LFM (Looking For Monster)

[Palanan]

Single, hardworking DM seeks monster for starring role in campaign storyline. Monster must possess qualities specific to storyline, in particular the ability to survive indefinitely while dismembered and dispersed across a planet.

Monster would ideally also possess classic end-times-beasty qualities, such as ability to sow terror and doom, immense destructive potential, alien cosmic mindset, etc., plus general demeanor of a rampaging horror. Ability to destroy sanity and ravage psyches a definite plus.

DM is open-minded and willing to consider monsters from a wide diversity of creature types, CRs, and literary/mythological origins. All official 3.5 and Pathfinder content is available, including web supplements and Dragon magazine.

[mistermysterio]

Tarrasque? Seems like the classic fit for what you're describing.

[Palanan]

Thanks, although the tarrasque is pretty passé these days.

Florid prose aside, what I really need is something that can survive indefinitely while dismembered, and which can reanimate when the various pieces are brought together again.

I’m thinking a combination of regeneration and some kind of stasis, but I’m not sure what kinds of creatures would fit those parameters. The cosmic horror would be great if I can get it, but it’s the recovering from dismemberment that’s key to the storyline.

[Nifft]

Crack open Elder Evils.

[Lapak]

Several/most/all of the Titans from the Scarred Lands setting would tick all your boxes, but divine opponents might be a little above the punching weight you’re looking for; are your characters expected to (eventually) be able to confront this opponent in combat or is it a threat they need to keep from rising at all?

(The Titans are also setting-specific enough to need some fiddling, but perhaps they’d be a good starting point.)

[Lazymancer]

Thanks, although the tarrasque is pretty passé these days.

Florid prose aside, what I really need is something that can survive indefinitely while dismembered, and which can reanimate when the various pieces are brought together again.

I’m thinking a combination of regeneration and some kind of stasis, but I’m not sure what kinds of creatures would fit those parameters. The cosmic horror would be great if I can get it, but it’s the recovering from dismemberment that’s key to the storyline.
If you didn't need it to be one creature, 40k Orks would fit the bill.

[ShurikVch]

How about some Construct?
Doomsday Machine, created by aliens, and powered by souls
In the past, was disassembled, and parts were hidden across a planet?

[ayvango]

dried lich or worm that walks, or better sweet couple of both

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Nifft
Crack open Elder Evils.

Sadly, I don’t have this one, and the used copies are out of my price range.

Do you know if it has anything specifically like what I’m asking for, or is it more generic world-ending monstrosities sort of thing?


Originally Posted by Lapak
Several/most/all of the Titans from the Scarred Lands setting would tick all your boxes….

This sounds really intriguing, but I’m not familiar with that setting, and as per the OP I’d like to keep it to first-party 3.5 or Pathfinder.

“Titanspawn” sounds thematically perfect, though.


Originally Posted by Lazymancer
If you didn't need it to be one creature, 40k Orks would fit the bill.

I’m not familiar with these. Do you know if there’s an equivalent in first-party 3.5 or Pathfinder?


Originally Posted by ShurikVch
How about some Construct?
Doomsday Machine, created by aliens, and powered by souls
In the past, was disassembled, and parts were hidden across a planet?

Thanks, but I’m more in the market for a slobbering cosmic horror.


Originally Posted by ayvango
dried lich or worm that walks, or better sweet couple of both....

Where is the dried lich from?

And how is this different from a standard lich? I thought they were all pretty dried-out, really.

[Nifft]

Sadly, I don’t have this one, and the used copies are out of my price range.

Do you know if it has anything specifically like what I’m asking for, or is it more generic world-ending monstrosities sort of thing? It's full of stuff that either is already like this:

Monster would ideally also possess classic end-times-beasty qualities, such as ability to sow terror and doom, immense destructive potential, alien cosmic mindset, etc., plus general demeanor of a rampaging horror. Ability to destroy sanity and ravage psyches a definite plus. ... or is easily adapted.

Plus there are rules for all sorts of end-times effects.


