Cryptids - Jackalope and Fur-Bearing Trout

[zeek0]

Here's a couple of lighthearted monsters that I've made stat blocks for. Let me know what you think!

Link (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EgcFfLLFXVdf4vhMSk4SMzNYnxXU8o7n)

[Yddisac]

fur trout 10/10

I suppose they really would be CR 0, so I can't hold it against you, but I'm kind of disappointed a party of adventurers can't do battle with a warren of jackalopes. Still, you made my day for acknowledging the existence of fur trout. Plus, it'd be a great sidequest to find one of those. :u

[Ninja_Prawn]

Hah, yeah the fur trout is very amusing.

I agree with Yddisac that the jackalope should be stronger though. They should be a genuine threat to civilians, like a wolf or a bear. My own version (page 35 in here (https://store.magehandpress.com/products/weird-west-update), unfortunately not available for free. That books does have other cryptids though: chupacabra, cactus cat, hidebehind and wendigo) is CR 1, for example.

[Lalliman]

I'm not too familiar with the legends facts about the jackalope, but at Small size that is a BIG rabbit. Something the size of a dog with the leg strength of a rabbit could probably deal more than 1 damage.

Other than that, this is great. I now want to use a fur trout as a quest McGuffin.

[Requilac]

I feel like these monsters are a little too weak. You could totally increase the damage of the fur trout and give them pack tactics to turn them into arctic piranhas or gives the jackelope some illusion spells that make sense with its mimicry trait. They seem like monsters more for fluff than for mechanics as they are so weak that fighting them is just a trivial matter of rolling a die and watching them drop. Also, why just these monsters? We could create a whole bestiary of cryptids! I could not write that because I lack the knowledge required but I am sure someone here does.

[zeek0]

I feel like these monsters are a little too weak. You could totally increase the damage of the fur trout and give them pack tactics to turn them into arctic piranhas or gives the jackelope some illusion spells that make sense with its mimicry trait. They seem like monsters more for fluff than for mechanics as they are so weak that fighting them is just a trivial matter of rolling a die and watching them drop. Also, why just these monsters? We could create a whole bestiary of cryptids! I could not write that because I lack the knowledge required but I am sure someone here does.

Yeah, I mostly put this together for fun. Both of these are CR0, and would die pretty quickly - they're not serious creatures, but maybe they can be the subject of a lighthearted quest.

[Requilac]

Yeah, I mostly put this together for fun. Both of these are CR0, and would die pretty quickly - they're not serious creatures, but maybe they can be the subject of a lighthearted quest.

Just because a monster is light-hearted does not mean they can’t be tough. I say this as both a player and a DM, seeing some get completely pwned by a fur-trout or jackelope is way more entertaining than seeing them getting one-shoted. They are so weak that it is better to simply not stat them and just say they die if anyone tries to hit them. Do you mind if I perhaps try a hand at giving them stats?

[zeek0]

Just because a monster is light-hearted does not mean they can’t be tough. I say this as both a player and a DM, seeing some get completely pwned by a fur-trout or jackelope is way more entertaining than seeing them getting one-shoted. They are so weak that it is better to simply not stat them and just say they die if anyone tries to hit them. Do you mind if I perhaps try a hand at giving them stats?

Go right on ahead. I just statted them as they might be in our world (plenty of CR0 beasts in the MM), but if you have a different vision for them then that's cool.

[Requilac]

Go right on ahead. I just statted them as they might be in our world (plenty of CR0 beasts in the MM), but if you have a different vision for them then that's cool.

Hey Zeek, have you ever had one of those moments were you made a decision then regretted it immediately after you saw the consequences of your actions? This is one of those times, for lo and behold the monsters you have created which can be found in this link (http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/ByBwKlQGlf)! I, requilac, present to you the dire fur trout and the sinister Jackelope! You shall now forever quake in fear at the mysteries I have revealed to you! Yes, i did have way too much fun writing these.

On a side note, my campaign setting is designed to be the unholy combination of Maine and Australia so keep that in mind while you are witnessing the horrid power of these capriciously cantankerous cryptids.

[zeek0]

Hey Zeek, have you ever had one of those moments were you made a decision then regretted it immediately after you saw the consequences of your actions? This is one of those times, for lo and behold the monsters you have created which can be found in this link (http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/ByBwKlQGlf)! I, requilac, present to you the dire fur trout and the sinister Jackelope! You shall now forever quake in fear at the mysteries I have revealed to you! Yes, i did have way too much fun writing these.

