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The Vorpal Tribble
2008-08-19, 12:31 PM
Angiak

http://www.metlin.org/wheeler/img/karthik-hand-snow.jpg

Tiny Undead
Hit Dice: 3d12 (19 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (-3 dex, +2 natural, +4 size), flat-footed 13, touch 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+9
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d2+4) or Touch +7 melee (frostbite)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d2+4) and Touch +2 melee (frostbite)
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach, nurture, warmth suckle
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, undead traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref -1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 6, Con -, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 14
Skills: Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Improved Initiative, Lifesense (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Lifesense,LM)
Environment: Any cold land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Combat
Angiaks tend to gather clothing and toddle into the homes of those that abandoned them, or even those that knew it to happen and did nothing to stop it. They wail piteously until they are noticed, encouraging closeness when they leap forward to attach themselves to their victim, draining them of warmth and vitality.

Attach (Ex): If an angiak hits with a bite attack, it grips tightly to it's opponent’s body with its weak-seeming jaws. An attached angiak is effectively grappling its opponent. Angiaks have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).

An attached angiak can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached angiak through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the angiak.

Bundled (Ex): An angiak gains a +10 bonus on disguise checks when clothed or wrapped in a blanket to appear as a normal child.

Nurture (Su): The cries an angiak constantly makes causes humanoids within 20 feet to become filled with pity. Those in range must succeed on a DC 13 will save or become Charmed for as long as they hear the angiak. An angiak usually tries to get another to pick it up so that it may use its attach ability without triggering an attack of opportunity. This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Warmth Suckle (Su): An angiak sucks warmth right from the blood of its victim, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage and 1 point of Dexterity damage in any round when it begins its turn attached to a victim. For each 2 points of dexterity damage it deals, the angiak gains 1 point of strength that lasts for 1 hour. Creatures immune to cold are not affected by this ability.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Angiak Lore
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (religion) can learn more about angiaks. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Religion)

DC/Result
DC 12 - This creature is an angiak, the undead remains of a child purposely abandoned to die from exposure. It rises up, no longer affected by the elements. This reveals all undead traits and its immunity to cold.
DC 17 - The pitiful cry of an angiak is said to melt the hearts of humanoid creatures, but such is their downfall. This reveals it's Nurture ability.
DC 22 - An angiak, despite its seeming fragility is possessed of supernatural strength. If it bites it rarely lets go, but sucks out one's heat, growing stronger by the moment. This reveals the angiak's attach and warmth suckle ability.

Ecology
Angiaks are the remains of babies or young children that are abandoned to the cold by peoples who cannot care for them. The cold heartedness of the act infuses them and they rise up soon after death, filled with an icy hatred. They return to their mother in the night, quietly suckling until they gain the strength of several men. Once fortified, they seek their revenge on the others of the community.
Environment: Angiaks are found wherever children are abandoned to the cold.
Typical Physical Characteristics: Angiaks are as they were in life, but their skin is the livid blue-black of advanced frostbite, and their eyes frozen and cracked. The skin has pulled away from their mouth in a frigid rictus, razor shards of frozen blood rising from their gums.
Alignment: Angiaks have the minds of young children, though bewildered and hate filled at the injustice done them. An angiak is always chaotic evil.

Society
Angiaks only in the most desperate of times ever meet others of their kind, but do not interact except to jointly seek revenge on the society that spurned them while helpless and dependent.
An angiak cannot speak, only able to emit the weak wails of a dying child.

Typical Treasure
Angiaks possess no treasure, rarely even possessing the simplest of clothes.

Lappy9000
2008-08-19, 12:33 PM
Warmth.....suckle?

Disturbing, yet well-written (One of these days, I'm gonna figure out how to stat monsters so that I'll actually be able to give folks feedback:smallconfused:)

FatherMalkav
2008-08-19, 12:40 PM
Eerie as possible. I love it. Would they all be tiny? What if the child was older?

RTGoodman
2008-08-19, 12:48 PM
Very cool. (No pun intended. :smalltongue:)

You could make a pretty neat little side-trek adventure where a covey of hags has been attacking a village that tends to abandon its young by leaving Angiaks on doorsteps disguised as orphans.

