Rappy
2008-05-31, 07:53 AM
Like bhu, I am a creature crafter and immigrant from the Wizards of the Coast board. Like him, I decided to chronicle some of my many monster and race creations here. As another one of the "refugees", my enjoyment of crafting monsters has compelled me to once again show off the history of my work. You folks seem like a nice lot, so I might as well try again to get the ball rolling for a new crowd. If you want amusement, head toward bhu's thread: you will find mostly real world creatures, cryptids, mythological beasts, and aberrant monstrosities within these walls. I will start off with two of some of my personal favorites, and move onward as time passes.
Bestiary List
Devil Monkey (Opening post)
Dodo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4401133&postcount=9)
Gashadokuro (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4629758&postcount=12)
Neanderthal (Opening post)
Troodon (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4437298&postcount=11)
Vampiric fruit (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4401133&postcount=9)
Devil Monkey
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 3d8+12 (25 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+9
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d8+3) or 2 claws +4 melee (2d4+3)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d8+3) or 2 claws +4 melee (2d4+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Rake
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, unbridled leaper, scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 5
Skills: Jump +12, Listen +3, Spot +2
Feats: Endurance, Track
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-7)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Large); 7-9 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
Leaping out from the foliage is a beast resembling a dire monkey gone horribly wrong. Its woolly mane trails in the cool night air, teeth gleaming in the moonlight.
Named for their ferocity, Devil Monkeys are the largest known species of baboon, and dwell in the temperate forests of the Northlands. Their mournful and chilling howls can strike fear into even the bravest warriors, and their teeth and claws make for dangerous melee weapons. While normally quadrupedal in motion, Devil Monkeys are also (in)famous for suddenly shifting gears into side-leaping movement like that of a Sifaka lemur, often leaping right into the paths of oncoming carts, grappling horses that are seen as prey. A disturbing tactic of Devil Monkeys is to grab onto prey with their front claws then "kangaroo kick" their back claws into the target's flesh, performing a quad-slash against the opponent. These large primates are sometimes mistaken for werewolves during surprise attacks.
Combat
A Devil Monkey will attempt to hide until it can get an enemy in a compromising position, in which it will use its prodigious leaping ability to close the gap fast and use its claws and teeth to rend
Unbridled Leaper (Ex): The DC for any Jump check across long distances is decreased by 5, and the Devil Monkey only receives a double DC penalty for jumping after 10 feet rather than 20 like most creatures.
Skills: Devil Monkeys have a +6 bonus to Jump checks.
Neanderthals
"The shaman has foreseen a great war in our futures. We must prepare ourselves for battle, for we cannot let the orcs take our land!"
Neanderthals are masters of the cold, people marvelously adapted for the cold lands of the Great North. They are the premier hunter-gatherer race, and have a long history of war, since they are always under the threat of the orcs of the Great North for control of their homeland. Most Neanderthals do not live as long as other humanoid races due to their rough lives, but they live them to the fullest anyway.
Neanderthal Racial Traits
+2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution.
Medium-size.
Humanoid.
30 foot base speed.
Made for the Cold (Ex): Neanderthals gain a +4 bonus to Fortitude saves to resist the effects of cold.
Humanblood (Ex): Due to their close relations to humans, Neanderthals are considered humans for all purposes, and gain the extra feat and skill points as per a human.
Bonus Feat: Neanderthals gain the bonus feat Archaic Weapons Proficiency.
Automatic language: Neanderthalese; bonus languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Terran, Undercommon.
Level Adjustment: +1.
Favored Class: Ranger.
Starting Age
Adulthood: 18.
Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer: +1d4
Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger: +1d6.
Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard: +2d6.
Aging Effects
Middle Age: 30
Old: 45
Venerable: 55
Maximum Age: +1d10.
Height and Weight
Base Height: 5'8
Height Modifier: +2d6 inches
Base Weight: 120 lb.
Weight Modifier: +1d10 lb.
Neanderthal Characters
Neanderthals make fine warriors and scout characters, and Neanderthal shamans practicing druidic magic is not uncommon.
Adventuring Neanderthals: The most common reason for a Neanderthal to become an adventurer is to hunt for far-flung prey or to fight for his village with other individuals willing to help his cause.