Are you the DM?

Are you running in a published setting? (If so, which one?)

[ShurikVch]

How about this: the monster's body was under the effect of Flesh to Stone(/Crystal/Metal/.../whatever), then shattered, and parts were hidden in across a planet?

[Lapak]

This sounds really intriguing, but I’m not familiar with that setting, and as per the OP I’d like to keep it to first-party 3.5 or Pathfinder.Fair enough! It occurred to me immediately as the setting background revolves around 'true-immortal beings who their children (the gods) dismembered and scattered so they'd stop unleashing random horrors on the world' and their spawn include things like the Gorgons of Mormo, who look mostly like ordinary people until they unzip their torsos and you find out they have a writhing mass of snake-headed tentacles where their organs should be.

The original monster book for it was one of the best examples of 'imply everything you need to know about this setting by the flavor text in the bestiary' I've yet encountered, though it had enough mechanical issues they had to fix it up and release a revised edition.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Lapak
It occurred to me immediately as the setting background revolves around 'true-immortal beings who their children (the gods) dismembered and scattered so they'd stop unleashing random horrors on the world' and their spawn include things like the Gorgons of Mormo, who look mostly like ordinary people until they unzip their torsos and you find out they have a writhing mass of snake-headed tentacles where their organs should be.

You’re selling this nicely. :smalltongue:

This is pretty much exactly what I’m looking for.


Originally Posted by Lapak
…though it had enough mechanical issues they had to fix it up and release a revised edition.

But this does worry me, because it doesn’t sound easily adapted to Pathfinder. I was really hoping for something native to 3.P, since that means much less work for me as the DM.

Still, this sounds close to perfect. Where is that revised edition? I can’t find it on Amazon.


Originally Posted by ShurikVch
How about this: the monster's body was under the effect of Flesh to Stone(/Crystal/Metal/.../whatever), then shattered, and parts were hidden in across a planet?

Hmm. This concept does have potential; I may try to work it in somehow.

[Gullintanni]

Where is the dried lich from?

And how is this different from a standard lich? I thought they were all pretty dried-out, really.

Dry Lich is a template from Sandstorm. It's basically a regular Lich with dessication as one of it's thematic abilities.

The Pseudonatural template and Worm That Walks both sound thematically appropriate. I believe they're both in the SRD.

Pseudonatural creatures are specifically described as shapeshifting creatures from the far realms of insanity, whose alternate form is a tentacled mass.

Be warned though - Pseudonatural is a huge boost when applied to non epic creatures so you may have to tone down the template if you want a party of mid level characters to fight one of these things.

[ayvango]

Where is the dried lich from?

And how is this different from a standard lich? I thought they were all pretty dried-out, really.
I made a mistake. The exact name is Dry Lich and the place is Sandstorm.

[Lazymancer]

I’m not familiar with these. Do you know if there’s an equivalent in first-party 3.5 or Pathfinder?
No. The idea is more complicated than a simple statblock would suggest. And - as I see it now - not suited to what you want.

40k Orks are basically weaponised ecosystem that spawns more Orks. Orks themselves are mushrooms (fungi, yes) who spread their spores wherever they go. And from those spores their ecosystem develops and spawns more Orks. I.e. it doesn't matter how many Orks are killed. You are fighting against the ecosystem. As long as it spreads, Orks are winning. The only fast solution is to torch the whole land infected by Ork spores.

Basically, they work as a slow end of the world.

[Lapak]

You’re selling this nicely. :smalltongue:

This is pretty much exactly what I’m looking for.

But this does worry me, because it doesn’t sound easily adapted to Pathfinder. I was really hoping for something native to 3.P, since that means much less work for me as the DM.

Still, this sounds close to perfect. Where is that revised edition? I can’t find it on Amazon.
With the caveat that I have not actually read the revised edition, but the reviews seem to be 'this is essentially the same, but with stats fixed and updated to 3.5', you can find it here. (https://www.amazon.com/Creature-Collection-Revised-Scarred-Lands/dp/1588461114)