On a side note, my campaign setting is designed to be the unholy combination of Maine and Australia so keep that in mind while you are witnessing the horrid power of these capriciously cantankerous cryptids.

These are quite wonderful as well! Good stuff.

[SkipSandwich]

... Maine and Australia...



I can only imagine. The setting opens up with reports that maps suddenly becoming wrong, referencing an area called "The Outback" that no one can remember ever existing. Those that go to investigate either find nothing or else vanish without a trace. The PC's are contacted by a man named Roland, who is looking for "The Man in Black" who he believes is within The Outback.

The PC's investigate and end up being pulled into The Outback. Soon after arriving, they come across a dead child, who seems to have been killed only shortly before the PC's arrived. Going up the road the party comes across a run-down farmstead. The man living there tells the party the child probably came from the nearby town of Gatlin, and warns the party away from going in that direction and recommends they go to Derry instead. If asked about "The Man in Black" he admits to seeing someone of that description head towards Gatlin a few weeks ago. That morning, the party awakens to find their host has been murdered, his body dragged outside with stalks of corn arranged around in a seemingly ritualistic manner. Having no other leads, the party goes to Gatlin and find the Children of the Corn, a cult who seems to worship a being known only as "It which hungers" and who is described as residing in a "Dark Tower" from which it will one day emerge to consume all of time. Their seems to be some schism in the ranks between the head priest Jacob and his inner circle, who seem to actively venerate "It", and the rest of the children who fear "It" and wish only to appease it to ensure their safety. Jacob eventually confronts the PC's by summoning an aspect of his god, which possess the cornfield and forms into a sort of plant golem. The PC's defeat the golem, overthrow Jacob and are left with the remaining children. As the party likely lacks the inclination to stay and look after the children themselves, the idea comes to take them to the larger, more populated town of Derry. which also happens to be the next lead on finding "The Man in Black".

You can probably guess how the rest goes, Derry serves as the sort of central hub for the rest of the campaign, being more-or-less smack dab in the middle of the outback, with individual quests based around other Stephen King books. Pennywise is a recurring antagonist, a formless fear elemental who seems to follow in the wake of "The Man in Black", sowing death and discord via possession, shapeshifting and manipulation. And everything sprinkled with Australian flavor, with wilderness survival a constant challenge as the party moves from place to place.

Eventually, the party catches up to The Man in Black, who is revealed to be a much older Roland, who has finally located The Dark Tower, the resting place of "It which Hungers", and enlists the party's aid to storm the tower and prevent It's awakening. The party fights their way up the tower, only to find it is too late, Pennywise IS "It which Hungers" and in reaching the top of tower is able to finally awaken its true power and as promised, begins devouring all of Time starting at the Present and working backwards.

With Time being devoured, causality becomes disrupted, and the party must work together with their past selves in sort of "Boss Rush" where they confront Pennywise again and again in reverse order, each battle on a timer as the try to stay ahead of the Langoliers(which are aspects of the awakened It which Hungers, and completely invincible), each battle failed results in the oldest copy of the party being devoured and the rest sent further back in time, whereas if they defeat Pennywise under the time limit they all survive to go back in time. Eventually, whatever's left of the party arrives back at the cornfield for the final battle, attempting to stop Pennywise from being summoned into this universe in the first place. The final battle is still on a timer, with waves of Langoliers periodically arriving, however being so far away from the present has weakened them to the point where they are no longer immune to damage so the party can fight them off. Pennywise is defeated for the final time, preventing the consumption of Time, however, the threat remains that he could again rise in the future, so Roland instructs HIS past self on what signs to look for and to send help to him should it appear that It which Hungers is threatening to awaken again, thus sealing It within a Time Loop where Roland and the party's younger selves forever battle it out for the fate of the universe.

[Requilac]

@Skip Sand which

Wait, what? I was just trying to summarize what my campaign setting looked like, I fail to see how that has any relevance to a world and plot born from the nightmares of Stephen King. Can you please explain why you said that? Did I accidently reference something or are you just making a random statement.

[SkipSandwich]

ah, sorry, I just read that one bit and inspiration kind of ran away with me

[Requilac]

ah, sorry, I just read that one bit and inspiration kind of ran away with me

Fair enough. We all have those moments, I just typically don’t take the time to write them all out in a comprehensive manner with nearly flawless grammar when I have those moments.