Stycotl
2008-08-19, 12:53 PM
cool. nice flavor. i like the premise. you're formatting is a bit sloppy though, and the opening fluff text is all down in the ecology para, which is ok, but abnormal. the title for warmth suckle needs to be bolded.

over all, very neat. could creep some players out if used intelligently.

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-08-19, 01:04 PM
Eerie as possible. I love it. Would they all be tiny? What if the child was older?
This is mostly intended for very young children.


i like the premise. you're formatting is a bit sloppy though, and the opening fluff text is all down in the ecology para, which is ok, but abnormal.
Sloppy? Basically I'm using the old 3.5 format and new 3.5 one together. That's how the monster entries to Foosteps are being accepted, which is why I think I made it like this originally but then that issue never came out. Have had this sitting around for over a year.

Stycotl
2008-08-19, 01:15 PM
Sloppy? Basically I'm using the old 3.5 format and new 3.5 one together. That's how the monster entries to Foosteps are being accepted, which is why I think I made it like this originally but then that issue never came out. Have had this sitting around for over a year.

not a big deal; mostly just referring to the fact that none of the stat-block headings are bolded or differentiated, and that the fluff text is at the bottom, and the unbolded descriptive heading. sloppy might be the wrong word. try 'hasty' instead. either way, they are kinda similar in my book.

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-08-19, 01:51 PM
mostly just referring to the fact that none of the stat-block headings are bolded or differentiated
They aren't bolded, but differentiated? They are all separate. However, this is how I've always posted my monsters.


and that the fluff text is at the bottom
That's how it is in the newer 3.5 format.


and the unbolded descriptive heading.
?

SurlySeraph
2008-08-19, 02:36 PM
Eek. Awesome work, Tribble.

nobodylovesyou4
2008-08-19, 03:43 PM
cr 2? with 1d4 con damage when it establishes a grapple? are you sure that the cr is high enough?

boomwolf
2008-08-19, 06:23 PM
Seconded.

In CR 2 he can be a real bugger. heck he is easily potential death to 5th level characters.

He is jest too fatal for CR 2, ability damage is painful, but to Con its deadly.

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-08-19, 07:11 PM
Ummm...

Challenge Rating 1
Giant Bee - 1d4 Con damage, initial AND secondary.
Monstrous Scorpion, Medium - 1d3 Con damage, initial and secondary.

Challenge Rating 2
Large Viper, 1d6 Con damage, initial and secondary.
Vargoille, paralyzes and then for all intended purposes kills you if you fail a single save.

Stycotl
2008-08-19, 10:07 PM
They aren't bolded, but differentiated? They are all separate. However, this is how I've always posted my monsters.


That's how it is in the newer 3.5 format.


?

then don't worry about it. i am just tellinng you my thoughts on it. take them as they apply.

chaiyo
2008-08-25, 07:50 PM
New 3.5 format is rather helpful, better than unmarked paragraphed fluff in the old one. Anyway, is Frostbite from anything? Doesn't seem to be here, or linked.

Is the lore bit part of the new format, too? I always like to have fluff I can use when my PCs are expecting its critical weakness upon a natural 20 rolled for Knowledge.

Spiryt
2008-08-26, 04:27 AM
Seconded.

In CR 2 he can be a real bugger. heck he is easily potential death to 5th level characters.

He is jest too fatal for CR 2, ability damage is painful, but to Con its deadly.

Well, most players travel in parties, you know. Even if grappled fellow can't wrestle it off or kill it sufficently quickly, others will do it easily.

Anyway kinda crepy and well done.

littlechicory
2008-08-26, 04:39 PM
then don't worry about it. i am just tellinng you my thoughts on it. take them as they apply.

*butts in*

And here are my thoughts on the matter: 'tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

/off-topic

Another good job, VT. I've been skittish about 4e, so I'm glad to see you're still using 3.5 format for your monsters. Undead toddlers are always good for a "WHAT THE FLYING F-" moment. ("No, it's not flying, it's an undead lifesucking baby.")

I'll admit, I too was thrown a little by the low CR for a creature with high hit dice and powerful attacks, but it looks like you thought about that already.