been entirely clear of how the "Renaissance" option of Modify Self (Ex) is supposed to work. Size and type stay the same so... a large-sized changeling?

[Fizban]

Psion. No components, no one knows it's you, and there's that Supernatural Transfer feat or whatever for cheap. It's not physical, but you don't need physical with stealth psionics: you only get physical when ambushing a caster by turning into their spell component pouch, since it locks them down.

[John Longarrow]

The party meets a roving tinker who, over a shared fire and wine, tells of a local mimic who's killed many. After the tale the tinker makes sure his horse is tended before retiring into his small wagon. Come morning the party sets off to hunt the mimic.

Party enters the lair of the mimic. Within they see seven large chests arrayed in a semi-circle. In the middle of the floor is the badly beaten form of an ogre. The room itself is 30x30. Beneath the ogre is a mosaic tile. The party has entered through the only door in.

How do they find the mimic?

[Fizban]

The party meets a roving tinker who, over a shared fire and wine, tells of a local mimic who's killed many. After the tale the tinker makes sure his horse is tended before retiring into his small wagon. Come morning the party sets off to hunt the mimic.

Party enters the lair of the mimic. Within they see seven large chests arrayed in a semi-circle. In the middle of the floor is the badly beaten form of an ogre. The room itself is 30x30. Beneath the ogre is a mosaic tile. The party has entered through the only door in.

How do they find the mimic?
The mimic was the horse statue pulling the wagon. You locate the mimic by casting Detect Aberration, a 2nd level clr/drd/sor/wiz spell that as a tier 1 of 4th level of higher (it's a CR 4 creature of course) you clearly prepared because you knew last week that you'd be fighting a mimic thanks to divinations, and as a tier 1 you automatically make all knowledge checks so you know it's a large aberration with adhesive, crush, and mimic shape. You also soaked yourself in alcohol before you met the mimic horse, because you're that prepared, but somehow it strangled the fighter to death a week before yesterday, because he's so useless.

In the unoptimized party, the paladin would have known instantly after he used Detect Evil on the horse.

[John Longarrow]

Except mimics are usual neutral so they wouldn't show up with Detect Evil. Meanwhile since the mimic is smart its sitting outside where it said its lair is and is eating your horse. It was the bolder outside. All the gear you left outside is going to be fenced by the tinker.

Mimics are intelligent. No reason they'd be near as silly as most people think they should be. They have no reason to fight a party and every reason to avoid them. Best would be if it can get dinner delivered by a friend. :smallcool:

Yea, unless you have some specific reason to believe there is a mimic around you have few ways of picking it up before it makes its presence known. Once you know its around you can always have a chat with it.

[Dnd1975]

Back in the days of adnd 2nd edition a dragon mag gave us the stats of a mimic the size of a large manor. Our group was eaten by it save the guy with boots of teleportation

[Fizban]

Except mimics are usual neutral so they wouldn't show up with Detect Evil.
Things that murder intelligent beings for food are Evil unless it's actually a dietery restriction, maybe. If the mimic has "killed many" it's a serial killer and shows up. The gnome shows up too for being an accomplice. You can pull the neutral card if the mimic is minding it's own business when the party invades it's home and starts robbing it. Robbery is also evil, though if they just came up with the scheme out of desperation they might not count as Evil yet.

All the gear you left outside is going to be fenced by the tinker.
So are they killing many or avoiding combat by stealing things when left ungaurded? Also assumes the party left anything worth stealing outside, it is a reasonable ploy if the party is on horses with saddlebags but you didn't include that in your initial description. Leaving out the terrain because people don't think about it is a reasonable bait and switch, but you still need the motivation to be present.

[John Longarrow]

Mimic is no more evil than an adventuring party would be, in fact is probably much less evil since the MM says its neutral.

Not sure what gnome you are referencing though.

[Fizban]

Mimic is no more evil than an adventuring party would be, in fact is probably much less evil since the MM says its neutral.
Then your DM is clearly ignoring alignment, if the PCs can get away with robbing and potentially murdering people (unprovoked even) for personal gain without being evil. Unless you're using subjective alignment where being different species means the other guy doesn't count. And Usually alignment only "guarantees" 51% of the species is that alignment, Usually Neutral should actually cover Humans as well, and a Human bandit is evil.

Not sure what gnome you are referencing though.
By gnome I meant tinker, apparently all tinkers are gnomes.

[John Longarrow]

By gnome I meant tinker, apparently all tinkers are gnomes.

Tinker is a profession. It would be unkind to assume ones race based on their profession.

As to the mimic, an alignment argument in this thread would be off topic.

[Fizban]

That was sarcasm poking fun at the fact that when I hear "tinker" in a dnd context it is always associated with gnomes, so that's what I think of. If you are implying I make such assumptions outside of the game where they matter, I assure you I am more careful in organizing my associations when I'm not embellishing a fictional scenario.

The alignment of mimics is perfectly legit for the thread and has plenty of implications for interesting encounters, that guy's good mimic saving the party was awesome and the distinction between a common neutral mimic and an evil one suggests the possibility of talking to the monster much more strongly than the mere fact that it has intelligence for most people's purposes. More accurately you don't want to argue alignment in general, but the line definition from the MM is verifiable information: glossary entry on alignment says how often usually is, "more than 50%" which leave room for neutral without any compelling rarity on the rest.

Can't think of much else to do with it though. Unexpected good mimic, dump a non-evil mimic on someone who expects it to detect as evil, could have some fun with a lawfully aligned creature of mutable form. Axiomatic Mimic? Template is allowed on aberrations, a mimic that doesn't just turn into an item but the most perfect version of that item! Could sneak a mimic onto a character in order to make them set off a ward that triggers on the mimic's alignment but not the characters, a variation of the "cursed item makes them think you're evil" gambit.

Back to non-alignment, try applying Half-Troll to make the mimic regenerate and you might be able to catch a savvy player by playing dead and then releasing the adhesive 5 rounds later, making someone who knows how it works think the creature is truly dead.

Nothing says the mimic's body loses it's shape when killed, a dead mimic should make for a horrific sight, an inanimate object with gaping wounds somehow murdered is rather disturbing if the players don't have an explanation.

A living mimic could make a living as a circus performer, maybe even setting up a tragic mystery where the friendly clown (beloved by the village children) is framed for murdering all the children and you have to find the real culprit by making use of the mimic's shapeshifting, but remembering they won't trust the mimic's testimony. It culminates in a battle between the mimic and the culprit, another mimic, and when the dust settles there's know way to no which shapeshifter survived.