Character Development: The best methods of using a Neanderthal to his fullest is in the Barbarian or Ranger classes. Applying a good score roll to Dexterity is a must for any spear-throwers and fast Rangers, because the Neanderthal's penalty to that score makes him a bit behind the standard.
Character Names: Neanderthal names tend to have their own symbolic meaning in Neanderthalese, but those traveling with humans tend to drop their Neanderthal name and gain a more human one. Examples of traditional Neanderthal names "humanized" including Blinding Snows, Mammoth Slayer, and Cloud Walker.
Roleplaying a Neanderthal
You often have to fight adversity when adventuring, since many peoples of the lands to the South believe your kind to be "subhuman primitives, no smarter than trolls".
Personality: You are determined and sometimes distant to those who do not know you, but you are jovial and kind-hearted to your comrades and village family.
Behaviors: Neanderthals are best described as "brave in the face of great adversity". A neanderthal will behave with the same courage when facing a mammoth as he would a goblin.
Language: Neanderthalese is a complex tribal language, somewhat sounding like a mix of West Valleys Common (German), dwarven, and deeper-toned "musical" words.
Neanderthal Society
Neanderthals are close-knit people, trading in between tribes and treating their home village's residents as an extended family.
Alignment : As true team players for the benefit of their tribe, neanderthals tend to be Lawful Neutral or Lawful Good.
Lands : Neanderthals live in the lands of the Great North, living in the Far North steppes in the summer, then retreating farther to the Low North cavernlands when winter grasps the steppes in ice and snow even more than they can handle.
Settlements: Neanderthals build temporary "villages" out of caves in their winter home, as well as true villages built from mammoth bones and hides in the Far North.
Beliefs: Neanderthals mostly worship nature deities, their shaman (usually a Druid or Cleric) acting as a "speaker of the spirits" for their chosen god/dess.
Relations: Neanderthals make wary friends of humans, and make fast friends with arctic elves and dwarves, having the mutual enemies of the goblinoid races and orcs of the Far North.
Neanderthal Adventures
The village's shaman has gone missing in the middle of the most important religious festival of the year, causing disarray and fears of an ill omen. The orcs of the nearby forest are the prime suspects.
A neanderthal adolescent was killed by a short-faced bear in his right of passage. The grief-stricken parents want a brave adventurer group to retrieve his bones for proper burial.
In a dangerous twist of fate, a white dragon has wiped out the orc tribe nearby, but is not satisfied, and wishes to do in the neanderthal village as well. A group of surviving orcs wish to make a truce to vanquish the beast, but can they be trusted?
Bestiary List
Devil Monkey (Opening post)
Dodo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4401133&postcount=9)
Gashadokuro (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4629758&postcount=12)
Neanderthal (Opening post)
Troodon (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4437298&postcount=11)
Vampiric fruit (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4401133&postcount=9)
Devil Monkey
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 3d8+12 (25 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+9
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d8+3) or 2 claws +4 melee (2d4+3)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d8+3) or 2 claws +4 melee (2d4+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Rake
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, unbridled leaper, scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 5
Skills: Jump +12, Listen +3, Spot +2
Feats: Endurance, Track
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-7)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Large); 7-9 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
Leaping out from the foliage is a beast resembling a dire monkey gone horribly wrong. Its woolly mane trails in the cool night air, teeth gleaming in the moonlight.
Named for their ferocity, Devil Monkeys are the largest known species of baboon, and dwell in the temperate forests of the Northlands. Their mournful and chilling howls can strike fear into even the bravest warriors, and their teeth and claws make for dangerous melee weapons. While normally quadrupedal in motion, Devil Monkeys are also (in)famous for suddenly shifting gears into side-leaping movement like that of a Sifaka lemur, often leaping right into the paths of oncoming carts, grappling horses that are seen as prey. A disturbing tactic of Devil Monkeys is to grab onto prey with their front claws then "kangaroo kick" their back claws into the target's flesh, performing a quad-slash against the opponent. These large primates are sometimes mistaken for werewolves during surprise attacks.
Combat
A Devil Monkey will attempt to hide until it can get an enemy in a compromising position, in which it will use its prodigious leaping ability to close the gap fast and use its claws and teeth to rend
Unbridled Leaper (Ex): The DC for any Jump check across long distances is decreased by 5, and the Devil Monkey only receives a double DC penalty for jumping after 10 feet rather than 20 like most creatures.
Skills: Devil Monkeys have a +6 bonus to Jump checks.
Neanderthals
"The shaman has foreseen a great war in our futures. We must prepare ourselves for battle, for we cannot let the orcs take our land!"
Neanderthals are masters of the cold, people marvelously adapted for the cold lands of the Great North. They are the premier hunter-gatherer race, and have a long history of war, since they are always under the threat of the orcs of the Great North for control of their homeland. Most Neanderthals do not live as long as other humanoid races due to their rough lives, but they live them to the fullest anyway.
Neanderthal Racial Traits
+2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution.
Medium-size.
Humanoid.
30 foot base speed.
Made for the Cold (Ex): Neanderthals gain a +4 bonus to Fortitude saves to resist the effects of cold.
Humanblood (Ex): Due to their close relations to humans, Neanderthals are considered humans for all purposes, and gain the extra feat and skill points as per a human.
Bonus Feat: Neanderthals gain the bonus feat Archaic Weapons Proficiency.
Automatic language: Neanderthalese; bonus languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Terran, Undercommon.
Level Adjustment: +1.
Favored Class: Ranger.
Starting Age
Adulthood: 18.
Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer: +1d4
Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger: +1d6.
Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard: +2d6.
Aging Effects
Middle Age: 30
Old: 45
Venerable: 55
Maximum Age: +1d10.
Height and Weight
Base Height: 5'8
Height Modifier: +2d6 inches
Base Weight: 120 lb.
Weight Modifier: +1d10 lb.
Neanderthal Characters
Neanderthals make fine warriors and scout characters, and Neanderthal shamans practicing druidic magic is not uncommon.
Adventuring Neanderthals: The most common reason for a Neanderthal to become an adventurer is to hunt for far-flung prey or to fight for his village with other individuals willing to help his cause.
Character Development: The best methods of using a Neanderthal to his fullest is in the Barbarian or Ranger classes. Applying a good score roll to Dexterity is a must for any spear-throwers and fast Rangers, because the Neanderthal's penalty to that score makes him a bit behind the standard.
Character Names: Neanderthal names tend to have their own symbolic meaning in Neanderthalese, but those traveling with humans tend to drop their Neanderthal name and gain a more human one. Examples of traditional Neanderthal names "humanized" including Blinding Snows, Mammoth Slayer, and Cloud Walker.
Roleplaying a Neanderthal
You often have to fight adversity when adventuring, since many peoples of the lands to the South believe your kind to be "subhuman primitives, no smarter than trolls".
Personality: You are determined and sometimes distant to those who do not know you, but you are jovial and kind-hearted to your comrades and village family.
Behaviors: Neanderthals are best described as "brave in the face of great adversity". A neanderthal will behave with the same courage when facing a mammoth as he would a goblin.
Language: Neanderthalese is a complex tribal language, somewhat sounding like a mix of West Valleys Common (German), dwarven, and deeper-toned "musical" words.
Neanderthal Society
Neanderthals are close-knit people, trading in between tribes and treating their home village's residents as an extended family.
Alignment : As true team players for the benefit of their tribe, neanderthals tend to be Lawful Neutral or Lawful Good.
Lands : Neanderthals live in the lands of the Great North, living in the Far North steppes in the summer, then retreating farther to the Low North cavernlands when winter grasps the steppes in ice and snow even more than they can handle.
Settlements: Neanderthals build temporary "villages" out of caves in their winter home, as well as true villages built from mammoth bones and hides in the Far North.
Beliefs: Neanderthals mostly worship nature deities, their shaman (usually a Druid or Cleric) acting as a "speaker of the spirits" for their chosen god/dess.
Relations: Neanderthals make wary friends of humans, and make fast friends with arctic elves and dwarves, having the mutual enemies of the goblinoid races and orcs of the Far North.
Neanderthal Adventures
The village's shaman has gone missing in the middle of the most important religious festival of the year, causing disarray and fears of an ill omen. The orcs of the nearby forest are the prime suspects.
A neanderthal adolescent was killed by a short-faced bear in his right of passage. The grief-stricken parents want a brave adventurer group to retrieve his bones for proper burial.
In a dangerous twist of fate, a white dragon has wiped out the orc tribe nearby, but is not satisfied, and wishes to do in the neanderthal village as well. A group of surviving orcs wish to make a truce to vanquish the beast, but can they be trusted?